The Chanhassen Red Birds lost today's game to the visiting Le Sueur Braves by a score of 8 -1 in 13 innings.  The Braves got sweet payback for the 14-1 loss the Red Birds handed them at Le Sueur last Sunday.

The Line Score:

Le Sueur          100  000  000  000 7   8 - 10 - 2

Chanhassen      000  000  001 000  0   1 - 9  - 5

It looked like rain might halt the third home game in a row for the Red Birds. But the storm clouds moved out by 1:30 and the game got started on time and the faithful followers of both teams saw a great game.

Le Sueur scored in the top of the first on 3 hits and a mis-played fly ball to right field.  Casey Malmgren ground the Braves to a halt for the next 6 innings and got 6 strikeouts and allowed only 2 more hits and 3 walks in his 7 innings of pitching.

Braves pitcher/manager, D.J. Damberger kept the Red Birds off the scoreboard until 2 outs in the 9th inning.  With the Red Birds trailing 1 - 0 with 2 out in the 9th, T. J. Gulden launched a fly ball to right field that seemed certain to end the game. But the right fielder misplayed the ball in the sun, and resulted in Gulden standing at 2nd base.  Casey Malmgren then delivered a single to center that scored Gulden for the tying run to send the game into extra innings.

Both team's bats were silent in the 10th and 11th with Luke Penovich pitching scoreless innings frm the 7th through the 12th, getting the final two outs in the top of the 12th on a popout to 2nd and a strike out with Braves ready to score on 2nd and 3rd.

The Red Birds had a chance to get the victory in the bottom of the 12th when Malmgren doubled and Adam Heitz got him to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt.  Two strikeouts by Braves Reliever, Ryan McPartland snuffed the rally and seemed to take the gas out of the Red Birds. 

The Braves sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the 13th inning, scored 7 runs on 4 hits, 3 walks and 2 Red Bird errors and closed out the Red Birds in the bottom of the 13th with a double play, line out to Shortstop and then doubled the runner off first base.

The Red Birds reliever in the 13th, Zach Neubauer, took the loss for the Red Birds who drop their first League game of the season.  Cary McLaughlin was the fourth pitcher for the Red Birds and got the last out on a soft grounder that he flipped to 1st baseman, John Skubic.

Jeff Pavlovich and Malmgren each had 3 hits in 5 AB's for the home team.   Braves 2nd baseman, Ed Fahey had 3 hits in 7 trips to the plate. Ryan McPartland had 2 hits in 6 AB's and helped his own relief pitching cause with a single in the top of the 13th for the Game Winning RBI. 

The Red Birds are now 3 - 1 in River Valley League play, still holding 1st place in the Central Division.  Le Sueur evened their League record at 4 - 4.

Chanhassen's next game is this coming Saturday, June 12th when the locals travel to Henderson for a 4:00 PM start at Tiger Ball Park.  On Sunday, the 13th, the Red Birds head west again, to play the Arlington A's in a 6:00 PM start at Arlington Ball Park.