Express shut out Redbirds at State

 

The Kimball Express won their first State Tournament game this year in dramatic fashion, 10-0 over the Luverne Redbirds. This year marks the ninth State Tournament appearance in 11 years; they won the State Championship in 2017. 

Interviewed by Eric Kraushar for the Minnesota Baseball Association, winning pitcher Ben Johnson said, “It’s why we still play. We have a good group of veterans who have played for a long time. As long as we can compete, we say we’re going to keep playing. Days like today, it makes it all worth it.”

The Express move on to face the Foley Lumberjacks at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, in Jordan. (That’s the same day and time as the Watkins Clippers’ first State Tournament game, to play the Carver Black Sox coming off a 4-1 win Saturday, to play in Green Isle.)

Ben Johnson pitched 7 1/3 of no-hit baseball through 8 innings. In the end, he pitched a shutout game, limiting the Redbirds to that one hit (a single) on the whole game. Brock Woitalla, a draftee from the Monticello Polecats, pitched the final inning of the game. 

Adam Beyer gets the gold star for the day, hitting a towering drive home run to left field that scored pinch runner Cody Leither and Matt Friesen in the top of the ninth inning to complete the Express storing. Ashton Hanan hit a triple and a double for 3 RBI. Brooks Marquardt hit a single for 2 RBI. Johnson also went 3-for-5 at the plate with three singles. Zach Schmidt hit a pair of singles for 1 RBI. Austin Ruehle, Tommy Friesen, and Matt Friesen each hit a single. 

Ben Serie takes the loss for Luverne. He allowed the first 7 Express runs on 10 hits; he also struck out 6 and walked 3. Ethan Beyer allowed the final 3 runs on 3 hits (including Beyer’s home run) during his 2 innings on the mound; he struck out 2 and walked 1. Derek Lundgren pitched 1 fairly unremarkable inning for Luverne.

The lone hit for the Redbirds was by Carter Sehr, a single on a line drive to left fielder Austin Ruehle in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

The Express are 5 games away from the Championship game Monday, Sept. 2. They next play the Foley Lumberjacks at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, in Jordan. If they keep winning, they will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, in Belle Plaine, at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, in Green Isle, at 4 p.m. Sept. 1 in Green Isle, and the Championship game for Class C Minnesota amateur baseball is at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2, in Jordan. Admission to games is only $5 if you want to go and support the Express.

Here’s how other local teams did in the first round of the MBA State Tournament: Cold Spring Rockies defeated the Perham Pirates, 4-0; they play the Jordan Brewers in Jordan at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Atwater Chuckers lost to the Loretto Larks, 2-1, so they are finished for the year. Maple Lake Lakers lost to the Farming Flames, 4-1; Farming will play the Fairmont Martins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, in Jordan. The Richmond Royals lost to the Courtland Cubs, 10-5, so they are finished for the season. St. Joseph Joes defeated the Jackson Bulls, 2-0; they play the Buffalo Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, in Belle Plaine. The Litchfield Blues lost to Bemidji Blue Ox (score not available); they are finished for the season. All regional champions had a bye for the first round; they play their first games in the second round, this coming weekend. 

KIMBALL AB R H BI

Austin Ruehle 5 0 1 0

Tommy Friesen 5 0 1 0

Ben Johnson 5 1 3 0

* Cody Leither 0 1 0 0

* Joe Hess 0 0 0 0

Matt Friesen 4 2 1 0

Adam Beyer 5 1 2 3

Scott Marquardt 2 2 0 0

Zach Schmidt 5 2 2 1

Ashton Hanan 5 1 2 3

Brooks Marquardt 5 0 1 2

TOTALS 41 10 13 9

LUVERNE AB R H BI

TOTALS 27 0 1 0

Express 0 3 4  0 0 0  0 0 3 10 13 1

Redbirds 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0   0   1 2