Sports

SPORTS & SCHOOL

Bulldogs top D-C, struggle in Hinckley tourney

Bauman receives World Champion honors

A new Herd takes show to the streets

Journal-Press Sports Editor Heather Reinhart may be reached
by phone at 763-682-1221 or email at sports@thedrummer.com

The American Legion baseball team remains undefeated in league play after topping Rogers, Dassel-Cokato, and Mound in a trio of doubleheaders last week.

The team is now 11-3 overall and is 10-0 in the Wright County League. The only losses of the season came against out-of-state teams in the Battle of Omaha Tournament earlier this month.

In a home doubleheader with Rogers on Tuesday, June 24, the Bison won 8-1 and 5-1.

Leading 4-1, Buffalo’s Jon Zitur walked to start the inning, Aaron Duske singled, and Buzz Tryggeseth was walked to load the bases. Brady Matzke then hit a two-RBI double, and Andy Schulze laid down a perfect suicide bunt to make it a 7-1 game. Carter Vogt followed with a sacrifice to make it 8-1 Bison.

Matzke was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI in the game. Duske and Steven Kiphuth both had two hits in the game. Jake Duske pitched the complete six innings for the victory, allowing one run on four hits and two walks. He struck out three batters.

In game two, Buffalo led 2-1 after the first inning and the scoreboard remained the same until the sixth when Buffalo added three runs to win 5-1.

Brooks Beilke was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. Kiphuth and Aaron Duske both had two hits in the game.

Vogt pitched the first four innings for the win, allowing one run on two hits. He struck out three. Beilke pitched the final two innings allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out five.

On Thursday, June 26, the Bison headed to Dassel-Cokato and remained perfect in the Wright County League with a pair of victories.

In game one, Buffalo’s Jake Duske singled to start the third inning, advanced on an error, stole third, and scored on a bunt single by Beilke to go ahead 1-0. In the sixth, Vogt reached with a single and later scored on a single by Casey Druar.

Vogt pitched a near-perfect complete game, allowing just two hits and striking out three as Buffalo won 2-0.

The second game brought another Buffalo victory, but this time by a crushing score of 8-0. Buffalo took advantage of poor D-C pitching in the four-inning victory. The eight runs were scored on six hits, six walks, two hit batters, and an error.

Beilke was flawless on the mound, allowing just two hits and striking out six in four innings. Jake Duske was 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI.

Sunday’s home doubleheader with Mound had the same result with Buffalo again coming out with a pair of victories.

In game one, Buffalo scored six runs in the first inning, one in the second, and added six more in the third on the way to a big 13-2 win.

The second game resulted in a similar 13-0 score as Buffalo scored six runs in both the third and fifth innings (and added one run in the first).

In the first game, Jake Duske was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored, and four RBI. Schulze and Kiphuth were both 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Buffalo had 13 hits in the game, including four doubles and two triples.

Schulze hit a grand slam home run in the second game of the doubleheader, and five different Buffalo batters scored two runs each in the game. Aaron Duske had two doubles, and Matzke added a two-RBI triple.

The Buffalo Legion team was to host Delano in a doubleheader on Monday night, but the games had not been completed when this issue went to press due to an early holiday deadline.

On Wednesday, July 2, Buffalo was to play a doubleheader at Maple Lake, and on Monday, July 7, the team was to play a doubleheader at Howard Lake. Play is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. both days.

Editor’s note: The legion team’s record was incorrect in last week’s newspaper. The team is now 11-3 overall and 10-0 in league play.

Tyler Antony had a big night for the Buffalo Bulldogs last week. Antony is a familiar face behind the plate as a catcher, but showed his talents as a batter during a game at Dassel-Cokato last Wednesday, June 25, when he had two hits and was credited with all four of the team’s RBIs in a 4-0 victory.

With the bases loaded in the first inning, Antony hit a ground-out that scored a run. In the third, he hit an RBI single, and in the sixth inning, Antony singled again to score two baserunners and give the Bulldogs the eventual 4-0 victory.

Derek Bauer was also solid at the plate, going 4-for-4 in the game. Ed Cox pitched the first seven innings for the win, after striking out two and walking one. Corey Braun pitched the final two innings and struck out five batters.

Cox said that Dassel-Cokato had nine hits in the game, but couldn’t get a runner across due to solid defensive play by the Bulldogs. John Compton threw out a runner at home plate, another D-C base runner was picked off of first, and several baserunners were left stranded.

On Friday, the Bulldogs headed to the annual Hinckley Tournament, but the first-round game with Champlin was rained out and was rescheduled for Saturday morning. Champlin couldn’t get enough players to the field on Saturday and had to forfeit.

That afternoon, the Bulldogs took on host Hinckley and lost 8-3. Mark Benzer pitched the complete seven-inning game for the loss.

Buffalo’s defense was weak in the loss, with two errors and several other misplayed balls.

“We didn’t play real good defense in the game,” Cox said. “We didn’t play very clean.”

The Bulldogs had cut the Hinckley lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning when the host team added three more runs to secure the victory. Hinckley’s catcher was 4-for-4 in the game with two doubles, a triple, and a home run.

The final game in the Hinckley Tournament was played Sunday against Brownton and Buffalo came away with a 10-5 loss despite almost being 10-runned in the fifth inning.

Cox pitched the first inning and allowed one run before being removed from the game with a sore shoulder. At the end of the first, the Bulldogs had tied the game at 1-1 when Ben Fouquette came in and pitched. He struggled to throw strikes and lasted just 1/3 of an inning while allowing two more runs to score (3-1). Fouquette was replaced by Brandon Benzer, who threw the remaining 5 2/3 innings.

It didn’t get any better for the Bulldogs, who trailed 10-1 in the fifth before scoring four runs to get back into the action. Mark Benzer hit a two-RBI double, and Fouquette smacked a big two-run homer over the high outfield fence.

The 1-2 tournament record left the Bulldogs in fourth place overall, but Cox said the tournament was less about winning and more about having fun, and trying some new positions on the field.

Buffalo was scheduled to host Maple Plain on Wednesday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m. See next week’s paper for complete results.

The North Star League All-Star Game will be held Sunday in Maple Plain. The home run derby will kick things off at 3 p.m. with the game to follow at 4 p.m.

Tanner Bauman of Rockford Township, was recently pinned World Champion in Youth Dressage at the 2008 Pinto World Championship Horse Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The show was the largest in the history of the Pinto Horse Association, with over 2,100 spotted equines competing for titles, buckles, saddles, and a variety of other prizes.

Along with teammates Brenna Voller of Ramsey, Kate VanBenthuysen of Prior Lake, and Ashley Hoffmann of Webster, Bauman was part of the Minnesota Magic Youth team that took second in the Hippology competition. The team also finished fourth overall in the Team Tournament competition.

Bauman, a junior at Buffalo High School, is in his second year of competition with his horse, A Southern Situation. The pair competes in up to 20 different events in each competition.

The Pinto Heritage Foundation held a Youth & Amateur Officers Labor auction, with all proceeds going to benefit the scholarships given annually by the Foundation. Bauman was the high selling youth, and represents the National PtHA Youth Organization as treasurer.

Bauman and “Skeeter” (the horse’s nickname) train with Len Danielson of North Run Farm in Delano, and with Peter Frost in Maple Plain.

The Buffalo High School marching band looks a little different this year. The Herd has several new staff members leading the way, and a sea of newcomers in the band itself have brought a freshness to the group.

“I think it’s more intense than in the past and I think it’s because of the new directors,” said drum major Brittany Wefel, who graduated from BHS in June.

The new faces include director Scott Rabehl, who has taken over after the retirement of Lee Kjesbo. Also new are assistant directors Andy and Lynn Richter, who have years of marching band experience behind them. Andy has been a band director in the Anoka-Hennepin School District and will work at a middle school in Blaine next school year. His resume includes being the drum major at the University of Minnesota for three years, and working with marching bands in the Anoka and Osseo districts.

“I think it’s really helpful to have the people that we have,” added senior drum major Faith Sandberg. “I miss Kjesbo tremendously, but I think we’re learning a lot.”

The new assistant directors have brought in a new warm up routine for The Herd that Rabehl said he hopes to incorporate into the classroom bands next school year.

This year’s marching band includes 55 students who have not previously been members of The Herd.

“It does make it a little hectic because there are so many rookies, but that also makes it more fun,” said Sandberg. “I love marching band.”

“At the beginning, there were a lot of new people to teach,” added Wefel. “It makes it fun to bring the new faces in.”

Newcomer Bergen Nelson, a sophomore who plays the mellophone (the marching version of the French horn), said he was talked into joining the band by Rabehl and was happy for the extra shove.

“After the first couple of practices I decided that it was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was a good decision and I’m thankful that Mr. Rabehl pressured me into it.”

Nelson said he enjoys playing music and said that marching band is a good way to keep his musical abilities in shape over the summer months. He said it also keeps him in physical shape as marching and holding an instrument for hours on end is more difficult that one might think.

“It does test your physical limits a lot,” he said. “All the people are really nice and it’s a really good atmosphere. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It’s a feeling of accomplishment — particularly after the parade.”

Senior Andy Gonier is the captain of the honor guard and caries the riffle. He doesn’t play an instrument, but enjoys being a part of the marching band because of all the friendships that are made.

Gonier is in his second year with the marching band and said that so far the judges have made lots of positive comments about the honor guard.

“I love how it’s strict and the dedication that you have to put into it,” he said.

Gonier said there have definitely been some changes this season, but he believes things are going well.

“This year it’s a little different with Kjesbo being gone,” Gonier said. “It’s a different atmosphere, but we’re all here because we love it.”

Senior Jeff Sisco is in his second year with the band. Last year he was a member of the honor guard and this year he was promoted to captain of the drumline.

“I like this year a lot more,” he said. “It’s been kind of challenging to be a leader over a lot of people. I have to keep a step ahead of everyone else — or try to.”

Sisco is not a member of the concert band during the school year. He enjoys playing the drums and joined Winter Drumline during his sophomore year. Then decided to try marching band as well.

He said his favorite things about marching band are the bus rides and getting to meet and become friends with so many people.

On Saturday, Buffalo headed to a small-town parade in Rogers where The Herd placed second to Litchfield by a narrow margin. Litchfield scored 85.8 points to Buffalo’s 84.5.

“The kids felt like there was an even better performance in them,” Rabehl said.

Buffalo got the chance to better its performance the very next day when The Herd competed in the prestigious Vikingland Band Festival in Alexandria on Sunday.

Buffalo was hoping to reclaim the champion flag that it earned three years ago. Every year, the winner of the parade (the band that earns the highest score from judges) receives a flag that it is allowed to fly for one year. The Herd earned the flag in 2005, but it was taken by Sauk Rapids in 2006 and 2007. This year, the Bison wanted to get the flag back, but came up a little short.

“The kids felt like they did a good job and Sauk Rapids just did better,” Rabehl said. “It was a great day.”

Sauk Rapids was the winner of Class AAA with a score of 77.0. Buffalo took second with 74.80 points.

Of all 21 competing bands in four classes combined, Sauk Rapids finished fourth and Buffalo finished sixth. Park Center was named the Grand Champion for the second year in a row with 91.70 points. Waconia was second with 90.30 points, and the Mankato Lancers were third overall with 89.05 points.

Buffalo names a Best Visual Performer award winner from each parade. Flute player Lyndsay Reiersen earned the honor after Saturday’s parade, and French horn player Emily Bischoff received the award on Sunday.

The Herd will take some time off over the holiday week with their next parade scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, in Isanti. On Friday, July 11, Buffalo will compete in River Falls. Both are smaller parades with only 3-5 bands participating.