The Kimball Express scored two runs in the sixth inning to jump out to a 5-1 lead over the Dassel-Cokato Saints. In the bottom of the sixth, the Saints answered with two runs, cutting the Express lead back down to two, at 5-3.
In the top of the seventh, the Express answered right away with its biggest inning of the game, scoring three runs, highlighted by an Austin Ruehle RBI single. In the inning, the Express also took advantage of a couple errors and some pitching wildness. It all resulted in an 8-3 lead and eventually an 8-4 road win on May 30.
Speaking of pitching wildness and errors, the Saints pitching staff combined to walk 11 batters and hit one. The Saints defense committed three errors.
Both teams exchanged a run in the top of the first. In this inning, Cade Marquardt hit in the first Express run of the game on an RBI double.
In the third, the Express scored two runs to take a 3-1 lead, highlighted by a Ben Johnson two-run single. In the sixth, the Express added on with that two-run inning, highlighted by a Brian Marquardt RBI double, to grab that 5-1 edge.
Trailing by five, at 8-3, going into the final inning, the Saints mounted a rally in the ninth, scoring one run and loading the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate with one out. Express relief pitcher Brooks Marquardt escaped the jam by forcing a flyout and groundout.
Offensively, both teams left runners on base, with the Express leaving on 15 runners and the Saints 11.
Cade Marquardt led the Express offensively, finishing three-for-four with two RBI. Ben Johnson finished two-for-three with two RBI and Austin Ruehle two-for-four with an RBI to also pace the Express.
The second of four Express pitchers to enter the game, Clay Faber earned the win, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out two over two innings.