Monday, April 19, 2004
BLAKE BENGALS COMPLETE SATURDAY SWEEP
VICTORIES OVER SPRINGBROOK AND SHERWOOD PUTS BLAKE AT 3-4 MARK
BENGAL WEEK:
Blake 5, Springbrook 2: Sophomore Catch Matt Schrader hit a 365-foot 3-run homer to highlight a 4-run 4th inning. Schrader's homer cleared the tennis courts in Springbrook's left field and according to Springbrook AD, Ronald D. Lane, it was the longest home run he has ever seen hit at Springbrook. It was his first varsity career home run. Sophomore Zack Tarner had put the Bengals ahead 2-1 with a basehit prior to Schrader's blast. Eric McComas threw a 95-pitch complete game, his 3rd of the year, for his first win of the season which also stopped a 2-game Bengal losing streak.
Blake 6, Sherwood 5: Starting Pitcher Kevin Casady drove in Pinch Runner TJ Deane from third base with the winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning with two outs on a hit to LF to give the Bengals the Saturday sweep at Blake. Catcher Matt Schrader (batting .550, .667 in his last 5 games and slugging .763) tied the game by driving in Ethan Burger from second one batter earlier. Schrader has hit safely in every Bengal game this year. Casady pitched his 3rd complete game of the season and won his second. It was the Bengals 6th complete game in 7 games this season. The Bengals team ERA is 2.25 and opponents are batting .185 against the Bengals. Casady gave up 2 run, 1 earned in the first inning and shut down the Warriors over the next 4 innings as the Bengals built a 4-2 lead highlighted by a 3-run 4th inning. Three consecutive batters delivered with base hits with 0-2 counts in that inning. All three runners scored. Casady was down to his final strike with two outs and 4-2 lead in the top of the 7th, but Sherwood battled back and got 3 hits and a wild pitch to take a 5-4 lead. But Blake, which has 4 one-run games this season (2-2 record), battled back. Every one of the Bengals one-run games has been decided in the last inning, win or lose.
BENGAL FACTS:
* Matt Schrader - Hitting .550 overall and slugging.763. Schrader is hitting .667 in his last 5 games.
* Blake's Team ERA is 2.25
* Opponents are batting.185 against Blake pitching.
* Blake has 6 complete games in 7 games this season. The only non-complete game was a 6-inning performance by Sophomore Zack Taner. Seniors Kevin Casady (2-2, 3.18 ERA) and Eric McComas (1-2, 2.10 ERA) each have 3 complete games.
* The Bengals played both games with only 2 erros giving them only 11 all season in 7 games.
* The team fielding percentage is .950
BENGAL QUOTES:
* "Now we are playing the way Blake Bengal Baseball is meant to be played. We stressed all season that pitching and defense would keep us in games and timely hitting would win us games," said Coach Steve Murfin. "Today we put into practice what we preached."
* "When we started off 1-4, all of our games were close and it was a matter of time before our bats would come around," added Murfin. "Today we got two complete games and had only 2 meaningless errors. Our hitting with runners in scoring position was the only missing piece in our games. Today we did it all."
* "I am real proud of our players not hanging their heads after our 1-4 start. They knew they were better than the record. They needed to prove it to themselves and dig a little deeper. They did."
VICTORIES OVER SPRINGBROOK AND SHERWOOD PUTS BLAKE AT 3-4 MARK
BENGAL WEEK:
Blake 5, Springbrook 2: Sophomore Catch Matt Schrader hit a 365-foot 3-run homer to highlight a 4-run 4th inning. Schrader's homer cleared the tennis courts in Springbrook's left field and according to Springbrook AD, Ronald D. Lane, it was the longest home run he has ever seen hit at Springbrook. It was his first varsity career home run. Sophomore Zack Tarner had put the Bengals ahead 2-1 with a basehit prior to Schrader's blast. Eric McComas threw a 95-pitch complete game, his 3rd of the year, for his first win of the season which also stopped a 2-game Bengal losing streak.
Blake 6, Sherwood 5: Starting Pitcher Kevin Casady drove in Pinch Runner TJ Deane from third base with the winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning with two outs on a hit to LF to give the Bengals the Saturday sweep at Blake. Catcher Matt Schrader (batting .550, .667 in his last 5 games and slugging .763) tied the game by driving in Ethan Burger from second one batter earlier. Schrader has hit safely in every Bengal game this year. Casady pitched his 3rd complete game of the season and won his second. It was the Bengals 6th complete game in 7 games this season. The Bengals team ERA is 2.25 and opponents are batting .185 against the Bengals. Casady gave up 2 run, 1 earned in the first inning and shut down the Warriors over the next 4 innings as the Bengals built a 4-2 lead highlighted by a 3-run 4th inning. Three consecutive batters delivered with base hits with 0-2 counts in that inning. All three runners scored. Casady was down to his final strike with two outs and 4-2 lead in the top of the 7th, but Sherwood battled back and got 3 hits and a wild pitch to take a 5-4 lead. But Blake, which has 4 one-run games this season (2-2 record), battled back. Every one of the Bengals one-run games has been decided in the last inning, win or lose.
BENGAL FACTS:
* Matt Schrader - Hitting .550 overall and slugging.763. Schrader is hitting .667 in his last 5 games.
* Blake's Team ERA is 2.25
* Opponents are batting.185 against Blake pitching.
* Blake has 6 complete games in 7 games this season. The only non-complete game was a 6-inning performance by Sophomore Zack Taner. Seniors Kevin Casady (2-2, 3.18 ERA) and Eric McComas (1-2, 2.10 ERA) each have 3 complete games.
* The Bengals played both games with only 2 erros giving them only 11 all season in 7 games.
* The team fielding percentage is .950
BENGAL QUOTES:
* "Now we are playing the way Blake Bengal Baseball is meant to be played. We stressed all season that pitching and defense would keep us in games and timely hitting would win us games," said Coach Steve Murfin. "Today we put into practice what we preached."
* "When we started off 1-4, all of our games were close and it was a matter of time before our bats would come around," added Murfin. "Today we got two complete games and had only 2 meaningless errors. Our hitting with runners in scoring position was the only missing piece in our games. Today we did it all."
* "I am real proud of our players not hanging their heads after our 1-4 start. They knew they were better than the record. They needed to prove it to themselves and dig a little deeper. They did."
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Blake Bengal Baseball the week of 3/22/-3/26.
GAME BY GAME BREAKDOWN, BENGAL FACTS AND BENGAL QUOTES
Monday: Lost to Whitman 1-0 when the Vikings scored an unearned run in the 7th inning with 2 outs. The Bengals starting Senior Kevin Casady went the distance striking out 7 and walking 1 and allowed only 2 hits. Neither team threatened to score until Whitman got its leadoff runner in the top of the 7th on and moved him to third. The winning run scored on a ground out to short for the second out of the inning. The game was played in temperatures in the low 40s.
Wednesday: Lost to Wheaton 4-3 in 8 innings on an unearned run in the bottom of the 8th. Eric McComas (Senior) pitched 7 innings for Blake, striking out 6 and walking 2. McComas, who was the QB of the Bengal football team, scatted 6 hits and 3 runs, 2 of them earned, over 7 innings on 110 pitches. Junior Drew Miller, pitched the 8th and got Wheaton to hit into what would have been an inning ending double play, but the throw to first got away from Bengal 1b Owen Stevenson (Senior) and the winning run scored from third. The Bengals trailed Wheaton 3-1, but rallied for single runs in the 5th and 6th to send the game into extra innings. Sophomore Zack Tarner had 2 hits and knocked in 2 runs for Blake.
Friday: Playing their second consecutive extra-inning game and third consecutive nail-biter, the Bengals scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly by DH Nick Dolan (Senior) that plated Jorge Jorge (Senior) with the winning run. Kevin Casady picked up the win in relief by retiring the side in order in his 2 innings of work. The Bengals jumped out early with a 2-run first, but Gaithersburg battled back tie the score 2-2 with single runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Trojans went ahead 4-2 with 2 runs in the 5th. Zack Tarner, who started for Blake, made a wide throw to first after fielding a bunt that started the 2-run outburst for Gaithersburg. Tarner pitched 6 innings and threw 104 pitches. He also had 2 hits for Blake. The Bengals tied the score in the bottom of the 5th after Dolan poked a 2-run double off the left-centerfield fence. Neither team threatened to score in the the next 5 innings. Drew Miller pitched 3 strong innings, striking out 3 and allowing just one hit. Leading off the bottom-of the 11th, Jorge Jorge hit drive over the rightfielders head for a double. After a bunt and two intentional walks loaded the bases, Dolan lifted a long fly to left on a 3-2 count that plated Jorge with the winning run.
Bengal facts
Kevin Casady has not given up an earned run in 9 innings of work. His ERA is 0.00. He has 9 strikeouts and 1 walk.
Opposing teams are batting .155 against Blake pitching.
Bengal team ERA after 3 games is 1.07 (4 earned runs in 26 innings of work).
Blake's Fielding Percentage is .920. The Bengals have made only 7 errors in 26 innings. Unfortunately, 2 of those errors have cost the team 2 losses.
Quotes
"This is the best game I have ever played in," said 3b Eric Knorr (Junior) about the win over Gaithersburg. Knorr, who plays DB for the Bengal football team, should know about big games. He had a hand in a big win over Springbrook in the fall when he scored the winning TD in OT to beat the Blue Devils and then had an interception to stop the final Springbrook drive in OT.
"We knew when the season started that our pitching and defense would keep us competitive and it has," said first-year coach Steve Murfin. "While unfortunate errors cost us two losses this week, our players know they are a very good defensive team. We have made a number of big defensive plays that have gotten us out of tough situations and kept out games close. It was just a matter of time before all the hard work on defense, and our pitching, would make a difference and we would win. Our pitching and defense won the Gaithersburg game as much as out timely hitting."
"After two very tough losses, we told the team that we would win as many games this season the same way we lost these two tough games this week. Who would have thought it would come in the same week the same way," said Murfin about the 1-2 Bengals who had all three games during the week decided in the last at-bat. "The players were told to keep working hard, hustle at all times and believe in themselves and their teammates and we would win the close ones. We proved that today with the win over Gaithersburg."
GAME BY GAME BREAKDOWN, BENGAL FACTS AND BENGAL QUOTES
Monday: Lost to Whitman 1-0 when the Vikings scored an unearned run in the 7th inning with 2 outs. The Bengals starting Senior Kevin Casady went the distance striking out 7 and walking 1 and allowed only 2 hits. Neither team threatened to score until Whitman got its leadoff runner in the top of the 7th on and moved him to third. The winning run scored on a ground out to short for the second out of the inning. The game was played in temperatures in the low 40s.
Wednesday: Lost to Wheaton 4-3 in 8 innings on an unearned run in the bottom of the 8th. Eric McComas (Senior) pitched 7 innings for Blake, striking out 6 and walking 2. McComas, who was the QB of the Bengal football team, scatted 6 hits and 3 runs, 2 of them earned, over 7 innings on 110 pitches. Junior Drew Miller, pitched the 8th and got Wheaton to hit into what would have been an inning ending double play, but the throw to first got away from Bengal 1b Owen Stevenson (Senior) and the winning run scored from third. The Bengals trailed Wheaton 3-1, but rallied for single runs in the 5th and 6th to send the game into extra innings. Sophomore Zack Tarner had 2 hits and knocked in 2 runs for Blake.
Friday: Playing their second consecutive extra-inning game and third consecutive nail-biter, the Bengals scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly by DH Nick Dolan (Senior) that plated Jorge Jorge (Senior) with the winning run. Kevin Casady picked up the win in relief by retiring the side in order in his 2 innings of work. The Bengals jumped out early with a 2-run first, but Gaithersburg battled back tie the score 2-2 with single runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Trojans went ahead 4-2 with 2 runs in the 5th. Zack Tarner, who started for Blake, made a wide throw to first after fielding a bunt that started the 2-run outburst for Gaithersburg. Tarner pitched 6 innings and threw 104 pitches. He also had 2 hits for Blake. The Bengals tied the score in the bottom of the 5th after Dolan poked a 2-run double off the left-centerfield fence. Neither team threatened to score in the the next 5 innings. Drew Miller pitched 3 strong innings, striking out 3 and allowing just one hit. Leading off the bottom-of the 11th, Jorge Jorge hit drive over the rightfielders head for a double. After a bunt and two intentional walks loaded the bases, Dolan lifted a long fly to left on a 3-2 count that plated Jorge with the winning run.
Bengal facts
Kevin Casady has not given up an earned run in 9 innings of work. His ERA is 0.00. He has 9 strikeouts and 1 walk.
Opposing teams are batting .155 against Blake pitching.
Bengal team ERA after 3 games is 1.07 (4 earned runs in 26 innings of work).
Blake's Fielding Percentage is .920. The Bengals have made only 7 errors in 26 innings. Unfortunately, 2 of those errors have cost the team 2 losses.
Quotes
"This is the best game I have ever played in," said 3b Eric Knorr (Junior) about the win over Gaithersburg. Knorr, who plays DB for the Bengal football team, should know about big games. He had a hand in a big win over Springbrook in the fall when he scored the winning TD in OT to beat the Blue Devils and then had an interception to stop the final Springbrook drive in OT.
"We knew when the season started that our pitching and defense would keep us competitive and it has," said first-year coach Steve Murfin. "While unfortunate errors cost us two losses this week, our players know they are a very good defensive team. We have made a number of big defensive plays that have gotten us out of tough situations and kept out games close. It was just a matter of time before all the hard work on defense, and our pitching, would make a difference and we would win. Our pitching and defense won the Gaithersburg game as much as out timely hitting."
"After two very tough losses, we told the team that we would win as many games this season the same way we lost these two tough games this week. Who would have thought it would come in the same week the same way," said Murfin about the 1-2 Bengals who had all three games during the week decided in the last at-bat. "The players were told to keep working hard, hustle at all times and believe in themselves and their teammates and we would win the close ones. We proved that today with the win over Gaithersburg."
