The Chanhasen Red Birds opened the 2011 Central Division playoffs as the #2 seed and faced the Arlington A's on Friday night.  As hot as the Red Bird bats were on Monday when defeating the A's in Arlington, the hits didn't come as frequently tonight, and the Red Birds lost momentum to the A's early on the strength of a 2nd inning Grand Slam homerun by A's First Baseman, Nate Hartmann.

Arlington Starting Pitcher, Scott Dose, scattered 8 Red Bird singles, allowed only three runners to reach third, and stranded them all just 90 feet from home plate.  Dose struck out 12 for the complete game win.   Hartmann drove in 5 runs on a single and the homerun over the left field fence. Center fielder, Craig Dose scored twice, as did Left Fielder, Nate Henke.  Scott Dose also collected a single and a double for the A's.

Arlington opened the scoring in the top of the first with a single by Craig Dose. Red Birds starter, Casey Malmgren then walked Nate Henke, and Scott Dose lifted a single to right field to load the bases with nobody out.  Nate Hartmann laced a single to left to score Criag Dose from third.  Brett Pioske then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that plated Nate Henke with the 2nd run.

Red Birds looked to respond in their half of the first with Nate Swenson opening with a single to left field.  After Tony Marengo struck out swining, John Gulden lined a single to left, advancing Swenson to 2nd.  Swenson thenb stole third base.  With runners at the corners and one out, Dose got Cary McLaughlin to line out to short, and Justin Thompson to cround out, pitcher to first.  End of the inning.  Two hits and nobody scored for the Red Birds. 

In the top of the 2nd, Catcher Bryce Eggert worked a BB and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman, Dan Chies.  Blake Henke then drew a walk. Eggert advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Chies stole second.  Craig Dose then walked to load the bases with one out.   Nate Henke hit a groudner to first baseman Zach Swenson.  The throw home pulled Thompson off the bag Eggert scored the third run for the A's.  This proved costly since Mclaughlin got Scott Dose on a called third strike that would have been the third out of the inning and would have left the bases loaded.

The next batter was Hartmann, who launched a 335 foot homer over the left field fence to clear the bases, and complete the scoring for the A's.  7 - 0 after 1 and 1/2 innings.

The Red Birds got 6 hits the rest of the way, while the Red Bird pitching allowed one more hit for the rest of the game.  But, the damage was done, the momentum clearly swung in favor of the A's and the Red Birds never challenged after that.

Nate and Zach Swenson each collected two singles, and Cary McLaughlin had two singles in three at bats for the Red Birds.  Justin Kurth relieved Malmgren in the 6th inning and worked 4 innings no-hit, no-run baseball.

Arlington now faces Belle Plaine (victors over Le Sueur by the same score of 7 - 0) at Belle Plaine's Tiger Park on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM.  

While Chanhassen hosts the second round loser's bracket game against the Henderson Tigers on Sunday afternoon, at 2:00 PM at Storm Red Bird Stadium.

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