Jetz back here in Auburndale once again to bring you today's game between the UAB Blazers and Valpo Crusaders. UAB is playing their first game in this tourney and come in with an 8-9 mark on the year. They are a member of Conference USA. The Blazers will throw thier ace today, righty Tanner Bryant. He is making his fifth start of 2013 and has a 1-1 record on the year. These are all official "Dad" stats, so if a couple of numbers are wrong, I'm sure you'll understand...
It's a carbon copy of yesterday weatherwise here today. Breezy and a little chilly for Florida. The wind is blowing from left field to right at 10 mph under a cloudless sky. Temp is in the low 50s and rising to a high of 73 today. We're on the same field we have been on for our previous two games here at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex...
Let's hope the Crusaders keep their winning streak going today! ;D
Valpo is wearing their black jerseys with gold trim today, Valpraiso written in cursive gold across the front. Grey pants with our Sunday cammo hats. UAB is dressed in all white with green and gold trim. We will throw righty Cole Webb, who has been our most impressive starter thusfar in 2013. He sports an ERA right around 2.00 after three starts so it should be a good pitching duel today.
This will unfortunately be my last blog from Florida. Have to head back north to the real world after a nice two week stint down here. Sorry there will be no blog for the Miami (OH) contest at 10am EDT tomorrow. The Crusaders will hop on the bus after tomorrow's game and head north as well. We are scheduled to open conference play next weekend at home against WSU, but that series may get moved to Dayton for weather...stay tuned.
Mahoney to start things off for visiting Valpo. Bryant is not physically imposing, but his FB is around 90 here to start. Mahoney flies out to left on a 2-1 pitch for out #1.
Vavra follows with a high pop to shallow left for the second out.
Bain goes down swinging for out #3. Easy inning for Bryant and the Blazers. No score mid 1.
I assume that we would just switch the home and road series for WSU if they have to change it next week? Never had that happen in our conference schedule when I was playing
Webb starts off with a fly ball to Hara in center and there's one away. Morman in left today, Manning in right, and Martin back at third.
Tx--nothing official yet, but that is the proposal. Webb gets Ryan Prinzing to bounce to Mahoney who makes the routine play for out #2. Cribbs back catching today.
Nice breaking ball retires Ivan De Jesus swinging and Webb matches Bryant's easy first. No score.
Loeffler steps in for Valpo. He pulls a chopper to first who makes the play unassisted. One down.
How hard does Webb throw again?
Morman chops to third. The long throw is true and Mike is out. Two down. Here's Hara. He hits a hrd ground ball that knocks the pitcher's glove off, but Bryant picks it up and throws him out easily. UAB perfect through 1 1/2. No score.
Webb sits 84-87 I'd say. Lots of off speed stuff. He gets the first UAB batter looking to start the bottom of the second. One out.
Ground ball to Mahoney. He double clutches, then makes a strong throw to get the runner by a half step. Two away.
Here's an easy fly to a waiting Hara in center, and Webb is perfect through two. Pitcher's duel is shaping up. No score.
UAB is a solid program. I would absolutely love the W today (as always) :)
Martin returns to the lineup after yesterday off. He fans on a nice change for out #1.
Cribbs fans for the seond out, and Manning liner to right is right at the RF to retire the side. No score mid 3.
Thanks to Apostle for the Ernie Harwell reference yesterday. While I am certainly not worthy, you can tell I grew up loving and listening to him. Still a big Tiger fan. Ernie was the best. Webb gets two quick outs here in the third, on ground balls to Vavra then Mahoney. Two away.
Webb walks Matt Morse for the game's first baserunner.
Top of the order for UAB in Adam Lau. Webb fans him on a change for the third out of the inning. No score after 3.
Quote from: jetz on March 15, 2013, 10:27:17 AMThanks to Apostle for the Ernie Harwell reference yesterday.
Awesome. I really do hear his voice in a movie-type-voiceover when I'm reading this.
No need to say "He fouled that one to a lucky man from Naples", though :)
Mahoney to start the 4th. Bryant and Webb both work quickly, which I like. Mahoney looks at a strike 3 change and there's one away.
;D to Apostle. I was just about to break that out! Vavra gets caught looking, "like a house by the side of the road" for out #2, and Bain grounds out to short. Bryant still perfect through 3 1/2. No score.
Webb whiffs lefty hitterPrinzing on some high cheese for out #1.
De Jesus lines the game's first hit down the left field line and cruises into second with a stand up double.
UAB's Matt Morse was a high school teammate of Valpo's Jake Hanson #24 at Aurora Christian HS in Aurora, IL.
Webb working up in the zone now. De Jesus steals third on the right pitch now, though, as that one was in the dirt. Another gets away from Cribbs, goes to the backstop, and De Jesus scores...1-0 UAB. >:(
Score that a wild pitch on the run scored. Webb gets the UAB hitter on a check swing third strike for the second out. Jeff Schalk then bounces to first to end the fourth. UAB leads it 1-0.
Can't have unforced errors against good teams, especially when the offense is struggling
Loeffler hits an easy fly to center for the first out of the inning.
Morman desperately needs a hit, but his chopper to the hole at short is handled on a nice play. Two away. Hara bounces weakly to second base, and the side is retired. Bryant hitting his spots and it looks like it could be a long day for the Valpo hitters...
Two hopper to Mahoney, who throws a strike to Loeffler for the first out.
Harry Clark drives a sharp single to right past a diving Loeffler.
High hopper to Martin, who fires to Vavra for the out at second. The throw to first not in time. Two down, runner on first.
Ground ball to Vavra, who makes the easy flip to Mahoney for the force at second to end the fifth. Webb looks good, Bryant looks better. UAB leads it 1-0.
Elliott Martin breaks through with a bloop single to left to open the sixth. Cribbs up will probably look to bunt.
Cribbs lays down the sac bunt and is tagged out by the first baseman. Martin to 2nd.
Manning flies to center, and Martin tags and goes to 3rd on the play. 2 down. Mahoney hits a swinging bunt to third, and he makes the play to first to end the Valpo threat. Still 1-0 UAB.
As a pitcher, I have always enjoyed Coach Woodson's small ball approach to get runs on the board, even though we didn't get one there ;D
Top of the order for UAB. Webb knocks down the bouncer back at him and throws Lau out. One away.
Sky ball near the mound. Martin and Mahoney converge on it, and Martin takes charge and makes the catch. Two down.
Ground ball to Vavra at second and we're through six in this quick moving contest. 1-0 UAB
Black chain link here makes it tough to see through the fences. Looking towards the pens, but no one up for either team, nor should there be. Vavra lines a one hopper to second, and there's one away in the Valpo 7th.
Bain bounces a foul ball off his own instep and he's down. That hurt. Now back in the box. The next pitch hits the same foot, and Bain limps to first. Wow.
If Bain steals, it would be the best deke in baseball history. He's limping badly. Loeffler hits a slow roller to third, whose only play is to first. Bain to second with 2 away.
Morman in the box for Valpo, and there's an unexpected visit to the UAB mound. Bryant remains in the game. Bain moving a bit better now. Morman grounds out to third and the Blazers hold on to their 1-0 lead after 6 1/2.
I think just about everyone has had that AB where you hit it off yourself twice, and that instep one absolutely sucks...I have never hit it off myself and then been beaned though, so I am sorry to hear that for Bain!
Cribbs quickly out to snatch a good bunt. The snap throw just nips the runner. Great play for the first out.
UAB with two up in their pen now. Webb gets a K for two out. Here's a slow bouncer up the middle. Vavra has no play and there's a runner on with two down. Call that a single. A ball in the dirt moves him to second.
Now a ground ball to Loeffler wide of first. Webb hustles to cover and handles the flip. UAB leads 1-0 after 7.
Yay PFP!
UAB makes a pitching change to start the eighth. Bryant leaves after giving up only one hit through 7. Closer Chase Mallard now in pitching to Hara, who greets him w a line drive single to left. Good start to the 8th. No one up for Valpo.
Martin now up. Hara out to a big lead. With two strikes, Martin's sac bunt attempt rolls foul and he's out. Not good there.
With Cribbs batting, Hara takes off on the first pitch and steals 2nd easily. Love to have that Martin out back. Cribbs check swings, but goes too far and there's two away on the strikeout.
Manning needs a big base hit here. Hara will score on any kind of single. Instead Chris looks at strike 3 and Valpo wastes a great chance in the 8th. 1-0 UAB
Webb gets a backwards K of his own. One away.
Ground ball to Mahoney's right and he makes the play. Two away. Repeat that on the next pitch to retire the side after five pitches. To the ninth, and Valpo trails 1-0.
Time to dent the scoreboard!!!!!!!!
How many strikeouts does Webb have, all well as our hitters? It seems like a ton
Valpo has 2 hits, UAB 3 in today's contest thru 8 innings. Mahoney to bat in Valpo ninth, and drives a 3-1 single through the hole on the left side for a single. That evens the hits up at three apiece.
Vavra to bat now. He's looking to bunt. Vavra is hit in the back and we have two on w nobody out.
Bain the batter now. He also looks to bunt. The pitcher goes to third with the bunt and gets the force. One away.
Is
Karch warming up just in case?
Wow, that is terrible for a pitcher to do (HBP on a bunt). We have played some teams who have a tough time closing, so hopefully we steal one!!
No one working in the Valpo pen. Loeffler now at bat. He swings and misses at the hit and run pitch, and Vavra is caught in a rundown at third. Bain to second. Two away.
The UAB now calls time then decides to put the winning run on base with an intentional walk to Loeffler. Morman at bat. Interesting...
Johnson in to run for Loeffler. Bain looks OK now and could score on a base hit.
Morman quarks a blooper down the first base line that lands just foul Two strikes on him.
Quote from: jetz on March 15, 2013, 11:47:24 AM
Morman quarks a blooper down the first base line that lands just foul Two strikes on him.
Just foul...........Uggggggggggg!!!!!!!ยก
Morman swings...and misses on an outside curve. Game over as both teams throw three hitters and UAB scores the only run of the game on a wild pitch. Webb the tough luck loser, Bryant the winner for UAB. Valpo falls 1-0. That's it for me here in Florida. Valpo plays Miami (OH) tomorrow morning at 10am, but there will be no coverage here. See you all back up north. So long Winter Haven...
Thanks for the updates! A tough loss, but it will help us grow
Quote from: jetz on March 15, 2013, 11:50:39 AM
Morman swings...and misses on an outside curve. Game over as both teams throw three hitters and UAB scores the only run of the game on a wild pitch. Webb the tough luck loser, Bryant the winner for UAB. Valpo falls 1-0. That's it for me here in Florida. Valpo plays Miami (OH) tomorrow morning at 10am, but there will be no coverage here. See you all back up north. So long Winter Haven...
Safe travels!!!!!!!!!
Thanks jetz! It is colder where you are going.
Thanks Jerry for helping us be part of these games while you have been in FL. You do a wonderful play by play!!
Safe travels...