Sports stats



Beetles Fizzle after Strong Start

July 22, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Alexandria Beetles News Release


Alexandria, MN - Alexandria scored four runs in the first inning to knock Waterloo starter Brock Hudgens out of the game and Josh Carpenter and Tanner Vavra both delivered two-RBI triples in the middle innings, but the Beetles (21-32, 8-10) were left to lament another heartbreaking loss when a ninth-inning rally fell short in a 12-11 loss to the Bucks (28-25, 9-9).

Waterloo completed a sweep of the Beetles who left the tying run on third and the winning run on second in the ninth inning for the second time in the series.

With ace Jon Reed on the mound setting the Bucks down in order in the first, Alexandria jumped out with a four-spot in the bottom of the first inning when the first four men reached capped off by a Jimmy Pickens three-run homer, his first home run since June 26. Hudgens threw 35 pitches in the first, forced to leave the game by Northwoods League rule.

But Reed ran into serious trouble in the top of the second as the righty allowed five consecutive two-out hits as Waterloo scored four runs to tie the game and force Reed, who threw 35 pitches, out of the game himself.

The Bucks took their first lead in the third. Kevin Kaczmarski, who finished the series 10-14, homered to lead off the inning against Ali Simpson and Waterloo extended the lead on a groundout to make the score 6-4.

As was the case all series long, Alexandria bounced right back in the bottom of the inning as the Beetles scored two to tie the game at six when Josh Carpenter sent a seeing-eye triple down the right-field line out of the reach of a diving Davis Hendrickson.

Two innings later in the fifth, it was Hendrickson who but Waterloo ahead again when he hit a two-run home run off Michael Reed to re-open the advantage. That lead too was short lived as Alexandria put up four in the bottom of the inning with RBI singles for Carpenter and Fulmer, and Vavra's two-run triple to right.

But four unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh, with a Jason Hockemeyer two-RBI triple, a Nico Zych RBI single, and four walks in the seventh, gave Waterloo a lead it would never relinquish.

Against closer Kellen Camus in the ninth, the Beetles sent seven men to the plate and scored a single run to cut the deficit to 12-11 when Tanner Vavra walked to force in a run with the bases loaded. That brought Fulmer to the plate, but with the count 3-2, Camus induced a pop-up into shallow left field to send Alexandria into the All-Star Break on a four-game skid.

In the loss, Fulmer extended his hitting streak to 23 games and his on-base streak to 36.

The Beetles return to the field on Thursday in Mankato with a 7:05 CDT first pitch.

• Discuss this story on the Northwoods League message board...

Northwoods League Stories from July 22, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Alexandria Beetles Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central