Fargo/Moorhead
The #20 ranked MinnDak Millers opened their major-level season this past weekend at the Jack Grafmeier Memorial Tournament at
MinnDak came into the tournament shorthanded as they were missing Steve Baumgartner, Rick Lang, Lamar Noriega, John Tschida and Jason Wandler. On Saturday, Tim Tweiten was injured, leaving MinnDak further shorthanded.
The Millers received strong pitching all weekend from Rob Schweyer and Sisko Sabate and timely hitting for the weekend.
Pool Play, Pool A
Friday
MinnDak opened the weekend with a 6-1 victory over The Bar of Appleton.
Lucas Goring led off the game with a double, stole third base then scored on a Gregg Cascaes single.
MinnDak would not score again until the sixth inning on Tony Kunka’s solo home run.
The Millers tacked on four insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Scooter Lange led off with a single and then scores on Zach Goring’s double. Lucas Goring singled.
Zach Goring scored on Tim Tweiten’s ground out. Kunka then hit his second homer of the game, scoring Lucas Goring.
The Bar countered with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Sisko Sabate had a strong pitching performance, taking a no-hitter and perfect game into the fifth inning and ending with six strikeouts.
#20 MinnDak 6 The Bar of Appleton (Appleton, Wisc) 1
Bar 000 000 1-1 3 0
WP-Sisko Sabate (3-1)
LP-Shaun Jamieson
HR-Tony Kunka (8, 9), MinnDak; Kyle Van Abel, The Bar
Sabate and Scooter Lange
Jamieson and Conrad Bain
Roman Foore, 2-4
Lucas Goring, 2-4, 2B, RBI
Zach Goring, 2-3, 2B
Tony Kunka, 3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Sisko Sabate, 7 IP, 3 hits allowed, 6 K, no BB
Saturday
In their first of three games on Saturday, MinnDak was anchored by a strong pitching performance in this game. Rob Schweyer took a perfect game into the seventh inning, surrendering a hit with one out in the final frame.
MinnDak jumped out to an early lead when Gregg Cascaes drew a walk in the first inning then stole second base. Two batters later, he would score on Tony Kunka’s double.
Tim Tweiten led off the fourth with a home run to give MinnDak a 2-0 lead.
The Millers added insurance three runs in the sixth. Lucas Goring led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a two-base error on the play. Two batters later, he scored on Tim Tweiten’s fielder’s choice.
Dan Brekke entered as a pinch runner for Tweiten and scored on Tony Kunka’s home run.
#20 MinnDak 5 #10 Townline (
TL 000 000 0-0 1 1
WP-Rob Schweyer (2-0)
LP-Tane
HR-Tony Kunka (10), Tim Tweiten (4), MinnDak
Schweyer and Scooter Lange
Richardson and Aaron Neemia
Lucas Goring, 2-3
Tony Kunka, 2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Rob Schweyer, 7 IP, 1 hit allowed, 7 K, no BB
Tim Tweiten, 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
MinnDak posted their third win on the weekend over the Quad City Sox 2-1. The Millers posted two runs in the first inning with two outs.
Gregg Cascaes drew a walk then scored on Tony Kunka’s home run.
Sisko Sabate started the game and threw five innings. Rob Schweyer came in for two innings of relief to earn the save, striking out the first five batters he faced.
The game ended on an outstanding play by shortstop Gregg Cascaes, who dove and knocked the ball down, then flipped to second basemen Zach Goring to end the game.
#20 MinnDak 2 #16
QC 100 000 0-1 2 1
WP-Sisko Sabate (4-1)
LP-Al Rebling
S-Rob Schweyer (1)
HR-Tony Kunka (11), MinnDak
Sabate, Rob Schweyer (6) and Scooter Lange
Rebling and Rodney Doak
Tony Kunka, 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
Sisko Sabate, 5 IP, 4 K
Rob Schweyer, 2 IP, 5 K
The Millers closed out pool play with a 5-2 loss to The Farm Tavern. The Millers didn’t get a runner on until Zach Goring reached by error in the fourth inning. MinnDak would attempt to close the gap but The Farm would counter every time they did.
Going into the game, MinnDak was guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s Championship Bracket and earned the number two seed out of their pool.
#2 The Farm Tavern (Madison, Wisc) 5 #20 MinnDak 2
Farm 000 021 2-5 11 1
WP-Dean Holoien
LP-Sisko Sabate (4-2)
HR-Darrell Joy, Farm; Roman Foore (2), MinnDak
Holoien, Garreau (5) and Harvey Stevenson, Jr.
Sabate and Scooter Lange
Roman Foore, 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
Sisko Sabate, 2-3, 7 IP, 3 K
Championship Bracket
Sunday, Semifinals
This game saw a battle of pitchers between Rob Schweyer and Collin McKenzie. Schweyer struck out 10 batters and allowed only one hit, a first inning home run to Chris Delarwelle.
MinnDak left 9 runners on base for the game.
#13 Circle Tap (
CT 100 000 0-1 1 0
WP-Collin McKenzie
LP-Rob Schweyer (2-1)
HR-Chris Delarwelle, Circle Tap
McKenzie and Brad Dvorachek
Schweyer and Scooter Lange
Gregg Cascaes, 2-3
Sisko Sabate, 2-3
Rob Schweyer, 7 IP, 10 K