The Belle Plaine Tigers continued their jinx over the Red Birds again on Sunday afternoon with a 3 - 0 win in the winner's bracket of the Region 6 C playoffs.  Three Tiger pitchers combined for a 5 hit shutout as the Red Bird bats that exploded against the St. Peter Saints were quieted again in Belle Plaine. 

Andrew Roy got the start for the Red birds and pitched very well for 5 innings, scattering 5 hits walking nobody and kept the Tigers out of synch.  The Red Bird defense also played very well to keep the game tied through 5 innings. 

In the top of the 2nd inning, Zach Swenson drew a lead off walk (he walked twice in the game).  Justin Thompson then grounded to 3rd to force Zach at second.  Nate Swenson then grounded to 2nd to force Thompson at 2nd.  Tony Marengo then pulled a sharp liner just inside the right field line that skipped past the right fielder into the vine-laden right field wall.   Nate scored from 1st and Marengo kept running and scored as well.  BUT ... the local rule in the heavily grown over wall surrounding the Tiger Park is much like Chicago's Wrigley Field.  The Right Fielder had lifted his two hands signalling that the ball was lost in the vines.  The base umpire strode out to investigate and when he confirmed the lost ball, the runs were taken from the board, and Swenson returned to 3rd base, and Marengo to 2nd with a Ground-Rule Double.   Tom Bergner lined the next pitch to the third baseman to end the inning with no runs across for the Red Birds.

Chanhassen got the visiting fans' hearts pumping again when Zach Swenson doubled to right with one out in the top of the 6th.  Justin Thompson followed with a single to left that moved Zach to third, just 90 feet away.   SS Nate Swenson then hit a bouncer back to relief pitcher, Scott Dose - Tiger draftee from Arlington - who wheeled quickly to the SS Brad Lawson, to force Thompson, and then threw on to first for an inning ending and threat ending, double play.

Obviously energized by the twin killing, the Tigers got a lead off double by Miah Fogarty in the bottom of the 6th inning.  RVL All-Star Dan Huber then singled to left to move Fogarty to third.  Roy got Lawson to pop out in foul territory to Justin Thompson at third.  C Pat Schultz then lined a double over CF Casey Malmgren's head to drive home both runners for a 2-0 lead after 6 innings.

The Tigers scored again in the 7th when Adam Johnson doubled to right center with one out.  Red Bird Draftee, Darron Culbert relieved Roy and CF Travis Latzke then bunted to sacrifice Johnson to third base.  Miah Fogarty then singled to left and Johnson crossed the plate for the third and final run for the Tigers.

Though the Red Birds have yet to beat the Tigers during regular season or playoffs, the team clearly has the mettle to compete with the veteran line-up that Belle Plaine puts on the field.  For example, the Tigers committed two errors for the game, the Red Birds none.  The Tiger pitchers walked 3 Red Bird Batters; Red Birds didn't walk any Tiger batters.

The Red Birds play good fundamental baseball and their defense will keep them in the game.  For example, in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Tiger DH Jim Buesgens led off with a single to left.  After Adam Johnson flew out to center field, CF Travis Latzke lined a single to right field.  Jim Buesgens rounded second to gain third, but a cool Jeff Pavlovich in right field threw a strike to Justin Thompson to nail the over-confident speedster Buesgens for the 2nd out.  Fogarty then followed with a bunt single that would have easily scored Buesgens, save for the dart from Pavlovich.  Three hits by the Tigers and nothing across.  Good Job Red Birds.

The Red Birds are now just one win away from the State Tournament.  Chanhassen will travel to Fairfax to face the Cardinals on Friday night, August 12th, at 8:00 PM at Fairfax Memorial Park.  Fairfax eliminated the St. Peter Saints on Sunday afternoon with 3-2 win in 11 innings.  With identical 1-1 records in the regional playoffs, the Cardinals and the Red Birds will square off to face Belle Plaine at Tiger Park on Saturday afternoon, August 13th.   Region 6 C sends two teams to the state tournament, so Friday night's game is the ticket to the 2011 State Tournament.

Chanhassen visited Fairfax earlier this year and lost 5-4.   In that game, the Red Birds committed 4 erros and left 14 men on base.  Better defense will certainly show up this time, and if some timely hitting, like at St. Peter, shows up, the Red birds could face Belle Plaine again Next saturday.

First things first ... Beat Fairfax on Friday night.

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