Springfield Uses Two Seven Run Innings to Top Searles

6/17/12

After getting a late start due to rain in Gibbon, the Tigers hurried over to Searles for the second game of the day. A significant wind and lightning in the distance suggested that the game might not be completed without interruption, but it amounted to just a few drops of moisture. Springfield came back with a huge ninth inning after giving up the lead in the eighth, coming away with a 17-11 win.

Searles turned to Drew Wenninger on the mound. He was stellar through four innings, working around just a single and a walk in the top of the first, while striking out seven, to keep Springfield off the board.

Wenninger's mound opponent was Mike Salazar. The Grizzlies got on the board in the bottom of the first when Zach Fischer ripped a two-out double. Searles extended their lead in their next at-bat when they took advantage of a hit batter, a pair of singles, and a wild pitch to go up 3-0. Springfield's defense helped out Salazar, turning double-plays in both the second and third innings.

In the top of the fifth, the Wenninger train hit the skids. Max Salazar, who took over at first base for his brother Marc who left the game in the second with a back injury, led-off with a single. After a fielder's choice, Ryan Beyer reached via a bunt base hit. The next four batters reached via three bases on balls and a hit by pitch. Searles went to the bullpen to bring on Ian Drager. Matt Tews greeted him with an infield hit, driving in Springfield's fourth run. The Searles defense let them down as an error was committed by three of the four infielders on three of the next four batters. When the third out was finally recorded, Springfield had the lead, 7-3.

Zach Bisel kicked off the sixth with a double. Three straight hits from Alex Fink, Tews, and Christian Loomis put two additional runs up for the Tigers, who now led by six.

The Grizzlies took advantage of a double, followed by an infield single to get one run back in the bottom of the sixth, making the tally 9-4. Nick Erdman took over the mound duties and worked a one-two-three top of the seventh.

Searles loaded the bases with one down in the bottom of the seventh. Fischer came through again for a home team, crushing a triple to deep center field. Salazar was able to work his way out of the inning without any further damage and the Tigers still up, 9-7.

Matt Vogel worked a one-out walk off Erdman in the eighth. Tews battled to draw the inning's second free pass. Then Loomis knocked in Vogel with a single to make the score 10-7.

Loomis took over on the hill for the visitors and struggled with his control. Three walks, a wild pitch, and a pair of Springfield errors, along with run-scoring singles from Dave Hatle and Mike Anderson put Searles back on top, 11-10.

Beyer drew a walk to start the ninth for Springfield. Jacob Menage and Bisel followed with perfect bunts to load the bases. Searles then handed the ball to Taylor Ulman. Vogel and Fink greeted him with back-to-back RBI singles, putting the Tigers up 13-11. By the time it was over, Springfield had put up their second seven run inning of the game, leading 17-11. Loomis worked a solid three-up, three-down bottom of the ninth to seal the victory.

Zach Bisel, Matt Vogel, Alex Fink, Matt Tews, Christian Loomis, and Jacob Menage accounted for twelve of the Tigers' fourteen hits with two each. Max Salazar and Ryan Beyer rounded out the Springfield offense with one hit each. Zach Fischer and Mike Anderson paced Searles' attack with two hits each along with four and one RBI respectively. Loomis picked up the win, as he evened his record at 1-1 on the season, working the final two innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on two hits with three strikeouts. Nick Erdman took the loss, going two innings, allowing four earned runs on three hits, with three strikeouts, but five walks.

The win, Springfield's fourth straight, improves the Tigers' record to 5-4 in Tomahawk East League play and 5-8 overall on the season. Next up, the Tigers begin a four game homestand that will feature the top three teams in the American division, along with a rematch against Gibbon. First up is Essig, coming to town on Wednesday night for an 8pm battle. Come on down to cheer on this exciting Tiger team!

NOTES: Manager Steve Helget was doing yard-work all day, first spending a lot of time helping with the field in Gibbon. Then the ivy covered rightfield wall in Searles was no match for him in pre-game infield...Not known for their speed, Matt Vogel, Alex Fink, and Christian Loomis combined to go 4-for-4 on stolen bases for the day...Loomis went a combined 4-for-11, with three RBIs, and picked up a win on the mound the day after his twenty-first birthday...Matt Tews is on a roll since his wedding. In three games, he is 5-for-9, with seven walks and seven runs scored...Ryan Sturm did not have an official at-bat all day, drawing five walks in five times to the plate...The Tigers' combined thirty runs in the two games was the most runs they've scored in two consecutive games since they scored thirty-three runs in consecutive games against Searles in the 2003 playoffs.

Linescore

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
Springfield	0	0	0	0	7	2	0	1	7	17	14	2	11
Searles	1	2	0	0	0	1	3	4	0	11	12	4	7

Springfield Box

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
Bisel, C	5	2	2	1	0	1	2B, HP
Haseleu, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1
Vogel, 3B	4	4	2	2	2	1
A. Fink, SS	5	3	2	3	1	1
Tews, LF	3	1	2	2	2	1	SAC
Loomis, 2B/P	5	2	2	2	0	1	SAC
M. Salazar, 1B	1	0	0	0	0	0
Mx. Salazar, 1B	3	0	1	0	0	0
R. Sturm, 1B	0	0	0	0	2	0
Brandl, DH	6	1	0	1	0	2
Mi. Salazar, P/2B	-	-	-	-	-	-
Beyer, CF	5	2	1	1	1	3
Menage, RF	4	2	2	1	2	0
	42	17	14	13	10	11
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Mi. Salazar	7	10	7	7	3	4
Loomis (W, 1-1)	2	2	4	3	3	3

Pictures