After their first round 8-4 MSMABA State Tournament win over Menahga, the Searles Bullheads' bats went silent, losing by scores of 1-0 to Slayton and 3-1 to the Jordan Millers in their next two games.  Saturday afternoon however, the bats came alive and the Bullheads pounded out fifteen hits to defeat the Union Hill Pitbulls 14-5 for a seventh place finish in the tournament.

Kyle Messner was the winning pitcher in relief for Searles, going six and one third innings and fanning nine.  Messner also led the offense with a 4/4 - two RBI performance at the plate.  Marc Max crushed a big two run double in the first, and Steve Meyer and Corey Schaefer also had two RBI games.  Todd Olson, Dave Fauth, and Doug Ekstrom collected two hits apiece on the day.

 

UH- Hoffman (L), O'Neil (2nd) and Masburg. S- Ekstrom, Messner (W) (1st) and S. Schaefer, Felber (4th).

2B- Gill (UH), Max (S)

 The Bullheads finish the 2011 baseball season with a 17-9 over-all record.

In Friday night's consolation round game, Jordan's Brian Buesgens held the Bullheads to just two hits to earn the 3-1 win for the Millers.  Teammate Bryon Schroeder blasted a first inning two-run homer off Searles starter and losing pitcher Terry Steinbach which proved to be the game winner for Jordan.  Singles by John Giefer and Corey Schaefer were the only offense generated by Searles.  Buesgens fanned only three Bullheads hitters, but got them to fly out thirteen times in the game.  Even the well-hit balls were hit right at the Miller's fielders all evening.

 

J - B. Buesgens (W) and Martens. S- Te. Steinbach (L) and S. Schaefer

HR Schroeder (J)

For the first time in their seven year history, the Searles Bullheads will not be taking part in the championship game of the Minnesota Senior Men's Amateur Baseball Association State Tournament. 

The Slayton Barnstormers avenged their 2010 championship game heartbreaking 1-0 loss to the Bullheads and defeated them by that same 1-0 score in round two of the 2011 edition Sunday afternoon in Shakopee.

Slayton's Rob Peterson and Kyle Messner of Searles locked up in a great pitching duel for the afternoon.  The only difference was that the Barnstormers connected for two hits in the third inning to manufacture the game's only run.  Sam Baumgartner singled to lead off the inning, and Peterson drove him home with a big two out single.  Messner fanned 8 in the contest and scattered four other Slayton hits.  The Bullheads collected just four hits off Peterson, never more that one per inning, and he struck out three and walked just one in the complete game win.

 

Sl- Peterson (W) and Beers. Se- Messner (L) and S. Schaefer.

2B- Sendelbach (Sl)

In Saturday's first round game, Terry Steinbach overcame a shaky start and his Bullheads came back to defeat Menahga by a score of 8-4.  The Bullheads were down three to nothing after one-half inning as the Relics came out of the chute swinging.  After a lead-off walk and a one out base hit, John Lake connected on a Steinbach pitch for a home run.  Searles answered quickly however, and put up a three spot of their own in the bottom of the first.  A Troy Kamm walk followed by five straight singles from Dave Fauth, Terry Steinbach, Tom Steinbach, Scott Schaefer, and Corey Schaefer tied the game after one inning.  Three more runs were added in the bottom of the second on four walks and singles from the Steinbach brothers.  Kamm scored his third run of the game in the third on a John Giefer single, and Corey Schaefer's sixth inning triple scored Marc Max for the final Searles tally.

  

M- Birkmann (L) and Kiser. S- Te. Steinbach (W) and S. Schaefer

2B- Giefer. 3B- C. Schaefer. HR- Lake and Burkman (M)

In the final game of the day, Miesville Groupers ace right-hander John Ruddy scattered five Bullheads hits to pitch his team to the tournament championship with a 5-2 victory.  Ruddy, a crafty veteran and "Roy Hobbs" fall teammate of many of his Searles opponents, masterfully fooled the hitters all afternoon.  He recorded only one strikeout, but coaxed many a weak swing pop-up or ground ball from the bats of the Bullheads.  Messner and Tom Steinbach doubles were two of the five Searles hits off Ruddy.

The Bullheads end the regular season with a 15-7 record overall, and 12-4 in the Minnesota Senior Men's Amateur Baseball Association's River Valley League.

 

M- Ruddy (W) and Michael, S- Fauth (L) and Seidl

2B Perez (M), Messner and Tom Steinbach (S)

The Searles Bullheads defeated the Minnetonka Lakers by a score of 2-0 behind the one hit pitching of Kyle Messner in Sunday's annual "Fishbowl" round-robin tournament played in Hampton. Messner fanned nine Lakers hitters in the game.  Consecutive singles by Messner, Todd Olson, and John Giefer in the top of the seventh inning provided the margin of victory for Searles.  

 

S- Messner (W) and Felber. M- Moselle, Miller (L) 5th and Jensen

2B- Tom Steinbach

Myron Seidl and Kyle Messner combined to shut out the Belle Plaine Gray Tigers Thursday evening in the Bullheads' conference season finale in Searles.  With the 1-0 win and receipt of a forfeit from Waconia, the Bullheads finished  MSMABA River Valley League play with a 12-4 record (14-6 over all) and Belle Plaine drops to 14-2 in the conference.

Seidl, Messner, and Gray Tigers' pitcher John Hank kept the hitters off stride all evening, and the lone Searles run was scored on a fielder's choice as Corey Schaefer beat out a double play attempt in the third inning.  Messner coaxed a one out walk off Hank and advanced to third on a John Giefer single before Schaefer's ground ball RBI.

Seidl went five innings, struck out seven, and allowed just three hits to earn the pitching win for Searles, and Messner retired all six hitters he faced to record the save.  Both teams played excellent errorless defense throughout the contest.

The Bullheads travel to Hampton Sunday for the annual "Fish Bowl" round robin tournament where they face the Minnetonka Lakers and Miesville Groupers.  They will then begin defense of their 2010 State Championship on Saturday August 20th.  The 2011 MSMABA State Tournament will be held over two weekends at four sites: Jordan, Belle Plaine, Union Hill, and Veseli and pairings will be announced by mid-week.

 

BP- Hank (L) and Pettis-B'eister. S- Seidl(W), Messner (S )6th and Felber.

2B- Sieve (S)

Good pitching and timely hitting are usually a winning combination in the game of baseball, and the Searles Bullheads used that formula to defeat the visiting Union Hill Pit-bulls by a 10-3 score Tuesday night.  Bullheads'  pitcher Kevin Hulke struck out seven and allowed just two earned runs on six hits to earn the complete game victory, and his offense scored in every inning except the first.  Searles hitters came through with the big two out hits off losing pitcher Sean O'Neil twice late in the game to seal the win.

Troy Kamm led the Bullheads offense with a pair of doubles and four runs-batted-in.  Corey Schaefer, Todd Olson, and Brian Sieve had two-hit games.  Hulke helped his own cause with a two run double, and Steve Meyer contributed a two run single.

The Bullheads (12-6) host division leading Belle Plaine Thursday night at 8:00PM.

 

UH- O'Neil (L) and Masberg. S- Hulke (W) and Felber

2B- O'Neil and Busch (UH). Kamm (2) and Hulke (S)

For the first four innings Wednesday evening, Searles Bullheads ace Terry Steinbach and Jordan Millers starter Chris Beaner were locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel at the Mini-Met in Jordan.  In the top of the fifth, John Noonan entered the game in relief of Beaner and also retired the Bullheads in order.  In Jordan's home half of the inning,  Bryon Schroeder led off with a base hit, stole second, and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher on the next hitter.

The Bullheads wasted no time answering back in their next at-bat, scoring three runs on five hits.  Troy Kamm started the inning with a double to left center, then base hits by John Giefer, Mike Marquardt, Marc Max, and Corey Schaefer accounted for the three Searles scores.  Steinbach then shut down the Millers in the final two frames to earn the complete game victory.

The Bullheads were scheduled to host Union Hill this Friday evening, but that game has been postponed to a later date.

 

 S -Steinbach (W) and S. Schaefer. J- Beaner, Noonan (L) and Noyes

2B- Kamm

The Searles Bullheads scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to bury the Webster Wildcats 14-4 Saturday night in MSMABA baseball action in Searles.  Webster had come back from a 7-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the top of the sixth before the Searles outburst ended the contest by way of the ten run rule.  Kevin Hulke struck out seven and allowed just four hits (all singles) to earn the complete game victory, and all four Wildcat runs were unearned.

Marc Max and Troy Kamm led the twelve hit Bullheads offensive attack driving in seven runs between the two of them.  Kamm had a two for two night with a double, a home-run, and two walks, and Max went three for four with a double.  Kyle Messner and Corey Schaefer also had multi-hit games, and Doug Ekstrom added a double and two RBIs.  Matt Jacobs scored three times for Searles (now 9-6 on the season).

The Bullheads travel to Jordan Wednesday evening for a 7:30 game with the Millers, then return home to host Union Hill Friday night August 5th at 7:30.

 

W- Dukatz (L) and Zweber. S- Hulke (W) and Seidl.

2B- Messner, Max, Ekstrom, Kamm.  HR- Kamm

St. Peter Saints' Tom Steirlen and Kyle Messner of the Searles Bullheads locked up in a classic pitchers duel Friday evening in Searles.  After seven scoreless innings, Saints right fielder Travis Helling led off the eighth with a solo homer to right which clipped the ivy just above the fence.  It was a home run by the narrowest of margins, but was the difference in the 1-0 win for the (11-0)Saints.  Helling then came in to pitch the eighth and record the save for St. Peter.

The Bullheads had their chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mike Marquardt led off the inning with a double down the left field line, however Stierlen stranded him there by getting his fifth strikeout of the game and two ground outs to send the game into the extra frame.  Messner fanned fourteen Saints hitters in his tough luck complete game loss.

Next action for the Bullheads is Saturday night as they host Webster at 7:30PM.

SP- Stierlen (W), Helling 8th, and Moelter.  S- Messner (L) and Felber

2B- Marquardt, HR- Helling

Bullheads left hander Kevin Hulke was on his game Sunday afternoon in Searles.  Hulke threw a five hit shut out at the Bloomington Eagles, fanning four and walking none in the complete game victory.  Hulke and his catcher Myron Seidl worked in sync to frustrate the Bloomington hitters all afternoon.

John Giefer, Marc Max, and Doug Ekstrom lead the Bullheads eleven hit offensive attack with multi-hit games, and Mike Marquardt's two run first inning home run set the tone for the game.  Scott McNally took the loss going the distance for Bloomington. He struck out four and allowed just one free pass.

The Bullheads (8-5) travel to Veseli to take on the Vulcans at 8:00PM Wednesday evening.

 

B- McNally(L) and Giesen. S- Hulke(W) and Seidl

2B- Giefer, Max, Ekstrom. HR- Marquardt

Shakopee Chiefs pitcher Craig Baumann dominated the Searles Bullheads Friday evening in Searles.  Baumann scattered ten Bullheads hits and fanned fourteen enroute to a complete game 13-3 victory.  His teammates banged out twelve hits off Bullheads pitchers Dave Fauth and Kyle Messner and were also aided by eight base-on-balls.  Fauth, the starting and losing pitcher, allowed six earned runs and six walks in four innings of mound work.

The Bullheads had a brief 1-0 lead on a John Giefer double in the 3rd inning, but Shakopee took advantage of Fauth's wildness and scored seven runs on three hits and six walks in the fourth.  The Bullheads answered back with two in their half of the inning on a Scott Schaefer solo home run and singles from Doug Ekstrom, Kevin Hulke, and Messner making the score 7-3.  However, that was the end of the scoring for Searles, and the Chiefs then put the game away with a two run sixth and a four run seventh inning off of Messner.

The Bullheads (7-5) will host Bloomington Sunday at 3:00.

 

SC- Baumann (W) and ?, SB - Fauth (L), Messner 5th, and Schaefer.

2B - Messner, Giefer, S. Schaefer (SB).  Brown, Baumann, VanBerger, Windschitl (SC)

HR - S. Schaefer

In Friday night's game between the Searles Bullheads and St. Patrick Shamrocks, nearly all the scoring took place in the first inning.  Bullhead's pitcher Dave Fauth walked the first two hitters he faced in the game.  Following a strike out, Shamrocks' cleanup hitter and starting pitcher Dan Popple laced a double to right center scoring the first two runs of the game.  The Bullheads answered in their half of the inning with five runs of their own on three walks, run producing hits from Corey Schaefer and Kyle Messner, and a big two run double by Steve Meyer. 

After the wild first inning, both Popple and Fauth settled in and the game became a pitcher's duel the rest of the way.  Fauth, who also gave up one un-earned run in the third inning, allowed just four hits, and struck out fourteen Shamrocks hitters in the complete game victory.  Searles managed only five hits off Popple, but received six free-passes in the game.

Searles will host New Hope tomorrow at 5:00 PM and Slayton at 2:00 PM Sunday. 

 

SP-Popple(L), Almich 6th and DeJong, S-Fauth(W) and S. Schaefer

2b Popple (SP), Meyer (S)

The Searles Bullheads came away from the Cold Spring Mid-Summer Baseball Tournament with a second place finish over the weekend.  After their Saturday victory over Minnetonka, the Bullheads defeated Alexandria by a score of  6-1 in Sunday's semi-final action behind the 5 hit pitching performance of Dave Fauth.  The host Cold Spring Springers then defeated Slayton 9-3 to earn a berth in the championship game VS Searles.  The Bullheads then lost to Cold Spring 10-8 in a see-saw championship battle that saw a combined 27 hits from the two teams, as the summer heat and long weekend of baseball was taking it's toll on the pitching staffs.

The Bullheads (4-3) host three games this coming weekend:  Friday July 15th VS St. Patrick at 8:00 PM, Saturday July 16th VS New Home at 5:00 PM, and Sunday VS Slayton in a 2:00 PM contest.  All are MSMABA River Valley Conference Games.

The Searles Bullheads won their first game at the eight team Cold Spring Mid-Summer Senior Baseball Tournament over the Minnetonka Lakers by a score of 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.  The win propells them into Sunday's semi-finals with a 1:00 PM game VS Alexandria.  Should they win that game, they would play for the championship at 5:00 PM.

Kyle Messner went the distance on the mound for Searles to earn the win, and John Giefer's base hits drove in the 2 Bullhead's runs.

Lefthander Mike Fier threw a complete game four hit shut-out Sunday evening vs. the Searles Bullheads, striking out eight in the 2-0 Prior Lake victory.  Pitcher Dave Fauth was saddled with the tough luck loss for Searles even though he allowed just two Mariners hits and struck out seven over six innings. 

Prior Lake's Matt Haefner reached base on a first inning walk and scored what proved to be the winning run on a two out single by Mike McCallum.  The Mariners added an un-earned insurance run in the 5th on another two out base hit by catcher Kevin McDonald, and Searles could not come up with the big hit off Fier stranding several runners in the middle innings.

The Bullheads host two MSMABA conference games this weekend:  Friday vs. Waconia at 8:00PM, and Sunday at 4:00PM vs. LeCenter.   Sandwiched in between is a Saturday evening game at Veseli.

S- Fauth(L) and S. Schaefer, PL- Fier(W) and McDonald

no extra base hits

Highlights:

Winning pitcher - Terry Steinbach -  4 innings, 4 strikeouts 2 hits allowed.  Kevin Hulke threw the scoreless 5th inning in relief.

Steinbach, John Giefer, and Kyle Messner had 2-hit games.

Messner, Corey Schaefer, and Doug Ekstrom all had extra-base hits.

Edina Braemar Bees ace right-handed pitcher Gary Fritch not only scattered 9 Searles Bullheads hits and struck out 8 to earn the complete game victory Sunday afternoon, but he also drove in the winning runs in the seventh inning with a two out, two run single. 

Edina plated three unearned runs in the first inning off Searles' starter Brant Drill thanks to four walks, one error, and only one hit.  The Bullheads answered with a run in the bottom of the inning as a Scott Schaefer base hit drove in lead-off hitter Troy Kamm who had singled and stolen second base.  After a scoreless second, the Bees added a fourth run in the third inning off of Drill by collecting three more walks and a base hit.  Tom Steinbach came in to close out the inning, and throw a scoreless fourth.  The Bullheads then came back to tie the game in the bottom of that frame.  With one out, Corey Schaefer and Brian Sieve singled to ignite the Searles comeback.  Kyle Messner grounded out, scoring Schaefer, and Troy Kamm then coaxed a walk from Fritch.  Todd Olson followed with a big two out, two run single to tie the game at four.  Braemar picked up a fifth run on two Steinbach walks and a wild pitch in the fifth inning to re-claim the lead. After a scoreless sixth, Searles' reliever Dave Fauth walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a single to the next Edina hitter.  After two come-backers to the pitcher moved the runners into scoring position, it looked as if Fauth would wiggle out of the jam as he needed just one more out, but Fritch blooped in his game winning hit between the diving rightfielder Sieve and second baseman Doug Ekstrom scoring two and giving the Bees a three run cushion.  Another Bullheads' come back effort fell short in the bottom of the seventh, as they scored just one run on hits from Fauth and Ekstrom.  Searles out-hit Edina nine to five, and the three Bullheads pitchers recorded ten strikeouts in the contest, but it was the twelve free-passes that made the difference (ten walks and two hit batters).

The Bullheads (1-1) travel to St. Louis Park for their next game Friday June 10th.

 

Braemar- Fritch (W) and Barr. Searles- Drill, Tom Steinbach 3rd, Fauth (L)  6th and Scott Schaefer

There were no extra-base hits in the game.

Tonight the Searles Bullheads came from behind to defeat Eden Prairie Loins Tap at Walsh field in Gaylord by a score of 8-2.  With the Bullheads trailing 2-1 after 6 innings, Troy Kamm led off the seventh with a base hit and scored on a Tom Steinbach single to tie the game.  Kyle Messner who earned the extra inning win in relief for Searles, silenced the Eden Prairie bats for the final 5 2/3 innings fanning 13 and allowing only 2 hits

In the top of the 9th inning, the Bullheads bats came alive off losing pitcher Dave Feucker who was throwing in relief of starter Aaron Kahre.  Al Felber came through with a bases loaded double over the centerfielder with the biggest hit of the night to untie the game.  Dave Fauth and Doug Ekstrom immediately followed with RBI base hits and that was more than enough for Messner to finish out the contest on the mound.

Next action for The Searles Bullheads is Sunday as they host Edina at 4:00PM (following the Searles Grizzlies game).