Baer leads offense with 5 hits:
Pustka tosses 2-hitter in regional semi-final win
Thursday, May 27, 2004
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Chris Baer, lead-off batter for the Shiner Comanches, left little doubt the Comanches weren't going to be intimidated by Burton Panther ace, Bradley Chovanec in last week's regional semifinal game in Weimar.
Coach Daniel Boedeker gives the "hold up here" signal to Chris Baer after his blast for a triple. The Panther third baseman waits for the relay from the shortstop, but it wasn't in time to get Baer who went 5-for-5 for the night. (all photos by Shiner Gazette)
Baer, who finished with a perfect 5-for-5, belted a lead off double and scored Shiner's first run in an 11-0 win over the Panthers. Baer had three singles, a double and triple in the game.
The rest of the Comanches followed suit adding seven hits and took advantage of a number of Burton errors in the 1-game play off.
"Chris did a great job at the plate to get us started. Everyone then followed suit and we had some key hits that helped," said Coach Daniel Boedeker.
Meanwhile, Garet Pustka held the Panthers to just two hits while striking out 11.
"Garet did a good job on the mound. He started off good, got into a bind a couple of times but worked his way out," said Boedeker.
Coaches Daniel Boedeker and Steven Cerny (7) congratulate Garet Pustka after he pitched out of the third inning Burton threat, stranding three runners.
After retiring the first six batters, Pustka found himself in a jam in the third inning but managed to work out of the inning, leaving the bases loaded. A walk and an error on a sacrifice bunt put two runners on base. Another bunt for an out advanced the runners to second and third.
Pustka then got a strikeout before issuing another walk to load the bases. Pustka had already thrown 26 pitches in the inning and had a 3-0 count on the next batter before getting a strikeout on the 32nd pitch.
In the fourth inning, the Panthers again threatened before Pustka got the last two out on easy infield outs, leaving runners on first and second.
A heads up play by shortstop Ryan Kloesel in the fifth kept Burton off the base paths. A sharp grounder went off the glove of third baseman Russell Boothe. Kloesel scooped up the deflected ball and fired to first to get the third out.
"We had some great defensive plays. We just had a good game all the way," added Boedeker.Shiner took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and scored a trio of runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings for the 11-0 win.
Jared Boedeker gets set to throw to first after fielding a grounder for the third out in the fourth inning.
Following Baer's opening game double, he scored on a sacrifice fly to deep right by Pustka. Russell Boothe reached first on an error and scored on Brady Strauss' single to left.
The Comanches scored three runs in the fifth on three hits and an error. Chase O'Connor beat out an infield grounder for a single and scored on Baer's triple. Pustka was safe on an error and Baer scored on the play.
After stealing second Pustka scored on Scott Shimek's RBI single and Shiner led 5-0.
The Comanches made it 8-0 in the sixth on hits by O'Connor and Baer, two hit batters and three Panther errors.
Shortstop Ryan Kloesel fires to first to get the runner after fielding a deflected ground ball.
In the seventh, Brady Strauss laid out a perfect bunt down the third base line for a single. Jared Boedeker walked and both scored on a double by Dylan Hagens. Hagens then added Shiner's final run on Baer's sharp grounder to shortstop.
In addition to Baer's perfect evening. Chase O'Connor was 3-for-4. Strauss and Shimek each had two hits,
Shiner (19-8) will face Thorndale in the regional final in a 3-game series beginning Wednesday at 7:30 at Blinn College in Brenham.
Coach Boedeker said Thorndale had a good overall team and it should prove to be a big challenge.
The second game will be played at 7:30 on Friday in Weimar and the third game, if needed, will be played at Blinn on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Game Summary: Score F Shiner 2 0 0 0 3 3 3 11 Burton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Highlights: Garet Pustka and Brady Strauss. Bradley Chovanec and Bradley Wienstadt. WP: Pustka 10-2. LP: Chovanec 9-4. Records: Shiner 19-8, Burton 13-12. Highlights: (S) Chris Baer 5-for-5, 2 RBIs; Scott Shimek 2-for-4, RBI; Strauss 2-for-4, RBI; Chase O'Connor 3-for-4, RBI; Pustka 2-hitter, 11 strikeouts. NOTE: Shiner will face the D'Hanis-Thorndale winner in the regional final.
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