Baseball: Whitecaps go 1-2 at Cold Spring tourney

• Eustice

Contributed Brad Eustice (right) was 4-9 in Carlos Whitecaps’ tournament action at Cold Spring last weekend. The team is hoping to defend its Class B state title this year.

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The Carlos Whitecaps dropped a pair of games in the Cold Spring tournament last weekend, picking up one win.

“Overall, I’m happy with the weekend,” said Troy Olson, Whitecaps manager. “We are battling several injuries and missing three key starters that are expected back this coming week.

“This is the best tournament in the state for 35 and over baseball, and these games will only make us better come state tournament time at the end of August.

“Although, I’d really like another crack at Cold Spring with a healthy team,” he added. “Cold Spring is the model of team we’re trying to create in Carlos; a team of class and excellence.”

In the opening game, Carlos faced the Cold Spring Silver Springers, falling 6-1.

“We faced the all-time leader in wins, Dave Hinkemeyer for Cold Spring,” said Olson. “Dave is just a fantastic pitcher and kept us off balance and baffled most of the game. Marc Illies, our ace, started for us but had to leave the game in the fourth inning because he pulled a muscle in his back and at the time the score was 0-0. It was a pitchers duel until then. We brought in Smoke Jacobson and the Springers hit him pretty hard. Cold Spring has a real good team.”

Sixteen hits secured 14 runs for Carlos in the game against Minnetonka as the squad picked up a 14-3 victory in game two.

“We went through three Tonka pitchers and none seemed to have an answer for the Carlos wave of hitters,” Olson said. “The game started at 8 p.m. and finished at 10:50 p.m.

Our pitcher, Vinny Palyan, a former Gopher centerfielder and captain who also played AAA for the San Francisco Giants, pitched a masterpiece for the Whitecaps.”

In the consolation championship, Carlos faced Woodbury and fell 4-1.

“Game time was at 11a.m.,” said Olson. “The Whitecaps arrived back in Alexandria around 12:30-1 a.m. in the morning the previous night and it took a while for the 35 and over veterans to get loose and get the sleep dust out of our eyes.

“We came out flat and were down 4-0 in a hurry. Marc Illies entered the game on the mound with a pulled muscle to give us a chance. We had many opportunities, left the bases loaded several times, but couldn’t get a big hit or make a big play for the comeback.”

GAME STATISTICS

COLD SPRING 000 101 4 6-7-0

CARLOS 000 000 1 1-8-0

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Brian Jacobson 4-6-5-5-0-0, Mark Illies (L) 3-1-1-1-1-3.

HITTING – Brad Anderson 1-4, 1 rbi; Brad Eustice 1-4; Greg Endres 2-3; Rob Illies 2-3, 1 run; Tom Illies 2-3.

CARLOS 304 124 14-16-0

MINNETONKA 002 010 3-5-0

PITCHING – Vinny Palyan (W) 6-5-3-3-4-11.

HITTING – Brad Anderson 3-4, 3 runs, 2 rbi, 1 bb; Brad Eustice 3-5, 3 runs, 1 ri; Greg Endres 3-5, 1 run, 5 rbi, 2b; Mark Illies 1-3, 2 runs, 1 bb; John Toop 2-3, 1 run, 4 rbi, 3b; Tom Illies 2-3, 2 runs, 1 rbi, 2b, 1 bb; Rob Illies 1 run, 2 bb.

WOODBURY 030 100 4-7-0

CARLOS 000 010 1-4-0

PITCHING – Mark Illies 3-2-0-0-0-0; Brian Jacobson (L) 3-5-4-2-2-0.

HITTING – Brad Anderson 1 bb, 1 rbi; Greg Endres 1-3; John Toop 1-2, 1 bb; Tom Illies 1-3; Troy Olson 1-3, 1 run, Mitch Steidl 1 bb.

Tags: alexandria sports, area sports, sports, carlos, whitecaps, baseball