Tigers Lose Heartbreaker in Ninth

6/19/09

Friday night was Youth Night at Riverside Park as the Tigers began a six game homestand with the Hanska Lakers coming to town. The nice crowd saw a well played game that was tied at two going into the ninth. Both teams scored in the final frame, with the Lakers plating one more and coming away with a one-run victory, 4-3.

Jake Miesen took the hill for the home team. He surrendered an unearned run in the top of the third when the Lakers got a lead-off single, followed by a Tiger error and a wild pitch. Springfield didn't stay down long as Alex Frank began the bottom of the inning with a base hit. Matt Baier followed with an infield single and the runners advanced to second and third on a Laker misplay. Ken Sather drove in the Tiger's first run with a long fly ball to centerfield, tying the game at one.

After surrendering the run in the third, Miesen settled in to retire twelve of the next thirteen batters he faced. Chris Sturm worked a lead-off walk in the Tiger's half of the fourth. Ryan Cook moved him up with a sacrifice bunt. Andy Moritz came through with a single and some aggressive base running that forced a bad throw from Hanska and scored Sturm to give Springfield a 2-1 lead.

Miesen ran into some trouble in the top of the seventh when the Lakers started the inning with four straight hits. After allowing the run, Jake dug deep and retired the next three hitters to keep the game tied at two. Miesen's night came to an end in the eighth when he allowed two straight one-out hits. Jesse Berg came on in relief and induced a double-play to keep the score knotted at two.

In the top of the ninth, the Laker offense bunched three hits together, along with a lead-off walk to plate two runs and take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Marty Brandl led off with a single to center and was lifted for a pinch runner, Dan Christensen. Baier reached on a one-out error before Marc Salazar came through with a two-out single to drive in Christensen and get the Tigers within one, but that would be all, as the Tigers dropped their fourth straight game.

Jake Miesen worked the first seven and one-third innings, allowing nine hits and two runs. Jesse Berg worked the final inning and two-thirds and was charged with the loss. Springfield's offense stroked out eleven total hits compared to twelve for the Lakers, but the difference was that all but one of the Hanska hits came in bunches, as compared to the Tigers who were able to put together two straight hits only once in the ballgame. Matt Baier, Berg, and Alex Frank paced the Springfield bats with two hits each. Ken Sather, Marc Salazar, Ryan Cook, Andy Moritz, and Marty Brandl all added one hit each to the home team's total. The Tigers return to action on Sunday night when the Essig Bluejays visit Riverside Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30pm.


Linescore

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB
Hanska 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 12 3 10
Springfield 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 11 2 10

Springfield Box

AB R H RBI BB SO
Baier, SS 4 0 2 0 0 0 SAC
Sather, CF 4 0 1 1 0 1 SAC
Salazar, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 HP
C. Sturm, LF 4 1 0 0 1 2
Cook, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 1 SAC
Berg, 3B/P 4 0 2 0 0 1
Moritz, C 4 0 1 0 0 2
Brandl, DH 4 0 1 0 0 0
   Christensen, PR 0 1 0 0 0 0
Miesen, P/3B - - - - - -
Frank, RF 4 1 2 0 0 1
35 3 11 2 1 9
IP H R ER BB SO
Miesen 7 1/3 9 2 1 2 2
Berg (L, 0-3) 1 2/3 3 2 2 1 1

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