Baseball v. Yale

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We're on line here at Chain O' Lakes (COL) Park.  This is the old spring training home of the Cleveland Indians, and features a sign of former pitcher and Hall of Famer Bob Feller out front.  By the looks of things, the place hasn't been updated since Feller was active.  Don't get me wrong--I love the old school charm of the place.  6000 chairback seats with another 1000 bleachers.  Dark blue painted concrete block concourses.  Corrugated tin roof overheads on the stands and outbuildings.  Huge dimensions--340 down the lines and a monstrous 420 to straightaway center.  Outfielders will get their running in tonight. Welcome aboard everybody to tonight's game between the Yale Bulldogs and Valpo Crusaders in Winter Haven, FL.

[jetz]

Beautiful night here for baseball.  Shadows on the infield and sun in the outfield for now.  70 degrees or so and just a few cirrus clouds in the high, sunny sky.  Valpo dressed out in grey pants and black jerseys with gold trim.  We'll be the visitors tonight.  Now we're in our pregame huddle, standing arm in arm, praying the usual pregame prayer--in this case, for our first two game win streak of the season!  Yale is the home team, wearing white pants w blue striping, navy jerseys with white trim, and white caps with blue bills.  The Eli won their game against Bucknell this morning, notching their first win of the season and raising their record to 1-3 on the year.  The four games are consistent with Yale's original Ivy League schedule. 

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Freshman Trevor Haas will toe the rubber for Valpo.  He's 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA.  Junior Michael Coleman will go for Yale.  He's a weekend starter, and has one appearance this year, no record and a 2.45 ERA.  He's a righty.

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Anthem has played and Yale takes the field.  We're using a two man umpiring crew for all the games in Winter Haven/Auburndale.  This is due to the huge amount of games and teams down here.  Between D1 and D3, there are around 250 colleges down here.

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Coleman delivers a fastball from the stretch for a first pitch at 6:58p.

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Mahoney pops to short and there's one away.  Vavra steps in.  He got a few innings off in this morning's game, but is back at 2B to start this one.

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Vavra works the count full, then K's looking at a fastball that looked pretty good.  Two away. 

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DH Andrew Bain drives a ball 340' to left, but the left fielder retreats and makes the catch backing up.  1-2-3 inning for the Bulldogs.  No score mid 1.

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Trevor Haas is a six foot freshman righty.  His FB is in the 85-88 range, much like tonight's Eli starter.  Leadoff hitter Nate Adams pokes a single out to left center, and there's one on w nobody out. 

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Cale Hansen hits a slow chopper to Martin at third, whose only play is to second for the force.  One away.  Hansen out to a big lead at first.  David Toups, a lefty batter, steps in.  He pulls a ball foul on a hit and run.  Now Toups hits a tailor-made ground ball to Mahoney, who flips to Vavra and on to Loeffler for a sweet 6-4-3 DP.  No score after one. 

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Loeffler in to start the 2nd.  More shade than sun in the outfield now.  Full count and here's the payoff.  Loeffler hits a swinging bunt that the catcher handles.  His throw to 1st just gets Loeffler.  One away.

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Morman hits the first pitch to third, who throws him out.  Two down..

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Elliott Martin now in the box.  Hooks one just foul down the left field line.  Almost an easy double.  Martin instead pops foul to right.  It's caught and Coleman is perfect through two.  No score mid 2.

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Haas issues a 4 pitch walk to Jacob Hunter to start the home half of the second.  Josh Scharff now in the box.  Another tailor made ground ball, this time to second.  Vavra gets it to Mahoney, who can't get it smoothly out of his glove.  He throws low to Loeffler, who lets it get by him.  One out and one on.  The next hitter lines a shot right at Hara in center who makes the play.  Two away.

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Scharff takes off for 2nd and Cribbs makes a good throw.  Nobody there for Valpo as the ball goes to center.  Scharff stays at second.  The next batter chops to Vavra who makes the play to end the 2nd.  No score.

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Cribbs lines a sharp single to left center to start the 3rd.  Hara up.

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Hara lays down a nice sac bunt and nearly beats it out.  One away with Cribbs on 2nd.

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Chris Manning hits a ground ball to 2nd, who should have at least got a glove on it.  Instead it goes out to right and is scored a single.  Cribbs to third.  One away.

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Manning takes off for second, and Mahoney drives a single through the ss vacant spot on a nice hit and run.  Cribbs scores and runners are at the corners.

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Now Vavra lays down a saftety squeeze and beats the 1st baseman to the bag.  Manning scores from 3rd on the single.  2-0 Valpo.  One away. 

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Bain at the plate.  A wild pitch moves the runners to 2nd and 3rd.  Bain lines a single hard up the middle.  Only Mahoney will score.  Again runners at the corners and we lead 3-0.  Here's a visit to the Yale hurler, who stays in the game.  Action in the Bulldog pen.   

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Loeffler's turn to have some fun.  He bloops a single to shallow center that the diving CF can't get to.  Vavra scores.  Now 4-0 w runners on the corners.   

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Morman check swings a ground ball to first that scores a run from 3rd.  Two away and we lead 5-0.   

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Martin drives a 390 foot blast to straightaway center.  The CF turns, runs, and makes a nice diving catch to end the inning.  5-0 Valpo mid 3.

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Brent Lawson grounds softly to Martin, who backhands and throws him out.  One away..