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Searles Pounds Springfield in Opener

5/6/12

Springfield opened the 2012 amateur baseball season by hosting Searles on a wonderful early May afternoon. Offense was on display as the teams combined for 30 hits and 22 runs. Defense was not a bright spot of either team as nine of the runs were unearned. Ultimately, the Grizzlies put up a half-dozen runs in both the fourth and eighth innings, invoking the ten-run rule with a 17-5 win.

Alex Frank made the opening day start for the Tigers on the hill. Searles put together a one-out double, followed by an RBI base hit to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first half-inning. Springfield's offense went right to work in the home half of the first. Zach Bisel led off with a walk. Matt Baier followed with a single. Bisel came in to score on an errant throw. Ryan Sturm put Springfield on top 2-1 when he drove in Baier with a base hit.

After allowing a leadoff single in the second, Frank settled in to retire six straight batters. Grizzly hurler, Ian Drager, matched Frank with zeros of his own in the second and third innings.

The Tiger defense let Frank down in the top of the fourth with each outfielder committing an error. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies put together five hits and pushed across six runs. Christian Loomis took over on the hill with two outs in the inning and ended the frame after the tenth Searles batter.

Down 6-2, Springfield continued to battle in the bottom of the fourth, plating two runs on three straight hits by Bisel, Baier, and Alex Fink. Baier's two-run double cut the deficit to two, 6-4.

Loomis struggled with control in the fifth, going to three-ball counts on three of the first four batters, before walking two and allowing two hits. Finally, he struck out three of the next four batters to escape the inning with the tally 8-4.

Sturm led the Tigers' answer in the bottom of the fifth, getting on the sacks with a single. Marc Salazar was hit by a pitch and Matt Tews loaded the bases when he singled. Loomis helped himself with a sacrifice fly to score Sturm and get Springfield within three, 8-5.

The Grizzlies continued to attack in the sixth, adding two runs on two hits. With one out, Springfield turned the pitching duties over to Tews who worked his way out of the inning. After the first four batters in the eighth inning reached base, the Tigers went to the bullpen yet again to bring on Jason Nachreiner. He took one for the team as the Grizzlies pounded out six hits in the inning, aided by two Springfield errors to put Searles up by twelve. Aaron Wenninger retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to end the game via the ten-run rule, 17-5.

Matt Baier led the Springfield bats gets three big hits. Zach Bisel and Ryan Sturm added two hits each. Alex Fink, Marc Salazar, and Matt Tews rounded out the Tiger total with one hit apiece. Every Searles starter had at least one hit on the day, with all but one having a multi-hit day and all but two driving in runs in the contest. Aaron Wenninger led Searles with four hits, while Frank Forstner added three to the Grizzlies attack. Ian Drager picked up the win on the mound, working seven innings, surrendering five runs, four earned, on ten hits, while striking out three. Alex Frank was tagged with the loss for the Tigers, working three and two-thirds innings, allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits.

In a bittersweet note, Sunday marked Matt Baier's final game in a Tiger uniform, at least for now. He'll be staying in Bemidji with a job and playing for a team there. His leadership and presence in the Springfield lineup will be missed. Best of luck in Bemidji Matty B! The loss in the opener means Springfield begins the season at 0-1. The Tigers will look to get in the left column with a win next Sunday when they travel to Essig to take on the Bluejays. See you in Essig!


Linescore

123456789RHELOB
Searles10062206x1720213
Springfield20021000x510510

Springfield Box

ABRHRBIBBSO 
Bisel, C422010 
Baier, 2B5132002B
A. Fink, SS501000 
R. Sturm, CF/3B/LF312110 
Salazar, 1B201000SAC, HP
Tews, LF/P401000 
   Schmid, LF------ 
   Nachreiner, P------ 
Loomis, 3B300100SAC
Krebs, RF200011 
   Christensen, RF100001 
Brandl, DH310000 
Frank, P------ 
   Beyer, CF100001 
 33510433 
        
 IPHRERBBSO 
Frank (L, 0-1)3 2/377411 
Loomis1 2/364424 
Tews1 2/344120 
Nachreiner1 32001

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