Finks Lead Springfield To Victory

7/18/10

Every amateur baseball playing father dreams of taking the field with his son. Bob and Alex Fink have been able to do just that this season for Springfield. Sunday afternoon in Searles they each made key contributions to help the Tigers notch a 9-6 win.

The visitors went right to work in the top of the first. A Searles error, stolen base and a sac bunt from Marc Salazar put Alex Fink on third with one out. Bob Fink drove Alex home with a double. With two down, Matt Baier brought Bob in to score with a solid single, putting the Tigers up 2-0.

In his first start since June 27th, Matt Tews got hit hard in the bottom of the first. The Grizzlies put together four hits and took advantage of a hit batter to plate four runs and take a 4-2 lead.

The Tigers went back to work in the top of the second. Marty Brandl started things by being hit by a pitch. Danny Christensen took his place on the bases via a fielder's choice. Alex Fink's base hit moved Christensen to third and Bob Fink came through, smashing his second RBI hit of the day with a solid single, cutting the Searles' lead to one.

In the third, walks to Tews and Christensen, along with Brandl being hit by another pitch loaded the bases. This time Alex was the Fink who came through with a clutch two-out, two-run single.

Springfield took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the third. Tews kept Searles off the scoreboard in the second and third innings, in spite of two Grizzly hits in each frame. Line drive double-plays ended the fourth and fifth with Tews facing just three batters in each inning.

Casey Lux took over in the top of the fourth for Searles starting pitcher, Zack Munce. Tews helped himself by starting the top of the fifth with a base hit. Chris Sturm was hit by a pitch, and Brandl reached on a bunt single to load the bases. The Tigers went up 6-4 when Tews scored on a double-play.

Tews got himself into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth. The lead-off batter reached on a wild pitch on strike three. After getting two outs, Tews hit a batter and issued a base on balls to load the bases. Aaron Wenninger tied the game with a two-run base hit.

Alex Fink came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order. With two down in the top of the eighth and the game tied at six, Bob Fink came to the plate and gave Springfield the lead with a solo homer to left. The two-out rally continued with three straight singles from Brady Schwab, Baier,and Tews. Tews' hit put the Tigers up 8-6. With runners at first and third, Tews started toward second and stopped. The throw allowed Baier to swipe home, giving Springfield a three run lead.

Given the lead, Alex Fink set the Grizzlies down in order in the eighth and ninth innings to seal the 9-6 victory.

The Springfield offense was firing on all cylinders as they ripped a season high fifteen hits. Bob Fink and Matt Baier each had three hits. Alex Fink, Brady Schwab and Matt Tews added two hits each. Chris Sturm, Marty Brandl, and Danny Christensen contributed one hit each to the team total. Alex Fink earned the win, his first in the his amateur career, working the final three innings and retiring all nine batters he faced. Casey Lux was tagged with the loss for Searles, going the last six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits.

The win improves the Tigers' overall record to 9-17 and 6-14 in the Tomahawk. Two games remain in the regular season schedule before Springfield will face New Ulm in a best of three league playoff series with a trip to the Region 2C Tournament on the line. Next up is a make-up game on Thursday night in Leavenworth at 8pm. We'll see you at the ballpark as the Tigers look to heat up heading into postseason play!


Linescore

123456789RHELOB
Springfield212010030915210
Searles40000200061017

Springfield Box

ABRHRBIBBSO 
A. Fink, SS/P612200 
Salazar, 1B400003SAC
B. Fink, RF4233102B, HR
Schwab, C502001 
   Krebs, PR010000 
Baier, 3B/SS5131002B
Tews, P/3B322110HP
C. Sturm, LF401000HP
Brandl, DH111000HP(3)
Sather, CF/PR100000 
Christensen, 2B411010 
 37915734 
        
 IPHRERBBSO 
Tews6 106613 
A. Fink (W, 1-0)3 00002

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