Express opener suspended

For the second year in a row, the Eau Claire Express were unable to complete their scheduled home opener. Thursday’s season opener against the Wisconsin Woodchucks was suspended because of weather in the middle of the fourth inning with the Woodchucks leading 2-0.
The game will be resumed at a later date – the most likely day would seem to be June 10, when the Woodchucks return to Carson Park.
Wisconsin took advantage of some wildness by Express starter Shane Dyer and some shaky defense to score two strange runs early.
The first came with two outs in the top of the second, when Bobby Pritchett came around to score all the way from second on a wild pitch. Dyer’s offering went between the legs of catcher Kyle Holloway, who couldn’t locate the ball. That allowed Pritchett to round third and slide in safely with the game’s first run.
Another wild pitch – also between Holloway’s legs – put runners at second and third with no one out in the third. Jeff Cowan then came across to score when third baseman D.J. Anderson bobbled a chopper off the bat of Carson Vitale. Anderson appeared to have a play at home but bobbled the ball on the transfer.
The game was played in fairly steady rain. It finally was delayed at 8:55 p.m., when flashes of lightning appeared just as Express left fielder Brooks Pinckard gloved a fly ball to end the top of the fourth.
After a 38 minute delay, during which the rain increased, the game finally was officially called at 9:33 p.m.

- Joe Ziemer