TWO UP, TWO DOWN FOR EXPRESS

May 23, 2005

The Express were winners again twice this past week as they defeated the Watkins Clippers 7-2 Friday night and downed the Pearl Lake Lakers of Marty Sunday afternoon in Kimball, 10-4.

Friday night in Watkins Pat Arnold and Brooks Marquardt held the Clippers bats in check allowing only 5 hits. Arnold went 6 2/3 innings to improve to 3-0 on the season and Marquardt went the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up the save.

The score was 3-2 in the sixth inning when Brian Marquardt doubled to the wall in left field scoring two to give the Express some breathing room, opening up the lead to 5-2. The next inning the Express tallied two more on singles by Scott Marquardt and Aaron Knaus giving the Express the 7-2 advantage.

The seventh inning the Clippers mounted a huge threat as Express starter Pat Arnold got two outs, but could not get the third as he walked the bases loaded. Brooks came on in relief and got Todd Geislinger to fly out to right to end the threat and the inning.

The Clippers just couldn’t string anything together in the eighth and ninth inning as Marquardt faced four batters in the eighth and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save.

The Express have now beaten the Clippers five out of the last seven times they have met. Come playoff time, they more than likely will meet again with a good game coming out of it.

Pearl Lake

Sunday afternoon the Pearl Lake Lakers of Marty made their regular season appearance in Kimball as the two teams clashed for the first time this season. The Express came out on top 10-4 on a windy sun drenched day at Kimball Veterans Memorial Field.

The Express put up crooked numbers the first three innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead off Lakers starter Jason Schlangen. The highlight of the early barrage was a three run homer in the third inning by Pat Arnold over the left centerfield wall to put the Express up by seven.

Kimball didn’t look back as starter Justin Hill and reliever Kris Hagen kept the Lakers in check the rest of the way. The Lakers made it 7-4 in the sixth inning after a Bryan Hennen two run homerun to left centerfield and a throwing error by the Express that allowed a run, but that was as close as they got.

Hill pitched the first four innings before coming out with the score 7-1 in favor of the Express. He had a sore pitching arm and just didn’t feel comfortable. Hagen entered in the fifth and went the rest of the way to pick up his second win of the season.

Offensively for Kimball, Pat Arnold went 2-3 with a homerun 3 rbi’s and two runs scored. Joe Pennertz was 2-3, Nate Turck was 2-5 with a double and Joe Krippner was 1-1 with a double and two rbi’s.  

Rail Report

The Express have scored ten or more runs in four of their first six games this season. Out scoring their opponents 60-26. They have hit eight home runs in six games with Scott Marquardt leading the way with four of them.

Kimball is now 6-0 overall and 5-0 in CVL play. The Express will be on the road Wednesday night in Maple Lake at 7:30 taking on the Lakers. Saturday they will be at home against the Luxemburg Brewers with a 2:00 start. Sunday the Express travel to St. Nicholas to square off with the young Nicks with a 2:00 first pitch slated as well.

The Express would like to introduce Andy Dingman as the voice of the Express. Andy did his first game as the PA announcer Sunday against the Lakers and did a wonderful job. He is Kimball’s version of Bob Casey.