By Larry Mollins/Guest Contributor
JORDAN - Things did not go as planned for the Silver Pirates over the weekend as they dropped a pair of games. The last time the Silver Pirates faced competition was over three weeks ago when they had reeled off five victories in a row. The break seemed to have cooled off the bats as runs were at a premium for Perham all weekend.
Saturday afternoon a couple of the state’s best teams went head-to-head in Jordan for a 3 p.m. contest. Two-time State Champion Perham faced four-time State Champion Searles Bullheads, (formerly the Hanska ‘Bullheads”). Perham came out on the short end of a well played 4-2 contest.
Greg Schmid has been the “mound ace” for the Silver lads all season and he continued his dominance through the first two innings as it was three up and three down for Searles. It looked like the third inning would be the same as Schmid retired the first two batters on a groundout to short and a strikeout, but three hits and two walks later – Searles had a 3-0 lead.
Perham rallied to start a comeback in the top of the 4th as Jim Nelson and Darrin Ovsak walked before Charlie Haverland launched a double off the base of the right field wall. Haverland’s drive chased Nelson home and moved Ovsak to third. Jim Burnos grounded to short to score Ovsak and the Silver Pirates were back in the game down by a score of 3-2.
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Schmid retired the Bullheads in order in the 4th but a triple and a sacrifice in the 5th, put Searles up 4-2 and that’s the way it ended.
The Pirates totals were 2-runs on 4-hits and 1-error as Searles had 4-runs on 7-hits and no errors.
Getting the safeties for Perham were Ron Litzau, Terry Haus, Tim Studer and Charley Haverland.
The last out of the game for Searles produced a Web Gem for Perham as Searles had 2 on and 2 out before the batter ripped a shot down the first base line for what looked like a 2-run double. Pirate first baseman Terry Haus made a diving catch and a neat toss to Schmid who covered first, for the last out of the inning.
The loss moved the Silver Pirates into the quarterfinals of class A in a game against league champion Fort Ripley at Shakopee 1 p.m. Sunday.
Fort Ripley hit the ball hard and often as they managed to find the spaces between the Perham defense. Perham pitchers Tim “Doc” Studer and Jim Burnos were dinged for 15 hits to go along with three walks, while Perham could only answer with five hits and four walks.
Ripley garnered 4 runs in the first, 1 in the second and 6 in the 5th to ten-run Perham in a short five-inning contest.
Perham's only run came in the third as Terry Haus drove home a walking Larry Mollins.
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Haus led Perham hitters with a double, single and a walk and he also turned in a nice defensive play as he ran down a high pop fly in foul territory, on a bad leg.
Ron Litzau ripped a shot down the left field line for a double to lead off the fifth but ended up stranded on third.
Garry Grewe and Darrin Ovsak picked up the other hits for the Silver Pirates as they went down in defeat 11-1.
The Silver Pirates will move into the consolation bracket and play a 6:30 p.m. game this Friday with the site and opponent yet to be determined at this printing. Two victories for Perham and they will settle for 5th place – not what they wanted but sometimes things don’t go the way we want them.
