Game Recap: Bandits End Season By Knocking Braves Out Of The Playoffs!

The St. Croix River Bandits (4-12 conf. 5-18 overall) played their final game of the season at Oakey Park on Sunday night versus their rival the Osceola Braves (8-8 conf.). A victory for the Braves would assure them a post season berth, and the Bandits were hoping to be the spoiler. The Braves defeated Ellsworth on Friday night but had lost to Menomonie earlier in the day on Sunday (score: 9-5) in a rain induced make-up game. The Braves record coming into this game was 8-7, and in WBA league play, generally only teams with above .500 records make the playoffs. The Braves had started the year out strong, 6-2 at the midway point, but took a nose-dive in the second half of the year - losing five of their last seven games prior to facing the Bandits.

Fans of both teams came out to enjoy the game on the clear, warm evening. Despite playing at Oakey Park, the Bandits were the designated home team - as the game had been rescheduled from its original date, time, and location in St. Croix Falls on Saturday.

The Bandits scored first in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Steve Siqueiros belted a double to right field to lead off the inning against Braves starting pitcher, and recent Braves Hall of Fame inductee, Dave Leske. Siqueiros was able to reach 3rd base on a passed ball and then scored when Kyle Kahl hit a fielder's choice grounder ball. At the end of the 2nd inning the Bandits led 1-0.

Trevor Todd started on the mound for the Bandits and pitched remarkably. Todd didn't allow a hit until the 4th inning, when Braves' Tyler Pilz hit a rocket double to left center field. Pilz reached 3rd base on a passed ball. With 2 outs in the inning, Pilz took off to home when another pitch by Todd looked to be headed for the backstop. The ball ricocheted off the plate, the glanced off of Siqueiros's chest protector, up and into the face of batter Ian Kalata. Siqueiros quickly picked the ball up off the ground and was able to tag out Pilz as he slid into home.

The Braves led off the top of the 5th inning with Kalata drawing a 3-2 walk. Pete Droher hit a double to left center field, scoring Kalata from first base. After a groundout, Collin Lehman placed a perfect squeeze bunt down the 3rd base line. Bandits third baseman Jeff Johnson tried to flip the ball to Siqueiros covering the plate, but the throw wasn't in time and the Braves took a 2-1 lead.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the 6th inning. Siqueiros, who was 2-2 with 2 doubles so far, hit yet another lead off double to right center field. Siqueiros was able to score when pitcher Trevor Todd aided his own cause by hitting the ball the opposite way, down the third base line. The Braves had a left handed batter outfield shift on - which allowed Todd to reach 2nd base, as the ball nearly went foul, but managed to stay in play. At the end of the 6th inning: Bandits 2 Braves 2.

Bandits Gus Koecher created a run of his own in the bottom of the 7th inning. Despite striking out on another curveball, the ball got away from catcher Ryan Rugg and Koecher was able to wheel safely down to first base. Koecher safely stole 2nd base, getting himself into scoring position. Matt Vold came to the plate (who previously had 10 hits in 21 at bats this season) and hit what would have been an infield single. However, the ball was played and thrown quickly and low by the Braves infielder, trying to get Vold out at first. Koecher, seeing the throw and expecting it not to be caught cleanly, kept sprinting, past third and down to home plate to score. Bandits lead 3-2.

Between the 6th and 9th inning, starting pitcher Trevor Todd allowed only 1 hit (a 2-out single to Droher in the 9th). Todd did walk three batters in that span, but two of them were caught stealing 2nd base by Bandits catcher Siqueiros. Todd completed the game by striking out Jon Anderson for the 2nd time that night, giving the Bandits their first conference win versus the Osceola Braves and knocking the Braves out of the playoffs. With the victory, the Bandits snapped a 4 game losing streak to the Braves, besting the Braves for the first time since August 3rd 2007.

In the post game press conference former coach Jim Rochford had this to say:
"It was great to come out here to Oakey Park and beat the Braves tonight and being the spoiler. They've still beat us 6 out of 8 games in 3 years, but we put together a great effort tonight, at the plate, on the mound, in the field, everywhere.....except maybe running the bases. Hats off to Braves pitchers Dave Leske and Ross Benitz, who was pitching on about 17 hours rest, and still got us out, they pitched a heck of a game... How about Steve Siqueiros though? Here's a guy that played for the Braves for what seems like 10 seasons but was scarcily used, especially in conference games, and he goes 3-4 tonight with 3 doubles, 2 runs scored, and throws out 2 guys trying to steal 2nd against his old team...amazing."

The Bandits finish the season 4-12 in conference and 5-18 overall, compared to 2008's record of 2-13, 8-16. More on the Bandits season review in the next article.

*NOTES*

Game Balls
1. TIE Steve Siqueiros - 3/4, 3 2B, 2R, 2 guys caught stealing, caught a big pop up bunt in the 9th, and quickly recovered in the 4th inning to tag out Pilz at home.

1. TIE Trevor Todd - 9IP, 4H, 2ER, 6BB, HBP, 7K and the Victory. Todd was also 2-4 at the dish with a double and RBI.

3. Gus Koecher - so maybe Koecher went 0-4 with 3Ks, well his legs got the winning run across the plate, and in a 1 run game - that's what really matters.

Unheralded Hero of the Game:
Jeanne Rochford and the Braves kid (name unknown) who helped out the Bandits by taking admission during the game. THANK YOU

WOW of the Game:
Ross Benitz to Dave Leske in the bottom of the sixth inning..."well as long as you don't give up another lead off double to Siqueiros..." Well Steve-O took the 2nd pitch he saw and crushed it to right center field for his 3RD double of the game. Afterwards, umpire Buck Schott stated, "Son, that's the first time I saw someone turn 3 triples into 3 doubles."

Players Missing in Action - All Career Bandit Finale
Allram, Chad - getting hit by a pitch...somewhere

Campbell, Dan - spectating (at least I thought I saw him over there), scouting for umpires for the next SCBA tournament.

Chelberg, Chris - digging wells, melding young baseball player's minds, and sneaking on to certain golf courses.

Chinander, Trygve - Excited to get back to school, dreading going back to class..

DeSmet, Troy - spectating: envisioning Jonah playing 13 years from now in AA ball

Ellefson, Mark - Mark went to the (noun)______ and decided to (verb) _____ (number) ____
(plural noun)_____ in the (noun) ______. That's just wrong.

Gagner, Jay - poisoning those foolish enough to enter his domain.

Hartel, Jesse - rocking out some new tats - maybe a mohawk, striking fear into those he punishes at the pool table

Hartman, Nick - pit fighting in Pakistan against a Mongol named Khan

Hehling, Callin - Parachuting somewhere over the Middle East and still throwing 90mph.

Holman, Joe - Poor Joe, had to go,
Where? I do not know.
Not at the diamond, nor on the field,
no glove, nor cap, nor bat to wield.

Jacobson, Brian - spectating: envisioning himself coaching/batting the Bandits to the playoffs in 2010.

Jensen, Brandon - a haiku
Your picture I saw
There at my son's new day care
These kids should be scared

Klatt, Mitch - don't be so down on yourself Mitch, your .059 batting average is still better than 8 former Bandits.

Leahy, Mike - spectating: envisioning when and how he is going to get his next beverage.

Lewis, Adam - performing surgery on under-privileged, special needs dogs who were mentally abused as puppies.

Lumsden, Dustin - currently missing in the UW education system...I'm pretty sure they have at least a 34% return rate - in baseball language thats pretty good.

Martell, Jordan - became the first pastor/starting SS to lead the Howard Lake Orphans to their first North Star League title.

Pederson, Brandon "BP"- body cast gets removed in a few weeks, good luck BP!

Peterson, John "JP" - wondering what the hell is going on down there!

Pilz, Travis - playing for the Osceola Braves.

Shores, Wade - at home with 4 women......yikes.

Smith, Nathaniel "Bubba" "B-Nippy" - working, only 1 more day left before everything is back to normal.

Sullivan, Alex - LOST - just like the TV show, except without the airplane crash, island, or sci-fi.

Svoboda, Collin - in Luck doing whatever those kids in Luck do.....hang out at the IGA???

Thompson, Mitch - left team because he got an intership at a hospital in the cities, little did he know then that he was the guy who gets to clean blood splatter.

Todd, Bob - spectating: watching his boy throw a gem.

Weinberg, Sean - recovering from the African version of an appendicitis.

Werner, Jack - whatever happened to Jack Werner....I have no idea. He retired after he was traded to the Siren Steelers in return for 2 hours of game time.