Springfield Defeats Searles to Capture Region 2C Title

8/12/07

After the big win Friday night over Essig to clinch a State Tournament berth, the Tigers still had one item of business to attend to: the Region 2C title.  That was on the agenda as the Searles Grizzlies visited Riverside Park on a beautiful August afternoon.  Despite only getting four hits, Springfield got a big double from Colby Pack to get all the runs they needed.

Jon Diede got the start on the mound and did an excellent job scattering seven Searles hits over his seven innings of work.  The Grizzlies threatened, getting the bases loaded in the third, and two runners on in the fourth and fifth innings, but Jon used his defense to work out of the jams without giving up any runs.

The Tiger offense was pretty quiet, except for the third inning.  Chris Sturm led off with a sold single up the middle.  Brandon Wilhelmi took his place at first when he reached on a fielder's choice.  Kyle Kraska reached on a Searles error.  With two out, Colby Pack came up and crushed a double down the left field line to give Springfield a 2-0 lead.

Searles starter, Dayton Larson, a draftee from Hanska, shut the Tigers down after the third inning, allowing just one hit during his final four innings of work.  The Grizzlies put together two hits in the top of the seventh to cut the Tiger lead down to one run, at 2-1.  Jesse Berg came on to earn a two inning save, retiring all six batters he faced, for his second save of the season.  Diede earned the win to move his record to 4-0.

The Tigers will enter State Tournament play next Sunday, August 19th with an 11am game against the runner-up from Region 14C, Carlos.  The game will be played in Hamburg.  The Tigers return to do-or-done mode as the first three rounds of the State Tournament, during the final three weekends of August, are single elimination games.  Once the tournament is down to four teams, to moves to double-elimination on Labor Day weekend.  The Tigers look forward to having lots of fans in the stands Sunday morning!  See you in Hamburg!

Linescore

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
Searles	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	7	2	10
Springfield	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	x	2	4	3	5

 

Springfield Box

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
Kraska, SS	4	1	0	0	0	0
Schwab, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0
Pack, C	4	0	1	2	0	1
R. Sturm, 1B	3	0	1	0	1	0
Fink, DH	1	0	0	0	1	0
Tews, DH	0	0	0	0	0	0
Diede, P	-	-	-	-	-	-
Berg, P	-	-	-	-	-	-
Baier, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	0
Eckstein, RF	3	0	1	0	0	0
C. Sturm, LF	3	0	1	0	0	1
Moritz, LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wilhelmi, CF	3	1	0	0	0	2
	28	2	4	2	2	4
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Diede (W, 4-0)	7	7	1	1	2	0
Berg (SV, 2)	2	0	0	0	0	0

Pictures