No Rick today, but jetz is back with you for updates on the game from Field #3 at the North Charlotte Regional Park. After some stomach flu issues for some of the Saders yesterday, Valpo is back to full strength today. Mahoney is leading off at ss, Vavra batting 2nd playing 2nd, Bain at 1st, Loeffler is the DH, Martin at 3rd, Morman in left, Cribbs behind the dish, Hara in CF, and Manning in right. We are the home team and wearing all white unis with gold and black trim. Dalton Lundeen, a true freshman, will get his first collegiate start on the hill...
Villanova comes in 1-6 after some bad weather to start the season in NC. This is their first game in Port Charlotte.
It's sunny and cloudless here in Port Charlotte--about 74 degrees now and a 7-10 mph breeze blowing from the right field foul pole to left. Villanova is wearing all gray with navy trim. Forgot to mention Valpo is wearing their Sunday camo hats with the gold V.
Lundeen delivers the first pitch for a strike, he's a big lefty--6'3" and about 220. He walks leadoff hitter Rambaud. Bochicchio steps in. He'll be BJ on this blog. ;D Fouls off a couple of bunt attempts. Lundeen FB at only 80 early. BJ drives a triple off the wall in left center. Hara hit the fence hard but is OK. Vill leads 1-0, no out
Bain misjudges a pop up at first and it falls. The runner stays at 3rd. Runners at the corners, no out, we trail 1-0. Cleanup hitter Cialone at bat. Should have been an easy out with the last batter. Cialone drives a line drive single to left. Now 2-0 Vill. Runners on first and third. Coach Schmack to the mound. Lundeen's pitches aren't moving much, right now just too easy to hit. Schrenk steps in for Vill.
Schrenk bounces to Lundeen, who catches the runner off of third in a rundown. The runners advance to 2nd and 3rd. We got one out, trailing 2-0.
If you are throwing 80, you better have your offspeed pitches working, otherwise it will be a long day. Personal experience with that in college after I lost speed :)
Vill batter Lowe drives a single down the LF line and two runs score. Lowe thrown out trying to take second. Vill leads 4-0, two out, nobody on. Jones in to hit for Vill. Lundeen strikes out Jones on a curve in the dirt. Cribbs completes the K with the throw to first. Vill leads 4-0 on three hits after a rough start for Lundeen. :banghead:
Tx, normally I guess Lundeen has good movement. Let's see if he comes around after the first inning nerves.
Mahoney in against RHPMacLachlan. Nice to see a righty for once. Mahoney flies to left for the first out.
Vavra at bat. Vavra is HBP. His second of the year. He takes second on a pitch in the dirt to Bain. Good reead by Vavra, who beat a close play. Bain drives a RBI single by the third baseman. Vavra scores without a throw. Now 4-1 Vill. One out bottom 1.
Loeffler bounces out 1st to pitch. Two out, Bain to second.
The Vill pitcher is in the mid 80s with the fastball, curve at 78. Martin flies out to medium CF to end the first. Vill 4, Valpo 1
Jewett for Vill hits a hot shot to Martin at third, who handles it but then overthrows 1B. E5. The next Vill batter bunts back to Lundeen, who goes to first for the out. Runner on 2nd.
Top of the order up for Vill. Ramboud flies out to shallow right. The runner stays. 2 away.
Lundeen throws an 83 mph heater by BJ for the third out. Nice location. Mid 2nd, Vill 4, Valpo 1.
Morman at bat in the bottom of 2. He needs to get going. Rough stretch over the last few games. He hits a cutter to short, and is thrown out. 1 away. Cribbs up. He strikes out for out #2. Here's Hara. He had a touch of flu yesterday, but is feeling better today. He hits a soft grounder to second for the third out of the inning. Trailing 4-1 after 2.
Lundeen settles in and gets the first Vill batter looking to start the top of 3. Cialone hits a fly ball to medium-deep right that Manning camps under. 2 away. Dalton looking much more confident. The 1-2-3 inning closes when the next batter grounds harmlessly to 2nd. Nice job Lundeen! Still 4-1, mid 3.
Manning in the box for Valpo. Chris started the year slow, but broke out a bit yesterday with the bat. He flies out to straightaway center for out #1.
Hopefully he keeps it up. Are you by a VU radar gun, or does this facility have a scoreboard with the postings?
Mahoney draws a five pitch walk with one away. Vavra stays hot with a single to right. Runners on first and second. Bain steps in. Two good runners on for Valpo, and they have the pitcher's attention. Maybe a chance to hit/run here. Bain whiffs on a slow curve for out #2.
Loeffler swings at the first pitch and pops to shallow right. Two left on base, we trail 4-1 after three. I'm sitting next to DeBoo with the Valpo gun.
Oh yes, charting of pitches. Hopefully we have a better gun nowadays, as we used to have an old one that was pretty inaccurate. Not to mention how many times it just didn't read anything
Lundeen gets Vill's first batter in the fourth to pop to Vavra at second. One away. Jones drives a double that one hops the fence in right. Jewitt up with a runner on second. Valpo's bullpen gets going with Ryan Kennedy and Walsh up. Lundeen gets a strikeout for out #2.
Lundeen coaxes Lowe into a pop up in foul ground off of first base. Bain handles this one and were through 3 1/2, trailing 4-1. The gun is probably five years old. It's 3 mph faster than the Vill gun, so we're using it!
Elliott Martin stays hot with a single to left center. Morman hits a shot to the shortstop, who makes a great play to dive and get it. His throw to second is not in time on a very close play though. Cribbs lays down a nice sac bunt, and we have runners on 2nd and 3rd with one away. Here's Hara.
Hara drives a fly ball to deep right. Martin scores easily, Morman to third. Manning hits a chopper to short, who throws him out for the end of the fourth. Valpo gets one back and trails 4-2.
Lundeen back on the hill for the fifth. The leadoff man Ramboud bloops a Texas leaguer over Vavra's head for a single. BJ now up, and Lundeen loses grip on a curve ball that goes to the backstop on the fly. Runner to 2nd.
Lundeen gets the next hitter on a fastball swinging. 1 away. The next Vill hitter hits a ball in the ss hole. Maloney gathers and one bounces it to Bain aat first for the out. Nice play. 2 away.
A SS with range = a pitcher's best friend :)
Cialone drives a single to left. Morman comes up throwing, but the throw is off line and the runner scores from second. The batter went to second on the throw home, and Cribbs threw after him. The ball ended up off of Vavra's glove in the grass, and Cialone advances to third on the play. Now 5-2 Vill, two away, top 5.
Thanks for keeping us updated, Jerry...
Schrenk lines a single to left center, and drives in Cialone. Now 6-2 Villa and that's it for Lundeen. He threw 92 pitches, gave up 5 ER, 8 H, and 5 Ks with a walk. He's responsible for the runner at first. Kennedy in for Valpo. His first pitch is in the dirt, and the runner moves to second. Ryan is making his second appearance of 2013 after leading the pen in ERA in 2012. He's a smaller guy--about 5'10" and 150, and throws in the mid 80s. Count is full on Clark, and Kennedy walks him with the payoff pitch. Runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 away. The full pen heads out to left now.
Kennedy fans Jones to end the Vill fifth, but damage has been done. 6-2 Vill >:(
Snow day in Chicago... thanks for the updates! Let's go Valpo!
Mahoney starts the 5th with a line drive single to center. Vavra steps in. Vill starter still throwing, but now three balls to Vavra brings a visit to the mound. Santana for ballpark music--beats Manilow from the first day here! MacLachlan stays in. Vavra works the count full, then takes a walk. Runners on first and second for Valpo, no out. Bain up. We need a big inning here!
Hit and run. Bain whiffs on the curve, but no throw from the catcher so now we have em on 2nd and 3rd. bain hits a two hopper to short, whose lax throw is late at first! Bain on with a single, and Mahoney scores, Vavra to third. Now 6-3 Vill, no out.
Loeffler lifts a fly to center deep enough to score Tanner, and we now trail 6-4 with two away in the bottom of the fifth. Bain remains at first. Vill makes a pitching change. Here's big Max Beerman, a 6'6" freshman from Tampa. Dobie Grey on the PA--'Give Me the Beat Boys...'
Martin absolutely smokes aline drive right at the shortstop, who doubles off Bain at first. He killed that ball. End of 5, Vill 6 Valpo 4. Jackson Browne on the PA--Runnin' on Empty.
Kennedy back on the hill for the sixth. He gets the first batter to fly to left for out #1. Lowe hits a soft line drive over Martin's head for a single. Cribbs out to talk with RK.
Coach Woodson calls time and there will be a pitching change. Mike Jacobs, captain and LHP, is called into the game. Jacobs is making his team leading fourth appearance out of the pen. He's been effective so far this year, but typically will only throw to a couple of hittlers. Bryce Yoder is warming up in the pen.
Jacobs gets the Vill batter looking at the fourth pitch. Two away, runner on first. Jacobs fastball is only 73 on the gun, but lots of movement. He gets a popup to first. Vavra calls off Bain, then barely hangs on to it to end the top of the sixth. 6-4 Vill
Morman skies a ball to shallow center for the first out of the Valpo half. Beerman's at 83 on the Valpo gun. Cribbs pops a ball foul, but the (large) Vill catcher can't get to it. Cribbs stays alive.
Wow, good for him to be able to do that at 73! Again, I love that Woodson looks at results over speed.
Cribbs draws a walk. Hara bounces back to the pitcher, who gets the force at second for the second out. Hara on first. Look for him to try to steal.
Hara won't get the chance to steal, as Manning comes through! He drives a double to the gap in left center, and Hara comes around to score easily. Mahoney up with Manning on second in a 6-5 game.
Mahoney seeing a steady diet of inside pitches, now 2-2 count. Spencer grounds out to second to strand Manning. Valpo trails by just one, 6-5 through six.
Jacobs back on the hill for Valpo in the top of the seventh. On the velo, 73 is actually up for Mike from last year. As I said before, he's been effective. He gets a ground ball to Mahoney, who throws high to first and the runner is safe. Looked like Bain should have made the play, but he stayed on the bag instead of getting the ball..the next batter bunts the runner over to second. One away.
Jacobs K'sSchrenck on a nasty hook, and there's two away. Coach Woodson comes out to get Jacobs, who is responsible for the runner at second. It'll be Bryce Yoder on to pitch.
Bryce makes his second appearance for Valpo in 2013. He's about 5'10", 160 lbs and a true freshman. He blows away Brandon Carr swinging at an 84 mph FB for the final out of the Vill half. Stretch time, Valpo trails 6-5.
Vavra vs. Beerman (that kid has a future) to start the bottom of the seventh. Vavra grounds to third and there's one away. Bain steps in. He flies to center. 2 up, 2 down. Loeffler in the box. 3-0 count, and John draws a four pitch walk.
Jeff Edwards in to run for Loeffler. Edwards is a true freshman making his second pinch run appearance. Martin now at bat. E has been hot, but can't come through this time. he flies to right to end the inning. Loeffler was the DH and is done for the afternoon. Valpo trails 6-5 after 7. Scratchy U2 on the radio.
Jones hitting and Bryce Yoder pitching for Valpo. Jones is the #7 hitter in the Vill order. Yoder threw a nice curve that should have been strike three, but didn't get the call. Now 2-2 count. Yoder wins the battle with a skied pop foul to third that Martin handles with the sun in his eyes.
Jewitt gets on with a bloop single over Mahoney's head. The next batter flies to center and Hara makes the play. Two away, runner on first. Bryce does a great job, getting the leadoff hitter Ramboud to pop to Vavra at second. Vill runs out a 6'1" 185 lb righty in a pitching change. Chris Haggarty relieves Beerman.
Morman will lead off the Valpo eighth. Haggarty throws a couple of FBs for balls at 86 mph. Morman screams a liner down the third base line that is grabbed by the lunging BJ for Vill. Would have been an easy double. As it is, there's one away. Cribbs wears a fastball and takes first base. Mark Johnson will pinch run for Cribbs, and his day behind the plate is done.
Hara steps in for Valpo. He bloops a single into left field, and we've got runners at 1st and 2nd with one away. That Morman liner would have been huge. Manning fouls weakly to first and there's two out.
Vill will make a pitching change. Matt Longfield, a 6'6" lefty from Miami, will take the hill against Mahoney, who bats left. Johnson baits a balk move from Longfield, and now we've got the tying run at third and the go ahead at second. Two away. 0-2 count on Mahoney. He's caught looking at a curveball for strike three, and Valpo wastes a golden opportunity.
New battery for Valpo. Jake Hanson will handle the catching chores, and Ben Mahar comes in to pitch the ninth. We trail 6-5.
2,3,and 4 hitters for Mahar in the ninth. BJ is up. Mahar's 86 mph fb is poked out to right for a leadoff single.
Mahar gets a shallow fly that Manning handles in right. One away.
Nasty slider from Mahar gets a strikeout looking. That pitch is almost unhittable...Two down.
High chopper to second, and Vavra throws him out. Nice job by Mahar. Valpo down to its last chance, trailing 6-5.
Vill brings in their closer, JB Kole, 6'3" righty from NJ. Vavra will lead off. Kole's 91 mph fb almost hits me at the backstop. Now 3-0 on Vavra. Four pitch walk at 90 mph.
Bain steps in and takes a fifth consecutive ball from Kole, and there's gonna be a visit to the mound. Bain did not square around on the first pitch. The next pitch gets past the catcher and Vavra is on second. No out.
Now Bain squares and it HBP--ouch. We have two on and nobody out. Kole has thrown one strike and seven balls so far. Andy Burns in to pinch hit.
Let's go VU! It sounds like their closer has Paetznick syndrome in throwing it high above the catcher :)
How am I supposed to work with all this excitment! :o
Burns is in the DH spot. Jeff Edwards was in that spot after pinch running for Loeffler. Burns squares, but takes the bat back and takes a called strike. Now 2-1 count.
Burns works a walk and they're loaded with no out. Martin now batting, and takes strike one.
Quote from: mjsmom on March 05, 2013, 01:27:01 PMHow am I supposed to work with all this excitment! :o
Just fake it like I am.... ;D
Martin chops one over the second base bag. The ss makes a great play to first to get Martin. Vavra scores to tie it up. Morman will take an intentional walk to re load the bases.
Hanson was in the on deck circle, but is lifted for Karch Kowalcyzk. Now 2-0 with the bases loaded, winning run on third. Game tied at 6.
I think they need a new closer...but after this game :)
Kowalcyzk now with a 2-1 count. here's the pitch...he swings...and
Quote from: jetz on March 05, 2013, 01:33:23 PMKowalcyzk now with a 2-1 count. here's the pitch...he swings...and
We interrupt this broadcast...
:) Gotta be a win... Jerry is too busy celebrating and snapping photos to tell us the play...
VALPO WINS! Karch's deep fly to the right center gap bring Bain home for the 7-6 victory! Mahar picks up a vulture win--swoops in and pitches one inning for his second of the year. Round Table at Harpoon Harry's at 5p. WOOOOO!!! :clap:
Quote from: mklhaas on March 05, 2013, 01:36:41 PM:) Gotta be a win... Jerry is too busy celebrating and snapping photos to tell us the play...
It's good to be the king...
Quote from: valpox2 on March 05, 2013, 01:38:07 PM
Quote from: mklhaas on March 05, 2013, 01:36:41 PM:) Gotta be a win... Jerry is too busy celebrating and snapping photos to tell us the play...
It's good to be the king...
Sorry...I had to do it! ;D We needed this one big time. As you might imagine, much better mood from the guys as they head to the bus. They have a victory CD that they can finally listen to again....
A good, exciting comeback win over another Big East team. Brings us to 3-7, and knocked Villanova to 1-7.
Definitely glad to see the bats get going a bit in this one, and some clutch pitching after that first inning. I still think that we can get to around 0.500 with this more difficult non-conference schedule, which could put us at another all-time high in wins once conference is finished :)
A good team win today! Now, let's string some together! :)
That was really exciting following the play-by-play. Reminded me of the really old days when a game was just on the radio and you'd just settle in and visualize what was going on. Terrific job by the reporter and the team!