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2009 Game Highlights

Eden Paririe Lions Tap

8/05/09
Belle Plaine Gray Tigers  3   Eden Prairie Lions Tap 1  

Belle Plaine Lefty Mike Zellman bested Eden Prairie Lions Tap’s Randy Walsh in an old fashioned pitching duel of five-hitters, 3-1, by driving in the tie-breaking run with a sharp single in the sixth inning and also working out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning.  Tap, which has come back all year, sent its career home run leader, Dave Fuecker , and career leading hitter, Carlos Ubiera, to try to beat Zellman with the bases jammed in that fatal sixth.  Zellman got Fuecker on a pop fly to third base and frustrated Carlos by inducing slow bleeder to the mound that Zellman picked up and lobbed home for the biggest out of the game.  

Tony Krick, who made a diving catch in center in the first inning, had two hits for Lions Tap.   Walsh scored his team’s lone run, reaching second base on a throwing error and later scoring on Ubiera’s run-scoring single.  

Lions Tap finished 9-6 in the River Valley for the second straight season and fell to 12-6 for the season. 

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Lion's Tap 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 1 3 0 1 6
Belle Plaine 0 0 0 1 1 1 X 3 5 2 1 0 8 5
8/02/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 8    Shoreview Seafoam Hawks 7 
Shoreview’s valiant comeback from a six-run deficit to tie the game 7-7 in the seventh ended with a hard-luck loss when Lions Tap scored the winning run on a funny bounce single over short by Eric Loper. Carlos Ubiera, who had three hits, scored the winner after a hit and steals of second and third. Steve Brown paced the staggering Lions Tap to its early lead by reaching base for the ninth consecutive time from the leadoff spot, scoring two runs and doubling home two runs. Rod Helling got the win in relief of Dave Fuecker, who was victimized by five unearned runs in the sixth inning.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Shoreview 1 0 0 0 0 5 1 7 12 0 2 0 5 9
Lions Tap 1 2 1 3 0 0 1 8 13 3 3 0 2 9
7/31/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 7    Northfield Millers 2 
Scott Bobbitt spun a five-hitter and aided his own cause with three hits and an RBI single that broke a 2-2 tie as Eden Prairie Lions Tap defeated the Northfield Millers 7-2 in Dundas.  Tap overcame stranding 13 runners, slowly pulling away.  Leadoff Steve Brown scored three runs and was on base four times. Chad Sande added two hits and two RBI.  The plays of the game: Third baseman Steve Fuecker stabbing rocket and forcing out a runner and Brown churning back, back, back to haul in fly to the fence in right with two on and two out in the sixth inning.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Lion's Tap 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 7 10 1 10 0 0 13
Northfield 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 2 2 0 4 6
7/30/09
Jordan Alers 4   Eden Prairie Lions Tap 3
The Jordan Alers stunned EP Lions Tap when a double play relay attempt sailed wide and allowed the tying and winning runs to score: both unearned without benefit of hit.  Reliever Joel Reed was the winning pitcher for the Alers, slamming the door the final three innings after Tap took a 3-1 lead.   Three of the four Jordan runs were unearned. Tap starter Todd Groves struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Lion's Tap 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 7 3 5 0 7 10
Jordan 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 5 0 5 0 10 7
7/26/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 11    New Hope Bandits 1 (6 Innings)

Dave Sobiech, the winningest active Over-35 pitcher in Minnesota, rode the two-run first-inning homer and five RBIs from Ron Saatzer to career win No. 82: 11-1 over the New Hope Bandits. Sobiech, a .719 career pitcher in 20 seasons with the team and an 82-32 record, scattered five hits and drew a nice round applause from a Round Lake Stadium crowd that included his teammates from the 1987 state championship team (virtue of his 1-0 shutout of the St. Paul Saints).

Carlos Ubiera scored three runs and drove in the first EP tally with a booming double and Mike Max added to the fireworks with a two-run, bases-loaded single.

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E BB HP K LOB
New Hope 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 3 1 1 1 5
Lion's Tap 3 0 3 2 1 2 11 12 0 5 2 2 10
7/19/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 5    Belle Plaine Gray Tigers 2
Eden Prairie Lions Tap’s Randy Walsh and Belle Plaine’s Mike Zellman hooked up in an old fashioned pitching duel – one earned run between them – with Walsh .   gaining the victory with a four-hit, 10-strikeout gem.  Zellman spaced out seven hits buts yielded up three unearned runs in the first inning that doomed him. Chad Sande had two hits and one RBI for Eden Prairie, Carlos Ubiera two runs and a double, Dave Frey  RBI single and two stolen bases and Scott Bobbitt two stolen bases and a run. 
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Belle Plaine 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 3 0 10 7
Lion's Tap 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 5 7 2 3 0 3 6
7/12/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 4    Minneapolis Bombers 2
Eden Prairie Lions Tap soared to its milestone No. 300 franchise victory (since 1986) behind the three-hit pitching Sunday of Scott Bobbitt  for six innings and a save from Dave Fuecker. This pair was instrumental offensively after the Bombers scored two runs in the top of the first without a hit. Bobbitt had two  hits, stole a base and scored three runs.  Fuecker, not a factor offensively after separating his shoulder in a May exhibition, was 2-for-2 with two RBI (one  on a line sacrifice fly)  This followed Tap’s 7-6 exhibition victory over Veseli, Rod Helling getting the win and contributing a key RBI singles and Scott Cote making an impressive pitching debut for the save in the Veseli Steak Frey challenge.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Minneapolis 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 5 0 5 8
Lion's Tap 0 1 1 1 0 1 X 4 9 1 3 0 3 6
7/10/09
Waconia Islanders  3     Eden Prairie Lions Tap   
Waconia blew off the dust of having played only three games and put Eden Prairie Lions Tap bats in a deep sleep: Kirk Vergin spun a two-hitter for five innings to get the win and Colin Bender went 1-2-3 and 1-2-3 to get the save. Randy Walsh was the hard luck loser with nine strikeouts.  The pitching was so superb that there was only one fly ball out the entire game for both teams with Waconia turning in three double plays.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Lion's Tap 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 5 0 6 4
Waconia 2 0 0 0 1 0 X 3 7 1 2 0 9 9
6/28/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 8   St. Peter Saints 7 
Ron Saatzer smashed a grand slam home run, made a circus catch in centerfield and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a suicide squeeze by Chad Sande to give Eden Prairie Lions Tap an 8-7 victory the St. Peter Saints.  Doug Walsh set up the winning squeeze with a double to the left field corner, scoring Scott Bobbitt to tie the game.  St. Peter had taken a 7-6 lead in its seventh on John Landkammer’s run-scoring single. Tom Stierlen struck out 12 EP batters before tiring in the seventh. Scott Zeiher led the Saints at bat with a double and single, two walks and two runs. Dave Fuecker got the win for EP in relief.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
St. Peter 1 0 3 1 0 1 1 7 11 1 7 1 5 12
Lions Tap 1 5 0 0 0 0 2 8 10 2 2 2 12 6
6/26/09
Eden Prairie Lions Tap 6   Union Hill Pitbulls  2 
Scott Bobbitt pitched a six-hitter with five strikeouts and survived a home run from Mark Gill to hurl Lions Tap to a 6-2 victory over the homestanding Pit Bulls. Leadoff guy Steve Brown had a walk, 3-for-3, a run and RBI to pace Tap. Carlos Ubiera had two hits and two RBI and second baseman Doug Walsh sparkled afield at second by snaring a vicious liner by Mick Gill and turning it into a double play in the third inning and then stopping a rocket by Mark Gill and ending a sixth-inning threat with a sharp throw to first.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Lions Tap 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 6 9 1 5 0 7 9
Union Hill 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 6 2 4 1 5 8
6/21/09
Braemar Bees 5    Eden Prairie Lions Tap 1 
Braemar ace Gary Fritch scattered four hits, yielding only an unearned run in the final inning, as the Bees stung Eden Prairie Lions Tap 5-1. Tap was victimized by five errors and four unearned runs.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Braemar 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 5 5 2 7 0 6 13
Lions Tap 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 5 2 0 5 5
6/18/09
Eden Paririe Lions Tap 4    Shakopee Chiefs 3 (8 innings) 
Carlos Ubiera went 3-for-4 including a home run and a single in the middle of the winning rally in the eighth inning as Lions Tap edged Shakopee 4-3 in a terrific pitcher’s duel. Darrell Bevell, in relief of Scott Bobbitt who allowed one earned run, was the winner and also knocked in the winning run with a single.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E BB HP K LOB
Eden Prairie 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 9 2 1 0 7 6
Shakopee 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 7 0 7 2 4 13
6/14/09
St. Louis Park Cardinals 8     Eden Paririe Lions Tap 3 
Brad Reifsteck struck out 11 and had a big two-run single as the 8 man Cardinals zapped erring Eden Prairie Lions Tap 8-3. Five of the Card runs were unearned.  Tap almost pulled off a rare triple play in the first inning but the throw home was just a tad late and then everything deteriorated from there, a precursor that EP is headed for psychoanalysis after allowing eight unearned runs the last two games with 22 punchouts the last 42 ups.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
St. Louis Park 2 1 3 0 2 0 0 8 11 2 3 0 5 9
Eden Prairie 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 5 3 1 11 8
6/12/09
Hanska Bullheads 4     Eden Paririe Lions Tap 0 
Dave Fauth struck out 11 Lions Tap batters through six innings and Hanska defeated Eden Prairie 4-0 at Gaylord’s sparkling Walsh Field, site of this year’s State Amateur tournament.   Rookies Steve Fuecker and Darrell Bevell each had two hits for the Tap. Randy Walsh was the hard luck losing pitcher, the victim of three unearned runs overshadowing seven strikeouts four 1-3 putouts.
Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Hanska 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 4 10 0
Eden Prairie 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4
5/31/09
Eden Paririe Lions Tap 13   Webster Wildkats 8 

Lions Tap opened its 24th Over-35 regular season with a 13-8 win over the persistent Webster Wildkats. Key play was second baseman Mike Ihrke swerving to avoid a collision with the diving centerfielder and making a circus catch to rob Webster with two runners moving and the score 8-7.  Chad Sande was 4-for-4 with four RBI and Carlos Ubiera and Scott Bobbitt each had two hits and one RBI. Rod Helling notched his milestone 40th career pitching victory. Bobbitt scored three runs and Carlos stole his team record 114th career stolen base (probably the best among active senior players_

Eden Prairie , 3-1 over-all with a 2-1 exhibition record, hosts mighty Hanska at Gaylord Walsh Field at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E BB HP K LOB
Webster 1 2 0 1 3 1 0 8 8 2
Eden Prairie 1 7 0 0 2 3 X 13 12 2