EXPRESS WIN TWO BUT FALL IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

May 21, 2007

What a wild weekend for the Express on the diamond and with the weather encountered during the first annual Freeport Black Sox Baseball Tournament held in Freeport and New Munich as they made it to the championship game losing 6-2 to the Freeport Black Sox after they downed the Lonsdale Aces and Avon Lakers on Saturday to advance to championship play.

Saturday in New Munich the Express opened tournament play against a tough squad from Lonsdale and came away with a hard fought 1-0 victory behind the big arm of Jim Brubaker as he went seven complete innings striking out five picking up the complete game six hit shutout over the Aces. All games in the tournament were seven inning games.

The Express offense struck in the third inning as Brooks Marquardt doubled and eventually scored on brother Scott Marquardt’s double to right centerfield giving the Express the lead for good. Scott and Brooks both finished the day 2-3 with a double to lead the Express offensively.

The win against the Aces sent the Express into the semi final round facing the mighty Avon Lakers of the Victory League as the two teams squared off in New Munich with the winner advancing to the championship game on Sunday in Freeport. The Express had to come from behind twice in this one to obtain the 8-6 victory.

The Lakers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after Express starter Brett Thompson got off to a rocky start giving up a walk and the defense committed two errors behind him putting the Express down but not out.

After the first inning Thompson settled in and faced only fifteen batters over the next four innings and the Express offense came alive and tied the score up at 3-3 in the fourth inning.

Leftfielder Mike Arnold’s ground ball that was misplayed by the third baseman ended up scoring three runs with Arnold being the third of those runs. After a flurry of wild and errant throws the leftfielder trotted home to score, knotting the game at 3-3.

Avon came right back scoring a lone run in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead and they added two more in the sixth inning extending that lead to 6-3 before the Express had a little rally of their own.

Singles by Joe Pennertz and Adam Beyer and a walk by Brian Marquardt set the table as Pat Arnold singled home Pennertz to get the scoring started. Beyer later scored on a wild pitch and Brian Marquardt scored on a Mike Arnold deep fly ball to left field plating a tagging Marquardt tying the game at 6-6.

In the top of the eighth inning the Express kept rolling offensively scoring two more runs on rbi singles from Joe Pennertz and Adam Beyer giving Kimball a big two run lead at 8-6. Brooks Marquardt who came on in relief of starter Thompson in the sixth inning held the Laker bats in check in the bottom of the eighth inning to clinch the come from behind victory propelling the Express to the championship game.

After playing winning baseball on a beautiful warm, sunny and windy Saturday, the Express played losing baseball on a rainy, cold and windy day on Sunday. The Express could not overcome two big innings early from the Freeport Black Sox as Express starter Pat Arnold got shelled giving up five runs in the first two innings on six hits as the Express lost the championship game to the host Black Sox.

The big hit coming early in the first inning as Grant Hess launched a three run line drive missile over the right field wall giving the Black Sox an early 3-0 lead. They didn’t look back adding two more in the second inning chasing Arnold from the mound in favor of Joe Krippner.

Krippner and Adam Beyer who came on in relief for Krippner in the sixth inning held the Black Sox in check the rest of the way only allowing one more run. The Express were only able to muster loan runs in the first and seventh innings to cap off a lack luster offensive effort. Brian Marquardt was 3-5 on the day with a double and Brooks Marquardt was 1-3 with a double and a run scored to lead the Express offensively.

Rail Report

After the dust settled Sunday the Express record now stands at 6-3 overall and their 3-1 record in the league stays stagnant as no league games were played this week.

This week the Express are at home for two league games as they host the Cold Spring Rockies on Saturday at 2:00 and they will again be home on Sunday as the hot Pearl Lake Lakers come to town for what is always an entertaining ball game.