The Express’ Austin Ruehle reaches first base safely after an infield hit in the 10th inning and eventually scores the winning run. Staff photos by George Matua.
Express’s Ben Johnson slides safely to first base in the 7th inning and scores an infield hit.
Express drafted Brock Woitalla of the Monticello Polecats throws a pitch during his two innings to secure the win.
The Foley Lumberjacks celebrate Charles Hackett’s three-run home run that tied the score at 3-3 with Kimball in the ninth inning and forced the game into overtime. Their joy was short-lived, however, as the Express scored another run in the tenth inning, but the Jacks did not.
In the second round of the state tournament last weekend, the Kimball Express faced the Foley Lumberjacks on Saturday, August 24. The Jacks were seeded first in Region 8 and Kimball was seeded third in Region 11.
The game started late, just over an hour into the game, and it was a hot day out there. They were playing in Jordan.
The Express scored 3 runs in the second inning and held that lead until the ninth inning, when the Jacks scored 3 runs to tie the game and trigger overtime. Early in the tenth inning, Austin Ruehle reached base on an error and later scored on an RBI single by Matt Friesen, giving the Express a 4-3 lead. The Jacks were knocked down in the bottom of the tenth inning, giving the Express the 4-3 victory.
Brooks Marquardt led the Express with a double for 3 RBI. Matt Friesen hit two singles and had 1 RBI. Tommy Friesen hit a double. Austin Ruehle, Ben Johnson, Adam Beyer, Zach Schmidt and Ashton Hanan each hit a single on the day.
Brock Woitalla, draftee of the Monticello Polecats, got the win for the Express. Woitalla had 2 strikeouts during his 2 innings on the mound. Ben Johnson pitched the first 7 innings and had 5 strikeouts. Tommy Friesen pitched a scoreless 10th inning to secure the save.
Ryan Chmielewski is responsible for the Lumberjacks’ loss, allowing the Express’ winning hit, 5 strikeouts and 1 walk. Logan Winkelman pitched the first 4 1/3 innings, 4 strikeouts and 1 walk, and allowed 3 runs.
Charles Hackett hit a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning, sending the game into overtime.
The Kimball Express are now among the final 16 teams heading into Labor Day weekend with four games left for the championship.
The Express will face the Bird Island Bullfrogs on Friday, August 30th at 7:30 p.m. in Belle Plaine. If they win that game, they will play at Green Isle (against either Bemidji or Waconia) on Sunday, September 1st at 11 a.m. If Kimball wins that game and Watkins wins its first two games of the weekend, the two teams will play each other on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Green Isle.
The championship game will take place on Monday, September 2nd, at 1 p.m. in Jordan.
KIMBALL AB RH BI
Austin Ruehle 5 1 1 0
Tommy Friesen 5 0 1 0
Ben Johnson 4 0 1 0
Matt Friesen 5 0 2 1
Adam Beyer 5 0 1 0
Scott Marquardt 4 1 0 0
Zach Schmidt 4 1 1 0
Ashton Hanan 4 1 1 0
Brooks Marquardt 4 0 1 3
TOTAL 40 4 9 4
FOLEY AB RH BI
TOTAL 39 3 8 3
Express 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 9 2
lumberjack 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 8 1
