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Player of the year: (Aug 14/10) Chris Fahey
Chris led the team with 3 HR & 18 RBI, adding a .314 BA as he returned to the catcher's position.
This year Hitting:
AVG:.314	HR:3	RBI:18

Recent Results:

Sat Aug 14/10 7:30pm:

St. Peter	7
Winthrop	2

Wed Aug 11/10 8:00pm:

Winthrop	5
St. Benedict	3

Sun Aug 8/10 2:00pm:

New Market	1
Winthrop	3

Fri Aug 6/10 8:00pm:

Winthrop	4
Belle Plaine	11

Sat Jul 31/10 7:30pm:

Winthrop	3
St. Peter	4

Thu Jul 29/10 7:30pm:

Winthrop	11
Arlington	1

Tue Jul 27/10 7:30pm:

Gaylord	3
Winthrop	11

Sun Jul 25/10 6:00pm:

Fairfax	2
Winthrop	12

Fri Jul 23/10 7:30pm:

Winthrop	3
St. Peter	4

2^nd Annual Winthrop Eagles’ Golf Classic

Saturday, September 11—10 am shotgun

Winthrop Golf Club

Three-man best ball teams

$25 per golfer for Winthrop members;

$40 per golfer for non-members

Registration includes 18 holes of golf, free meal and prizes.

To register, call or email Dana Melius at

507-276-4077 or djmelius@mchsi.com

(or sign up at the Winthrop Golf Club)

Region 6C Tournament -- August 6, 8, 11, 13 and 14

1) DRS #1                  New Market (24-10) --eliminated
2) RVLW #1               St. Peter (15-13) -- Region 6C runner-up
3) RVLC #1                Belle Plaine (29-8) -- Region 6C champion
4) RVLC #2                Chanhassen (10-15) -- eliminated
5) DRS #2                  St. Benedict (20-16) --eliminated
6) RVLW #2               Winthrop (15-20) -- lost to St. Peter 7-2

                         Opening Round Matchups Aug 6

Belle Plaine 11, Winthrop 4
New Market 7, Chanhassen 6
St Peter  7, St Benedict 2

                         Second Round Matchups Aug 8

Winthrop 3, New Market 1
St. Benedict 9, Chanhassen 1 -- Chanhassen Eliminated
Belle Plaine 10, St. Peter 0     -- Belle Plaine To State

                          Third Round Matchups Aug 11

St. Peter 7, New Market 3    -- New Market Eliminated
Winthrop 5, St. Benedict 3 -- St. Benedict Eliminated

                      Fourth Round Matchup--- Sat., Aug 14th 7:30 P.M.

St. Peter 7, Winthrop 2      Winner To State, Loser Eliminated

St. Peter ends Eagles' state tourney hopes

St. Peter scored two third-inning runs and never looked back Saturday, ending the host Winthrop Eagles’ state tournament hopes with a 7-2 victory.

It was the fifth time during the 2010 season in which the Saints defeated the Eagles. Sunday’s win came about much the same way as the others – Winthrop’s inability to come up with timely hits while runners were in scoring position and untimely fielding miscues.

Belle Plaine defeated St. Peter, Sunday, by a 7-2 margin for the Region 6C championship. Both teams advance to the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament, which opens Friday, August 20 and runs through Labor Day in three sites – Willmar, Bird Island and Spicer.

St. Peter (15-13) opens its state tournament action on Saturday in Spicer at 5 p.m. vs. Region 4C champion Blue Earth (26-7). Blue Earth is a past Class C champion and is making its eight straight state appearance. St. Peter added draftee pitcher-catcher Scott Dose of Arlington, who joined the Eagles during their regional run. Belle Plaine (30-8), which added draftee pitcher Derek Bergstrom of New Market, opens Saturday in Spicer at 7:30 p.m. vs. the Region 4C runner-ups, the Mankato Mets (19-10).

Winthrop’s bats never got going against St. Peter starter Jordan Seebach, who limited the Eagles to six hits over seven innings. He only allowed an unearned run while striking out six and not walking a batter. Jesse Anderson, who tossed nine innings on Wednesday, finished up the final two to earn a save.

Draftee pitcher Cody Loverude of Fairfax took a regional loss for the Eagles for the second consecutive season. But he pitched well, giving up just five hits over eight innings. He struck out five and walked just one.

But the Eagle defense let him down a bit, as Winthrop committed four errors in the game. And while Loverude’s control was solid in the game, a hit-batsman in the third and sixth innings came across to score each time. Ryan Wenner’s double in the third, followed by an Eagle fielding error, brought in two runs for St. Peter.

In the sixth, Loverude’s lone walk, followed by his second hit-batsman but runners on first and second. After an infield groundout moved the runners up, St. Peter’s Matt Knutson blooped a single behind first base for a two-out, two-run single to make it 4-0.

The Eagles finally got on the scoreboard with an unearned run in the seventh, and it took a scary three-base error by Knutson, who lost a medium fly ball off the bat of Winthrop’s Pat O’Malley, which hit the Saints’ left fielder in the head and caromed down into the corner. O’Malley scored after James Panning’s towering fly ball to left just missed going out, and the speedy Eagle lead-off hitter settled for an RBI double.

St. Peter added three insurance runs in the ninth, but the Eagles battled back in their final stanza. Andy Melius led off with a single and moved to second when O’Malley was hit by a pitch. Panning’s single loaded the bases, and Melius scored on a Chad Elston fielder’s choice. But Saints reliever Anderson got the Eagles’ Dan Anderson swinging to secure the victory and state tournament birth.

The Eagles’ played most of the game without two starters. Rightfielder Jarod Werner pulled a hamstring while working out earlier in the week, and Winthrop slugger Chris Fahey lasted just two innings in Sunday’s game, sitting with an injured hip.

It was the third time since Winthrop’s memorable 2003 state tournament run in which the Eagles fell a game short of a return trip – in 2004, 2008 and now 2010. The Eagles also played in the 2009 regional tournament at Loretto, dropping two games.

Anderson finished the year with a team-high .373 batting average, the 13^th time in 16 seasons the Eagle veteran has topped the .300 mark.   Fahey, who had a homer and six RBIS while leading the team with a .400 average during the playoffs, finished the season at .314, followed by James Panning at .308, his eighth straight .300-plus season for the Eagles.

A balanced hitting attack for Winthrop was led by Fahey with 18 RBI, followed by player-manager Andy Melius with 17, with Anderson and Ben Melius at 16.

Bill Melius set an Eagle record in wins with a 7-5 mark and added a fine 3.15 ERA and a team-high 85.2 IP. He was followed by Andy Melius at 5-3, whose 2.86 ERA paced Winthrop. Scott Palmer added a pair of wins, a team-record three saves, and a nice 3.01 ERA. Palmer’s 67 strikeouts paced the team, followed by Bill Melius with 66.

Winthrop one game from state, top St. Benedict

Eagles win 5-3; Dose, Loverude combine for six-hitter

The Winthrop Eagles continuted their playoff magic, Wednesday, with a 5-3 victory over St. Benedict in a Region 6C elimination game in New Prague. Draftee Scott Dose took the mound for the first time and tossed 7 1/3 innings, giving way to another draftee, Cody Loverude, who earned a save.

Dose also collected two RBI, one on a third-inning bases-loaded walk, another on a fifth-inning single. He's batting .333 with four RBI in his three games with the Eagles.

Chris Fahey sent an early message to the Saints in the first, launching a towering two-out double to the base of the centerfield fence in the first inning, scoring Chad Elston, who had reached on a St. Benedict error. After a Winthrop error in the bottom of the first allowed for a brief 1-1 tie, the Eagles scored three in the third, thanks in large part to control troubles of St. Benedict drafteee pitcher Chris Kubitz, who is headed to St. Cloud State.

James Panning led off the inning with a single, then took second when the leftfielder struggled with his sharp liner.   The quick Eagle lead-off hitter then came across on Elston's sharp single to center for a 2-1 lead that Winthrop would never relinquish. Consecutive walks to the heart of the Eagles' batting order -- Dan Anderson, Chris Fahey, Scott Dose -- scored one more, while Ben Melius' groundout made it 4-1.

Winthrop added a fifth run in the fifth inning off St. Benedict reliever Jacob Wolf . Anderson ripped a long double to right-center and came home on Dose's RBI single, which fell in front of two St. Benedict outfielders.   But Wolf's assortment of off-speed pitches, including a tough change-up, kept Winthrop bats quiet the rest of the way, as the lefty didn't allow a hit over the final four innings.

St. Benedict picked away with a run in the bottom of the fifth, with Dave Sherry's RBI single scoring the fleet-footed Saints' lead-off hitter, Jeremy Heitkamp, who stole his 18th base of the season. Sherry also drove in the Saints' third run of the game in the seventh with another two-out single.

Dose tired in the eighth inning, giving up back-to-back singles to Steve Weiers and draftee catcher Kyle Johnson, so Eagles' player-manager Andy Melius turned to draftee Cody Loverude (Fairfax). Loverude coaxed two weak infield choppers to get out of jam.

In the ninth, the Eagle defense shined. Fahey, who moved to first in the 8th so Dose could go behind the plate, dived to snare Heitkamp's liner down the line for the first out. After a walk to Scott Eischens, Sherry came up for the fifth time and lined another one to center. But Eagle CF Pat O'Malley came in hard, made a great catch and nearly doubled off Eischens at first. And St. Benedict veteran DH Adam McMahon made it interesting, sending O'Malley to deep left-centerfield for the final out.

Dose (1-0) struck out five and walked four while giving up just one earned run for the win.

Eagles defeat New Market 3-1, play St. Benedict

Winthrop moved two games away from a state tournament birth with an exhausting 3-1 victory over the visiting New Market Muskies, Sunday.

Next up for the Eagles in Region 6C playoff action is an elimination game against St. Benedict in New Prague at 8 p.m. Should Winthrop win this one, the Eagles would then host the winner of New Market and St. Peter on Friday at 8 p.m. for a spot in the 2011 Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association Class C State Tournament.

The Belle Plaine Tigers, with an 11-4 Friday night win over Winthrop and another 10-0 victory Sunday at St. Peter, awaits the surviving team for the Region 6C championship on Saturday at 2 p.m. The top two teams move on to Class C state tournament play in Willmar-Bird Island-Spicer.

Sunday’s win for the Eagles didn’t come easy, with a game time temperature of 95 degrees and stifling humidity. And the heat took its toll, with Winthrop shortstop Chad Elston coming out of the game in the fourth inning due to exhaustion.

But Eagle player-manager Andy Melius gutted out a complete-game victory, tossing a five-hitter. He walked three and struck out three to improve his season record to 5-3 and lowered his team-leading ERA to 2.77.

The runs didn’t come easy, either, with New Market taking an early 1-0 lead thanks to two errors and two passed balls by the Eagles’ defense in the third inning. But the Eagle defense did come through on three key occasions, none bigger than centerfielder Pat O’Malley’s diving catch with runners on first and second in the fifth. Winthrop also turned two big double plays, in the first with one out and a runner on third, and again in the eighth, as second baseman Dan Anderson snared a liner and stepped on second.

The Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Chris Fahey led off with a double to right-centerfield and was pinch-run by Jordan Rettmann. After two Winthrop outs, Scott Palmer and Andy Melius drew base on balls. O’Malley’s chopper to third was then mishandled for an error and tie score. James Panning was then hit by a pitch to give Winthrop its lead.

Fahey doubled again in the seventh and scored on Winthrop draftee catcher Scott Dose’s RBI single to center for a big insurance run.

Winthrop’s pitching staff is in good shape for the potential of three games over four days as the Eagles drive toward their first state tournament bid since the 2003 season. Draftees Scott Dose (Arlington) and Cody Loverude (Fairfax) have not yet hit the mound and will be available, as is Bill Melius (7-5), Dan Anderson and Lincoln Messner. And Sunday’s winner Andy Melius should also be ready for a possible weekend run.

Game notes: St. Benedict (20-15) is a member of the Dakota-Rice-Scott League. The Saints finished second to New Market in the White Division with a 15-8 league mark, a game behind the Muskies… St. Benedict draftee Kubitz will pitch at St. Cloud State in 2011… The Eagles have played St. Benedict twice in non-league games, losing 10-3 in ’09 and winning 11-7 in ’08…St. Benedict is located 5.4 miles northwest of New Prague and 10 miles south of Jordan in Scott County…

Belle Plaine 11, Winthrop 4

The Eagles jumped on Belle Plaine ace lefty Adam Johnson for a quick 2-0 lead, but the hard-hitting Tiger lineup came right back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and never looked back.

With two outs, Dan Anderson singled and scored on a Chris Fahey double. Dose followed with an RBI single to left-center. But Belle Plaine took advantage of early control troubles by Winthrop starter Scott Palmer, who hit lead-off hitter Dan Huber and walked Matt Schulz before Tim Huber laced an RBI double. A Pat Schultz sacrifice fly and an infield groundout by Jeff Miller gave the Tigers three runs on just one hit.

Belle Plaine went on to an 11-4 opening-round Region 6C victory over the visiting Winthrop Eagles on Friday.

Johnson, who upped his mound record to 10-2, settled down and limited the Eagles to two more hits through the eighth inning, before giving way in the ninth to draftee pitcher Darron Culbert of Le Sueur. Two Belle Plaine fielding errors and two base on balls plated two final Winthrop runs without the benefit of a hit. Ben Melius’ RBI fielder’s choice grounder and a Kris Swenson sacrifice fly ended the scoring.

Dan Anderson’s 2-for-3 game led the Eagles. Winthrop relievers Bill Melius and Lincoln Messner finished the game, giving up just one earned run the rest of the way. Messner didn’t give up a hit in his two innings of work, lowering his team-leading opponents’ batting average to .155.

ON TO REGIONS!

St. Peter Saints edge Eagles 4-3 for RVL West Division championship

Veteran Eagles right-hander Dan Anderson came within an inning of carrying Winthrop to a come-from-behind River Valley League West Division championship, but the St. Peter Saints scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to sneak a 4-3 playoff victory and earn the top seed and the key first pick in the pitcher/catcher draft.

The St. Peter win means the Saints will host St. Benedict, the #2 seed from the Dakota-Rice-Scott (DRS) League, on Friday. Winthrop will travel to Region 6C favorite Belle Plaine for a Friday game.   DRS champion New Market hosts Chanhassen in Elko on Friday. All first-round games are at 8 p.m. Second-round region games are on Sunday. (See Region 6C bracket.)

St. Peter drafted pitcher Joe Lucas of Arlington and pitcher-catcher Brad Walsh of Gaylord. Winthrop's draftees are pitcher-catcher Scott Dose of Arlington and pitcher Cody Loverude of Fairfax. (Draftees in Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association tournment play can only pitch or catch and cannot re-entry games.)

In Saturday's loss at St. Peter, the Eagles scored two runs in the eighth inning to move ahead by a 3-2 margin. James Panning, Chad Elston and Dan Anderson opened the 8th inning with consecutive singles to load the bases. Panning scored on an infield groundout by Ben Melius, and Mike Willegal, running for Elston, came home on a St. Peter error.

However, the Eagles did themselves in during the bottom of the 9th, as Anderson walked the first two batters, then a mishandled sacrifice bunt and two errors on the play brought both St. Peter runners home for an abrupt 4-3 loss.

The Eagles scored the game's first run in the top of the first. Elston hit a one-out single but was forced at second on an Anderson grounder. But Ben Melius' two-out RBI double plated Winthrop's early score.

St. Peter went ahead 2-1 in the third on Ben Mickelson's two-run single.

Anderson, who pitched three innings in the 11-3 Gaylord win on Wednesday, came back on two days rest to strike out 9 and walked two while giving up just five singles. Grant Nelsen picked up the win for St. Peter in relief of Jesse Anderson.

Eagles continue offensive power, oust Arlington 11-1

In what has now become an Eagles' playoff tradition, Winthrop's offensive power collected 20 total hits and ousted the perennial West Division rival Arlington A's and ace pitcher Joe Lucas in an impressive 11-1 victory. The win Friday night at Arlington moved the Eagles into the divisional championship game this Saturday, July 31 in St. Peter at 7:30 p.m.

It's considered a seeding game, with the winner moving into the Region 6C tourney as divisional champ and able to draft first, with pitchers and catchers from Arlington, Gaylord and Fairfax available for regional competition. Both the Saints and Eagles will draft two players.

As the Saints and Eagles qualify for Region 6C action, they will join the Belle Plaine Tigers -- considered the regional favorite with its 26-8 record and dominant pitching staff -- and first-year River Valley League entrant Chanhassen Redbirds, who upset Le Sueur 6-3 on Friday. Two other teams from the DRS League will join them in the Region 6C playoffs, which open on Friday, August 6. New Market, the DRS divisional champ, is currently playing the Shakopee Coyotes, while second-place St. Benedict is playing Union Hill.

While the Eagle bats were enroute to ousting Arlington ace right-hander Joe Lucas, posting six runs and 12 hits off the former Jordan High School star in just four innings, Winthrop starting pitcher Scott Palmer limited the A's to just six hits and one unearned, first-inning run. Palmer also collected three hits in the game.

James Panning, who ended the game with a 4-for-5 performance and three runs scored, raised havoc on the bases all night. He arrived at the field just five minutes prior to game-time, then opened with a sharp single to left-center, moved to second on Chad Elston's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Dan Anderson's RBI single, a missile to center.

While Panning's throwing error on Lucas' sacrifice bunt in the first gave Arlington an abbreviated 1-1 tie, the Eagles put together a key two-out, second-inning scoring burst that gave them the lead for good at 5-1. After Palmer opened the inning with a double down the line in left, Lucas got two outs before Scott Panning ripped an RBI double over a drawn-in A's rightfielder for a 2-1 lead. A walk to James Panning was followed by three consecutive Winthrop hits -- a two-run double by Elston, an RBI single by Dan Anderson, and another single by Chris Fahey -- and the Eagles had the A's on their heels.

All nine Eagle starters had hits in the game and seven had multiple hit games, led by James Panning's four hits, three from Palmer, and two each from Elston, Anderson, Fahey, Andy Melius and Scott Panning.

Eagles move on with 11-3 win over Gaylord

Player-Manager Andy Melius stroked a key three-run, first-inning home run, then delivered another two-run blast in the seventh as the Eagles continued their strong offensive performances and moved on in the 2010 River Valley League West Division playoffs with an 11-3 win over the Gaylord Islanders, Wednesday, in Winthrop.

The game, suspended the night before due to lightning and rain with Winthrop already up 2-0 and runners on first and second with just one out, continued with Gaylord's Brad Walsh back on the mound. The Islander right-hander got Scott Palmer on a forceout, then moved ahed with two strikes on Melius, who then laced an 0-2 slider over the leftfield fence for his first-ever town team homer and an early 5-0 Eagle lead.

Walsh settled down after that, striking out six Winthrop batters in a row with an assortment of off-speed pitches, and Gaylord crept back in the game briefly with a three-run third inning, thanks to two Eagle defensive errors, just one hit and two walks. But Eagle starting pitcher Bill Melius, who tossed the first inning Tuesday night and got the call again on Wednesday, got a big defensive play from centerfielder Pat O'Malley, who robbed Islander Brian Winter's liner to left-center for the third out. O'Malley added a second diving catch later in the game to end the seventh inning.

Gaylord's sloppy defense in the fourth helped extend Winthrop's lead to 9-3. Three Islander erros, sandwiched around four singles by O'Malley, Scott and James Panning, and Chad Elston, led to four Eagle runs. And Andy Melius' second homer of the game set aside any doubt in the game in the seventh.

Veteran Dan Anderson looked sharp in three innings of relief to earn his second save of the season. Bill Melius' six innings of work limited Gaylord batters to five hits and earned him his team-record seventh win of the season. And maybe more importantly, his working on short rest allowed the Eagles to save three fresh pitchers -- Scott Palmer, Andy Melius and Lincoln Messner -- for yet another elimination game tonight at Arlington, who have ace Joe Lucas slated to start on the mound. The two teams have split a pair of games this season, with the Eagles winning 3-2 there and the A's taking a 5-3 contest in Winthrop.

It's a 7:30 p.m. contest with the winner qualifying for Region 6C play and moving on to St. Peter on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for the River Valley League West Division championship. Both teams would then qualify to draft two pitchers and/or catchers for regional play, with the champion getting picks one and three, second-place team choosing the second and fourth picks. Last season, the Eagles qualified for regional play and picked Fairfax pitcher Cody Loverude and catcher Adam Buboltz.

Eagles top Cardinals 12-2, host Gaylord Tuesday

Winthrop's offense continued to produce in the 2010 playoffs, but this time the runs came, as well, as the Eagles pounded out 12 hits for the second game in a row and eliminated the visiting Fairfax Cardinals by a 12-2 score, Sunday.

Dan Anderson led the way with three hits and four RBI, including a two-run double in Winthrop's four-run fifth inning. Chris Fahey, who went 2-5, followed with his third home run of the season over the right-centerfield fence. The Eagles also got a pair of hits, including a double, from Ben Melius.

Andy Melius improved to 4-3 with the mound win, tossing his third complete game of the season. He gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two. The victory lowered his ERA to 3.03.

The victory kept the Eagles alive in the River Valley League West Division playoffs and into an elimination game Tuesday at home versus the Gaylord Islanders, who dropped a 12-1 game earlier in the week to Arlington. The A's, however, were upset Sunday 12-6 by the St. Peter Saints, who qualified for regional play with the win.

St. Peter 4, Winthrop 3

The Eagles out-hit the Saints by a 12 to 6 margin, and Winthrop pitchers Bill Melius and Scott Palmer combined for 12 strikeouts in the game, but St. Peter won the scoreboard by a 4-3 margin Friday in opening-game playoff action.

St. Peter scored all four runs in the second inning without a hard-hit ball. With one out, Eagle starting pitcher Bill Melius struck out hard-swinging Saint first-baseman Tim Hoffman, but the curveball in the dirt scooted away from catcher Chris Fahey and allowed Hoffman to reach first. St. Peter's Mike Enz followed by dinking an 0-2 curveball to left. DH Tony Vetter followed with a tailor-made double-play chopper to Melius at the mound, but it tipped off his glove for an infield hit to load the bases. Another slow infield chopper to short proved diastrous for the Eagles, as shortstop Chad Elston tried to get the runner at second and sailed the ball into rightfield to score two. After a walk to load the bases again, Saints' leadoff hitter CJ Siewert chopped one high off the plate that tipped off Eagle first-baseman Ben Melius' glove for two more runs.

That would be it for the Saints, who mustered just one more hit off Bill Melius, who went seven innings, giving up just the five hits and striking out 10. Scott Palmer gave up a leadoff single in the ninth but struck out two Saints for a scoreless inning of relief.

Winthrop, despite eight hits through the 8th inning, couldn't score, leaving nine runners on base during that time. But the Eagles kept battling in the ninth, scoring three runs. After a leadoff flyout, Pat O'Malley double and went to third on Scott Panning's single. James Panning's soft liner just got past St. Peter shortstop Phil Holz for the first run. After a strikeout, Dan Anderson's walk loaded the bases. Chris Fahey followed with a two-run single. Before Winthrop's Scott Palmer could get to the plate, a bank of lights above the third base dugout went out and delayed the game 25 minutes.

When the lights were repaired, Saints reliever Jordan Seebach got a first-pitch fastball across, then hung an 0-1 curveball that Palmer ripped hard but right at the Saints' left-fielder Ryan Timmerman for the game's final out.

2010 River Valley League West Division Playoffs

Arlington

Game 3

Fri, July 23
Arlington

7:30 PM

Fairfax at #1 seed

Game 1

Arlington

Fairfax Wed, July 21 - 7:30 PM
Gaylord

Loser GM 1 at #4 seed
Game 5

Game 7

Gaylord
Sun, July 25
St. Peter

Thurs, July 29
Game 4

6:00 PM

Winthrop 7:30 PM
Winthrop Sun, July 25

at high seed

To game 8 at Arlington
6:00 PM

Game 6 at high seed Winthrop

Game 8

Tues, July 27
Game 2

Sat, July 31
St. Peter

Winthrop 7:30 PM
Winthrop Fri, July 23 - 7:30 PM
St. Peter
7:30 PM RVL-West *CHAMPION*

at Winthrop Loser GM 2 at #2 seed

at St. Peter

St. Peter

Gaylord

Winthrop

Loser GM 3

Winner Game 7

Eagles open playoffs Friday in St. Peter at 7:30 p.m.

Scott Panning's two-out, ninth-inning RBI single scored Glenn Peters with the winning run as the Eagles managed to secure third place in the River Valley League West Division with a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the visiting St. Peter Saints on Sunday.

Down 5-3, Andy Melius opened the ninth inning with a single to the leftfield fence. Peters then laid down a sacrifice bunt which Gaylord relief pitcher Tim Young misplayed, trying to force Melius but pulling Islander second baseman Jon Waltz off the bag. Kyle Grams followed with another sacrifice bunt for the first out. After Young got a second out on a strikeout, his two-strike wild pitch allowed Melius to score from third to tie the game at 5-5. Panning ripped Young's next pitch to the left-centerfield gap for the game-winner.

The win snapped Winthrop's eight-game losing streak and allowed the Eagles to skip the 4th vs. 5th-place extra playoff game, which now features Fairfax in Gaylord on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.  Divisional winner Arlington awaits the winner of that game Friday, with the Eagles heading to second-place St. Peter. It's a remake of last year's divisional playoff game which Winthrop won 3-0 en route to a regional birth. St. Peter won both games vs. the Eagles this season, 9-6 and 10-0.

Beyond Panning's heroics, it was the play of GFW senior Lucas Seehafer that kept the Eagles within striking distance. Seehafer reached base four times, including a sixth-inning single, scored two runs and tossed out a Gaylord runner at the plate in the eighth inning to keep the score at 5-3. Seehafer was filling in at center for the injured Pat O'Malley, who may miss the 2010 playoffs with a bad shoulder.

The Eagles managed just five hits in the game and only three through the game's first eight innings. But they still managed to leave 14 runners on base, as Gaylord pitchers Brian Winter and Tim Young combined to walked 11 and hit two batters.

Andy Melius earned the mound victory with a complete game, improving his season record to 3-3.

Henderson 4, Winthrop 2

Scott Palmer's strong complete-game showing went for naught as the host Henderson Tigers earned a 4-2 victory in 95-degree heat on Saturday.

Ben Melius led the Winthrop offense with two hits.

Carver 13, Winthrop 11

A long, bug-infested non-league game Wednesday in Winthrop ended on a sour note, as the Eagle defense broke down late and contributed to four unearned ninth-inning runs as Carver outlasted the locals by a 13-11 margin.\

Losing streak hits six after close losses during Funfest

Winthrop’s town baseball team, the Eagles, dropped two River Valley League games over Funfest weekend, losing Saturday 5-3 to league-leading Belle Plaine and falling in the ninth inning to Fairfax by a 4-3 margin.

The losses dropped Winthrop’s overall mark to 9-15 on the season and upped the Eagles current losing streak to six games.

The Eagles have added a non-league game to this week’s schedule, hosting the Carver Black Sox on Wednesday (tonight) at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Winthrop travels to Henderson for a 4 p.m. contest, and on Sunday, the Eagles wrap up the regular season with a 2 p.m. home game versus Gaylord.

Fairfax 4, Winthrop 3

Cody Loverude -- who the Eagles drafted last season for the 2009 regional playoffs -- struck out nine batters and gave up just six hits in a complete-game victory, just the Cardinals second win of the season.

Fairfax took a 2-0 lead in the second off Winthrop starting pitcher Dan Anderson. Angel Munoz Jr. ripped a one-out double over leftfielder Kyle Grams, then back-to-back walks to Andy Wegscheid and Austin Black loaded the bases. After a Blake Clobes single drove in one run, Angel Munoz Sr. drove in a second with a sacrifice fly to left.

The Eagles mustered their first run in the fourth after pinch-runner Scott Panning stole second, then came around to score on consecutive singles by Pat O’Malley and Scott Palmer.

Winthrop tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth. Andy Melius led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on James Panning’s infield groundout to second, then came home on a passed ball. The game went 3-2 in Winthrop’s favor in very similar fashion with another run in the seventh. Pinch-runner Jarod Werner moved up bases on a wild pitch and groundout, then scored on another passed ball.

But the Cardinals scratched across single runs in both the eighth and ninth innings, both times with two outs and odd plays. Black, the Cards’ number nine hitter, drew a two-out walk, then looked as if he was picked off first base by Eagle reliever Andy Melius. But an errant throw to second kept the inning alive, and Clobes’ second RBI single to right tied the game at 3-3.

In the ninth, Adam Buboltz led off with a single and was pinch-run by Geo Munoz, who moved up on a wild pitch. After Loverude struck out and Keith Buboltz flew out to right, Mark Yrjo’s double to right-centerfield proved to be a game-winner.

The Eagles threatened in the ninth after Palmer singled and moved to second on a Werner sacrifice bunt. But Andy Melius’ drive to right was caught, and Loverude got James Panning looking for the third out.

Belle Plaine 5, Winthrop 3

The River Valley League’s top Class C team, the Belle Plaine Tigers – now at 22-7 – hung on for a 5-3 victory on Saturday at Winthrop.

Lefty Adam Johnson came in to snuff out a ninth-inning Eagle rally by striking out Pat O’Malley with the tying runs on base. Winthrop had scored two runs after a James Panning two-run single off second Belle Plaine pitcher Jonny Schulz had plated Kyle Grams, who had singled, and Lucas Seehafer, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. Bill Melius then drew a walk off before the Panning single put runners on first and third.

But Johnson earned the save facing just on batter to end the game. Belle Plaine starting pitcher Rob Wagener – who had pitched as a draftee for Winthrop in its 2004 regional playoffs – earned the win with seven innings of work.

Winthrop starter Scott Palmer battled control problems, walking five in his five innings of work and took the loss, but was also hampered by sloppy Eagle defense, which contributed to three unearned runs. Bill Melius tossed four innings of relief, striking out four.

James Panning led Winthrop with three hits, while Andy Melius and Ben Melius each added a pair of singles.

O’Malley named to River Valley League All-stars

For the second consecutive season, Eagle centerfielder Pat O’Malley was named to the River Valley League All-Star team. The RVL All-Stars will play the Dakota-Scott-Rice All-Stars at 8 p.m. in Belle Plaine.

A homerun hitting derby will open action at 7:30 p.m.

Arlington 5, Winthrop 3

Just nine days after winning a key 3-2 River Valley League West Division contest in Arlington, the A's came to Winthrop and evened the score with a 5-3 victory, sending the Eagles reeling with their fourth straight loss. The loss, coupled with Gaylord's 11-4 victory over Chanhassen, dropped the Eagles into fourth place in the West Division, as Gaylord moved up by a half game.

James Panning led the Eagles with three hits, triggering a two-out, two-run rally in the seventh with a double. An Arlington error allowed Panning to score and Pat O'Malley to reach. Back-to-back singles by Chad Elston and Scott Palmer scored O'Malley and tied the game at 3-3.

But Arlington came right back with two runs in the eighth off Winthrop starter Lincoln Messner, the key hit being a bouncer by Nate Hartmann through a drawn in Eagle infield.

Mike Willegal scored the Eagles' first run, drawing a one-out walk in the fifth, moving up on another walk to Glenn Peters, to third on Panning's single, then coming across on an O'Malley sacrifice fly.

Bill Melius pitched an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief for Winthrop.

Eagles drop three straight, fall to 9-12

The Eagle town baseball team dropped three straight games last week, falling to 9-12 on the season and 4-9 in River Valley League West Division action, just a week after its biggest win of the season over divisional-leading Arlington.

The Eagles were scheduled to host Arlington last night (Tuesday), then host two Funfest games. On Saturday, the Eagles will play Belle Plaine here at 6 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. Sunday contest versus the Fairfax Cardinals.

On a Fourth of July game in Chanhassen on Sunday, Winthrop starting pitcher Scott Palmer was cruising through seven innings, striking out eight, giving up just four hits and holding a 3-1 lead. But a leadoff walk and one-out home run by the Redbirds’ Tony Marengo stunned the Eagles and tied the game at 3-3.

Dan Anderson came in to relief Palmer and recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning. But Anderson’s own defense but him and Winthrop in trouble in the ninth, as he committed back-to-back errors and put runners on second and third. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, a Cary McLaughlin single over a drawn in Winthrop outfield gave Chanhassen a 4-3 victory.

Chanhassen opened the game’s scoring with a run in the second without the benefit of a hit, as Palmer hit two batters, threw and wild pitch, and issued an RBI sacrifice fly to TJ Gulden. Chanhassen didn’t record its first hit off Palmer until a two-out single in the fifth.

Winthrop scored its first run in the top of the fifth. Bill Melius reached on an error, Mike Willegal walked, and Glenn Peters laid down a sacrifice bunt. Chanhassen starting pitcher Adam Heitz fielded the ball and tried to get a force at third, but tossed the ball down the leftfield line, with Melius scoring.

Two more Eagle runs came across in the sixth inning. Palmer and Ben Melius singled, followed by a walk to Bill Melius and two-out, RBI single by Peters. Winthrop’s third run of the game was plated when Chanhassen couldn’t handle James Panning’s infield grounder.

Ben Melius and Chad Elston led Winthrop with two hits apiece. Both teams stranded 10 runners on base.

St. Peter 10, Winthrop 0

In a key River Valley League West Division contest, the St. Peter Saints trounced the Winthrop Eagles, Thursday, by a 10-0 margin. The win left St. Peter in second place at 6-7, with Winthrop dropping to third at 4-8.

Winthrop committed five errors in the first five innings, as Eagle starter Bill Melius dropped to 6-3 on the season.

Three Eagles had a pair of hits: Dan Anderson, Scott Palmer and Andy Melius.

‘Kato Kubs 9, Winthrop 2

The Mankato Kubs defeated the host Winthrop Eagles 9-2, Wednesday, in non-league action.

The two teams were tied 2-2 before a seven-run seventh inning broke the game open for Mankato. Lucas Seehafer took the mound loss for the Eagles.

Pat O’Malley led Winthrop with two hits.

Eagles top Arlington 3-2 in 10 innings

Winthrop closed the gap on division-leading Arlington with a 3-2 ten-inning victory Sunday over the host A’s.

The victory evened the Eagles’ overall season record at 9-9 and improved them to 4-7 in the River Valley League West Division. Arlington dropped to 7-5 in the league as the A’s hung on to a slim divisional lead, 1.5 games ahead of St. Peter and 2.5 games up on the Eagles.

Winthrop hosts the ‘Kato Kubs on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in non-league action, then will travel Thursday to St. Peter for a 7:30 p.m. game that was rescheduled from this past Friday’s postponement due to rain and tornado activity.

On Sunday, July 4, the Eagles play at Chanhassen for the first time as part of that community’s annual Fourth of July community celebration. Chanhassen is in its first year of town team baseball action after over nearly a 50-year absence.

Sunday’s win over the A’s was Winthrop’s first regular season victory at Arlington since the Eagles joined the River Valley League in 2003 and just the third overall in 15 games. Arlington has been a perennial West Division leader, with a rich town team history that includes 24 state tournament births and five state championships.

But Winthrop outhit the A’s by a 12 to 4 margin, and Eagle starting pitcher Andy Melius outdueled the A’s Joe Lucas, who was recently drafted by the Atlanta Braves. Both starters tossed nine innings, as Melius struck out four and allowed just four hits. The lone two Arlington runs in the fifth were unearned. Winthrop’s Scott Palmer earned his third save of the season, pitching the 10^th inning to preserve the 3-2 victory.

Melius also had what proved to be the game-winning hit, a two-out RBI single in the top of the 10^th. Dan Anderson led off the inning with a single, his second of the game, but was forced out at second base on a Palmer groundout. After a Ben Melius single, his fourth of the game, moved Palmer to second, Andy Melius dropped a single to left-centerfield to score the Eagles’ go-ahead run.

Winthrop took an initial 1-0 lead in the third, as Pat O’Malley singled, stole second for his team-leading eighth stolen base, and moved to third when the catcher’s throw bounced off his helmet on his head-first slide., then trickled into short leftfield. Chris Fahey’s two-out RBI single started the game’s scoring.

After Arlington took a 2-1 lead in the fifth thanks to an Eagle infield error and Shane Henke’s two-run double to deep left, the Eagles tied it up 2-2 in the seventh. Andy Melius led off with a walk, moved to second on Lucas Seehafer’s groundout to second, then scored on back-to-back singles by Scott and James Panning.

Andy Melius improved to 2-2 with the win and lowered his ERA to 2.93. Palmer’s scoreless 10^th helped lower his ERA to 2.38. Winthrop’s pitching depth should surface more this week, with Bill Melius’ team-high 6-2 record and 3.67 ERA expected to take the mound Wednesday at home and Lincoln Messner the likely starter on Thursday in St. Peter. Messner has been limited to just 10 1/3 innings this season but has struck out 16 and has held opponents to a .057 batting average.

Eagles split two more games, stand at 8-9

Winthrop again split a pair of River Valley League baseball games, winning 7-1 at Fairfax on Friday but dropping a 9-1 contest Sunday against visiting Chaska.

The games left the Eagles at 8-9 on the season, 3-7 overall. Winthrop travels to St. Peter on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. contest, then has another key RVL West Division matchup on Sunday in Arlington at 6 p.m.

Winthrop 7, Fairfax 1

Bill Melius tossed eight innings of six-hit ball, striking out eight, to improve his season record to 6-2. Ben Melius had an RBI double in the Eagles’ four-run seventh inning to help break a scoreless tie, then hit a two-run homer in the ninth as Winthrop added three insurance runs.

But the biggest at-bat of the game came with one out in the seventh and the score tied at 0-0. After Lincoln Messner walked, Kyle Grams pinch hit for his first Eagles’ appearance in 11 seasons. Grams worked a 2-2 count, fouled off a couple pitches, then launched a long double to left-center field, as Messner just beat the outfield throw to the plate. And after a second out, James Panning lined a single to left, with Grams then just beating that throw for a second run. Ben Melius’ double scored Panning, with Melius then scoring from second on a Fairfax infield error.

Grams walked to lead off the ninth, then scored on Melius’ towering home run to left, which just cleared the Memorial Field fence. Consecutive singles by Scott Palmer, Chris Fahey and Pat O’Malley plated the final Winthrop run.

Bill Melius was helped on the mound by a run-saving, diving catch in the first inning by leftfielder Panning, then stranded runners at second in the second, third and fifth innings before giving up a single run in eighth. Scott Palmer loaded the bases in the ninth before getting three Fairfax batters in order to end the game.

Chaska 9, Winthrop 1

Chaska scored five runs in the second and added three more in the sixth inning en route to an easy 9-1 River Valley League victory in Winthrop, Sunday.

Keelan Conley tossed a complete-game six-hitter for the Cubs, who improved their overall record to 15-5. Dan Anderson took the loss for the Eagles, going six innings. Scott Palmer pitched a perfect three innings to finish up for Winthrop.

Palmer also led the Eagles at the plate with a pair of hits and Winthrop’s lone RBI in the sixth, scoring Pat O’Malley, who earlier had singled and moved to second on Anderson’s single.

Eagles take third in Cannon Falls tournament

The Winthrop Eagles town team capped off a busy week of four games with a third-place finish in the Cannon Falls baseball tournament, defeating Kasson 6-1 on Sunday behind a complete-game victory by pitcher Andy Melius and the four-hit offensive performance by James Panning.

Winthrop opened the tournament Friday with a power display on offense, beating the Minneapolis Metro Merchants by a 15-7 score. On Saturday, a shaky defense allowed seven unearned runs in an 8-0 loss to eventual champion Minneapolis Rocks, the same team which eliminated the Eagles in the semis last year.

Last Tuesday, Winthrop played well at defending Class B State Champion Shakopee but dropped a 6-2 River Valley League contest.

Winthrop heads to Fairfax on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. RVL West Division game, then hosts Class B powerhouse Chaska on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Eagles stand 7-8 overall for the season, 2-6 in the tough RVL.

Winthrop 6, Kasson 1

Andy Melius struck out nine and walked just two en route to the Eagles’ first complete-game pitching win of the season.

James Panning sparked the Eagles from his lead-off spot with a 4-6 game, adding a stolen base and run scored. Scott Palmer was the only other Eagle with more than one hit, going 2-5 with a run scored.

Panning got things going in the first with a leadoff single, then moved to second on a Kasson error off a pickoff attempt, to third on a passed ball, and scored on Pat O’Malley’s RBI single. Kasson tied the game in similar fashion in the first on just a single, stolen base, infield groundout and passed ball.

Melius helped his own cause in the fourth inning with what proved to be the winning run. With two outs, he was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a passed ball, then stole third base. He scored when the catcher’s throw sailed into left field. The Eagles added another two-out run on walks to Kris Swenson and Bill Melius and an RBI single by Mike Willegal.

Winthrop made it 4-1 with a single run in the fifth. Dan Anderson doubled to deep right center, moved to third on a groundout, then scored on Scott Panning’s RBI single. The Eagles added two insurance runs in the eighth, again with two outs. Anderson reached on a Kasson error, moved up on a Scott Palmer single and walk. Andy Melius then ripped a two-run, bases-loaded single to right-center for the 6-1 edge.

Minneapolis Rocks 8, Winthrop 0

For the second time this season, the Eagles’ defense fell apart, committing eight errors and giving up seven unearned runs in the 8-0 semifinal loss to eventual champion Minneapolis Rocks on Saturday in the Cannon Falls tournament.

Four infield errors in the first inning allowed the Rocks to scored four times on just one hit, as Eagle starting pitcher Scott Palmer was victimized by the shoddy play. He lost his first game of the season, evening his record at 1-1.

The Eagles managed just four hits in the loss. The Rocks opened with an 11-4 win over Wanamingo, topped Winthrop, then clobbered the Minneapolis Cobras 16-5 in the finals.

Winthrop 15, Metro Merchants 7

The Eagle bats opened the Cannon Falls tournament on fire, as Winthrop three through six hitters collected 15 hits, led by four-hit performances by Pat O’Malley, Dan Anderson and Chad Elston, who played his first game of the season. Elston led the Eagles with four RBI, while Chris Fahey added three hits and two RBI in the cleanup spot.

Winthrop starting pitcher Bill Melius struggled in the fourth inning, giving up four runs, in large part due to three walks and a hit-batsman. But he settled down long enough to finish up six innings, giving up six hits and striking out five to improve his record to 5-2.

Shakopee 6, Winthrop 2

Winthrop out-hit the defending Class B State Champions by a 10 to 9 margin, but Shakopee’s Aaron Olson ripped two two-run homers in his first two at-bats to pace the host Indians last Tuesday.

Andy Melius pitched well but took the loss for Winthrop. James Panning led the Eagles with four hits, including a double. Glenn Peters added two hits and the team’s only two RBI with a 9^th-inning single.

Eagles stop three-game skid with 8-2 win

Winthrop came away from Essig with an 8-2 non-league victory Friday, benefitting from Chris Fahey's second homer of the season and Bill Melius' fourth mound victory. Fahey launched a two-run homer in a three-run fifth inning, while Melius struck out 10 in seven innings. Andy Melius finished up the final 2two innings of scoreless relief.

Fahey added a single and two runs scored in the game. Pat O'Malley, Scott Panning and Bill Melius added two-hit games, while Andy Melius and Kris Swenson each had a pair of RBI.

The win improved Winthrop's overall record to 5-6, stopping a three-game losing streak of one-run games.

On Tuesday, the Eagles travel to State Class B Champion Shakopee for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Winthrop drops 3rd straight one-run game

The Eagles dropped a 5-4, 10-inning contest to visiting Delano, making the most of just four hits in non-league action Wednesday. But two infield errors led to three unearned runs in the third off starting pitcher Scott Palmer, who finished with a no-decision in eight innings of work, striking out eight and walking just one. Lincoln Messner was tagged with the loss despite not giving up a hit in two innings of relief.

Delano took advantage of a hit-batsman, a sacrifice bunt which allowed the runner to move all the way from first to third base, and a sacrifice fly. In the three-run third, a bases-clearing double by the Athletics' Tony Griebel scored three runs. Griebel had two doubles in the game.

Winthrop's Ben Melius countered with his own three-run double with two outs in the Eagle third inning to tie the score. Messner and Glenn Peters walked, and James Panning singled to set up the big hit. Peters walked three times in the game.

Delano, a Class B team in the North Star League, evened its season mark at 4-4. Winthrop fell to 4-6.

Waconia defeats Winthrop 9-8 for first win

Six Winthrop errors led to seven unearned runs, as the Waconia Lakers earned their first River Valley League victory despite being outhit 14 to 6 by the Eagles.

Pat O'Malley led the Eagles with three doubles and two RBI, while Glenn Peters added two singles, two stolen bases and two runs scored for Winthrop. Scott Palmer added a 2-4 game, while James Panning and Ben Melius also turned in multi-hit games, both 2-6 at the plate.

Lincoln Messner started his first game on the mound, going 3 1/3 innings. He was tough when he got the ball over the plate, striking out seven, but battled control troubles with five walks and two hit-batsmen. Bill Melius relieved, going the final 4 2/3 innings. The two combined to give up just two earned runs and the six Waconia hits.

But the Lakers made the most of them, with Eric Aeling's bases-loaded double in the 4th the big blow. He added a second double and run scored in the 6th. Waconia's Robbie Smothers had two bigs hits, as well, with a two-out, two-run double in the 5th and an RBI single in the 7th, which proved to be the eventual winner.

Despite the defensive lapses, the Eagles kept battling back, scoring two in the 8th and leaving the bases loaded, and two more in the 9th with a runner on second at game's end. The Eagles stranded 12 runners.

The loss dropped Winthrop to 4-5 on the season, 2-5 in the RVL West Division. The Eagles next host Delano on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. non-league game.

Eagles earn first-ever win over Jordan

The Eagles earned its first-ever River Valley League victory over Jordan, bombing three home runs and getting a six-RBI game from Dan Anderson, 13-3, Saturday in Winthrop.

But Winthrop failed to gain a weekend sweep, dropping another RVL game 3-2 to visiting Le Sueur, as the Eagles out-hit the Braves by a 12-to-5 margin but stranded 13 runners on base.

The split kept Winthrop’s overall record even at 4-4. The Eagles travel to Waconia on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. league contest.

Winthrop 13, Jordan 3

It might have been the Eagles’ most impressive win in their 17 seasons of play, as Winthrop bombed perennial Class B powerhouse Jordan, here, Saturday, as Dan Anderson, Chris Fahey and Kris Swenson all ripped homers in the game.

Anderson added a double and triple and six RBI to lead Winthrop’s offense. GFW junior outfielder Lucas Seehafer went 3-3 with two RBI in his season debut.

Winthrop took a 3-0 lead in the second, as Scott Palmer led off with a double and Andy Melius walked. After a Swenson sacrifice bunt, Seehafer scored one with an RBI single, and two more scored on Anderson’s triple.

Jordan tied the game with three of its own in the top of the third, as the Brewers bunched five singles in the inning.

But a two-run fourth inning gave Winthrop the lead for good. With Seehafer aboard on a walk, Anderson ripped a two-run homer over the scoreboard in right-centerfield for a 5-3 lead.

A five-run scoring burst in the fifth inning gave the Eagles a 10-3 lead. With one out, Fahey lofted a long home run over the 365-foot sign in left-centerfield. After a second out, Andy Melius reached on an error and Swenson followed with his two-run homer over the leftfield fence. A Glenn Peters walk and Anderson RBI double closed the five-run inning.

Three more runs for Winthrop in the sixth inning put the Eagles ahead by a 13-3 score. After a Fahey single and Palmer walk, Andy Melius ripped an RBI double. Swenson followed with an RBI groundout, and Seehafer wrapped up the rout with an RBI single.

Scott Palmer worked six innings on the mound for Winthrop in his first start of the season. Although battling some control problems and throwing 137 pitches, he struck out eight to earn the victory. Lincoln Messner, in his first stint on the mound this season, struck out the side in the seventh to secure the 10-run rule win for the Eagles.

Le Sueur 3, Winthrop 2

Le Sueur bunched three of their five hits in a three-run third inning, then hung on as the Eagles gathered 12 hits but stranded 13 runners in a 3-2 RVL loss, here, on Sunday.

Despite four regulars out of the starting lineup to open the game, the Eagles’ bats continued to hit well, with Dan Anderson going 3-5 and Lucas Seehafer and Scott Palmer adding two hits apiece. But Le Sueur starting pitcher Daron Culbert worked out of several jams, then got relief help from DJ Damberger to secure the win.

Winthrop starting pitcher Bill Melius was the hard-luck loser, giving up just five hits over seven innings. But two doubles, a walk and a single provided the three runs for Le Sueur, just enough for the victory.

The Eagles scored their first run in the fifth inning, as Andy Melius walked, Anderson reached on an error, and Melius scored on Palmer’s RBI single. Winthrop’s second score came in the eighth, as James Panning singled and stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, then came across on Glenn Peters’ sacrifice fly.

Winthrop threatened one last time in the ninth, as Anderson led the inning off with a single and was sacrificed to second on a Palmer bunt. But two infield groundouts closed out the win for Le Sueur.

Anderson pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Eagles. Lucas Seehafer reigned in nine outfield putouts in the game, playing well in centerfield and leftfield.

Eagles again split, stay even at 3-3

Winthrop managed again to split a pair of town team games, winning 4-1 in a non-league game Friday at Brownton, but letting a key River Valley League West Division game Sunday against the visiting St. Peter Saints get away by a 9-6 margin.

The results kept the Eagles’ season record even at 3-3 but dropped to 1-3 in RVL action. This weekend Winthrop hosts a pair of games, but Saturday’s game with Jordan has been moved to 6 p.m. from its original 2 p.m. time. On Sunday, Winthrop hosts Le Sueur at 2 p.m.

St. Peter 9, Winthrop 6

The Eagles let a key RVL divisional game slip away, losing 9-6 to St. Peter, as the Saints scored one in the eighth inning and three more in the ninth for the win.

Luck didn’t fall the Eagles’ way on Sunday, with two towering fly balls which looked like home runs getting called foul in the eighth inning. Dan Anderson lofted what looked like a go-ahead two-run homer only to get called back to the plate. Two batters later, Pat O’Malley hit a similar bomb down the leftfield line for what would have been a three-run homer, but it was again ruled foul.

St. Peter’s offense kept pounding out hits, 16 for the game, after Winthrop had opened with three runs in the opening stanza. James Panning and Ben Melius opened the game with singles, moved up on a walk to Chris Fahey, the saw a two-run single by Scott Palmer and O’Malley’s long RBI double get things going. But the Eagles left the bases loaded with just one out in the first, runs they needed later in the game. Winthrop loaded the bases again in the third with one-out and didn’t score.

St. Peter had gone 4-3 with a four-run third inning, grouping four singles around a walk and hit batsman off Winthrop starter Andy Melius. The Saints added another run in the fourth, going up 5-3. Melius struggled with control in his second start of the season, hitting four St. Peter batters.

But Melius would leave and give way to reliever Dan Anderson with a 6-5 lead, as the Eagles scored one run in the fourth and two more in the fifth inning. With two outs in the fourth, Anderson’s high pop dropped just out of the shortstop’s reach, as the Winthrop veteran raced to second when no one covered the base. He scored on Fahey’s RBI single. With one out in the fifth, Andy Melius and Jarod Werner walked and scored on a Panning sacrifice fly and Ben Melius single.

However, the Saints kept hitting, with catcher Willy Hanson, just having finished up play at Gustavus, ripping doubles in the eighth and ninth innings to aid the St. Peter comeback and make a winning pitcher out of 55-year-old curveball pitcher and manager Tom Lacina., who pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Eagles top Bruins 4-1

Winthrop three-run fourth inning broke open a tight non-league game at Brownton, Friday, with Glenn Peters' RBI double the key blow as the Eagles hung on for a 4-1 victory. Bill Melius tossed seven strong innings, giving up just three hits, to improve to 3-1 on the season for the Eagles, with Scott Palmer earning his second save by closing out the final two with no-hit ball.

Winthrop got on the board first with a run in the third. James Panning's one-out double was followed by Pat O'Malley's two-out RBI single. In the fourth, Jarod Werner led off with a single and stole second. With one out, Max Pagel walked, Peters doubled in Werner, and Pagel scored on Panning's sacrifice fly.   Peters moved to third on the flyout, then scored on a passed ball.

Werner kept his hot bat going for Winthrop, going 2-3 to raise his team-leading batting average to .400. He also stole two bases.

The win improved the Eagles overall record to 3-2. Winthrop, 1-2 in the River Valley League, has a West Division game at home Sunday at 2 p.m.

Eagles top Gaylord 4-3

It was a game of missed scoring opportunities, as both teams stranded 16 runners. Winthrop left the bases loaded three times -- in the second, fourth and seventh innings, while Gaylord topped that, leaving the bases full in the third, fourth, seventh and ninth innings.

But in the end, the Eagles hung on for the 4-3 RVL West Division victory at Gaylord. Winthrop led 4-1 going into the ninth, but the Islanders scored two runs and loaded up the bases for the fourth time in the game before Eagle reliever Dan Anderson struck out Justin Rettmann on a changeup to secure the save.

Bill Melius earned the win on the mound for Winthrop, tossing six innings. He gave up four hits and struck out three.

James Panning led the Winthrop offense with three hits, a stolen base and an RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the second. Ben Melius added a pair of singles.

Victoria shuts out Winthrop 2-0

Victoria scored two second-inning runs on just one hit, thanks to a Winthrop fielding error, wild pitch and groundout and shut down the Eagle offense on seven hits.

Winthrop starting pitcher Andy Melius nearly matched the Vics, tossing eight innings, striking out nine, allowing just five hits, while walking one. Dan Andeson pitched a perfect ninth for Winthrop.

Jarod Werner and Ben Melius led the Winthrop offense with two hits each.

Winthrop 12, Stark 9

Winthrop's 9-0 lead through five innings almost went to waste, as Stark battled back in a war of free passes and hit-batsmen before the Eagles hung on for a 12-9 non-league game.

Both teams had eight hits, but Winthrop benefitted from 17 Stark walks. On the flip side, three Winthrop pitchers hit nine Stark batters in the game.

Several Eagle batters contributed to the win, with James Panning scoring three runs in a 2-for-5 performance. He added an RBI and two stolen bases. Scott Palmer also scored three times and added a two-run double in the fourth. Bill Melius led the Eagles with three RBI, including a two-run double in the fourth and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Melius earned the win on the mound for the Eagles, going 5 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and three unearned runs. Palmer earned a save for Winthrop, striking out five over 2 2/3 innings.

Posted May 2/10 - James Panning to represent Winthrop in all star game

ST. PAUL SAINTS SET TO VISIT CHASKA TO TAKE ON RVL ALL-STARS ON MAY 8^TH

Game will be Chaska Athletic Park’s first activity since Spring Flooding.

Chaska Athletic Park will be ready for its first 2010 baseball action since spring flooding when the St. Paul Saints take on the River Valley League All-Stars on Saturday, May 8^th.

Also this week, River Valley League officials announced their roster for the game with the Saints. Thirteen players from the 2009 Class B championship game that saw the Shakopee Indians edge the Prior Lake Jays will participate in the game. State Class B Champion Manager Brannon Weigel of Shakopee will manage the team. Class B MVP Ryan Seifert of Chaska will anchor the RVL pitching staff.

A year ago, the Saints defeated the Cannon Valley Classic League 12-1. The Saints will be in the midst of narrowing down their team roster before they begin regular season play at home on May 13^th against the Wichita Wingnuts.

Most importantly for fans of the antics performed at St. Paul Saints games played at Midway Stadium, the Saints will bring their entertainment show to Chaska on May 8th. All of the sights, sounds and humorous moments experienced at Midway Stadium will be captured Saturday night. Mudonna, the Saints two-legged mascot, will bring a smile to kids’ faces, fans can sing along with Saints Ushertainer Seigo Masabuchi and the staple of every Saints game, the between-innings promotions, will leave fans laughing in the aisles.

2010 River Valley League Roster vs St. Paul Saints.

#	Pitchers		#	Infielders
5	Kyle Zweber	Prior Lake	3	Tony Lane	Chaska
9	Ryan Seifert	Chaska	5	Greg Winegarden	Victoria
9	Chris Swiatkiewicz	Prior Lake	7	Brad Walsh	Gaylord
10	Chris Rupert	Shakopee	23	Brad Keenan	Chaska
16	Trent Bohnsack	Jordan	24	Troy Wasiloski	Shakopee
19	Scott Hollingsworth	Jordan	25	Adam Bublotz	Fairfax
			25	Jeremy Salden	Waconia
	Catchers		34	Cullen Bahn	Jordan
7	Justin Johnson	Chaska
33	Pat Schultz	Belle Plaine		Outfielders
27	Eric Winegarden	Victoria	5	Tim Huber	Belle Plaine
			6	Joey Heller	Shakopee
Manager and Coaches			6	Tony Doherty	Prior Lake
Mike Poppitz		Victoria	12	Dusty Olynyk	Prior Lake
John Seifert		Chaska	25	Scott Dose	Arlington
Brannon Weigel		Shakopee	30	James Panning	Winthrop

Posted Apr 3/10 - Cannon Falls Tournament