Tri-County News

Express lose season opener at home


An Express double-play by second baseman Brady Faber and first baseman Adam Beyer put a stop to any further scoring by the Brewers in the sixth inning. Staff photos by Jean Doran Matua.

Express pitcher Zach Dingmann is out at first in a double-play that started at second forcing out Matt Dingmann, in the seventh inning.

By Jean Doran Matua, Editor

Luxemburg Brewers top Express, 4-1, in season opener

It was a sunny, 80-degree Spring afternoon for a baseball game Saturday, April 20, as the Kimball Express hosted the Luxemburg Brewers for their first game of the season.

The Brewers were hot out of the shoot, scoring their first three batters in the game. It would be six innings before the Express scored their lone run, on a double RBI by Ben Johnson. The Brewers responded with another run in the seventh, just for good measure.

Leading the Brewers at bat were Austin Klaverkamp with two hits and a run, and Isaac Matchinsky with two hits; Chase Aleshire, Sam Iten, and Luke Harren also scored runs.

Ben Johnson and Matt Dingmann each had two hits for the Express (each hitting a single and a double). The Express only managed five hits on the game.

Sam Iten earned the win for the Brewers pitching three innings, walking one and striking out three. JT Harren pitched the first three innings for the Brewers, also striking out three. Casey Underwood and Reed Pfannenstein pitched in relief, one and two innings respectively.

Zak Wallner was tagged with the loss after five innings on the mound. Wallner walked two and struck out five; he also allowed three of the four Brewer runs.

LUXEMBURG AB R H BI

Chase Aleshire 3 1 1 0

Sam Iten 4 1 1 0

Austin Klaverkamp 4 1 2 0

Isaac Matchinsky 4 0 2 0

Derrik Orth 3 0 0 0

Reed Pfannenstein 4 0 0 1

Luke Harren 2 1 0 0

  Chris Knauss 1 0 0 0

Ethyn Fruth 2 0 0 0

  Rhett Fruth 1 0 0 0

JT Harren 2 0 1 0

  Casey Underwood 1 0 0 0

  Chico Schroeder 1 0 0 0

TOTALS 32 4 7 1

KIMBALL AB R H BI

Austin Ruehle 5 0 0 0

Brooks Marquardt 4 1 1 0

Scott Marquardt 2 0 0 0

Adam Beyer 3 0 0 0

Ben Johnson 4 0 2 1

Brian Marquardt 4 0 0 0

Matt Dingmann 3 0 2 0

Zak Wallner 2 0 0 0

  Zach Dingmann 1 0 0 0

  Andy Dingmann 1 0 0 0

Cade Marquardt 2 0 0 0

Brady Faber – – – –

TOTALS 31 1 5 1

R H E

Brewers 3 0 0  0 0 0  1 0 0 4 7 1

Express 0 0 0  0 0 1  0 0 0 1 5 3

Express manager Tom Marquardt is excited for another season of amateur baseball in Kimball. The team was state champion in Class C two years ago, and finished in the final four last year.

Tom Marquardt started with the Express in 1975 while still in high school. This is Tom’s 32nd year as team manager. His three sons – Brooks, Brian and Scott – have played with the Express for years. This year, grandson Cade Marquardt joins the team along with two other new players, Michael Hoffman and Nick Gustafson.

Veteran first baseman Kyle Winter has retired from the game. Three others may or may not come back for this season: Joe Von Wahlde, Zach Sufka, and Troy Filzen. A few others will join the team later in the season, after they finish this college year.

“We’ve got a veteran group,” says Tom Marquardt. “Mix in these new guys and we should have a good season.”

Tom is always on the lookout for good, young players. Work, school, and family commitments can impact who can make it to each game. This season’s Express schedule reflects being a few guys down this year: there are 16 scheduled league games, just two over the required minimum 14.

Tom would like to thank the Express team members for all their help getting the field ready for play this weekend, going from snow last week to 80 degrees this week.

Next up, the Express host the St. Augusta Gussies at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28.

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