MILLER LITE INVITATIONAL

June 21, 2004

The 2004 Miller Lite Invitational wasn’t quite as inviting for the Express as they won their first game 2-1 against Morris and dropped their second game 5-1 to Prior Lake eliminating them from tournament play.

Morris Eagles

Saturday morning in Green Isle in a pitchers duel the Express won game one in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Tom Marquardt’s  rbi single went down the first baseline and hit the first base bag eluding the Morris first baseman, sending the ball into shallow left field scoring Jeremy Kuechle from second base to give the Express the win. The game was suppose to be a seven inning game as all tournament games were scheduled as seven inning games.

Pat Arnold picked up his fifth win as he went all eight innings improving to 5-1 on the year. Arnold allowed four hits, struck out two and walked two. The only run given up was a solo homerun in the sixth inning.

Scott Marquardt led the offense as he went 2-3 with two doubles and scored the other Express run on his dad Tom Marquardt’s sac fly in the fourth inning. Tom was 2-3 with two rbi’s for the game including the game winner. The win sent the Express into the 5:15 game against Prior Lake Saturday afternoon.

Prior Lake Jays

On the beautiful Arlington Baseball Park in Arlington the Express fell to the eventual second place team the Prior Lake Jays 5-1. Kimball fell behind 1-0 after the first inning and after a four-run third inning they were facing a 5-0 deficit.

Kimball started Justin Hill on the mound for the second game going three innings before being relieved by Joe Krippner for the start of the fourth inning. Hill just didn’t have it on this day as he gave up five runs on ten hits, he didn’t walk anyone and struck out two. Prior Lake is an excellent hitting ball club. Krippner pitched very well in his relief stint. He went four innings allowing no runs on two hits and struck out two along with one walk.

Offensively the Express could have just as well stayed in the dugout as they combined for a measly three hits in the game. Aaron Knaus scored the lone run as he singled sharply up the middle, advanced to second on a passed ball. Moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Brooks Marquardt’s sacrafice fly. After scoring forty-four runs in last weeks St. Cloud tournament the Express were only able to muster three runs in two games.

St. Nicholas

The Express were also in action last Tuesday night in Watkins against the St. Nicholas Nicks. Kimball squeaked by the Nicks in an 11-inning battle by a 7-6 score.

Once again Aaron Knaus scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Knaus singled to right field to lead the bottom of the eleventh. Knaus ended up at third base after an error and a Brian Marquardt ground out to second base. He scored on the fourth pitch in the at bat to Nate Turck. Knaus was 3-5 with a double to lead the Express. Mike Arnold and Scott Marquardt also doubled in the game and Jeremy Kuechle was 3-5 as well.

For the Nicks Rob May went all eleven innings for the Nicks pitching well enough to give his team a chance to win. The Express out hit the Nicks 12-6. Brian Marquardt started on the mound for the Express. Brian pitched despite a sore throwing arm. He went six innings before giving way to Nate Turck in the seventh inning with the score 6-3. Turck allowed one run in the seventh. Pat Arnold relieved Turck in the eighth inning. Arnold allowed two runs in the eighth as the Nicks tied the game up at 6-6. Jeremy Kuechle came on in the ninth and went the rest of the way for the victory.