Baseball vs. Toledo

[jetz]

Starting lineups are in at chilly Port Charlotte field where the sun came out a little while ago. Valpo is visitors today and will start with:

Mahoney SS
Vavra 2B
Bain 1B
Kowalczyk DH
Martin 3B
Mormon LF
Cribbs C
Hara CF
Manning RF

Haas P

[jetz]

Mahoney takes 5 FB to fill count before fouling off next pitch and walking to lead off game. Wild Pitch moves Mahoney to 2B. Vavra drives one that short hops fence in RF for an RBI triple. 

[jetz]

Bain flies one just deep enough to RF to allow Vavra to come home with Valpo's 2nd run. Kowalczyk hits first pitch deep in hole but 1B makes a nice play to scoop low throw from SS to get Karch by half a step. Martin swings at curve in dirt for strike 3 but the C can't block ball and Martin gets to first base. Mormon skies one straight up and 1B comes down line to take it just in foul territory. At end of 1/2 inning, Valpo up 2-0.

[jetz]

Toledo OF Tyler Grogg leads off against Haas and hits full count FB on 1 hop to Martin @ 3B for 1st out. Matt Delewski hits 1st pitch on 2 hops to Mahoney @ SS for 2nd out. LH OF Ben Hammer cues 2nd pitch off the end of the bat down 3B line that Martin charges and makes a strong off balance throw to get the 3rd out. After 1, Valpo 2-0.

[jetz]

Toledo's starting Pitcher is RH Soph Alec Schmenk. Cribbs to lead off the 2nd. Ump says Cribbs went too far on check swing for first out. Hara pops to SS just onto OF grass. Manning spins one of the end of the bat that 1B fields and flips to P covering for 3rd out.

[jetz]

By the way, it's Rick Mahoney doing the blog today. Toledo Soph 3B Anthony Smith to lead off. Haas comes too far inside on 1-2 pitch and hits Smith. LH Fresh C Tyler Baar grounds one through hole into LF to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Very good sac bunt by next batter is fielded by Haas but throw is into runner and goes down RF line. One run scores and runners are on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.   

[jetz]

Next Toledo batter rolls one softly to Vavra who gets the out at first but another run scores and the man on 2nd moves to 3B. Next hitter lines one sharply up the middle for an RBI single to give Toledo the lead. On the hit and run, next batter tops one softly up 3B line that Haas fields and makes a strong throw to get batter by 1/2 step. Runner rounds second too far and Vavra slips in behind him to take perfect throw from Bain to record final out. After 2, Toledo 3, Valpo 2.

[jetz]

Mahoney grounds 1-1 pitch to SS for first out. Vavra hits high one hopper that almost gets over 3B head down the line but Smith makes a nice play and a very strong throw to get Vara for 2nd out. Bain lines a 2-2 pitch just inside RF line for a 2-out double. Kowalczyk up.

[jetz]

Kowalczyk hits a hard grounder that the SS stays with a tough hop for the third out. After 2 1/2, Valpo down 3-2.

[jetz]

Leadoff man Grogg grounds Haas' first pitch hard just inside 3B line for a leadoff double. Next batter hits ball into hole that Mahoney fields and makes a very nice play to get batter by an eyelash. Runner moves to third. #3 hitter Smith walks on 5 pitches to put runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out.

[jetz]

Hard line drive right at Vavra who makes the play and throws to Bain @ 1B to double off runner for an inning ending DP. After 3, Valpo down 3-2.

[jetz]

Martin lines 1st pitch to RF for 1st out. Mormon skies 1st pitch to shallow LC for 2nd out. Cribbs flies 3-1 fly ball to medium deep CF for third out.

[jetz]

Haas has thrown 34  pitches thru 3. FB is in 83-84 range. Baar leads off for Toledo and grounds 2-1 FB to Vavra for easy first out. Jr OF Jacob North hits ball sharply up the middle but Mahoney is there to make the play and the 2nd out. JR Zack Michael bunts ball down 3rd baseline that Martin lets roll foul just before it hits 3B bag. Next pitch is hit to Mahoney @ SS but his throw pulls Bain off the bag for an error. Next batter lines a Haas curve ball into LC for a solid single and the Rockets are threatening with men on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs.

[jetz]

Next batter tops a slow roller to Martin who charges and makes a strong throw to end the inning. After 4, Valpo still chasing 3-2.

[jetz]

Toledo starter RH Alec Schmenk sitting at 84-86 w his FB and has hit 89. Hara leads off for Valpo and after fouling off a bunt attempt hits a fly to medium CF for 1st out. Manning pops a FB straight up that is caught by catcher just in foul territory. Mahoney fights off 5 2-strike pitches before walking. Vavra chops one over the mound but 2B cuts it off and flips to SS for a force to end the inning. After 4 1/2, Valpo still down 3-2.

[jetz]

Toledo #1 hitter Tyler Grogg leads off in bottom of 5. After fouling off bunt attempt on 1-1, he lines one over Martin's head for a solid single. Next batter hits one in spot vacated by Mahoney when he went to cover 2B on hit and run. The single puts runners at the corners with nobody out. Valpo bullpen gets busy as Coach Scmack comes out to talk with Haas.

[jetz]

Clean up hitter for Toledo takes a curve in dirt that Cribbs can't block or find until runner scores and man on first comes around to third. He lines next pitch just over Haas glove into CF for RBI single and a 5-2 lead. That's all for Haas as Zack Walsh is summoned from the bullpen.

[jetz]

Toledo #5 hitter tops Walsh's first pitch to 3B but Martin cannot come up with second short hop for Valpo's 3rd error of the day. Runners on first and second. Toledo executes a nice sac bunt and we have 1 out but runners move up to 2nd and 3rd.

[jetz]

Walsh has a change up yanked down 3rd base line for a 2 run double. Next batter lines a solid single to LF that puts runners on 1st & 3rd with 1 out. Next batter tries a safety squeeze but bunts back to Walsh who holds runner at third before getting batter for 2nd out. Batter lines one to SS that Mahoney fields on 1 hop but throws low. Bain makes a nice play to hang on to 1 hop throw to end inning. Toledo scores 4 in the 5th to take a 7-2 lead after 5.

[valporun]

Sounds like the day off tomorrow is coming at the right time? Any thoughts on changes to the lineup, either positions or batting order? When I say positions, either benching certain starters or putting them in another position they can play, to get them a little bit of a break?

[jetz]

Toledo brings in 6'7" RH Red-shirt Freshman Austin Schmidt to start the 6th. Bain grounds 1-1 pitch to 3B for first out. Kowalczyk walks on 5 pitches and Martin grounds hard between SS and 3rd for a single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Mormon up.

[jetz]

Mormon walks after falling behind 1-2. Bases loaded for Cribbs and Toledo's coach comes out to talk to their P.

[jetz]

Cribbs takes first pitch FB for strike 1 before topping a slow roller up line that 3B cannot make the play. A run scores and the bases stay loaded with 1 out. Hara hits a 1 hopper over the mound that leads 2B to the base to start a 4-3 DP when ump says throw got Hara who looked safe by a full step. Valpo gets 1 to make the score 7-3 after 5 1/2.

[jetz]

Fr RH Drew Hasler comes in to start the 6th. Leadoff man Grogg sends first pitch to medium deep RF but the wind blows it right to Manning for easy first out. #2 hitter lines a single between Bain and Vavra to put a runner on first. #3 hitter chops a 2 hopper to flips to Mahoney to start a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning.

[jetz]

Manning starts Valpo's 7th with a first pitch grounder inside 3B line for a double. Mahoney moves Manning to 3rd with a grounder to 1B who flips to P for first out. Vavra up.