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Minnetonka downs No. 1-ranked Eden Prairie

By Amelia Rayno, Star Tribune, 04/21/11, 9:54AM CDT

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The Skippers take advantage of a few key EP errors to improve to 4-0

 

Today, Minnetonka coach Paul Twenge will be eating a bowl of cauliflower for lunch.
The Skippers’ baseball squad has an agreement, you see—if the guys play well, the coaches are stuck eating vegetables. And after Wednesday night’s 2-1 home win over No. 1-ranked defending 3A champs Eden Prairie, to push the team to 4-0 on the early season, there’s just one question:
When, oh when, will Twenge get to eat his beloved potato chips again?
“We’re on the honor system, but if they see me eating junk food they can bust me … I would eat chips every day if I could,” Twenge said with a sigh.
He’s coaching too good a team for that.
The Skippers’ jumped at a couple of Eden Prairie errors for scores and their pitching and defense held on to make them count.
Minnetonka got on the board first in the third inning after Gabe Boyce walked, stole second, made it to third on a ball that went into the dirt and then scrambled home on an errant throw from Eden Prairie’s catcher. They stretched it to two on another muff from the Eagles in the fifth—after Skipper leadoff Andrew Weber whacked a single, Eden Prairie’s pitcher, Tyler Ruemmele tried to pick him off at first and the bad throw sent to third Weber, who scored shortly after on a wild pitch.
“He really has unbelievable speed,” Twenge said. “You have to take advantage of those mistakes when you can.”
As for his team, they were errorless . Son Alex Twenge got his third win of the season with a six-strikeout, two-walk, two-hit  performance and Neil Kof ensured the win, striking out two in a row after putting a man on first and second.
“He did the same thing to Burnsville,” Twenge said. “This is what Neil is supposed to do. Our coaching staff does a great job of carving guys out for situations like this. And then…if we can get them in this situation, hopefully they will be successful.”
The Skippers play Eden Prairie twice more this season, but right now, they look as confident as ever.
As for Twenge? The cauliflower has him looking thin.
“At least I won’t look like a balloon in my uniform,” he said.

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