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RC coach confident team will improve record, pitchingBy Barbara Brown In the Tigers first games of the season, the teamís opponents have been allowed too many free runs. If the team expects to improve on its 0-2 early season record, the pitchers are going to have to control their arms and make sure to hit the strike zone. For Rush Cityís first game of the season, April 16, the team fell behind East Central 5-0 after four innings. The team rallied in the fifth inning of the away game against the Eagles, scoring five runs to tie the game. Senior Shawn Sjostrom opened the fifth with a single, junior Dustin Willert and sophomore Brent Freeman walked to load the bases. Junior Derek Benson singled to left knocking in Sjostrom and Willert squeezed in on the RBI. With Roll on third, senior Jordan Allen singled to center, tying the score at 5-5 by scoring Roll. The last three innings were dominated by East Central, which scored four runs to win the game. Roll played in his first varsity game and finished going four for four. He had a triple, double and two singles. Roll also had two RBI, as did Benson with a bases-loaded single in the fifth. Willert started pitching in the game and finished after four innings with five strike outs, five hits, five runs, four base-on-ball and one error after facing 24 batters. Sjostrom came in as relief and pitched two innings, landing three strick-outs, two base-on-ball, four hits, four runs and one error in 14 batters. The East Central game was a typical first game, said head coach Bob Schlagel. ìThe players had difficulty with distances (throws) after being inside for so long,î Schlagel said. The team fell behind 4-0 for the first two innings, but staged a comeback based on poor Jaguar pitching in the third. Benson and junior Adam Nelson both singled and scored after Roll singled to left. Sjostrom was hit by a pitch in the fourth and moved to second base when sophomore Tim Karnick was hit by a pitch. Karnick scored on a wild pitch, and tied the game up. After the Jaguars scored four runs in the fifth to take the score to 8-4 Rush City answered back with two more in the sixth when Freeman and Karnick touched the bag on Karnickís home run. Brian Roll once again took home recognition as a top player in the Jaguar game after he landed a big two-run single in the third. Karnickís two-run homer and Bensonís relief pitching, when he struck out two, also got pats on the back from Schlagel. Benson went two for two, Karnick was one for two and Roll was one for three. Shawn Sjostrom started the Tiger pitching effort in the first two innings. He gave up eight walks, one hit and four runs. Willert came in for relief pitching and remained for three innings. He faced 11 batters and had three strike outs, gave up five walks and one hit. ìOur players are eager and willing to learn,î he said. ìBy the end of the season we should be a pretty good team.î Schlagel said he expects younger players on the team to begin to shine as the season continues. Schlagel said he will focus his attention on the pitching team for coming games. ìIn our first two games of the year, we have walked way too many people,î Schlagel said. ìOnce we get some extended work in, Iím sure our walks will be reduced and when this gets worked out, we will be fine.î ©ECM Post Review |