Last night we took on Shakopee to kick off the second round of the Region 3 playoffs. Since it was our game game and we don't yet have lights at the Fish Bowl, we moved the contest to Elko. Cool. We like playing there, especially when the clouds are blocking that large yellow orb in dead center from shining directly in your face the first few innings. As luck would have it, it was a beautiful cloudy day, meaning visibility in the box wouldn't be an issue. But then the baseball gods intervened, like they do, and peeled back the clouds at precisely 8:00PM. Alas. The baseball gods: don't pretend like you've got 'em figured out, you don't.

Okay, the ball game. The Nate Rost took the hill for us, and he did something I've never seen him do before: walk the first batter of the game on four pitches. A sac bunt and a couple singles later and the Coyotes had the bases juiced with one out right out of the chute. But TNR induced a few ground balls, like he does, and we got out unscathed. 

Our half of the frame got off to an equally promising start. Consecutive hits by el web maestro, Scotty Lyden, and K. Bergstrom led to a quick 1-0 lead. Then TNR reached on an error and big/little brother Nick Rost walked. Bases juiced, no one out. All told we plated two more runs. 3-0 Fish after one.

At this point the Big Fella went to work: he retired the next seven hitters he faced, and didn't allow another hit until the 6th. And let the record show that the two runs that Shakopee scored in the 7th were absolutely not his fault. I suppose that fact is already reflected in the 0 ER column, but nevertheless, that ball in the gap, the center fielder makes that play 99 times out of 100. Sorry for ruining your shutout TNR.

Anyway, after putting up a three-spot in the first it looked like we were going to roll. And we did, in a certain sense. It just so happened that most of the balls we hit were directly at people. I mean, I counted at least seven absolute rockets that went down in the book as outs. Give credit to Shakopee for making the plays.

The play of the game came in the top of the 8th. Hoffman was leading off for Shakopee. He hit a ball into the left center field gap that initially appeared to be headed over the fence. But it didn't go out, it hit the top of the fence, right about the same time that Harry hit the middle of the fence, at which point he dusted himself off, picked up the ball, threw a strike to the cut-off man (Lyden), who turned and threw a laser to Nick and third base to cut down said Shakopee hitter and turn a lead-off double into momentum for us. Nate retired the next two hitters in order.

And that's the story. Muskies defeat Shakopee by a score of 4-2.

Next game is against St. Patrick. It will take place this Sunday at noon in New Market. Seeya there. Let's go.