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Paynesville Press - June 19, 2002

Bulldogs hang on to beat JCC, 7-5

The tone for the Bulldogs' second game on Thursday - in the afternoon consolation bracket against Jackson County Central - was set in the final inning of the Dogs' morning loss to Blue Earth Area, when Paynesville scored four runs.

"We scored four runs in the last at bat against Blue Earth, and we felt we had some momentum, so we chose to bat first against Jackson County Central," explained head coach Brad Skoglund.

Normally, in a tournament, whoever wins the coin flip would choose to be the home team, but Skoglund and assistant coach Dick Realdsen decided to try batting first against Waconia in the section final and it worked. So they decided to try it again against Jackson County Central, and it worked again.

Being the home team is overrated, Skoglund said he and Realdsen have concluded. You still have to get 21 outs, and "it's a lot easier to swing the bats when you're ahead," he explained.

The strategy worked beautifully against the Huskies, as junior Josh Kampsen hit an infield single to start the game and junior Josh Krupke hit a soft liner into left to put runners on the corners.

With no one out, sophomore Adam Kampsen belted a three-run homer down the leftfield line, and the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead.

"That set the tone for the game," said Skoglund. "It's like, 'The Bulldogs are ready to play in this one.' " The Dogs led the entire game, though Jackson County Central would threaten to tie the score, especially over the last three innings, when they loaded the bases three times.

Senior Nic Fuchs had two doubles and two RBIs against Jackson County Central. He had six hits at state, including five doubles.

With the Bulldogs leading 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the Huskies loaded the bases for the third time, courtesy of a walk and two Paynesville errors. With one out and Jackson County Central needing just a base hit to tie the score, senior pitcher Jeremy Fuchs ended the game by inducing a comebacker. Fuchs threw to catcher Ryan Schneider for the force out at home, and Schneider fired the ball to senior Wes Lieser at first in time to complete a game-ending 1-2-3 double play.

Jackson County Central also loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, when Bulldogs starter Adam Kampsen struggled to find the strike zone, walking four in the inning, leading to two runs for the Huskies.

Paynesville got those runs back in the third, when Kampsen led off with a single, senior Pat Rohe doubled to center, and senior Nic Fuchs - who went 6-11 at state with five doubles - hammered a two-run double to right.

After the third inning, the Dogs managed only one hit in four innings off Huskies reliever Jon Hummel. That hit was to the very first batter Hummel faced, as junior Josh Kampsen doubled to lead off the fourth inning. Kampsen then showed great hustle to score. Junior Josh Krupke grounded a ball to second, which the Huskies fielder bobbled. Krupke reached first on the error, and Kampsen - running hard all the way - scored from second base on the play.

"Josh is a great baserunner," said Skoglund, who took the chance to send him since the Bulldogs were ahead. "He really cuts the corner at third."

The Huskies loaded the bases in the fifth inning with one out against starter Adam Kampsen, who got a key strikeout and a ground out to end the threat. He pitched his way out of a jam in the sixth as well, getting a grounder to third with two outs and the bases loaded, but the throw was wild, allowing three unearned runs to score for Jackson County Central and bringing in Fuchs to pitch in relief.

Leading 6-5, the Bulldogs scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh, thanks to two errors by the Huskies, and it looked like that might not be enough when the Dogs' defense - which committed three errors in the last two innings - loaded the bases again in the seventh. But the pitcher to catcher to first double play - which the Dogs also turned in subsections against Rockford - ended the game.

Paynesville--	302	100	1	- 7	9	4
Jackson County Central--	200	003	0	- 5	6	5

Paynesville - Batting: Adam Kampsen 2-4 HR RBI-3 R-2; Josh Kampsen 2-4 R-2; Nic Fuchs 1-3 2B RBI-2; Pat Rohe 1-4 R 2B; Josh Krupke 1-4 R; Max Meagher 1-4; Jeremy Fuchs 1-4; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Adam Kampsen (W) (5.2-6-5-2-6-6); Jeremy Fuchs (S) (1.1-0-0-0-2-1).
Jackson County Central - Batting: Micah Fransen 2-3 3B RBI R; Kevin Williams 1-3 R-2; Tyler Ringquist 1-4 2B; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Ethan Bloomgren (L) (3-8-5-5-0-3); Jon Hummel (4-1-2-0-1-1).