Team Russia concludes tour with 8-5 victory
RLB -- The Russian National Team scored five runs in the first two innings against starter and loser Hank Woodman and then held on to beat host Schaumburg 8-5 in the finale of its eight-game Northern League Tour on Saturday. The two-game sweep of the Flyers gave Team Russia a 2-6 record on the series.

Scoreboard   R  H  E Team Russia  8 11  1 Flyers       5  9  2 Full Box Score

The Flyers battled back from an early 5-0 deficit to come within one run after seven innings, but the Russians put together four hits and a walk against reliever Damon Newman in a three-run 8th to put the game away.
Alexei Valyalin gave up two runs in three innings of work for the victory and relievers Oleg Korneev and Vladimir Petrov limited the hosts to three runs over the last six frames.

Team Russia beats Schaumburg 4-3
Schaumburg Flyers Official Site -- The Schaumburg Flyers lost to the Russian National Team 4-3 on Friday at Alexian Field. The Russians rallied from a 2-0 deficit, scoring twice in the top of the 7th to take the lead for good at 3-2. The visitors added an insurance run the 8th, extending their advantage to 4-2.

Scoreboard   R  H  E Team Russia  4  6  1 Flyers       3  7  3 Full Box Score

The Flyers cut their deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th when CF Steve Foley stroked a two-out RBI single. However, reliever Nikolai Petrov retired RF Joe Pomierski on a foul pop-out to end the game. Petrov picked up the save for RHP Anton Shiroky, who gave up just two earned runs in 7 innings of work en-route to victory.
The Flyers received strong pitching performances from starter T.J. Donovan & Todd Genke, last year’s Northern League-Central ERA leader. The pair combined to pitch four scoreless innings at the start of the game.  Genke recorded 5 strikeouts in his two-inning stint.
May 18: Full story

Flyers sign ex-big leaguer Matt Nokes
Schaumburg Flyers Official Site -- Full story

Saints sweep Russian Nationals
By Joe Block, St. Paul Saints Official Site -- With screams of delight from thousands of children during the annual morning Kids’ Only Day backing them, the Saints came through with a 5-1 exhibition victory over the Russian National team Thursday afternoon.
The Saints were backed early by Jesse Ibarra’s three-run home run in the first inning, the team’s third in the last two games. Losing pitcher Rinat Makhmutov (0-2) walked Noah Hall to lead off the game. Ryan Ruiz followed with a bunt single to set the table for Ibarra’s blast.
Makhmutov allowed four runs over four innings. Yury Zhirov finished the final four innings and allowed one run and two hits. The 41-year-old right-hander perplexed Saints hitters with a slow, looping eephus pitch mixed with his fastball.
May 17: Full story

Saints take first game from Russian Nationals
By Joe Block, St. Paul Saints Official Site -- The Saints started by scoring with opportunistic batting and help from the visitors, then by bashing the ball in the latter innings en route to a 12-3 victory against the Russian National Federation team at Midway Stadium on Wednesday.

Scoreboard   R  H Team Russia  3  3 Saints      12 10

Team Russia (0-5) pushed across runs in the third and fourth innings through the benefit of walks and singles. With the score 3-2, the Saints scored three runs in the fifth and sixth innings on 3-run home runs by Keith Williams and Noah Hall.
May 16: Full story

Dukes make short work of Russians
By Tom Larson, Duluth News Tribune -- Leading 3-0 after 4 (and a half) innings, the Duluth-Superior Dukes announced that their exhibition game against the Russian National Team on Tuesday night was called because of rain. Many of the fans at Wade Stadium groaned.

Scoreboard  R  H  E Team Russia 0  3  1 Dukes       3  4  1

The Dukes scored two first-inning runs, pitcher Tom Doyle looked sharp in his four innings and about 350 fans -- more than the team expected -- braved fog, cold temperatures and then showers. They left wanting more.
Doyle struck out seven in four innings, allowing three hits and a walk. Adam Barta worked the fifth and set the Russians down in order.
May 15: Full story

Goldeyes' offence in high gear against Russia
By Paul Wiecek, Winnipeg Free Press -- Sure, they beat the Russians. But can the Winnipeg Goldeyes beat Fargo?
That's the lingering question this morning after the Fish edged the fledgling Russian National Team 11-9 before 3,913 at the Fishbowl last night in the Goldeyes' first exhibition game of the 2001 season.
May 15: Full story

Goldeyes hopefuls shake off rust in first action
By Ken Wiebe, Winnipeg Sun -- Prospective Winnipeg Goldeyes got their first chance to showcase their talent against an actual opponent last night as they played host to the Russian national team.
In a game featuring 20 runs on 19 hits and six errors, the Goldeyes beat Russia 11-9 before 3,913 fans at CanWest Global Park.
May 14: Full story

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 8, Team Russia 3
By Eric Peterson, The Forum (Fargo, N.D.) -- The Russian National Team came to Fargo’s Newman Outdoor Field Sunday to get something it couldn’t back home – a strong dose of baseball seasoning.

Scoreboard  R  H  E Team Russia 3  6  3 RedHawks    8 11  2

“We have good players, but we cannot give them the conditioning to be better in Russia,” Russian coach Dmitri Schlyapnikov said. “We’re glad to be here; to watch practice, play games and look at organizations. It’s good experience for us.”
Fargo-Moorhead second baseman Doug Livingston made sure the Russians didn’t experience success at the hands of the RedHawks in their exhibition opener. Livingston went 4-for-5 with a home run to lead F-M to an 8-3 victory in front of 3,048 fans.
May 13: Full story

Canaries hang on to beat Russian National Team
Sioux Falls Canaries Official Site: First-inning run the difference in tight 1-0 win to kick off exhibition slate
Bernard Caston, Sioux Falls' first batter of the game, tripled and scored a batter later. Simply put, that was all the scoring in this contest as the Canaries held on to beat the Russian National Team Saturday night in the first exhibition game of the season.
1B Mike Busch, whose 19 homers set a new Sioux Falls club record last season, doubled and went 2-for-4, but the Canaries were limited to just four hits. In fact Busch's eighth-inning double was the only Sioux Falls hit after the third inning. Russian starter Rinat Makhmutov struck out seven and allowed just the one run on three hits in taking the loss.

Scoreboard  R  H  E Team Russia 0  5  0 Canaries    1  4  2

Sioux Falls manager Doc Edwards took a look at six pitchers on the night, with LHP Anthony Marini getting the win and RHP Ben Fleetham notching the save. Four Sioux Falls relievers held the Russians hitless over the final five innings.
The Russian Nationals, who tallied five hits on the night, were led by Alexandr Fedorov, who was 2-for-3 with a double. The Russians next battle the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on Sunday and wrap up their tour of the upper Midwest at Schaumburg on May on May 19.