Tea Steam enjoying five game winning streak

On Thursday, June 12, the Tea Steam amateur baseball team continued their winning ways, securing an 18-2 victory over the Parker Ringnecks.

Tea’s pitching staff set the tone early. Trey Heckenlaible took the mound and struck out six batters across the first three innings, keeping the Ringnecks scoreless during that stretch. Boston Willemssen came in as relief in the fourth inning, holding Parker in check and tallying several key outs.

After a quiet first inning, the Tea bats came alive in the second inning. Marcus Bolin reached on an error that allowed Heckenlaible to score the first run. A passed ball soon brought home Curtis Flint, giving Tea a 2-0 lead. The Steam added another run in the third when Ben Loos tripled and came home on a sacrifice fly by Troy Ljunggren.

Parker found brief success in the fourth inning, scoring two runs with the help of a walk, an error, and aggressive baserunning. But that would be all they could muster against the dominant Tea defense.

Tea’s offense erupted in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, hits from  Heckenlaible, Bolin, and Ljunggren, along with a series of walks and hit batters, extended the lead. The Steam scored seven runs in the fourth alone, pushing the score to 9-2.

The fifth inning sealed the deal, as Tea piled on nine more runs. The big blows came from Flint, who blasted a two-run homer to center, and Heckenlaible, who tripled to drive in another run. Nathan Babb also delivered with a double that brought home a run.

Loos had a standout game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double, triple, single, and multiple RBIs.

The Tea Steam’s balanced attack, with contributions from nearly every player in the lineup, and strong pitching from Heckenlaible and Willemssen, highlighted the night as they rolled to an 18-2 win.

The Steam secured a narrow 2-1 victory over the LCW Dirt Devils in an exciting match-up on Sunday, June 15, thanks to solid pitching and timely hitting. 

Tea wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning. After Logan Boom drew a walk and advanced on a single by Dawson Portner, Loos followed with a single to load the bases.  Ljunggren then grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Boom to cross the plate for the game’s first run.

LCW tied the contest in the top of the third inning. 

Both teams battled through scoreless frames as pitchers Cameron Jensen and Isaac Bambas kept hitters in check. Jensen was particularly effective, recording seven strikeouts over seven innings of work.

The Steam reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth. After Jensen singled and advanced on a passed ball, Portner delivered again, driving in Jensen with a single to center for what would prove to be the game-winning run.

Tea’s defense held strong in the final innings. Despite LCW loading the bases in the top of the eighth, reliever Flint worked out of the jam with a key strikeout. Sam Kampschoff closed the game, stranding the tying run at third in the ninth.

Tea’s offense was led by Portner, who went 2-for-4 with the decisive RBI. The Steam combined for seven hits on the day.

The Steam earned their fifth win a row with 7-5 win over Vermillion on Monday night, June 16, in a game filled with momentum swings, clutch performances, and late-inning heroics.

Tea took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to aggressive baserunning and capitalizing on Vermillion’s passed balls. After loading the bases, Portner came home on a passed ball, putting Tea on the board.

Vermillion responded in the third inning pushing across three runs and seize a 3-1 lead. But Tea showed resilience in the bottom half of the frame. Boom started the rally with a single, and after another passed ball and a series of walks and hit batters, Tea tied the game at 3-3. Another passed ball allowed Loos to cross the plate, giving Tea a 4-3 advantage.

Vermillion tied it at 4-4 in the fifth. But the game’s decisive moments came in the bottom of the seventh. After a lead-off double from Jensen and a sacrifice bunt by Kampschoff, Heckenlaible’s RBI single broke the tie. Moments later, Austin Portner delivered the dagger—a two-run homer to left field, extending the lead to 7-4.

Vermillion threatened in the ninth, scoring one run on a Tea defensive error. But pitcher Heckenlaible held firm, recording the final out with a strikeout to seal the victory.

Portner not only came through with the bat but also set the tone early on the mound before handing duties over to Heckenlaible. Portner had five strikeouts in the game and Heckenlaible had seven. 

The Steam will be at home on Sunday, June 22 when they take on the Akron Rebels at 2 p.m. at home. They will be at Garretson on Tuesday, June 24 for a 7:30 p.m. game and at Elk Point on Wednesday, June 25 for a 7:30 p.m. game. On Sunday, June 29 they will be at the LCW Dirt Devils.