Baseball v. Villanova

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

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. 

[jetz]

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.    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

[jetz]

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. 

[jetz]

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.

[valpotx]

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 

[jetz]

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. 

[jetz]

Tx, normally I guess Lundeen has good movement.  Let's see if he comes around after the first inning nerves.

[jetz]

Mahoney in against RHPMacLachlan.  Nice to see a righty for once.  Mahoney flies to left for the first out.

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

Loeffler bounces out 1st to pitch.  Two out, Bain to second. 

[jetz]

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

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

Top of the order up for Vill.  Ramboud flies out to shallow right.  The runner stays.  2 away.

[jetz]

Lundeen throws an 83 mph heater by BJ for the third out.  Nice location.  Mid 2nd, Vill 4, Valpo 1.

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

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. 

[valpotx]

Hopefully he keeps it up.  Are you by a VU radar gun, or does this facility have a scoreboard with the postings?

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

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.

[valpotx]

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

[jetz]

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.

[jetz]

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!

[jetz]

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.