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Sunday, May 11, 2008
Belle Plaine	2
Le Sueur	7

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DEUCES MILD

Tigers Score Twice In Each of 3 Losses


#22 Adam Hoffman and #7 Dan Weldon

The Tigers have officially come out of the gate slowly, dropping their first three games while scoring a total of six runs.  The pitching has been decent – 3.81 staff ERA – and the defense sound since a rocky first game, but the bats have floundered with a .140 composite average (13-for-93) and no extra-base hits.   

Team Tigertown will try to right the ship tonight, when the Glencoe Brewers visit for a 7:30 p.m. tussle.  This weekend, the Tigers will partake in the 2nd annual Black Sox Tourney, co-hosted by Freeport and Avon.  Last year, our lads played valiantly and finished 3rd in the 8-team tournament.

Belle Plaine will first pair up Saturday in Avon against the powerful Moorhead Brewers, who fashioned a 27-15 record last year before losing a first round state tournament game to Plato, the Class ‘C’ State Champions.  The Brewers took 3rd in the 2004 State Tournament, before first round exits each of the last three years.  Game time is 11:00 a.m. 

The Tigers will stay in Avon to play a second game on Saturday, at either 1:15 or 3:30 p.m. against the winner / loser of Avon vs. Watkins.  Sunday’s game would be in Freeport, should they advance.  For the full bracket click here.

On Tuesday night, the local nine will return to RVL action, when the Prior Lake Jays stop by for a 7:30 p.m. affair.  See you at the ballpark!

Note: last Tuesday’s (May 6) home game against New Market was rained out, and will not be rescheduled. 

New Prague 3 @ BP 2 (Friday, May 9)
Hot dogs were only a dollar but hits were much tougher to come by, as Belle Plaine mustered four singles while stranding 14 baserunners in a one-run loss to New Prague.  Four Orioles pitchers combined to walk a dozen Tiger batters, but only once did one of those free passes haunt.

Mike Schultz started on the mound for the hometown nine, yielding two runs over four innings while getting saddled with the loss.  Jonny Schulz provided three innings of one-run relief, while Dave "Joba" Feldt looked sharp, retiring all six men he faced.

As noted, the Tigers had plenty of chances.  Their most prime opportunity was also their last, when they loaded the bases with one down in the 8th, trailing 3-2.  That's when the saltiest hot dog of all – Jeff Miller – hit a sharp grounder to the second baseman, who tagged out Pat Schultz and then relayed the throw to first for the inning-ending double play.  Unfortunately a mysterious and spooky fog that hovered over Tiger Park at the time did not keep the man in blue from making the correct – and difficult – call on the tag-out.

Brothers Pat and Matt Schultz each tallied two hits, while Adam Hoffman and Dan Huber both reached base three times.

Dan Weldon was benched for wearing the wrong cap, but later appeared with two at-bats in right field.


Tigers 2 @ Le Sueur 7 (Sunday, May 11)
The Tigers didn’t fashion pink bats on this Mother’s Day – at least not literally.  Although they finished just a half-dozen singles in 34 trips, perhaps a portend of things to come was several hard-hit balls that were caught for outs.   

The oft-dependable Shane Hofmann started but did not have his best stuff on this day, as he was chased with one away in the 3rd and was charged for five runs.  Corey Schaaf came on in relief and did well, working 4.2 innings of two-run ball.  He walked one and struck out six.  Jeff Miller finished up with a scoreless ninth.

After the 3rd, the Red Caps played the Braves even – but that’s kind of how Tim Brewster looks at things.  The bottom line is, the early hole was too much for the Tigers to climb out of. 

The Dans – Huber and Weldon – swung hot sticks and each collected two hits.  Pat Schultz extended his hitting streak to three games and is batting .444 on the young season.

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