Four more games, four more victories. After the dust settled this past week the Express found themselves still sitting alone atop the CVL South with a record of 9-0 and an impressive 14-1 mark overall. Pearl Lake It started Tuesday night as the Express stopped in Watkins to take on the Pearl Lake Lakers making up their game that should have taken place on Mothers’ Day. The Express battled the scrappy Laker ball club scoring five runs in the sixth and seventh innings to put the game out of reach. Scott Marquardt led the charge in the sixth with a solo homerun deep beyond the leftfield wall. Kris Hagen (3-0) started on the mound for the Express. The right hander cruised through six innings, before the Lakers mounted three runs in the final three innings. Hagen went eight innings striking out three and walking one. Jeremy Kuechle came on in the ninth inning to put out any hopes of a Laker comeback. Hagen went eight innings striking out three and walking one. Cold Spring Springers The Express clashed with the Cold Spring Springers Wednesday evening. The Express jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning. Brooks Marquardt led off with a double. He scored on a Jeremy Kuechle single, then Scott Marquardt singled. Joe Pennertz sac bunted both runners into scoring position. A ground out by Mike Arnold and an Aaron Knaus single plated two more runs. The Express added one more run in the second inning making the score 4-0. The Springers came back in the bottom of the second, plating two runs on a double off the bat of second baseman Jason Spohn. Joe Pennertz hit a two-run moon ball over the ivy covered left field fence and gave the Express a 6-2 lead in the fifth inning. Cold Spring scored two more runs in the sixth and got back in the game at 6-4. In the top of the seventh Scott Marquardt tripled and scored on a Mike Arnold double to end all scoring for the game, giving the Express a 7-4 lead. Justin Hill (4-0) started on the mound for the Express and pitched a gem of a game. Hill went six innings (H 8, R 4, ER 2, SO 2, BB 2) allowing only two earned runs. This was the right-handers fifth start of the season. Joe Krippner came on in relief of Hill in the seventh inning and pitched tremendously. He gave one hit in three innings of work. Krippner came over to Kimball three years ago after playing for St. Augusta. Since his departure from the Gussies he has found himself in the middle relief role for the Express. He has handled himself magnificently in this role and logged many innings. Cold Spring Rockies The Express found themselves taking on the other Cold Spring – the CVL rival Rockies – on Saturday. The game was played in Cold Spring but Kimball was the home team and prevailed with some late inning heroics. They won 7-6 on a Nate Turck suicide squeeze, which scored pitcher Brooks Marquardt for the game ending winning run. This game was the tale of two innings. The Rockies jumped all over the Express in the top of the second and took advantage of three Express errors. They scored all six of their runs in the second inning. Only two of the runs were earned. The Express came right back in the bottom of the inning and scored four runs to make it a 6-4 ball game. The Rockies did not record another hit as starting pitcher Brooks Marquardt settled down and kept the team in check. Kimball trailed 6-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. In the ninth they recorded four straight singles. Aaron Knaus led off with a line drive single to centerfield. Pat Arnold followed with a soft line drive to right field which sent Knaus to third. Brooks Marquardt singled and scored Knaus. Arnold then advanced to third on a passed ball. Brian Marquardt singled and scored Arnold, knotting the score at 6-6, while Brooks Marquardt moved to third. Nate Turck then laid down a perfect squeeze bunt which scored Brooks and gave the Express victory. Brooks Marquardt (2-0) went all nine innings allowing only five hits, all of which came in the second inning. Luxemburg The Express traveled to Luxemburg for the second time this season. They duked it out with the Brewers in a CVL matchup. Kimball came out victorious and snatched the season series from the Brewers as they won 4-2. Kimball started Pat Arnold (4-0) who had a terrible time with his control. He walked seven batters, but only allowed one hit. That hit came in the eighth inning off the bat of Bruce Kiffemeyer.
