Here we go from Aurburndale, FL and the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex for today's game between Valpo and Bucknell. I am once again far away from the SIDs here at this multiple field plex so I won't have some of the details, but you'll get the idea. I'm actually 10 feet outside the left field foul pole bringing you these updates due to electrical outlet availability...
Thanks Jetz!!!!!
Wormington on the hill to start the 1st as Valpo is the home team today. He mishandles a swinging bunt and the first hitter is on with an error for Bucknell...Now a sac bunt that the Braves hitter beats out and two are on with nobody out...
Valpo in all white today wioth the gold and black trim. It's a brisk 65 degrees--I know, I'll take it--and breezy from left to right field. I see Mark Johnson in left today and Andy Burns at third...more later on that. The #3 hitter for Bucknell hits into a 6-4-3- double play and there's two away w a runner on third.
Let's get a win for Worm today!!!!!!!!!
The cleanup hitter hits a sinking liner to right that Manning charges, dives, and.....makes the great catch for out #3! Nice play as he holds the ball over his head for the ump. No score mid 1.
Wormington is a tough luck 0-3 coming in to this game. Should have had a win last weekend v. USF but was left in a bit long, IMO. Mahoney steps in for Valpo. Bucknell wearing navy blue tops w gold trim and grey pants. Sunny here with just a couple of jet contrails dotting the sky. This is a five field, all grass park, and all fields are busy w D1 and D3 collegiate action. Mahoney singles up the middle to start the VU offense...
Vavra lays down a sac bunt, a little too hard to the 1st baseman. Mahoney to second with one away.
The Braves' pitcher is Andrew Andreychik (AA) who is listed as both a P/INF. He's a freshman righty. I believe it was Bain that just struck out for Valpo for the second out. Loeffler up.
Loeffler drives a ball that nestles into the glove of the right fielder for the 3rd out. No score after 1.
Greg Wasikowski bounces the first pitch to Burns at third, who fires and retires. One away. Burns has played third, short, and second in this FL trip...
Now here's a fly ball to center. Hara fades under it and puts it away. Two down.
Quick inning for Worm as he coaxes a grounder to Mahoney. The throw is high but Loeffler comes off the bag, catches, and tags the diving runner for the third out. No score mid 2.
Manning now up for Valpo. He's got a good AB going, fouling off a few pitches. He finishes it with a line drive single to center, and Hara strides to the plate.
We're looking for OBP from our next two hitters, Hara and Johnson. Both speedy and good on the bases. Both have started slowly in 2013. Hara lays down the sac bunt and does his job. Manning to second, one away.
Thanks jetz! Following your play by play from Maui.
Johnson to bat. On a delayed still--I think miscommunication--Manning dives into third safe on a close call. Johnson whiffs and there's two away.
Nice IA--Kari and Roy here w Grace...Burns steps in and bounces to the pitcher, who flips to 1st. No score after 2.
The Braves third starts w a ground ball to Mahoney's backhand, who fields and makes a perfect throw for the first out...
Worm gets his first K on a slider. Two down...
Here's a soft liner to left that falls for a single. Cribbs makes a nice stop on a one hopper to the plate from Wormington, but his throw to second is late. Wild pitch advances the runner.
Worm gets the Brave batter swinging to end the top of the 3rd. Still no score. BTW, this is the same Bucknell team that Yale beat in this tournament earlier. We destroyed Yale last night, so Vegas has us as prohibitive favorites in today's contest. However, this is baseball...
Sorry for the delay. I had to run over to the stands to verify it, but freshman Jake Hanson stepped up for his first collegiate at bat. He's also catching today, giving Cribbs a day off. Hanson makes his first AB a good one, poking a single out to right. Congrats to Jake!
Mahoney, in his second AB of the day, pops to shallow left for out #1. Bain then hits into a 6-4-3 DP and the side is retired. No score after 3.
Luke Lombardi is HBP to start the Bucknell 4th.
The next hitter hits a soft chopper to Burns that acts as a bunt. Burns looks back the runner and makes the play to first.
I believe I missed a sac bunt a while back. Hard to keep up out here in the sticks. The runner was at second when Burns looked him back. His throw to first was the second out. Worm gets another K to retire the side. No score mid 4.
It'll be Bain to open the Valpo 4th. He bounces to short for out #1.
Again, a correction. It was Vavra that hit into the DP to end the 3rd, not Bain. Back to live action--here's Loeffler w one away in the bottom of the 4th. Bases empty. Tough to see those Valpo numbers--white jerseys with gold numerals. Loeffler singles out to right w one away.
Manning swings at the first pitch and hits into yet another 6-4-3. Second inning in a row we've gone out like that. No score after 4.
A fly ball to medium deep right center. Manning retreats and camps under it. One away.
Matt Busch follows with a ball to the exact same spot. Manning again on the catch. Two down.
Wasikowski drives a one hopper to Hara in center for a two out single.
Another single to right, and there's runners on first and second w 2 down in the top of the 5th.
Worm gets out of trouble when Johnson grabs a liner to left. Through four and a half, there's still no score.
Another slight delay as I had to make an office visit. I see Hara now on first base. Johnson is batting and draws a walk. He was looking to bunt so there's no one out. First and second for Burns.
I have a report that Hara reached with a leadoff single up the middle. Burns lays down a nice bunt and the throw to first goes to the screen. Hara scores, Johnson to 3rd and Burns ends up at second. I'd give him a hit and and error on the throw. We lead 1-0. :thumbsup:
Hanson now up. He drives a ball to fairly deep right center. Johnson tags and scores. Burns to 3rd w one away. VU up 2-0. :thumbsup:
Bucknell appeals the Burns tag at 2nd and it appears he left early. He's called out and there's two away. Mahoney draws a walk. Vavra acts like the ball magnet that he is and is HBP.
Bains' sinking liner to center is trapped and everybody's running. Mahoney scoresd. Vavra rounds third and the throw guns him down at the plate. Valpo gets three in the fifth and leads 3-0. :thumbsup:
Worm opens the sixth with a bouncer to Burns. One away. The next Braves hitter flies to medium deep left. Johnson hauls it in for the second out.
Mahoney ranges to his left, picks up a high hop, and throws out the Bucknell runner for a quick 6th. Valpo leads 3-0 mid 6.
Loeffler steps in. Marcus Garone is the new Bucknell pitcher. A shorter righty who looks pretty hittable. Loeffler fouls a couple off, then draws a walk.
Manning's sac bunt is again misplayed by the Braves and the throw is out to right. Loeffler to 3rd, Manning to 2nd on the error. No outs.
Hara to bat. Garone throwing lots of off speed. His sinking liner gets by the diving CF and we're off to the races again. Both runners score on the Hara triple. Valpo now leads 5-0. No outs bottom 6.
Johnson drives a RBI single to center and it's 6-0 Valpo. :thumbsup:
Burns steps in as Garone is very concerned about Johnson over at first. Burns pops out to the ss near the third base bag. One away.
Hanson hits a one hopper to short, but Johnson's slide wipes out the 2B on the turn. They get the force at second. Two down w Hanson on first.
Mahoney's walk puts runners on 1st and 2nd w two down.
After a visit to the mound, Vavra flies to right to end the inning. Valpo leads it 6-0 after 6.
Worm out to start the 7th. As mentioned last night, this is where Valpo starters have run into trouble so far in 2013. It seems like the starters operate with a long leash under Coach Schmack. The Braves hitter drives a fly ball to right that gives Manning no problem. One away. No one warming up for the Crusaders...
Worm looking good with a strikeout for the second out...
Here's a well hit ball to the left center gap. Johnson and Hara converge on it and nearly collide, but Johnson hauls it in unscathed for the third out. Wormington looking strong through 6 and a half, Valpo leads 6-0.
Bain starts the Valpo 7th with a chopper to short. He's thrown out and there's one down. BTW, another correction. The Bucknell mascot is not the Braves, it's the BISON!! Why didn't you tell me? :lol:
Loeffler grounds out to second for the second out..
The BISON trotted out a new pitcher, sophomore righty Jonathan Lucas for the 7th, BTW...Manning now at bat. He hooks one just foul that ends up by me here in the left field corner, then draws a walk on a very high fastball.
Hara skies to short to end the inning. Valpo still up 6-0 after 7. Worm back out for the 8th w no action in the Crusader pen.
Sounds like it should be another step closer to .500 :)
Andy Burns eats up a two hopper and throws the Bison runner out. One down. The next bull hits a deep fly that one hops the fence in right center. Manning gets it back in and Bucknell has a standup double...
Bouncer back to Worm and he goes to first to retire the hitter. Two away as the Bison runner sticks at 2nd.
Mahoney charges a high chopper but his low throw pulls Loeffler off the bag. Don't think he would have had him anyway. Runners on the corners after the infield single.
Here's a RBI single to center and the Bison are on the board. Now Valpo leads 6-1, 2 away in the top of 8 w runners at 1st and 2nd...this is where I might get the pen going.
Wormington hits the next batter and the bases are loaded...Still nobody up for Valpo...
Wormington goes 10 pitches on the hitter, but ends up walking him to force in a run. That will be all for Wormington, as Ben Mahar will enter. My mistake on the earlier report as the Valpo pen was out of my view. Bryce Yoder is in the pen now as Mahar enters with the bases juiced.
Mahar does his job, as he gets a fly ball to center to end the Bucknell 8th. They get two runs, and it's now 6-2 Valpo. Hara had some trouble w the sun but hauled it in...
Johnson will start the Valpo 8th with a spinner off the end of the bat that one hops to the shortstop in the hole to his right. He's unable to get the speedster at first and Johnson is aboard w a hit.
Wormington goes 7 2/3 inns and allows 2 ER. He's in line for the win. Burns lays down a sac bunt and moves all the way to third. One out on the throw to first.
Hanson pops to first and there's two away. Here's Mahoney. He flies to left and the inning is over. Valpo leads 6-2 after 8.
Mahar gets a Bison to swing at the first pitch. He bounces back to Ben, and there's on away in the top of 9.
Join me tomorrow morning, 11am EDT, for updates when Valpo takes on the Blazers of UAB here at the same field. That will be my final game here, so you'll be on your own for Valpo's last FL game on the 16th. Mahar gets a K for out #2.
Quote from: jetz on March 14, 2013, 03:22:56 PM
Join me tomorrow morning, 11am EDT, for updates when Valpo takes on the Blazers of UAB here at the same field. That will be my final game here, so you'll be on your own for Valpo's last FL game on the 16th. Mahar gets a K for out #2.
We will miss you Jetz ....... ;D
Cole Webb scheduled to start for Valpo tomorrow. Mahar issues a walk to prolong the Bison 9th...
Mahar gets a ground ball to second. Vavra throws to Loeffler, and it's hand shake time as Valpo wins its third straight. We like Winter Haven, as the Crusaders are 3-0 so far here. See you tomorrow for the UAB game! Great job Valpo! :thumbsup:
Thanks Jetz! Keep rolling Valpo....
Solid win today!
Sounded like a fun game to be at. Let's continue the march towards a plus 0.500 non-conference record!!
talksalot will be stoked.
but jetz, you have to prolong your trip! the ghost of Ernie Harwell is interceding for VU thanks to your concise and entertaining PBP!!!
Stoked is right !!! Thanks for the great win and bragging rights causing much celebration "Rah Rah Ree... Kick them in the knee... Rah Rah Rass... kick them... anywhere! Just kick them!
So... speaking of bragging rights... am I the first person to see Vu win a basketball game, a softball game and a baseball game in less than 24 hours in 3 different cities? (actually, it was 24 hours and 15 minutes) Great day to be a Crusader...
I would have to say that is a fairly safe assumption :-).
Quote from: talksalot on March 14, 2013, 07:05:08 PMin less than 24 hours in 3 different cities
i don't know how safe an assumption that is...there's always say, valpo, south bend, and chicago ;)
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on March 15, 2013, 06:33:43 AM
Quote from: talksalot on March 14, 2013, 07:05:08 PMin less than 24 hours in 3 different cities
i don't know how safe an assumption that is...there's always say, valpo, south bend, and chicago ;)
and athletic department personnel.