Quantcast
skip navigation

Minnetonka tops Eden Prairie again

By Amelia Rayno, Star Tribune, 05/04/11, 11:14PM CDT

Share

No. 1 Skippers take advantage of four Eagles errors for a 6-2 win

When Minnetonka slinger Alex Twenge woke up on Wednesday morning to sunshine and a 60-plus-degree forecast, he knew it would be a good day in Minnesota.

He couldn’t help but extend the vibes into the evening hours, pitching a complete game with six strikeouts for a 6-2 win, the Skippers’ — and Twenge’s — second consecutive victory over rival Eden Prairie.

“Just being able to throw in short sleeves made me the happiest kid alive,” said the righty, who also said he pitched his past three games in hail, rain and snow. “I’ve been waiting for a day like this.”

He took full advantage, and the offense didn’t lag either.

As in their last matchup, when the Skippers outlasted Eden Prairie 2-1, Minnetonka again capitalized on several mistakes from the Eagles, but this time the Skippers did it early.

When Eden Prairie muffed two balls in left field and a throw to first in the first two innings, the visiting team jumped at the opportunity, getting a home run from David Dolan and a couple of solid hits for a 5-0 lead.

“Our defense was a little shaky tonight,” Eagles coach Mike Halloran said of his team’s four errors.

Eden Prairie looked as though it might retaliate in the very next inning, when Lance Thonvold smashed a homer and Danny Blasy followed with a double. But with no outs and a man hovering on third, Twenge struck out three, allowing just one baserunner in the meantime, a hit batter.

“Any time you can take the wind out of their sails … that’s huge,” coach Paul Twenge said. “Alex — I think he was born to be a player.”

The Eagles scattered a few big hits through the rest of the game, but each time Alex Twenge regrouped to hold the damage to a minimum.

“You get nervous, but you use it as fuel,” said the senior, who threw 107 pitches. “We just put our foots on their throats and finished it off.”

Related Stories

  • Schedules posted for 2020 season

  • By Paul Patane, SportsEngine 03/20/2020, 3:00pm CDT
  • A bevy of talent concentrated in the east and west metro suburbs of the Twin Cities makes league games from two conferences in particular must-watch baseball this season.
  • Read More