Clarinda A's Baseball

In the A’s first tournament game Monday, July 23 they posted a 4-3 win over FCA Grays. Clarinda took the early lead 1-0 in the third inning. In the sixth inning the Grays put up two runs, but the A’s were able to answer in their half of the inning with two of their own as David Bachofner and Brian Taylor each scored. FCA added one in the eighth and Bachofner again scored in the bottom of the inning with what was to be the winning run as Frank Zenisek came in to close the game in the ninth.

On Tuesday, Clarinda was unable to score against Beatrice as the Bruins took a 4-0 win, holding the A’s to only 5 hits. Beatrice scored a pair of runs in the first inning and again in the fifth for the victory.

Thursday the A’s met FCA who had advanced through the loser’s bracket and were able to take a 9-8 victory in a seesaw battle. Keith Hustedt led off the first inning with a home run for Clarinda, but FCA answered with three of their own. Bachofner scored on a single, an error and a sac fly by Kevin Mills in the third, but the Grays had posted two more runs in the top of that inning to lead 5-2. In the fourth Brooks Kimmey walked, stole second, went to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch. With two out Hustedt drew a walk, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bachofner. Mills had a one out homer in the fifth to tie the score, but FCA came back in the sixth with two to go ahead again. In the seventh Brandon Mikkleson walked, advanced on a Bachofner single, who scored on two consecutive walks and a sac by Kimmey to again tie the game at 7. The Grays refused to go away as they went ahead in their half of the eighth, with the A’s tying it on a two out homer by Bachofner. David Goodenough came on in the ninth inning to shut the door on the Grays and Mills connected on a second homerun as he led of the ninth for the victory and a chance at the regional championship title.

Meeting the Bruins for the second time in the nightcap of the tournament, the A’s were unable to force the tournament another game as they dropped the game 4-2, scoring single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, while Beatrice put up one in the third, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.

Beatrice has won both the MINK League and the NBC Central USA Regional this season with the A’s finishing second. The A’s will have played their first tourney game Tuesday, July 31 at 5:00 at Lawrence Dumont Stadium against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Arizona team is a newcomer to the tournament, so little is known about them. If the A’s win they will play again on Thursday, August 2 and if they lose their next game would be Saturday, August 4. Beatrice will play their first game Friday, August 3 vs the winner of the Salina Blue Jays/Madison Shoe Box.

Clarinda goes into the tournament with an overall record of 41-17. To follow the games in Wichita you can go to www.nbcbaseball.com.