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.
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.
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.
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.
Coleman delivers a fastball from the stretch for a first pitch at 6:58p.
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.
Vavra works the count full, then K's looking at a fastball that looked pretty good. Two away.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Morman hits the first pitch to third, who throws him out. Two down..
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.
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.
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.
Cribbs lines a sharp single to left center to start the 3rd. Hara up.
Hara lays down a nice sac bunt and nearly beats it out. One away with Cribbs on 2nd.
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.
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. :thumbsup:
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. :thumbsup:
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. :thumbsup:
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. :thumbsup:
Morman check swings a ground ball to first that scores a run from 3rd. Two away and we lead 5-0. :thumbsup:
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.
Brent Lawson grounds softly to Martin, who backhands and throws him out. One away..
Great to jump out to these early leads!!
Vavra makes a nice play on a squib grounder. Two away. We look sharp.
Yeah mkl, nice to get some support for our pitchers. Second five spot of the day for us! Nate Adams steps in for Yale. The lights are on now at COL...Adams draws a walk.
Haas handles a chopper back to him and throws to first to retire the side. End of 3, 5-0 Valpo...
Cribbs will again lead off the inning for Valpo. He draws a four pitch walk.
Hara looking to bunt. Instead he lifts an easy fly ball to left, but the LF loses it in the lights and it falls for a single. 1st and 2nd with no out. Manning does the job and moves the runners with a sac bunt. One away.
Mahoney hits a chopper to the 1B, who hesitates than comes home. Cribbs beats the throw and we have em on the corneers with one out, now leading 6-0. :thumbsup:
Vavra steps in. Mahoney takes off for 2nd, but Vavra fouls off the pitch. Reset. Action in the Yale pen. Vavra is HBP (slow curve--yes...) and bases are juiced for Bain.
Bain hits into a 5-4-3 to end the inning. Looked like he may have beaten the throw at 1st, but with the two man crew, the ump called him out from 70 feet away. We lead 6-0 mid 4. We have 7 hits, and Haas has a one hitter working.
Toups lofts a ball to medium deep center that Hara tracks down for out number one.
The next hitter is retired on a fly ball to Manning in right. Two down.
Yale goes down 1-2-3 when Mahoney handles a hot shot at him and throws the runner out. Through 4 Valpo is up 6-0.
Loeffler will step in for the Crusaders in the 5th. He hits it hard to center, but the ball is caught for out #1.
Ditto for Morman. His fly ball to center makes out #2.
Martin skies a popup right at the 3rd baseline. The ss calls off the 3b and makes the play. Valpo down in order in the top of the 5th, but leads 6-0.
Cam Squires lays down a nice bunt towards 1st and the speedy Bulldog beats out Haas' diving attempt for the Eli's second hit of the game.
The bouncer back to Haas is fielded cleanly, and he gets the force at second. One away. One on first.
Yale executes the hit and run to the 2nd base side, and they have runners on the corners with one away.
A Yale fly ball to center is deep enough, and the Bulldogs are on the board. Now 6-1 Valpo. :'( Cribbs throws a bullet down to Mahoney to easily get the Yale runner for the 3rd out of the inning. After 5, it's 6-1 good guys.
Cribbs to lead off again. He lofts a fly ball to left that the Yale LF snowcones for the out. One down to start the 6th.
Hara skies to center for the second out.
Is Cibbs or Hansen catching?
Manning laces a sharp single past the diving third sacker for a single. Mahoney steps in. Manning steals 2nd on the first pitch.
Cribbs has been catching all game. Mahoney skies to shallow center on a full count and the side is retired. 6-1 VU mid 6.
The Yale bullpen is now empty. Interesting that they have only 25 players on their roster. The SID says that the academic standards are so high that they can't fill out their pitching staff this year. Saving arms will be a priority for the Bulldogs. The first batter hits a two hopper in the 1B-2B hole that Vavra comes up with. His throw is off the mark to Haas, who was covering. Cribbs backs up the throw, and nearly gets the Yale runner who had turned toward second then dove back to first. Haas thought he had him.
Loeffler fields a ground ball and steps on the bag for out #1...runner to 2nd.
A sharp single to right drives in a run and it's 6-2 Valpo. Jacobs and Ben Mahar up in the Valpo pen...
Another single up the middle and Coach Woodson comes to the mound. He will bring lefty Mike Jacobs to get Haas. Nice outing for Trevor, who goes 5 1/3, gives up 6 hits, 2 ER and two walks. He did not get a strikeout but is in line for the win. Jacobs is making his fifth or sixth appearance. He will face the #5 hitter.
There's one away with runners at 1st and 2nd. We lead 6-2. Full count on the Yale hitter. Jacobs gets a strikeout swinging, and Cribbs completes the strike em out, throw em out nailing the Yale runner at 3rd. End of the inning, Valpo leads 6-2.
During the last at bat, there was a minor incident in the Valpo pen. One of Mahar's pitches slipped out of his hand and hit a Valpo player who was watching in the head. It may have been Ellis Foreman, and he appears to be OK...scary.
Vavra grounds to short to open the 7th.
Lost track of what innings we are in....can you help?
No more action in the Valpo pen. That'll cut down on the insurance bill... ;D Bain draws a one out walk.
Bain caught stealing for the second out on a great throw from the Yale catcher. Loeffler ends the top of the seventh with a pop up to short. Valpo leads 6-2.
Jacobs back out to start the 8th, and he gets a first pitch fly out to left for out #1.
Yale brings pinch hitter Charles Cook to the plate. Jacobs gets him looking with a nice Uncle Charlie. 2 down.
I mistyped earlier. It's the bottom of the 7th. The Yale batter grounds to Mahoney at short, and Jacobs gets a 1-2-3 7th. Valpo leads it 6-2 after 7.
Green Campbell came on in relief of starter Hansen back in the 7th. He's a sophomore righty who normally plays infield. He's back out for the 8th. Morman now batting. He drives a ball to medium deep center that the RF handles with some difficulty. One away.
Martin steps in. He hits a high fly to shallow right and there's two away.
Cribbs continues the fly ball fest with a ball to center and the Valpo half of the 8th is over. Jacobs back out now for the Yale 8th, and we still lead 6-2.
Easy fly ball to Manning in right and there's one away. Vavra ranges far to his right, dives, pops up and throws out the next Yale hitter. Great play there...2 down.
Jacobs looking great as he gets a lazy pop to Vavra to end the 8th. Another perfect inning for Mike. VU up 6-2.
Nate O'Leary in to pitch the 9th for Yale. He is actually listed as a pitcher in the Bulldog roster. He's a stout lefty. Hara to bat for Valpo. He draws a walk. Manning sacrifices him over to second with a bunt.
Mahoney steps up with one away and goes up 2-0 in the count. He works a four pitch walk. Runners on first and second. Here's a Yale pitching change...
Junior Kevin Fortunato will take the hill for Yale. He's a righty who throws fairly hard. I'd say upper 80s maybe 90. Vavra steps in. He lays down a perfect bunt for a single. Bases loaded for Bain.
Bain lifts a ball down the RF line that lands foul. Almost a diving catch there. Bain hits a seeing eye, infield chopper past the pitcher and there's no throw. RBI single. Now 7-2. :thumbsup:
Loeffler draws a four pitch walk that brings Mahoney home. We lead 8-2 with one away. :thumbsup:
Morman's fly out to center is deep enough to score Vavra. 9-2 Valpo with two down. :thumbsup:
Martin to bat. The 9 runs so far are a season high for Valpo. Martin chops back to the pitcher, who throws him out to retire the side. 9-2 Valpo mid 9. three outs to go for Jacobs. Walsh getting warm quickly in the pen for Valpo.
Jacobs gets the first Yale hitter in the 9th on a fly ball to Manning in right. The next batter singles sharply to center, ending Jacobs' string of eight straight outs. One away.
A ground ball to Loeffler, and he goes to second for the force. Jacobs a little late to first so the batter's safe. Two away.
Jacobs gets Squires on a pop to Vavra and the game is over. Valpo wins it 9-2. Haas with the win, he's 1-0 on the year. Valpo moves to 6-10 with their first two game win streak of 2013. Tomorrow's game is at Lake Myrtle at 2p EDT. We'll play Bucknell. See you then. Great day for the Crusaders! :clap:
Great job Valpo! Great pitching by Haas and Jacobs. Nice job again putting runs up early and often to take pressure off of the pitching staff. First win streak of the year..........let's keep it going tomorrow. Valpo Baseball getting on a roll!
Thanks Jetz!!!!!!!!!!!
Quote from: jetz on March 13, 2013, 07:35:18 PMBain caught stealing
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Jane's_Addiction_Been_Caught_Stealing.jpg)
Speaking of addictions, I love your succinct yet detailed writeups. Thanks for taking the time--it beats the heck out of Gametracker!
Great talking with the family members at the stadium tonight after a long night yesterday in the ARC, an early flight... and hitting the Softball game at FGCU this afternoon before making the drive to Winter Haven... Nice to have the "Harvard of the Midwest" beat Yale... and not even close... clutch hitting and great defense...
So Bucknell's basketball team got their NCAA ticket earlier tonight... so tomorrow... let's show them Valpo is the cream of the mid-majors...
Thursday morning and reading the PXP it was like I was in the stands. Great job Jetz.
I love the early season record against some quality opponents, and how close some of our losses are this year. It bodes well for the conference season!