Fargo/Moorhead
The #20 ranked MinnDak Millers traveled to Circle Tap in Denmark, Wisconsin this past weekend and came away with a Runner Up finish at the Boys of Summer.
The Millers barely made it to Sunday’s Championship Bracket, having to use tiebreakers to get there and then taking advantage of that opportunity.
Pool Play, Pool D
Friday
MinnDak opened the Boys of Summer against Patsy’s and came away with an impressive 7-0, five-inning win.
Rob Schweyer threw a no-hitter and the Millers hitters gave him run support en route to the victory.
MinnDak jumped on the board in the second inning when Tony Kunka drew a lead-off walk. After a strikeout, Jason Wandler walked, and then Roman Foore’s triple drove in Kunka and Wandler to put MinnDak up 2-0.
The next inning, Lucas Goring lead of with a slap single, Gregg Cascaes reached on a fielder’s choice, putting runner’s on first and second after Goring was called safe at second.
A strikeout followed, then Kunka reached on an intentional walk.
Then with two outs, Jason Wandler singled in Goring and Cascaes.
Foore was up next and put a home run over the right-center field fence to give MinnDak a 7-0 lead.
Schweyer would hold Patsy’s at bay for the remainder of the game and got the games final out on a tag out at home plate.
#20 MinnDak Millers 7 #5 Patsy’s (
Patsy’s 000 00-0 0 2
WP-Rob Schweyer (3-5)
LP-Gerald Muizelaar
HR-Roman Foore (3), MinnDak
Muizelaar, Adam Folkard (3), Darren Rea (5) and Frank DeGroat
Schweyer and Scooter Lange
Roman Foore, 2-3, 3B, HR, 5 RBI
Jason Wandler, 1-1, 2 RBI
Rob Schweyer, 5 IP, No-hitter, 8 K, 4 BB
Saturday
Saturday morning saw MinnDak take on Townline for the third time this year. The Millers fell to Townline 8-3.
Errors plagued MinnDak in this game as all five of Townline’s 8 runs were unearned.
MinnDak scored three runs in the sixth.
Gregg Cascaes reached on a fielder’s choice with one out. John Tschida walked, then Tony Kunka’s single scored Cascaes.
After a strikeout, Jason Wandler’s double scored Tschida. Kunka would later score on a wild pitch.
#12 Townline (
TL 000 422 0-8 8 0
WP-Betto Guerrinieri
LP-Rob Schweyer (3-6)
HR-Aaron Neemia, Tane Richardson, Townline
Guerrinieri, Tane Richardson (6) and Aaron Neemia
Schweyer and Scooter Lange
Lucas Goring, 3-4
Tony Kunka, 1-2, RBI
Jason Wandler, 1-3, 2B, RBI
Rob Schweyer, 7 IP, 8 hits, 6 K, 3 BB, 5 unearned runs
MinnDak entered their final game in Pool Play needing a win over the Bloomington Stix while also having to hold the Stix to under four runs without having to go deep into tiebreaker scenarios.
The Millers scored a run in the first inning when Gregg Cascaes reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on John Tschida’s infield single, to third on a wild pitch, then scored on Tony Kunka’s single.
The Stix scored a pair of runs in the second and another in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.
MinnDak brought the game even in the fifth inning.
With one out, Zach Goring reached on a single, then advanced to third on Lucas Goring’s double.
Zach Goring would score on a passed ball, with Lucas Goring advancing to third, then scoring on Cascaes’ ground out to tie the game at three.
The game entered extra innings, with the International Tiebreaker taking effect in the ninth inning.
Jason Wandler was placed a second base. He was moved to third on Tim Tweiten’s sacrifice bunt. Rob Schweyer then walked.
Both would score on Zach Goring’s double up the middle, giving the Millers a win as well as a hand up in the tiebreaker, putting them in Sunday’s Championship Bracket.
Sisko Sabate gave MinnDak five strong innings of work before giving way to Rob Schweyer.
#20 MinnDak Millers 4 #22
Bloom 020 010 000-3 5 0
WP-Rob Schweyer (4-6)
LP-Paul Algar
HR-None
Bob Ginger, Algar (5) and Dan Butler
Sisko Sabate, Schweyer (6) and Lamar Noriega, Scooter Lange (7)
Gregg Cascaes, 1-4, RBI
Lucas Goring, 2-4, 2B
Zach Goring, 2-4, RBI
Sisko Sabate, 5 IP, 4 H, 5 K, 3 BB
Rob Schweyer, 4 IP, 1 H, 5 K, 1 BB
Championship Bracket
Sunday, Quarterfinals
The Millers squared off against Circle Tap for the third time this season, and unlike the first two meetings with Circle Tap, MinnDak would come out victorious.
MinnDak jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning.
Lucas Goring led off the MinnDak first with a single. Gregg Cascaes walked. Both advanced a base on John Tschida’s sacrifice bunt.
Tony Kunka’s ground out scored Lucas Goring. Kunka and Cascaes would then score on Zach Goring’s four-base error.
Roman Foore then singled and scored from first on Jason Wandler’s triple.
Circle Tap cut into the MinnDak lead in the sixth with Don Garvey’s two-run home run.
Garvey would give Circle Tap the lead the next innings with a based loaded triple.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lucas Goring led off with a single and Gregg Cascaes followed with another single.
Each moved up a base on a wild pitch.
John Tschida singled to the outfield, scoring Lucas Goring. Cascaes stopped at third but when the throw from the outfield got away from Circle Tap, Cascaes slide into home to give MinnDak the win.
#20 MinnDak Millers 6 #13 Circle Tap (
CT 000 002 3-5 6 3
WP-Rob Schweyer (5-6)
LP-Colin McKenzie
HR-Don Garvey, Circle Tap
McKenzie and Jeff Wartman
Schweyer and Scooter Lange
Lucas Goring, 3-4
John Tschida, 1-3, RBI
Jason Wandler, 3-3, 3B, RBI
Rob Schweyer, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 K, 5 BB
Semifinals
The semifinals saw MinnDak match up with the SoCal Bombers. For the second straight game, MinnDak put a run on the board in the first inning.
Lucas Goring was hit by a pitch in the Millers’ half of the first. Goring would steal both second and third, then with two outs, score on Tony Kunka’s single.
MinnDak added another run in the fourth when, with one out, Zach Goring reached via an error. He stole second base then advanced to third when a third strike to Roman Foore got away from the SoCal catcher.
Jason Wandler’s sacrifice fly to left would then score Zach Goring.
So
Sisko Sabate started for MinnDak, going 4 strong innings, before giving was to Rob Schweyer.
#20 MinnDak Millers 2 #8 So
SoCal 000 001 0-1 5 2
WP-Sisko Sabate (8-3)
LP-Tony Peeples
S-Rob Schweyer (3)
HR-Glen Ormsby, SoCal
Peeples, Darren Zach (4) and Kelly Wenstrom, Darren
Sabate, Schweyer (5) and Lamar Noriega, Scooter Lange (5)
Tony Kunka, 1-2, RBI
Jason Wandler, 1-2, RBI, Sac fly
Sisko Sabate, 4 IP, 3 H, 1 K, 3 BB
Rob Schweyer, 3 IP, 2 H, 6 K, 0 BB
Championship
The final saw MinnDak square off against top-ranked
MinnDak would score their lone run in the fourth inning. With one out, Tony Kunka singled.
Two batters later, Roman Foore singled to move Kunka to second.
Kunka scored on Jason Wandler’s double, with Foore being thrown out at the plate. That put the County lead at 2-1.
County scored five runs in the fourth, then ended the game in the bottom of the fifth on Jeff Goolagong’s two-run homer.
Sisko Sabate and Rob Schweyer again teamed up again for the Millers in the circle.
#1
CM 020 52-9 8 1
WP-Andrew Kirkpatrick
LP-Sisko Sabate (8-4)
HR-Jeff Goolagong, County
Sabate, Rob Schweyer and Scooter Lange
Kirkpatrick and Pat Shannon
Jason Wandler, 1-2, 2B, RBI
6 Millers had hits: Roman Foore, Lucas Goring, Tony Kunka, Scooter Lange, Tim Tweiten
Sisko Sabate, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 K, 2 BB, 4 unearned runs
Rob Schweyer, .1 IP, 3 H, 1 unearned run
Three Millers earned All Tournament honors with Gregg Cascaes being named at the Designated Hitter/Defensive Specialist, Lucas Goring in the outfield and Rob Schweyer at pitcher.
Schweyer was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Everyone associated with the MinnDak Millers would like the thank Darren Derricks, Zakk Flash and everyone associated with Circle Tap and the Boys of Summer for a first-rate tournament at one of the premier settings for fastpitch.
Next up for MinnDak is the Eugene Holm Classic in
Brett Bresnahan