WIN OR GO HOME TIME FOR EXPRESS 

August 11, 2005

This weekend is Kimball Days and that can only mean one thing, the Express are right in the middle of region tourney playoff action. This past weekend in Region 11C play the Express won their first game 15-9 over Monticello on Friday night and lost 6-3 in round two to the Watkins Clippers Sunday at Cold Spring Baseball Park knocking them into the losers bracket of the double elimination tourney.

In the game against Watkins on Sunday the Clippers jumped out to an early lead and didn’t look back as the Express couldn’t recover. After four innings it was 6-2 and Kimball starter Pat Arnold was chased from the hill in favor of lefty Joe Krippner. Krippner was relieved by draftee from Pearl Lake Bryan Hennen in the seventh inning with Hennen going the rest of the way.

Kimball added a run in the fifth to get it as close as 6-3. The Express hit the ball well but just couldn’t string enough together to get a rally going. Clipper starter Bruce Geislinger went all nine for Watkins picking up the win.

Monticello

Friday night in Cold Spring in the first game of Region 11C play the Express defeated the Monticello Polecats 15-9 behind a gutty pitching performance by Brooks Marquardt and some timely hitting by the Express offense.

The Express faced a 5-0 deficit to start this game as well. But in the fourth inning they exploded for six runs, taking the lead for good at 6-5. The big hit in the inning came off the bat of Pat Arnold as he drilled a bases loaded single to left centerfield driving in two and with a bobble by the centerfielder on the play one more run scored and Arnold advanced to second base.

They added a run in the fifth, two in the sixth on a Scott Marquardt two out single and six more in the seventh inning with Joe Pennertz driving in a pair on a single. Pennertz led the Express offense going 4-5 on the night. Scott & Brooks Marquardt both collected three hits with Brooks also scoring three runs and Scottie driving in three runs.  

Rail Report

In the Monticello game Friday night the Express lost two of their starters. Leftfielder Mike Arnold and shortstop Brian Marquardt as both went down with injuries on the same play. Brian singled to score Arnold and as Arnold rounded third he came up lame with a pulled calf muscle and as Marquardt stopped after rounding first he pulled a hamstring.

Needless to say this is a big blow for the Express losing two of it’s starters in the midst of region play. However, the games must go on. Kimball is still alive in tourney play as they will be in action again Friday night at 8:00 against the Eden Valley Hawks. The loser goes home for the year and the winner will advance to play Saturday afternoon in Cold Spring.

It’s do or die for the Express the rest of the way. They need to win three straight in order to advance to state tournament play. Not impossible but a very challenging task indeed. The Express record now stands at 19-12 overall.