-April 16, 2009-First Pitch at 5:43 PM
-Weather was Sunny & 60’s
The Bees stung first in a game that featured three back-to-back innings of matched play. Both teams entered the game undefeated. When the dust settled, the Mudcats captured their fourth win and handed the Bees their first loss.
Top of the 1st, the Bees’ leadoff hitter reached second and then scored on a base hit. After a K and a base hit, the Bees had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Matt got the second out with an unassisted force at 3rd, runners still on the first two bags. The Bees scored three more with a fly to left and then a base hit. Ryan and Joseph finally ended the half-inning with a 6-3, Bees up 4 to 0.
The Mudcats matched the Bees 4 runs in the bottom, starting with a line drive to left-center by Dane. Ryan scorched one to left-center scoring Dane from first, and getting to 3rd himself on the throws. Joseph hit into a would-be 6-3, but pure speed and hustle earned him a base hit as he beat out the solid play, scoring Ryan. Matt reached on a fielder’s choice, and then moved to third on a Cade single. Cade would make it to second on an attempt to pick off Matt. Luke hit a rope to left, scoring both Matt and Cade. Mudcats and Bees were knotted up at 4 after 1.
Defense took over in the second. Ryan and Joseph connected on a 6-3, followed by 2 Bees K’s for a 1-2-3 inning. The Mudcats did not capitalize in the bottom half, with only Leyton reaching 1st on a fly ball to right field. After 2, the score remained tied at 4.
Top of the 3rd, the Bees struck back. The Mudcats got the first out on a 5-3 from Matt to Joseph. After getting two base runners, a Bees’ home run put them back on top. They followed up with a double to immediately threaten again. Out 2 came on an unassisted force at 1st by Joseph; the base runner advancing to 3rd. Two more runs scored on a double then single before coach Vaughn called a timeout to settle the boys down. The very next play was an L3 brought down by Joseph to end the half-inning.
The Mudcats gave up 5 in the top half and equaled that in the bottom. Top of the order back up to the plate, and Dane got it going again with a single to left. Ryan drilled the Moe’s sign in center for a long single, moving Dane to 2nd. Joseph doubled to right, bringing home Dane and moving Ryan to 3rd. Matt hustled for a single, scoring Ryan and moving Joseph to 3rd. Cade singled to left, scoring Joseph and moving Matt to 2nd. Bags singled to left-center, loading the bases for Luke. Luke hit a sac-fly to left, caught by former Mudcat Evan, which would score Matt. Adam hustled for an infield single, loading the bases again. Tyler earned an RBI on a 5-3. After 3, the Bees and Mudcats were knotted up again, 9 runs each.
Top of the 4th, the Mudcats put the clamp down and didn’t let up, playing solid defense to the game’s end. Out 1 came on a P6 to Ryan. The Bees put their second batter on first. On the next play, a short fly ball to right field was picked up cleanly on one bounce by Jacob Mitchell, who came up throwing to Joseph. While just missing the base runner at first, Joseph made a heads up play, getting the ball to Cade who then, with Ryan and Matt, had the runner going to 2nd caught in a rundown between 2nd and 3rd. Cade ultimately would get the out, leaving the Bees with a runner on 1st and 2 down. After a K, the Mudcats came back to the dugout with a 9 to 9 tie, bats in hand.
Bottom of the 4th, Andrew led off with a hard hit ball to 3rd and hustled to first, but out by a step on a 5-3. Jacob Mitchell sped his way to first next, setting up the top of the order with 1 on and 1 out. Dane wasted no time brining Jacob home when he hit a towering home run, clearing the scoreboard by a good 20 feet. Ryan kept it going by pounding one to shortstop for a single. Joseph then doubled, and would reach 3rd on the throw trying to catch the scoring Ryan. Cade singled to deep right-center, scoring Joseph. After 4, the Mudcats finally grabbed the lead, 9 runs to 13.
Top of the 5th, Mudcats put the Bees down in order on a 4-3 from Cade to Joseph, a K, and a 6-3 from Ryan to Joseph, who made a full-stretch one-hop snag for the out. In the bottom half, the Mudcats tacked on an insurance run with the bottom half of the order. Luke led off with a stand-up double to left. Adam’s 1-3 moved Luke to 3rd. Tyler brought Luke home as he hustled to first. Heading into the final inning, the Mudcats held the lead, 9 runs to 14.
The first Bee wanted to get all 5 runs back on one swing of the bat, and K’d. The second out came on a shoestring catch on a towering fly ball to centerfield, hauled in by Adam. The next batter hit a stinger to 3rd that Matt ranged over to quickly and snagged on one hop, an impressive play holding the runner at 1st. At 7:10 PM, Luke closed out the game on a P2, the ball barely reaching the top of the backstop before Luke lost the helmet, turned, and brought in the ball.
Mudcats win, 9 runs to 14. A shout out goes to Jacob for pulling for his team while sidelined due to illness, the epitome of a true sportsman.
No comments:
Post a Comment