--by Brett Kruschke
Carver 2 @ Tigers 0 (Tuesday, July 25)
The Black Sox’ soft-tossing Joe Campbell threw a complete game
shutout, ending Tiger hopes of a run to the Regional playoffs, and,
their season. “Smilin’ Joe” yielded seven hits and
worked out of trouble on several occassions, much to the chagrin of
the Tigers’ Hack Attack. The left-hander struck out six and more
importantly, didn’t walk a batter.
The Tigers opened the playoffs on Friday with a 3-0 win over Carver, thanks to a complete game shutout by the high-handed ace himself, Shane Hofmann. And it was Hofmann again, on three days rest, to see if he could pull the trick one more time.
He gave up two runs – one earned – in seven innings of work, a so-called “quality start” by modern standards (in the old days, you had to throw back-to-back no-hitters on the same day, just to get credit for one). Hofmann’s combined line of 16 innings and one earned run looks all-the-more impressive when you consider that in-between these Tiger matchups, Carver out-slugged the Winthrop Lumber Company by the staggering score of 20-17. That’s right – Carver beat Winthrop 20 to 17!
Carver put across the game’s first run in the fifth, an unearned run thanks to a Tiger error. They would add one more in the 6th for a 2-0 lead, and the final margin of victory. Belle Plaine tallied three errors on the night, while the Sox played gaffe-free ball.
El Tigre knocked on the door several times but couldn’t break through, leaving five runners in scoring position through the first six innings. After that, “Joe Camel” retired 10 of Belle Plaine’s last 11 batters, the only interruption a two-out single in the seventh.
Hofmann gave way to Ryan Witt on the mound, who fanned four batters in his two innings of scoreless work.
There are no excuses come playoff time (the rest of the year – heck yes!), but Team Tigertown was missing three starters in Pat Schultz, Dave Kreft, and Adam Hoffman. And when you’ve lost 13 of 15 coming into the game, that’s probably not a good thing.
It did allow the Tigers to showcase their “Infield of the Future” (Team Dippin’ Dots – see boxscore), as the average age around the horn was 17 years old. Despite a combined three errors, they did not receive the dreaded “NC-17” rating. Rather, their futures are so bright, fans in the front row are advised to wear eye black next year.
After beating Belle Plaine, Carver went on to beat Waconia 9-8 to advance to Regional play for the first time “since the mid-80’s”, said a Carver source. The game was played Thursday night, at Tiger Park. The #4-seeded Black Sox trailed 7-1 in the 7th, before mounting the improbable comeback over the #1-seeded Lakers, sending them home.
Brownton then beat Carver 6-2 on Saturday to claim the CCL-Red championship and the CCL-Red’s #1 seed heading to Region 6C play. Carver is the #2 seed from the CCL-Red. Le Sueur is the #1 seed from the CCL-White, and Arlington the #2 seed. These four CCL teams will meet up with #1 seed Union Hill and #2 seed St. Patrick of the DRS-Blue, to complete the six-team Region 6C bracket. (See bracket accompanying story, or visit www.bptigertown.com, where updates will be posted.)
In the CCL-Red draft, Brownton went first and selected pitcher Rob Wagener of Waconia. Carver took pitcher Shane Hofmann of the Tigers with their first pick; Brownton countered with Tiger catcher Pat Schultz. Finally, Carver went pitching again with Tiger hurler Mike Schultz. Tigertown is proud to send these three players on to Regions! Hopefully next year, the rest of the team will go with them.
You won’t have to travel far to keep tabs on your Tigers (Mike and Shane, anyway), as Carver will once again use Tiger Park as their home field tonight (Wednesday), at 8:00 pm, when they take on the Arlington A’s. Hofmann is expected to get the ball tonight in the opener, according to Carver manager Mike Sparrow. (Insert “Wohler to Start for Marshall” joke here.)
The Tigers won three of their first four out of the gate, and sat at 7-7 at the season’s halfway point. However, that’s when the wheels feel off, as El Tigre lost 12 of their final 13 regular season games.
The Red Caps opened the playoffs with a 3-0 win over Carver and nearly topped #1 seed Waconia, losing 4-3 in the ninth. A 2-0 loss to Regional quailifer Carver ended the season.
In CCL ‘C’ games, Belle Plaine went 3-9 but was outscored just 61-45, a total of 16 runs over 12 games. The locals lost four league games but one run, and three non-league games by one run. The Tigers feel they had a better season than their record indicated, but also must learn how to win close ballgames and prove it on the field.
Perhaps another year under the belts will do that, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that the Tigers did christen six rookies this year. In fact, 13 of the Tigers’ 22-man roster has played three years or less. A 9-21 record (4-13 CCL) might lead someone to say, “Now I know why tigers eat their young!” but the ball club is optimistic as they look forward to next year.
Individually, Nate Hartmann (.346) edged Pat Schultz (.343) for the team batting crown, no small feat as Schultz has won it two of the previous three years. Matt Schultz hit .355, but did not have enough at-bats to qualify (11-for-31; see – rookies get hosed at every opportunity on this team.)
It’s not exactly Denny McClain’s 1968 win total, but Shane Hofmann led the staff with three victories and also took the team ERA title at 2.36. He may well have completed the triple crown by leading in strikeouts, but I haven’t tabulated those yet. Everything should be up on the website within a week or two, if you care to check it out.
Thanks as always to our fans and those whose hard work make Tiger baseball possible – we appreciate all your efforts and support. See you at the ballpark in 2007!
The
Black Sox’ soft-tossing Joe Campbell threw a complete game shutout,
ending Tiger hopes of a run to the Regional playoffs, and, their season.
“Smilin’ Joe” yielded seven hits and worked out of trouble
on several occassions, much to the chagrin of the Tigers’ Hack Attack.
The left-hander struck out six and more importantly, didn’t walk
a batter. The Tigers opened the playoffs on Friday with a 3-0 win over Carver, thanks to a complete game shutout by the high-handed ace himself, Shane Hofmann. And it was Hofmann again, on three days rest, to see if he could pull the trick one more time.
He gave up two runs – one earned – in seven innings of work, a so-called “quality start” by modern standards (in the old days, you had to throw back-to-back no-hitters on the same day, just to get credit for one). Hofmann’s combined line of 16 innings and one earned run looks all-the-more impressive when you consider that in-between these Tiger matchups, Carver out-slugged the Winthrop Lumber Company by the staggering score of 20-17.
Carver put across the game’s first run in the fifth, an unearned run thanks to a Tiger error. They would add one more in the 6th for a 2-0 lead, and the final margin of victory. Belle Plaine tallied three errors on the night, while the Sox played gaffe-free ball.
El Tigre knocked on the door several times but couldn’t break through, leaving five runners in scoring position through the first six innings. After that, “Joe Camel” retired 10 of Belle Plaine’s last 11 batters, the only interruption a two-out single in the seventh.
Hofmann gave way to Ryan Witt on the mound, who fanned four batters in his two innings of scoreless work.
There are no excuses come playoff time (the rest of the year – heck yes!), but Team Tigertown was missing three starters in Pat Schultz, Dave Kreft, and Adam Hoffman. And when you’ve lost 13 of 15 coming into the game, that’s probably not a good thing.
It did allow the Tigers to showcase their “Infield of the Future” (Team Dippin’ Dots – see boxscore), as the average age around the horn was 17 years old. Despite a combined three errors, they did not receive the dreaded “NC-17” rating. Rather, their futures are so bright, fans in the front row are advised to wear eye black next year.
--by Brett Kruschke
The 5th-seeded Tigers almost pulled the upset, but couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead at Waconia and lost 4-3 on a two-out single in the ninth. The top-seeded Lakers entered with a 20-9 record, while the Tigers came in at 9-19 and losers of 12 of their previous 14.
The loss to Waconia came on the heels of a 3-0 victory for the Tigers over Carver, on Friday night. Last night, the Tigers rematched with Carver at home, as the Black Sox defeated Winthrop 20-17 on Sunday to eliminate the Eagles. Check www.bptigertown.com for an update on this season-hangs-in-the-balance game.
If the Tigers lost, it is time to get out the golf clubs, as the season is over. If the T-Town Express reigned victorious last night, they will play Thursday night at 7:30 pm, either at Brownton or as hosts to Waconia, depending on the outcome of that battle. (Yes – the scenarios get a little dizzying – please see the accompanying playoff bracket for help. Also, the Tiger website should have these updates and matchups the following morning.)
If the Tigers play and win Thursday, they will play Saturday for the CCL-Red championship, and more importantly, seeding privledges in Region 6C play, which will begin Wednesday, August 2nd. But let’s not put the ox before the cart. Go Tigers!
Tigers 3 vs. Carver 0, at Belle Plaine (Friday,
July 21)
Having lost 12 of 13, momentum wasn’t exactly something the Tigers
had on their side as they entered the playoffs. Throw in the fact that
Tigertown was victim of the infamous “Carver sweep” earlier
this year, and the locals were desperate. In fact, the Tigers played
with a sense of desperation that may have been the key to their 3-0
victory.
If so, Shane Hofmann definitely served the role of head janitor, displaying an impressive set of keys that included a complete game, seven-hit shutout. Also dangling from his chain was nine big strikeouts among his 128 pitches. Hofmann walked only one batter on the evening.
The Black Sox put at least one man in scoring position in five of the nine innings, but each time were denied by the right-handed ace. No situation was larger than the eighth, when Hofmann struck out cleanup hitter Tim Campbell looking on a full count, with runners at first and second and two outs.
The Tigers clung to a 2-0 lead at the time, and served as visitors on the scoreboard as Carver arranged to play the game in Belle Plaine, due to a lack of lights at their home field.
El Tigre plated the game’s decisive first run when eight-hitter Peter Schuneman doubled in Matt Schultz all the way from first base. Schuneman was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple, and the Tigers weren’t heard from again until the eighth.
In the eighth, Nick Volek was hit by a pitch with one out, was wild pitched to second, and scored on a two-out single by Dave Kreft. In the ninth, the Big Grr added their third and final run when Black Sox starter Jay Trocke came apart like a cheap rental suit. Trocke dripped veteran savvy to that point, but after recording the inning’s first out, walked the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches (insert Harry Doyle sound byte here). Ross Tichy relieved, but was greeted by a sacrfice fly off the bat of Matt Schultz, making it 3-0.
Kreft and Schuneman led the way with two hits each, while both of Schuneman’s safeties were doubles. Brett Kruschke coached a stellar game at 3rd base, making zero mistakes that anyone would dare recall.
Tigers 3 @ Waconia 4 (Sunday, July 23)
The Tigers entered this battle without their # 3 hitter and veteran
catcher, Pat Schultz, who was off to his honeymoon after getting married
the day before. But as I’ve been telling Pat all year, he can’t
hit lefties anyway, so he wouldn’t have been in the lineup against
Laker southpaw Travis Van Doren (yeah, right).
The backdrop for this game turned out eerily similar. The Tigers lost 7-2 to Waconia on May 30, but on June 25, Mike Schultz lost at Waconia when he worked 8.1 innings, throwing 133 pitches as the Lakers rallied for two in the ninth to win, 4-3. On this night, Mike Schultz worked 8.1 innings and took the loss in the 9th, throwing 135 pitches.
The 135th pitch was Schultz’s last, as leadoff hitter Blaine Walstrom smoked a one-out, one-hop triple off the wall in right, just beating the relay throw ahead of third baseman Paul Dressen’s tag. Ryan Witt relieved, and fielded a hot comebacker to record the second out. But on his fourth pitch, 3-hitter Dan Chrest sent a single up the middle, ending the ballgame.
The Tigers took a 3-1 lead in the fourth, scoring two
runs on a fielder’s choice and an error on the same play, which
allowed Nate Hartmann and Shane Hofmann to both “come on down”.
In the fifth, the Lakers tied it up on a two-run double by cleanup hitter
Dana Hegman.
The Tigers failed to get down a couple of bunts, and also ran into a
tag on a double play, that could have led to a fourth run. But loser’s
remorse is always a game of “if’s”. It could also
be said that Mike Schultz – to his credit – pitched out
of several tough spots where the Lakers could have taken advantage.
Offensively, the Tigers scraped together only five hits off complete game victor Travis “Don’t Call Me Mimi” Van Doren, with Adam Hoffman and Matt Schultz leading the way with two apiece. Hoffman also drove in the Tigers’ first run with an RBI single in the third.
It should be noted that this game lasted approximately 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 8 seconds longer than Mike and Matt Schultz’s co-best man’s speech at their brother’s wedding on Saturday.
Belle
Plaine, Minn. - The Cleveland Condors defeated the Belle Plaine
Tigers 9-7 last night, as the Tigers committed an abhorrent nine
errors through five innings of play. Then, the Tiger pitchers decided
enough was enough, and took matters into their own hands - recording
12 of the final 13 outs by strikeout! The streak was 12 straight
until Eric Lyons induced a 6-3 groundout for the final out of the
ninth.
July 18, 2006 Herald Article
--by Brett Kruschke
The story of the Tigers season has been starting out 7-7, then proceeding to drop 10 of 11 (last night’s regular season finale against the Cleveland Condors not included – check www.bptigertown.com, or wait for next week’s Herald). The Tigers have a chance Friday to start fresh and make some noise, or sink further into the abyss that has been their second-half slide.
That chance will come Friday in the form of the Carver Black Sox – but be warned: these are not your father’s Black Sox. (Well, they might be your father’s, as Carver was pretty good back then; but, these are definitely not your older brother’s Black Sox – let’s put it that way). Carver beat the Tigers twice this season for the first time in recent memory, defeated Jordan 10-5, and also beat the Shakopee Indians for the first time since the mid-80’s.
So now we will find out if the old cliché “it’s hard to beat someone three times in a season” holds true. Carver is the higher seed – # 4 vs. Belle Plaine’s # 5 – but does not have lights at their home field, so the game will be played in Belle Plaine, with Carver serving as the home team on the scoreboard. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
If the Tigers win, they will play Sunday at #1-seed Waconia, at 7:30 pm. If they lose, it will depend on whom the Tigers are facing: if it’s # 2-seed Brownton, the game will be played at 7:30 pm in Union Hill, serving as Belle Plaine’s home game (there is a Legion Tournament at Tiger Park this weekend and next); if it’s # 3-seed Winthrop, the game will be at Winthrop at 2:00 pm.
If the Tigers are still alive, they will also have a game on Tuesday; follow along with the scores at www.bptigertown.com. Please see the attached playoff bracket for full details and scenarios.
The Tigers lost 2-0 at Brownton on Tuesday, July 11, but did not have any other games over the past week. Belle Plaine finished the regular season with a 4-13 record in the CCL-Red, and is currently 8-18 overall.
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Mike Schultz got the nod on the hill for Team Tigertown, and battled through five, leaving with a 2-0 deficit. Jonny Schulz came in and did some nifty relief work, to keep the Bruins at bay and the Tigers within striking distance.
The Tigers best scoring threat came in the seventh, when they loaded the bases with one out. But as has been the story for quite some time now, the Tigers couldn’t deliver in the clutch and left the bases full. El Tigre went out with a whimper, gaining only one baserunner over the final two innings.
Hartmann raised his batting average to .372, while Pat Schultz
went 0-for-2 with two walks, and ranks second on the team at .344.
Brett Kruschke is 0-for-2 this year and currently off the 20-man
roster.
The Tigers still have one home game remaining on the regular season
schedule - Fan Apprecition Night next Tuesday (July 18) against
the Cleveland Condors. Good tickets still available.
TIGERS
IN A FREE FALLApple, peaches, pumpkin pie
you ain’t got no alibi
You ug-ly! You ug-ly!
You get the point. It’s been anything but pretty for the hometown team lately, well – for about three weeks now. El Tigerino lost all four games since the July 4th “All Star Break”, and if not for a 10-7 win over Plato on June 29, would have a 10-game losing streak. Not exactly the type of momentum a team wants to build with the playoffs looming – just nine days away, in fact. (CCL-Red playoffs open July 21; look for bracket and full details in next week’s paper.)
Last night (Tuesday, July 11), the Tigers ventured to Brownton for their final regular-season CCL match of the year. This Tuesday (July 18), the Tigers will host the Cleveland Condors in the final game of the regular season. It will also be Fan Appreciation Night, with free prizes for our deserving fans, all night long. Season ticket giveaways for 2007 will be included, among other items. Who knows – some good hustle or just on a whim, and Manager Kreft is apt to pick you out and stick you in the lineup. I’d show up. And bring your glove.
Overall, the Tigers are 4-12 in the CCL-Red, 8-17 overall. Like LaVonne Behnke once said, “But these are good kids!”
Chaska 5 @ Tigers 1 (Thursday, July 6)
The Chaska Cubs got up early, and cruised to a victory over the hometown
Tigers. Starter Jonny Schulz gave up all of his runs (four) and six
of his nine hits through the first three innings, then settled down
nicely before exiting after seven.
However, it was already too much for Las Tigras, who would scratch out only four hits and one measly run on the day. The shutout was avoided in the fifth, when Nick “Thumper” Volek came around to score on Chaska’s only error of the game.
Adam Hoffman and Ryan Witt finished up on the hill for the locals, going an inning each. Rookie and Fastest Tiger canidate Matt Schultz paced the offense with a 2-for-4 performance.
New Tiger bat boys Jon Schmidt and Andrew Carey did a top notch job, other than creating about 15 dust storms in front of the home dugout.
Tigers 7 @ Arlington 10 (Friday, July 7)
The Tigers stormed back from a 7-2 deficit with five runs in the seventh
to tie it, only to surrender three in the eighth and lose at Arlington,
10-7. What really hurts is the Tigers gave up the fabled Red Helmet,
which had been theirs since swiping it several years ago, then telling
the A’s they had to win it back. The Tigers saw their six-game
winning streak against Arlington end, a streak that dated back to
July 18, 2002.
Mike Schultz started on the mound for the Tiger Train, and wasn’t his usual crisp self, lasting just four innings while giving up five runs (three earned). Dave Feldt came on in relief, and was tagged with the loss when a decent outing turned sour in the eighth. Arlington peppered four hits within five batters, giving them more than enough for the final 10-7 margin.
In between, Belle Plaine sent 11 men to the plate in the seventh and scored five runs, despite leaving the bases loaded. The Tigers also had a chance to plate the go-ahead run in the eighth, when Dave Kreft laced his fourth hit – a double – to lead off the inning. Kreft was sacrificed to third by Peter “Chicken Wing” Schuneman, but was subsequently thrown out at home trying to score on Ryan Dressen’s ground ball to third.
The Tigers once again brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, in the form of Ryan Witt, but he lined out to first to end the ballgame.
Aside from Kreft’s triumphant return to his former town of Arlington, Pat Schultz went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks. Adam Hoffman also drew an incredible four walks from the 2-hole, and the Tigers drew free passes eleven times in all.
Gaylord 7 @ Tigers 6 (10 innings –
Sunday, July 9)
The Tigers once again showed late-inning spunk, scoring three in the
9th to tie the game at six. One could also say the Tigers again failed
to put the final nail in the coffin, as the bases were left loaded
and they went on to lose 7-6 in 10 innings.
Starter Shane Hofmann took a 3-3 game to the 8th, but yielded a two-run homer and soon gave way to reliever Ryan “I immediately regret this Sombrero” Witt. Witt surrendered another run in the 9th, and the Tigers faced a 6-3 deficit with three outs to go.
Pat Schultz opened the 9th with a walk, and Shane Hofmann singled with one out – his third hit of the afternoon. A walk to Kreft loaded the bases, and another walk to Witt forced in a run. Schuneman then laced his third hit of the day – and second double – to right-center, plating pinch-runners Ryan Dressen and Nick Selly. With runnners at second and third and one out, the Tigers fouled off a squeeze attempt, then struck out, walked, and hit into a fielder’s choice to end the rally.
After the Islanders posted a run in the tenth, the Tiger Trolley again put runners on in the bottom half of the frame, but could not deliver them home. Oohhhh… whoa is Tiger.
Tigers 2 @ Winthrop 4 (Sunday, July 9)
This was the longest game ever, since it started back on June 6th.
Actually, it was a suspended game because the umpire broke his collarbone
on a foul ball, and could not continue. So after dropping an extra-inning
affair to Gaylord, off most of the Tigers went, to Winthrop.
If Michael J. Fox could go Back to the Future, I don’t think he’d jet back to June 6, 2006 for the first seven innings of this game. But since time travel still hasn’t been invented, I will fill you in.
The Tigers trailed 4-2 with one out in the seventh at the time that fateful bone cracked. Dave Kreft started that day, and ironically also took the hill upon the resumption of this game (Dave’s got a real fettish for complete games; don’t ask).
I wasn’t able to attend the remaining portion of this game, but eye witness accounts have it going something like this: Kreft shut down the Eagles in the 7th and 8th. In the Tiger eighth, the inning ended when Paul Dressen was rung up on a HORRIBLE pitch at his shoe tops, because earlier in the at-bat Paul hit a foul ball that almost hit the ump’s truck. (You can’t make this stuff up.) That left a man on base.
In the Tiger ninth, Brad Lawson started with a single. Ben Jass then hit into a fielder’s choice, but after a 2-3 minute delay, the umpire claimed Lawson slid out of baseline (which he didn’t), meaning Jass was now called out, too. Manager Kreft pleaded the Tigers’ case, to no avail. One out later, the Tigers were headed back east down US-Highway 19.
Tigers Lose 5-1 to Chaka
| 7/6/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Chaska | 0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
10 |
1 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
The Tigers travel to Arlington Friday, July 07 for a 7:30 p.m.
start with the A’s.
Times have been kind of rough lately for the hometown nine, as an 8-6 loss to Le Sueur on Tuesday (June 27) ran the Tigers’ losing skid to six straight. However, the Tigers were able to rebound nicely with a 10-7 win over Plato on Thursday. The Blue Jays entered with an impressive 12-5 record out of the Crow River Valley League.
Belle Plaine was .500 on June 13th, after an 11-7 win over Brownton. Since then, however, the Tigers have been going downhill like Herchel Walker on a greased bobsled. Their record now stands at 4-8 in the CCL-Red, 8-13 overall.
But with each game there’s fresh hope, and after a week off over the 4th of July weekend, the Tigers will get back in the saddle and try to build some momentum for the playoffs. The playoffs, mind you, are just around the corner – beginning Friday, July 21st.
The Tigers have just six games remaining before then – with half of those at home – starting tomorrow night when the Chaska Cubs visit at 7:30 pm. On Friday, Belle Plaine treks to Arlington to try to retain possession of the Red Helmet. Game time, 7:30 pm.
On Sunday, the Tigers will host Gaylord at 2:00 pm, on Senior Day – all senior citizens will receive free admission, and the one-and-only Ernie Stumpf will provide the music. (Pearl Jam and Tom Petty were just in town, and now Ernie – they say these things happen in three’s.) After the game, the Tigers will load up the family trucksters and head to Winthrop, for the conclusion of the June 6 suspended game. Action will resume with one out in the bottom of the 7th, Tigers trailing, 4-2.
On Tuesday, the Tigre Train will play their final road game of the regular season, when they battle division-leading Brownton at 7:30 pm.
Three-quarters of the way through the regular season, the Tigers’ team batting average is .257, the team ERA 4.06. Just thought you might like to know. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
| 6/27/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Le Sueur | 2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
14 |
4 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
10 |
3 |
Belle Plaine had the tying runs in scoring position in the bottom of the 9th, but Braves’ closer Adam Sorenson got Dave Kreft on strikes, ending the ballgame. In reality, the game wasn’t this close – the Tigers trailed 8-3 in the 6th before staging their all-for-naught comeback.
Not to pick on Kreft, but he also started on the mound and took the loss for the Tiggers, dropping his record to 1-4. He worked the first 4.1 innings before yielding to Shane Hofmann, who went the rest of the way. Hofmann fanned seven while allowing two runs.
Hitting-wise, the Tigers belted the ball around the park a little, led by Pat Schultz’s double and triple in five at-bats. Shane Hofmann added a double among his two hits, and Nate Hartmann collected a pair of rips to send his average up to a Joe Mauer-esque .391. All three of these fine young gentlemen drove in two runs each.
Neither team was particularly crisp on defense, as the visitors committed four errors; the home team, three.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-13, 4-8) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| S. Hofmann, cf-p | 4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.306 |
| Lawson, ss | 5 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.226 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.342 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.391 |
| Lyons, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| R. Witt, 1b-rf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.233 |
| Kreft, p-1b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.146 |
| Feldt, rf-lf | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.175 |
| Jass, 2b | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.211 |
| Schuneman, lf-cf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.156 |
| TOTALS | 37 |
6 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
.270 |
| 2B - S. Hofmann, P. Schultz. 3B - P. Schultz. HR - none. | ||||||
| SAC - none. HBP - Kreft. SB - none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 1-4) | 4.1 |
10 |
6/6 |
0/4 |
75 |
6.11 |
| S. Hofmann | 4.2 |
4 |
2/2 |
3/7 |
66 |
2.89 |
| 6/29/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Plato | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
10 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 3 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
X |
10 |
17 |
3 |
Ryan Witt paced a 17-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with 5 RBI, a double and a home run, to lead the Tigers to a 10-7 victory over the Plato Bluejays. Witt’s home run was just the Tigers’ second of the season, so Witty slowed down the trot and made it count. The husky slugger has raised his batting average to .271, this after starting out the season with a Rondell White-like 1-for-17 slump (.059).
Brad Lawson also garnered three hits, while Shane Hofmann, Matt Schultz, Paul Dressen, Eric Lyons, and Nick Volek all tallied two apiece. Hofmann drove in three runs out of the leadoff spot, and stroked a double.
You might notice the youthful tone to the previous paragraph, and that is because the Tigers unveiled their “Infield of the Future” with teeny-boppers Matt Schultz at first, Eric Lyons at second, Brad Lawson at shortstop, and Paulie Dressen at third. Our hope is that they will stick around as long as Dippin’ Dots, the Ice Cream of the Future. (Which is now enjoying at least it’s 20th year as the Ice Cream of the Future.)
The Tigers were aggressive on the bases, stealing four bags, including a double-steal by Matt Schultz and Paul Dressen. (There’s nothing a tight haircut from Brad’s Barber Shop can’t take care of.)
Starting pitcher Jonny Schulz got in trouble in the 5th inning, but was bailed out by Dave Feldt. “Super Dave” limited Plato to three hits and one (unearned) over the remaining 4.2 innings, while picking up the win. Not that he’d ever point it out, but his ERA dropped to a tidy 1.65 in the process.
Tigers Leave Two On in Ninth
| 6/27/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Le Sueur | 2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
14 |
4 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
10 |
3 |
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Belle
Plaine, Minn. - The Tigers had runners at 2nd and 3rd with
2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Braves' closer Adam Sorenson
struck out Dave Kreft to end the ballgame as Le Sueur took away
the 8-6 road win. Pat Schultz led the way offensively for Belle Plaine, going 2-for-5 with a double and a triple, and 2 RBI. Shane Hofmann went 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, while Nate Hartmann went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Kreft also picked up a pair of hits for the Tigers.
Belle Plaine will host Plato Thursday night at 7:30 pm, before taking a week off to begin the stretch run to the playoffs.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-13, 4-8) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| S. Hofmann, cf-p | 4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.306 |
| Lawson, ss | 5 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.226 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.342 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.391 |
| Lyons, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| R. Witt, 1b-rf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.233 |
| Kreft, p-1b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.146 |
| Feldt, rf-lf | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.175 |
| Jass, 2b | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.211 |
| Schuneman, lf-cf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.156 |
| TOTALS | 37 |
6 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
.270 |
| 2B –S. Hofmann, P. Schultz. 3B – P. Schultz. HR – none. | ||||||
| SAC – none. HBP – Kreft. SB – none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 1-4) | 4.1 |
10 |
6/6 |
0/4 |
75 |
6.11 |
| S. Hofmann | 4.2 |
4 |
2/2 |
3/7 |
66 |
2.89 |
Tigers Find Way to Drop 5th in a Row
Many
thanks to Ryan and Paul Dressen for
writing last week’s article. Quite frankly, it’s scary how
succinct and well-written it was. I think that’ll be the end of
the Guest Columnist feature.It would probably take a Jules Verne-like effort to pretty-up this week’s pig – the Tigers lost three more and have seen their losing streak extend to five, including eight of the last ten. All of the losses were of the Carver Central variety, dropping Belle Plaine to 4-7 in the CCL-Red, and 7-12 overall. To those of you keeping score at home: that’s not good.
Shakopee walked past the Tigre Train 16-9 last Tuesday, in what Pat Schultz called, the longest game I’ve ever caught. On Wednesday, things got worse as the Carver Black Sox spanked the Tigers 7-1 on our own home turf. To finish off the trifecta, the Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the ninth at division-leading Waconia on Sunday, only to watch the Lakers rally for two runs and a 4-3 win.
Last night, the Tigers hosted Le Sueur, in a chance to shake the skid. Tomorrow night, the homestand continues as Plato visits at 7:30 pm for a non-league game. This will be the Tigers final game for a week as they break for the 4 th of July, so as Mean Jean Okerlund used to say, Don’t you dare miss it!
One note: the suspended game at Winthrop on June 6th will be made up on Sunday, July 9th, 6:00 pm at Winthrop. The Tigers were trailing 4-2 with one out in the seventh, when a foul ball broke the umpire’s collarbone. Play will be continued where it left off. Meanwhile, the collarbone continues to ache.
And finally, a correction: two weeks ago in this space, it said that Union Hill’s (and former Tiger) Jeff Bruder went 0-for-the-tournament. It has since been brought to our attention that he was at least 1-for-the-tournament (he had a home run), according to a source very close to the right-handed slugger. We would also like to take this moment to mention that Bruder did not start on the mound all weekend, due to the fact he could only throw 3 out of 10 strikes during pre-game warmups.
| 6/20/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
| Shakopee | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
X |
16 |
14 |
4 |
Belle Plaine led 8-6 after 5 ½, and felt pretty good about getting out of the land of Powder Blue with a victory. Then, the bottom of the sixth happened. Parents – prepare to shield your children.
The Tigers threw 193 pitches on the night, with SEVENTY-ONE(!) of those coming in the merciless sixth inning, as Shakopee put up the dreaded snow-man (eight runs). The Indians did their sixth inning damage on only two hits – both singles – but drew a coma-inducing eight walks. For the game, the Indians coerced 16 bases on balls. BALL, BALL, BALL. If you remember the old Brad Radke commercials, there was a literal conga line of Shakopee baserunners going around the bases. It was that stinking ugly.
Mike Schultz started and went five, and was relieved by Ben Jass, Dave Kreft, and Jonny Schulz, all of whom pitched in the dreaded sixth. Jass was saddled with the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year.
Offensively, the T-Train wasted 12 hits, led by Nate Hartmann's heroic 4-for-5 effort. Peter Schuneman also chipped in with two safeties from the nine-hole.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-10, 4-5) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Volek, cf | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.163 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.364 |
| Lawson, ss | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.227 |
| Feldt, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.212 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.323 |
| Kruschke, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Hartmann, 3b-1b | 5 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
.411 |
| S. Hofmann, dh-rf | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.290 |
| Mi. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, rf-1b | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.235 |
| R. Dressen, ph-3b | 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.167 |
| Kreft, 1b-p | 2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
.108 |
| Lyons, 2b | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| J. Schulz, p | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.267 |
| Jass, 2b-p-2b | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.226 |
| Connolly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.111 |
| Schuneman, lf | 4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.194 |
| Schuster, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| TOTALS | 41 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
.293 |
| 2B – Hartmann. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| SAC – Volek. HBP – S. Hofmann, Kreft. SB – Kreft. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Mi. Schultz | 5 |
7 |
6/5 |
6/0 |
98 |
2.73 |
| Jass (L, 1-1) | 0 |
3 |
5/5 |
2/0 |
21 |
11.00 |
| Kreft | 0.1 |
0 |
3/3 |
4/0 |
39 |
4.94 |
| J. Schulz | 2.2 |
4 |
2/2 |
3/2 |
35 |
4.05 |
| 6/21/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Carver | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
16 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
Like Jeff Witt once said to Waconia, You’ve got a good core. The Black Sox are improving – as evidenced by a 10-5 win over Jordan earlier this year – but not even the Tigers could have predicted a 7-1 drubbing on their home field. Worse yet, this completed the Carver sweep for the first time in recent memory. Belle Plaine lost 5-4 at Caver on May 21 st, on a bunt in the ninth.
Shane Hofmann started and took the loss for Judge Chatfield, scattering 16 hits over 7.2 innings. The bullpen was thin on this evening, so Hofmann was hung out to dry a little longer than one might normally be.
Not that it mattered with Carver’s Joe Camel I mean Campbell on the hill. The crafty veteran lefty went the distance, and his only run was unearned. Several times the locals loaded the bases, but each time Campbell dug deep into his bag of tricks to quell the Tiger uprisings.
Offensively, Pat Schultz led the way with a 3-for-5 effort, while Ryan Witt and Matt Schultz each tallied two knocks.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-11, 4-6) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Schuster, lf | 5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.273 |
| Lawson, ss-p | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
.231 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
.343 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.377 |
| S. Hofmann, p | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.268 |
| P. Dressen, ss | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.400 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
.270 |
| Ma. Schultz, dh | 4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.231 |
| Lyons, 2b | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| Volek, cf | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.152 |
| J. Schulz, ph | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.267 |
| Schuneman, rf | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.184 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| TOTALS | 36 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
4 |
.250 |
| 2B – R. Witt. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| HBP – none. SB –Matt Schultz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| S. Hofmann (L, 2-3) | 7.2 |
16 |
7/5 |
2/4 |
132 |
2.79 |
| Lawson | 1.1 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/0 |
26 |
0.00 |
| 6/25/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
| Waconia | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
12 |
5 |
Belle Plaine’s first two batters of the game drew walks and scored off Travis Van Doren, but a pair of strikeouts with men in scoring position thwarted what could have been a larger rally. This sequence loomed large as the game wore on, and these two foes were tied at two after eight.
In the ninth, Shane Hofmann delivered an RBI single to score Dave Feldt, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Would it hold up?
Starter Mike Schultz was still around to find out. In short, a menagerie of events unfolded – none kind to the Tigers – and Waconia had stolen the game back, winning 4-3 on a one-out single by Josh Brandenberg. In the losing cause, Schultz fanned an impressive eight batters.
Ryan Witt finally shed the Sombrero, which belongs to the last person to strike out three games in a row. His streak is believed to be the second-longest in Tiger history, since Pat Moriarty carried it for a lengthy run a few years ago. Jonny Schulz is the new man in black.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-12, 4-7) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| S. Hofmann, cf | 4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
.289 |
| A. Hoffman, ss | 4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.125 |
| P. Schultz, c | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.338 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.385 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.256 |
| J. Schulz, dh | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.235 |
| Mi. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Jass, 2b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| Feldt, rf | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.194 |
| Schuneman, lf | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.171 |
| TOTALS | 32 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
.188 |
| 2B – none. 3B – none. HR – none. HBP – none. SB –P. Schultz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Mi. Schultz (L, 2-2) | 8.1 |
12 |
4/3 |
3/8 |
133 |
2.83 |
No One on Carver Taking Bribes
| 6/21/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Carver | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
16 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
BELLE
PLAINE, Minn. - The Tigers took one on the chin as CLL's last
place team Carver smacked a 7-1 loss on the Chatfield Nine. Shane
Hofmann took the loss as the Tigers were swept by the Black Sox
on the season. Hofmann gave up seven runs on 16 hits in his 7.2
innings pitched. Bradley Lawson hurled the final 1.1 innings.
Pat Schultz led the Tigers offensively as he was 3-for-5. Rookies
Ryan Witt and Matt Schultz collected two hits each as well. Carver
now has three CLL wins, two against the Tigers, and are only one
game back of surpassing Team TigerTown, placing them in the cellar
of the league.Tigers Turn 8-6 Lead into Debacle
| 6/20/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
| Shakopee | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
X |
16 |
14 |
4 |
By Ryan and Paul Dressen
If there is a noticeable increase in the overall quality of writing in this week’s article, it is due to the fact that the Sid Hartmann of the Belle Plaine Herald, Brett Kruschke, is away at a family reunion in South Dakota. But not to worry, Brett will be back next week.
Your Belle Plaine Town Tigers dropped two out of three this week but did get a big win against CCL powerhouse Brownton. Over the weekend, the Tigers played in the Miller Lite Invitational hosted by Green Isle and Arlington but due to a lack of run support, they made an early exit and only played two games.
The Tiger bats were hot as they clawed out to a large lead early against a solid squadron from Brownton. They managed to hold on to the lead and pick up an important victory against the Bruins that brought the Tigers back to an even 4-4 in the Carver Central League.
It is too bad, however, that the Tigers used all of their hits in the Brownton game as they went a dismal 4-46 (.080) in the Miller Lite Invitational and didn’t even scrape out a single run.
Last night the Tigers traveled to Shakopee to battle the Indians. Details on this game will be in next week’s Herald or can be found on the web at www.bptigertown.com.
Tonight the Tigers will play host to Carver who they lost to on a suicide squeeze last time they faced off. First pitch will be at 7:30 up at Tiger Park.
Sunday Belle Plaine is at Waconia at 2:00 p.m. and while next Tuesday the Tigers will also host Le Sueur for another CCL affair. And again, first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. as it will be Locher Bros. / Miller Lite Nite at Tiger Park.
Belle Plaine 11, Brownton 7
Crafty veteran Dave Kreft got the nod on the hill for the Tigers and