Brooks Marquardt pitched a complete game, and Scott Marquardt’s three-run double in the seventh inning helped the Kimball Express beat the Sauk Centre Titans in Region 10C play at Watkins Friday, Aug. 6. It was a pitchers’ duel until the seventh inning when the Express rallied for three runs to break open a scoreless game. Rob Mettenburg was on the mound for the Titans as Kimball opened with a single by Brian Marquardt. Pat Arnold then used a perfect bunt to reach base and take Brian Marquardt to second. After a ground out by Nate Turck, Brooks Marquardt reached base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Jeremy Kuechle then lined out to short, setting the stage for Scott Marquardt’s blast to right centerfield to clear the bases. Aaron Knaus blasted a triple to deep left centerfield to score Joe Pennertz from third in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was an important run for the Express, as the Titans came back from 4-0 in the ninth. The Titans mounted a rally as they scored all three runs. Titan Joe Fredrichs had a pop fly to leftfield with the bases loaded to end the game. Brooks Marquardt went all nine innings, striking out seven, walking two and giving up seven hits. Ice put a chill on the Express Sunday, Aug. 8, the Express dropped their first region 10C game in more than a year. They lost a heartbreaker to the St. Cloud Orthopedic Ice in extra innings after leading for the first eight at Watkins Baseball Park. Kimball knocked the Ice starting pitcher Paul Buboltz around the yard as they jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. The big hits came from Pat Arnold and Brooks Marquardt. Arnold scorched a bases-loaded single into right field to score two, and Marquardt blasted a double to the left centerfield gap for two more. The Express starting pitcher Dan Hansen was a draftee from Eden Valley. He kept the Ice in check for three innings before surrendering three runs in the fourth to bring the Ice within one run of catching the Express. The score was frozen 4-3 until the sixth inning when the Express loaded the bases after an Ice error, a single and a walk. Joe Pennertz coaxed a walk to score Brooks Marquardt from third to make it 5-3 Express. The Ice mounted a huge threat in the seventh inning with Eden Valley draftee Joby McCann on the mound. McCann was in his second inning of relief after coming on for Hansen in the sixth inning. The Ice got things going in the seventh with a walk and a “Texas League” single. They followed up with a sacrifice bunt attempt that McCann fielded cleanly and then threw to third for an attempted force out. Unfortunately the throw was a bit high and deflected into left field allowing another run for the Ice. The next batter loaded the bases with a walk. Pat Arnold relieved McCann and had to face the meat of the Ice batting order. He got Andy Auger to pop out to second baseman Brian Marquardt, and then fanned Jason Fischer and Hans Hoerning to end the threat. Neither team was able to score in the eighth, setting the stage for the ninth inning. Arnold gave up a single by Jon Willams to start the inning. Ice first baseman Ryan O’Hara used a sacrifice bunt to bring Williams to second, and Andy Auger singled to centerfield to bring Williams home for the tie. The Express had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn’t get him across, sending the game into extra innings. In the top half of the extra frame Arnold gave up a single, a sacrifice bunt and another single to give the Ice runners at the corners with one out. Second baseman Williams hit a change-up to deep left field for a sacrifice fly to score the winning run from third. Kimball came up in the bottom of the tenth inning and failed to get anything going, losing 6-5 to the Ice. Rail Report The Express are down but not out after the loss to the Ice Sunday. The game reminded them that no matter what happens, one team is going to come out of this region tournament to advance to state with at least one loss. The Express will play in Watkins again Friday, Aug. 13, against the Cold Spring Rockies. Every game from here on out is do-or-die for the Express. They will look to avenge two regular season defeats at the hands of the Rockies when they take the field Friday night. If the Express lose they are done for the season. If they win, they will play at 4 p.m. Saturday. If they win Saturday’s game, they go on to play again at 7 p.m. Saturday evening. If they continue a winning streak for those three games, they will advance to state tournament play. Take a couple hours out of the busy Kimball Days festivities to cheer on the Express in Watkins.
