Tri-County News

Here they go, again! Express advance


Brooks Marquardt enthusiastically crosses the plate for Kimball’s third run of the game, the one that put them on the winning side of the board.

By Jean Doran Matua, Editor

The Kimball Express return to the Minnesota Baseball Association state tournament as defending champions. They won the 2017 state championship in Class C, and have taken another step toward reclaiming that title again this year. Granted, it is statistically unlikely that any team win two years in a row, but it’s not unheard of.

As Region 11C champs, the Express had a bye for the first weekend of tournament play. Their first game was Sunday evening against Belle Plaine, at New Prague. After a hot, humid day in the stadium, and a rain delay earlier, the evening breeze brought relief to spectators and players alike.

The game started out slowly for three innings. The Tigers scored two on a double in the third inning and held that lead for three more innings. With hot pitching on both sides, it started out in rather boring fashion with quick innings and little action.

Then the tide turned in the seventh. Ben Johnson walked, Brian Marquardt singled, Joe Von Wahlde tried unsuccessfully to advance runners to second and third for the first out, Kyle Winter singled to center to load the bases. Ben Theisen stepped in to pinch-run for Winter, and Belle Plaine changed pitchers. Brooks Marquardt was hit by the first pitch to score Johnson with the Express first run. Austin Ruehle grounded to third which forced Brian out at home for the second out. Then Scott Marquardt singled to short right field plating both Theisen and Brooks with the tying and go-ahead runs. Jordan Joseph followed with an RBI single scoring Ruehle. And Adam Beyer singled plating Scott with the fifth run of the inning to complete the Express scoring. At 5-2, the young Tigers team couldn’t catch up.

Ben Johnson earned the win for the Express, pitching eight innings and striking out 13. Zak Wallner pitched the final, short inning. Wes Sargland would take the loss in 6.3 innings, with Nate Herman in relief; together they struck out eight.

BELLE PLAINE AB R H BI

TOTALS 31 2 5 2

KIMBALL AB R H BI

Austin Ruehle 4 1 1 0

Scott Marquardt 3 1 1 2

Jordan Joseph 4 0 1 1

Adam Beyer 4 0 2 1

Ben Johnson 3 1 1 0

Brian Marquardt 4 0 1 0

Joe Von Wahlde 4 0 0 0

Kyle Winter 4 1 1 0

Brooks Marquardt 2 1 1 1

TOTALS 32 5 9 5

R H E

Tigers 0 0 0  2 0 0  0 0 0 2 5 0

Express 0 0 0  0 0 0  5 0 – 5 9 0

Sixteen teams remain, including favorite Sobieski, New London-Spicer, Sartell, Maple Lake, Raymond, and Hutchinson.

The Express play New Prague at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at New Prague. If they continue to win, their next games are 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, at New Prague;
5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, at Shakopee; and the championship will be at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3, at New Prague.

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