Grizzlies Take 1-0 Series Lead With Extra Inning Win

7/25/08

The Tigers opened the second round of the Tomahawk East League playoffs at Riverside Park on Friday night. Springfield had a bye in the first round, having finished second in the National Division. Searles defeated Stark to advance to the second round and the best of three game series against the Tigers.

Brandon Wilhelmi took the mound for the home team. He surrendered a leadoff double followed by a single as the Grizzlies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Tigers evened things in the bottom of the inning when Matt Baier got a one-out single. Baier moved to third on a Searles error and he came in to score on a Ryan Sturm groundout.

The scored remained tied until the fourth when a Tiger error and a Searles double plated a run for the Grizzlies making the score 2-1. Springfield battled back in the bottom of the fifth. Chris Sturm led off with a base hit. Wilhelmi moved him up with a sacrifice bunt. Baier came through with his second hit of the game driving in the tying run.

Wilhelmi allowed just two hits from the fifth through the ninth innings, keeping Searles off the scoreboard. Springfield stranded seven runners in the sixth through ninth innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth. That combination pushed the game into extra innings. It was the Tigers first extra inning contest of the season.

The Grizzlies went right to work in the tenth, getting a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt, and another single to take a 3-2 lead. Springfield got two runners on with one out in the bottom of the tenth. A line drive to the shortstop was turned into a double play to end the game.

Brandon Wilhelmi took the loss, going all ten innings for the home team. Wilhelmi, Matt Baier, and Matt Tews led the Springfield offense with two hits each.

The win gives Searles a one game to none lead in the best of three game series. The series continues at Searles on Sunday. If necessary, the third game will be back at Riverside Park on Tuesday night.

Linescore

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E LOB
Searles 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 3 9
Springfield 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 3 13

Springfield Box

AB R H RBI BB SO
Wilhelmi, P 4 0 2 0 0 1 SAC
Baier, 3B 5 1 2 1 0 0
Schwab, SS 3 0 0 0 2 0
   C. Moritz, PR 0 0 0 0 0 0
R. Sturm, 1B 5 0 0 1 0 0
Fink, RF 5 0 0 0 0 0
Beers, LF 5 0 1 0 0 1
   Krebs, PR 0 0 0 0 0 0
Groebner, DH 3 0 1 0 2 0
   Z. Sturm, PR 0 0 0 0 0 0
A. Moritz, C/PR 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tews, 2B 5 0 2 0 0 0
C. Sturm, CF 5 1 1 0 0 1
40 2 9 2 4 3
IP H R ER BB SO
Wilhelmi (L, 7-3) 10    10 3 2 1 12

Pictures