Solid Pitching and Double Plays Key Tiger Victory

5/22/11

After a weekend of rain postponed the Tigers' Friday night game against Sleepy Eye, they ended up at Riverside Park for a Sunday night match-up with Lamberton. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Lamberton at 3pm, but rain left their field unplayable. The contest was moved to Springfield with Lamberton as the home team. The rain mostly stayed away as the Tigers got a nice pitching performance from Alex Frank and Matt Tews, along with four double-plays turned by their defense en route to a 7-2 victory.

Alex Fink started things with a patented double down the left field line, his fourth of the season. Matt Baier moved him up to third with a sacrifice bunt. Brady Schwab drew a walk. With runners at first and third, Schwab took off toward second and stayed in a run-down allowing Fink to score the game's first run, before Schwab reached second safely.

Alex Frank took the mound in the bottom of the first. He walked the first batter who made his way around to score, aided by a Tiger error and an RBI base hit by Tyler Reiner.

The Tigers got runners on base in the second and third innings, but weren't able to get on the scoreboard again until the top of the fourth. Adam Schmid worked a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ken Sather gave the Tigers the lead when he crushed a double, plating Schmid for Springfield's second run of the night.

After allowing the first inning run, Frank settled in, battling through an occasional streak of wildness, scattering just three hits in his next six and one third innings of work.

Lamberton lifted starter Johnny Pistulka after five innings and went to Jacob Jenniges out of the bullpen. After a ground out, single, and force out, the Springfield bats came alive with a two-out rally. Ryan Sturm drew a bases loaded walk to push across the Tigers' third run. Then Tews and Marc Salazar followed with back-to-back two-run doubles to make the score 7-1.

Derrick Jenniges worked the seventh and eighth and Mike Samyn pitched a scoreless ninth for the Long Sox. Frank was lifted in the bottom of the eighth after hitting a batter and giving up a single. Tews came on in relief and got the Tigers out of the inning, but not before an error allowed Lamberton to pick up their second run. Tews pitched around another error and a base hit in the bottom of the ninth to wrap up the win, 7-2.

Marc Salazar led the way in the Tiger's ten-hit attack with three knocks. Christian Loomis had two hits. Alex Fink, Matt Baier, Brady Schwab, Matt Tews, and Ken Sather all added one hit each. Alex Frank earned the win allowing two unearned runs on four hits in seven and one-third innings. The win moves Frank's record to 3-0 on the young season. Johnny Pistulka took the loss for the Long Sox, as he gave up two runs on four hits in five innings.

The win over American Division rival Lamberton moves the Tigers to a 2-1 record in the Tomahawk East and 3-2 overall. Springfield will travel to Redwood Falls on Wednesday for an 8pm battle with the Redbirds. We hope to see you there!


Linescore

123456789RHELOB
Springfield100105000710312
Lamberton10000001025110

Springfield Box

ABRHRBIBBSO 
A. Fink, SS6210022B
Baier, 2B411000SAC
Schwab, C301020 
   Christensen, PR010000 
R. Sturm, RF310121 
   C. Sturm, RF------ 
Tews, LF/P4112112B
   Krebs, LF------ 
Salazar, 1B4032002B, HP
Schmid, DH210012 
   Eckstein, DH200001 
Frank, P/LF------ 
Sather, CF4011122B
Loomis, 3B302010SAC
 35710689 
        
 IPHRERBBSO 
Frank (W, 3-0)7 1/342044 
Tews1 2/310000

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