Sleepy Eye defeats

Essig, advances to

state Class C tourney

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Playoff games are won and lost by things done and things that are not done.

On Sunday afternoon, Essig's inability to get baserunners home and an error, which would have ended an inning, cost the Bluejays and earned Sleepy Eye a berth in the Class C state tournament with a 6-3 win in Sleepy Eye.

Jim Eckstein got the win for Sleepy Eye (20-14), going seven innings and allowing six hits and two runs. He struck out five.

Brian Hertling, who pitched the win over Stark Saturday night, threw the eighth inning. Dean Brinkman pitched the ninth for the save.

Nick Seidl took the loss for Essig in relief of starter Jake Jenniges. Jenniges allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings. Seidl permitted the final three runs.

Cody Walter and Jim Eckstein each had two hits for the Indians.

Jason Schmitz went 3-for-4 for Essig.

"I would summarize this season as one of where we have been through many unknown adversities that not many people know about," said Indians Manager Ralph Zwaschka. "This team was 1-3 early in the season and fought back to get to this point. These guys came through, and I tip my hat to Essig. They are one heck of a good team, and they played like champions the whole game."

"We got some runners stranded (on base) and could not score them and -- ultimately -- that cost us." said Essig Manager Doug Radloff, whose team finished with a 19-18 record.

"But we hung in there and played hard. They (Sleepy Eye) have great pitching. They are tough to beat."

If not for stranded runners, it might well be the Bluejays who would have extended their season. Essig stranded eight runners on base in the first four innings -- six of them in scoring position -- and failed to score.

In the first inning, John Giefer singled with one out, and a pitch struck Terry Helget. Jim Eckstein retired the next two hitters on groundouts.

In the second inning, Jason Schmitz reached second base, but he was left there. In the third inning, the Bluejays loaded the bases on three walks before Eckstein fanned Lee Haala to end the threat.

"It has to wear on you when you are sitting on that edge and there is that much intensity in the game and you do not score," Zwaschka said. "That was big for us -- that we were able to keep zeroes on the scoreboard."

Essig's inability to score in the third inning when it left the bases loaded may well have keyed the Indians' action in the bottom of the third inning when three runs scored.

Adam Luckhardt was hit by a pitch and went to third on an error by third baseman Ryan Weier, allowing Cody Walter to reach first.

Walter stole second. When the throw from Essig catcher Terry Helget went into center field, Luckhardt raced home with Walter taking third.

Kelly Krzmarzick's two-out single plated Walter. Jadon Witte and Jim Eckstein followed with singles off Jake Jenniges to load the bases before Jenniges hit Trent Weicherding for force in Krzmarzick for a 3-0 lead.

After an Essig threat in the top of the fourth inning, the Indians added a single run when Brian Hertling doubled and scored on Dean Brinkman's infield single.

Essig finally got to Eckstein for two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Terry Helget legged out a bunt single and went to third when Indian third baseman Brian Hertling misplayed a groundball by Doug Radloff into a two-base error.

Lee Haala's groundout plated Helget with Radloff eventually scoring on a balk.

Mitch Lewis' leadoff single in the top of the eighth inning off Hertling, who took over for Eckstein at that point, resulted in a run when he scored on a Ryan Weier one-out groundout.

Sleepy Eye then took advantage of some Essig strategy that backfired in the bottom of the inning. Luckhardt and Walter singled to start the inning and were sacrificed to second and third by Hertling. Essig then elected to intentionally walk Brinkman to set up a potential inning-ending double play. But an error by shortstop John Giefer and a walk allowed two insurance runs to score.

"The strategy was right because it set up force plays, but it did not work out the way that they wanted it to," said Zwaschka.

"It was a fun season, and I think that the wood bats made it exciting. It was just a great playoff series," said Radloff.

ESSIG 000-020-010=3-7-4

SLEEPY EYE 003-100-02X=6-10-1