The boys are warming up now and the rain has stopped. Look to start around 11:30 EDT or so. I'll try to do blog updates here.
As a Navy football season ticket holder, go easy on the Mids! :thumbsup:
Sorry for the confusion. New update at 11:13p...game cancelled today. No word yet on possible reschedule. I'll be here tomorrow for updates on the 6p EDT game.
Now they are trying to reschedule the Navy game for tomorrow. We will play two. Not sure of time/place for Navy resked game. Will update here...
Too bad, as Navy is usually pretty decent in baseball. Hopefully we can reschedule the game, though that usually doesn't happen
Quote from: valpotx on March 12, 2013, 10:36:49 AM
Too bad, as Navy is usually pretty decent in baseball. Hopefully we can reschedule the game, though that usually doesn't happen
Navy should be able to handle anything involving water.
True that.
I was at the ND-Navy game in Baltimore...'08 probably?
ND owned the first half, absolutely amazing...and then the skies simply opened up second half and Navy almost came all the way back.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on March 12, 2013, 12:29:38 PM
True that.
I was at the ND-Navy game in Baltimore...'08 probably?
ND owned the first half, absolutely amazing...and then the skies simply opened up second half and Navy almost came all the way back.
I was there too... hated the first half... left after getting absolutely soaked, listened to the end in the car leaving the stadium while dodging ignorant ND fans playing some sort of duel involving throwing full beer cans at each other and having no clue that their team was on the verge of an epic collapse. >:(
Quote from: valpo04 on March 12, 2013, 01:39:50 PMwas there too... hated the first half... left after getting absolutely soaked
oh ye of little faith...i stayed though i didn't even care who won, and didn't bring a poncho. a lady next to me had pity though :)
OK we're finally up and running here in Aurburndale, FL. It's the top of the 1st and Navy is the visiting team. They have their first two batters on first and second after Dalton Lundeen issued a leadoff walk and gave up a swinging bunt single.
Lundeen strikes out the #3 hitter. He then gets the cleanup man to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play. Vavra's throw to first was low, but Loeffler made the pickup to complete the DP. 0-0 mid 1
Mahoney back at ss after a day off in Tampa. He will lead it off. The Navy pitcher is a hard throwing rightyh. I'm not near the gun but he's at 90 or so. Mahoney drives a ground ball single through the hole on the right side. Vavra lays down the bunt, and the Navy throw from the catcher is wide for an error. 1st and 2nd for Valpo no out.
Bain will step in. It's 60 degrees in the bright sunshine here. Wind blowing left to right at 10 mph makes it a little chilly. Yesterday's rain didn't end til mid afternoon, so it was a good call to postpone. Bain draws are walk and they're juiced with no out.
Loeffler will bat cleanup. The senior lefty has picked it up in the last few games with the bat. Valpo wearing all gray today with gold trim. We are the home team. Navy in gray pants and solid navy blue jerseys. Loeffler pokes a two strike single out to left. Mahoney and Vavra score. Bain stops at 2nd.
Morman lays down a perfect bunt and there is no throw. Loaded again. Martin's swinging bunt goes pitcher to home for the inning's first out.
Mark Johnson getss the start in right today. He bounces to 2nd, who bobbles and goes to second for the force. Johnson beats the throw to first and Loeffler scores. Cribbs steps in with runners at the corners. Yet another swinging bunt is beaten out for a single. Morman stays at third and they are loaded with two away.
Hara is the 9th Crusader to bat this inning. He hits a hard ground ball to the 2nd baseman's left. He dives but his toss to first is off the mark. Two more score. It's now 5-0. Mahoney up with Hara at first and Cribbs at third. Call Hara's play an error. Mahoney draws a walk and again the bags are full.
Vavra with a chance to add to the big inning, but he bounces short to second for out #3. End of 1, Valpo leads Navy 5-0.
Navy's #5 hitter bounces to Vavra who makes the routine play for out #1 in the top of 2. Valpo will play a second game against Yale tonight at 7pm EDT. The game was moved back an hour from the original schedule. Not sure why. Lundeen, a tall lefty freshman gets a strikeout looking for out #2. The next batter bounces the first pitch to Mahoney, and the Mids go down 1-2-3. 5-0 Valpo mid 2.
Bain steps in. He bounces to second for out #1. This complex is five full diamonds with standard high school bleachers and chain link. All five diamonds are in use for now in the Russ Matt Invitational. That's the name of this two month long college series. It's a half hour from the rental villas where the team stays in Winter haven. Loeffler lines a ball back to the pitcher, who makes an "instinct" catch. Two down. Morman draws a walk. Martin is HBP. Two on for Johnson.
Johnson flies to shallow center, and the inning is over. Valpo leads 5-0 after two. Valpo has about 25 family members here watching, as do the Midshipmen. Each of the Mids owes the Navy at least four years of service after graduatiion, so you have to admire the dedication from these D1 players who have no chance of getting drafted. As a former Navy guy, my hat's off to them...
Lundeen gets a backwards K on a bender, and there's one away. The next Mid bounces to Martin at third, who makes the play for the second out. Johnson corrals a routine fly ball in right to retire the side. Mid 3, 5-zip Valpo. No music or PA here, which is kind of refreshing...
Cribbs sheds his catcher's gear and heads to the plate to start the Valpo third. He fans on a 90 mph heater for the first out.
Hara steps in. The juco transfer has struggled at the plate this year, batting just .186 coming in to today. He whiffs for the second out. Mahoney will bat for the third time today. He pops up down the left field line and it's caught by the left fielder for the third out. 5-0 Valpo after 3.
Lundeen is a freshman making his second collegiate start. He wears jersey #42. FB is at about 86. He gets the batter to bounce weakly to Mahoney, who charges and makes and good throw for the out. One away.
Lundden walk the next Navy batter and there's one on with one out. Big #19 steps in a lifts a shallow fly to left that Morman handles for out #2. I don't have a program, so not sure where we're at in the Navy order. I'm posted away from the backstop, as I had to find an electrical outlet, table, and chair to set up my media center here at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. Lundeen induces a ground ball to short. Mahoney flips to Vavra, and the side is retired.
Vavra starts the Valpo 4th with a routine fly to center. Bain up with one away. It's warming up a bit here now, probably 65 degrees under bright sun. Bain chops to the ss hole. He gloves it and makes a good long throw to get Bain by a step for out #2.
Loeffler drivs a ball to medium right, and the Crusaders go down 1-2-3 in the fourth. Still leading by 5 as we head to the fifth. :thumbsup:
Lundeen gets the Navy batter to hit a pop fly that looks like it might fall foul, but Johnson charges and makes the catch for out #1. The next batter lifts a blooper to shallow left center. Hara charges, dives, but can't make the catch. He did knock it down. By the time he gets to it, the batter slides into second base with a one out double.
Navy follows up with a soft line drive over third. The runners are now on the corners with one away. Nobody working in either pen.
Lundeen issues a walk, and they are loaded for Navy with one away. Right on cue, Lundeen gets a 6-4-3 DP to end the inning. Vavra's throw this time was perfect. 5-0 Valpo mid 5. Lundeen gives a fist pump as the Valpo bench explodes.
Morman to bat for Valpo. He bounces to short for the first out in the Valpo 5th. Tonight we play at Chain O' Lakes stadium in Winter Haven. It's the old spring training site for the Indians, and should be nice. Martin bounces to short for the second out. Johnson lays down a nice two out bunt. But the pitcher makes a nice play to nip the speedy Crusader at first and end the 5th.
Lundeen back out for the 6th. The 7th inning has been the nemesis for Crusader starters of late, so we'll see how they handle the freshman today. Lundeen cruising now as he gets a strikeout for out #1.
Lundeen now issues a walk. The next hitter flies to Johnson in right, who throws back to first to try to get the double play. The throw gets by Loeffler, and the Navy runner advances to second, where he nearly faceplanted himself with a head first slide gone awry.Two away.
A wild pitch moves the runner to third. Lundeen ends the Navy threat with a fly ball to center. 5-0 Valpo mid 6.
Cribbs will step in to lead off the Valpo 6th. This game is moving right along. 1:10 in and we're almost through six. Cribbs goes down looking for out #1. Navy still with their starter.
Hara drives a hard shot to the right of first that the 1B can't handle. Hara is quick, and he beats the toss to first. Give him a generous hit there. A passed ball moves him to second for Mahoney. Mahoney bounces to the pitcher, who catches Hara in a run down off second. Hara is tagged out and Mahoney advances to second during the run down. Two away for Vavra.
Vavra flies to right to strand Mahoney. It's still 5-0 after 6 in favor of the good guys.
Here's the fateful 7th. Andy Burns takes over for Vavra at second base. Not sure why. Bryce Yoder and Mike Jacobs are tossing in the Valpo pen. Lundeen gives up a leadoff single to open the Navy 7th. Lately it seems like the starters have been given a very long leash when trouble arises in the later innings.
Lundeen settles in a gets a K for the first out. Here's a double roped out to left center. I'd think about making the pitching change right now. Here comes Coach Schmack to talk to Lundeen.
Navy has em at 2nd and 3rd with one away. Valpo will stick with Lundeen. The next hitter lifts a fly ball to center for Hara. It's deep enough and the runner scores from third. The runner at second stays there with two away. Now 5-1 Valpo.
Lundeen gets a bouncer right back to him, and promptly throws it in the dirt. Leffler bobbles at first, but is able to come up with the ball just in time to retire the Midshipmen in the 7th. Noow 5-1 Valpo mid 7.
Bain bloops a ball off the glove of the second baseman for a single to right. Loeffler moves him along to third with a single to center. Navy will make a mound visit. We have runners at the corners with no one out. Navy sticks with the starter.
Morman steps in for Valpo. He bounces to the pitcher, who starts a 1-6-3 DP. Bain scores from third. Now 6-1 Valpo.
Now it's Martin with the bases empty. He skies to right and the inning is over. Lundeen's day is done as freshman Bryce Yoder toes the mound for the 8th. Nice job by Dalton, who gave up one run over 7 innings.
Yoder is making his third or fourth appearance this year. He gets a four pitch swinging K to open the 8th. Fastball at 85 or so. He's a mid-sized righty. Jacobs still warming in the pen for Valpo. Action in the Navy pen as well. The batter laces a double to the 8-9 gap and there's one on and one out.
A wild pitch sends the Navy runner to third. Yoder just needs to get an out here with a five run lead. He gets it when Martin field a ground ball at third, looks the runner back, and throws a strike to first. Two away.
Yoder working low in the zone. He again gets a chopper to third. Martin makes the play and Valpo is through the Navy 8th. We lead 6-1.
No more action in the Valpo pen now. Johnson step in. He needs a hit to get himself going. He fouls off a few pitches. Now a few more. Good at bat. The Navy hurler wins it though when Johnson bounces to second. One away.
Cribbs hits the first pitch back to the pitcher, who tosses to first for out #2. Hara now up. Bryce tags one to deep right. The Navy right fielder looks up, and this ball is LONG GONE! Solo shot for Hara makes it 7-1 Valpo. The Mids will make a pitching change, as the Yale team shows up here for their game after ours. We'll see them again tonight.
Mahoney will greet the Navy southpaw reliever with a chopper to short, who makes the play to end the inning. Valpo gets one on the Hara bomb, and we lead 7-1 after 8...Yoder back out for the 9th.
A scout or two are here watching today. We're told that there will be scouts at many of the WH games. The leadoff Navy hitter lines out to short, and there's one away in the 9th.
The next hitter singles to left, and there's one on. Now a bouncer up the middle is knocked down by a diving Mahoney, but there's no play. Two on after the single.
Mahar getting loose for Valpo. Yoder getsa swinging K for the second out.
A soft line drive is speared by Yoder at the mound, at Valpo wins it 7-1. The Crusaders move to 5-10. Lundeen with the win after going 7 innings. We'll be back with more updates tonight at 7p EDT when we play Yale at Chain O' Lakes Park at Winter Haven. Good job Valpo! :thumbsup:
Thanks Jetz for the great play by play. Great job as always and much appreciated. Nice to jump out early and close the deal in relatively uncontested fashion today in the first one. Now let's take two later tonight!
Quote from: Valposter on March 13, 2013, 11:02:55 AMThanks Jetz for the great play by play. Great job as always and much appreciated.
Ditto!
Pretty impressive to score five runs barely hitting the ball out of the infield. Nickel-and-diming...
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Good victory over a team that has been to some NCAA tourneys! Let's beat Yale as well tonight!
Nice to see Lundeen step up as a freshman and pitch well today. Some of our bats are starting to heat up. Need Manning, Mahoney, Mormon, Loeffler and Hara to start hitting. Hara hit the HR today but we need better consistency (avg. and obp.) from him with his speed. Martin seems to be hitting better lately. Bain, Cribbs, Vavra have really been carrying the offense for awhile now but they need others to join in the fun more consistently. Karch, Bynum and Johnson competing for more at bats. I'm sure the coaches are watching closely to see if someone is getting hot to secure more at-bats.