After a fast start the Express have been side tracked as the past week brought two more losses. Wednesday evening in Cold Spring the Springers took it to the Express handing them a 14-6 defeat and on Sunday in Kimball the Eden Valley Hawks handed the Express their first league loss of the season 4-3. Sunday the Hawks of Eden Valley came to Kimball and outlasted the Express in a CVL action scoring two runs in the ninth inning taking a 4-3 lead that the Express couldn’t overcome. Kimball scored a loan run in the fourth inning off Hawks starter Joby McCann to take and early lead. The score stayed that way until the seventh as Eden Valley scored two runs taking a 2-1 lead. The rally chased starter Pat Arnold as Joe Pennertz came on in relief. Kimball answered in the bottom half of the seventh scoring two runs to retake the lead on back to back singles by Brooks Marquardt and Nate Turck. It stayed 3-2 until the ninth inning when the Hawks rallied for two more runs to take a 4-3 lead as Kimball pitching walked two and hit a batter to aid in the rally. Kimball couldn’t muster up anything in the bottom of the ninth as the Hawks took the first game of the two game season series. Over the last few years the two teams have seemed to split the season series with both teams winning on the road. Cold Spring Wednesday evening the Express were in Cold Spring taking on the Springers. Kimball had nine guys with some guys playing out of position throughout the game as changes were made and by looking at the final score, it showed. The Springers took it to the Express winning 14-6. Kimball took an early 2-0 in the first inning, but the Springers answered in the bottom of the inning and didn’t look back. They took the lead in the second inning scoring five more and tallied four more in the fifth inning adding a few runs here and there in between to make the final 14-6. Mike Arnold lead the Express going 2-5 with two doubles on the night and Joe Krippner was 2-3. Kris Hagen started on the hill for the Express and takes the loss. Rail Report The two losses extend the Express losing streak to three in a row. After an 8-0 start the Express have dropped their last three games. The Express still hold down the top spot in the CVL South as they are now 7-1 in league play and 8-3 overall. They do not play any league games this coming week. They will play in the Miller Lite Invitational this weekend in Green Isle and Arlington. They play Saturday morning at 10:30 against Fairfax in Arlington. In game two, win or lose they will play either St. Cloud Orthopedic or Belle Plaine. Check out the tourney link at . In Sunday’s loss Express pitcher Joe Pennertz pitched for the first time in over three years as he is coming back from arm troubles. The outing didn’t go exactly how Pennertz would have liked as his command wasn’t where he wanted it to be. Just getting back out on the mound and pitching pain free was the most important part of the outing. The rain affected two games last week as Friday’s game with New Ulm and Saturday’s game with Sleepy Eye were rained out. These game will not be made up. These were the third and fourth rain outs of the season for the Express. The game Sunday against the Hawks was aired on KDUZ 1260 AM with Sports Director Joel Niemeyer making the calls. The Express will be on the air again July 13 as when they travel to Hutchinson to take on the Huskies in exhibition action.
