Zech strikes out the side, but only after a first pitch no-doubter tied it up and blew another save. Can the offense respond and pull this on out? We can ill-afford a loss to SFA at home. Let's get it done...now! Again, the current pitcher has control issues and, before last inning, had given up 8 hits in his previous 6.1 IP, and allowed 7 earned runs. A leadoff walk is as a good as a hit.

Ratterree leadoff single up the middle. Clutch. And our best bunter is due up.
Pitching change to Sr RHP Higginbotham (6.10 ERA, 5 BBs, 3 HBP, 10 Ks, in 10.1 IP). Another guy with control issues...
Perrott does his job getting the sac bunt down. Runner on 2B, one out. Can we get one clutch RBI hit all game?
Taylor ground out to 3B, with Rat moving to 3B.
Byrd hit by pitch. Runners at the corners, two outs.
Byrd steals 2B. Runners on 2B and 3B, two outs.
Stainback ground out to 2B. Ugh.
Can someone tell me the logic of Byrd even attempting that stolen base with two outs and winning run on 3B? The risk was far to great, and what was the benefit?

Still tied 2-2 heading to the top of the tenth inning.

We really seem to struggle against mediocre competition.

(03-19-2013 09:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Zech strikes out the side, but only after a first pitch no-doubter tied it up and blew another save. Can the offense respond and pull this on out? We can ill-afford a loss to SFA at home. Let's get it done...now! Again, the current pitcher has control issues and, before last inning, had given up 8 hits in his previous 6.1 IP, and allowed 7 earned runs. A leadoff walk is as a good as a hit.

Ratterree leadoff single up the middle. Clutch. And our best bunter is due up.
Pitching change to Sr RHP Higginbotham (6.10 ERA, 5 BBs, 3 HBP, 10 Ks, in 10.1 IP). Another guy with control issues...
Perrott does his job getting the sac bunt down. Runner on 2B, one out. Can we get one clutch RBI hit all game?
Taylor ground out to 3B, with Rat moving to 3B.
Byrd hit by pitch. Runners at the corners, two outs.
Byrd steals 2B. Runners on 2B and 3B, two outs.
Stainback ground out to 2B. Ugh.
Can someone tell me the logic of Byrd even attempting that stolen base with two outs and winning run on 3B? The risk was far to great, and what was the benefit?

Still tied 2-2 heading to the top of the tenth inning.

To force SFASU to make the long throw to first instead of a shorter throw to 2nd. I agree, risky, but I understand it.

Bunt the damn ball with Leon up. The 1st baseman was on the back grass as was the 2nd baseman ... Any kind of bunt and he beats it out.

(03-19-2013 09:07 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Bunt the damn ball with Leon up. The 1st baseman was on the back grass as was the 2nd baseman ... Any kind of bunt and he beats it out.

I was wondering the same thing.

Were they holding Bryd on? There was no throw and it takes away the force and 2b. Otherwise it is useless.

(03-19-2013 09:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Can someone tell me the logic of Byrd even attempting that stolen base with two outs and winning run on 3B? The risk was far to great, and what was the benefit?

Still tied 2-2 heading to the top of the tenth inning.

They were giving it to him. Indifference.

Bottom 10. 2-2.

Stringer up to start the 10th. Down to .304

(03-19-2013 09:05 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Zech strikes out the side, but only after a first pitch no-doubter tied it up and blew another save. Can the offense respond and pull this on out? We can ill-afford a loss to SFA at home. Let's get it done...now! Again, the current pitcher has control issues and, before last inning, had given up 8 hits in his previous 6.1 IP, and allowed 7 earned runs. A leadoff walk is as a good as a hit.

Ratterree leadoff single up the middle. Clutch. And our best bunter is due up.
Pitching change to Sr RHP Higginbotham (6.10 ERA, 5 BBs, 3 HBP, 10 Ks, in 10.1 IP). Another guy with control issues...
Perrott does his job getting the sac bunt down. Runner on 2B, one out. Can we get one clutch RBI hit all game?
Taylor ground out to 3B, with Rat moving to 3B.
Byrd hit by pitch. Runners at the corners, two outs.
Byrd steals 2B. Runners on 2B and 3B, two outs.
Stainback ground out to 2B. Ugh.
Can someone tell me the logic of Byrd even attempting that stolen base with two outs and winning run on 3B? The risk was far to great, and what was the benefit?

Still tied 2-2 heading to the top of the tenth inning.

Byrd doesn't matter, only Ratt. Good calculated risk.

This guy can't find the strike zone, why risk a steal

EDIT: I stand corrected

GAME

Finally......

Whoopee. We win as Aquino drives in Cook.

Easy inning for Zech (2 groundouts, strikeoutKKKKK). Let's end it here before they get the top of the order to face Zech a second time. However, the way we're incapable of scoring a runner from 2B or 3B with less than two outs, it may require one of those rare bombs. Time for Stringer and Teykl to make up for their 0-8 so far tonight...

Stringer grounded out to SS. Not a single quality AB tonight. First or second pitch swinging all night and not one ball hit hard.
Teykl ground out to SS. Ditto the above for Connor. A night to forget for both of these guys.
We're facing a pitcher with very obvious control issues and all we need is one run to win it-- why the heck are we hecking away on the first and second pitches. Just not smart baseball there.
Cook walked...but now with two outs.
Cook stole 2B.
Aquino clutch, two-out, walk-off single! Ball game!

Woohoo! 6 in a row!

Yet another ugly win, but a win that we absolutely HAD to have against SFA, nevertheless. The guys did play hard throughout, did not quit, and played outstanding defense....but, geez, this offense is so inefficient it necessitates that almost every single game be a nailbiter with no margin for error. We were not facing even mediocre pitching tonight. Too many first pitch swinging at balls that were not hitters pitches-- even against the final three relievers, who all had big time control issues coming into today's game. Our aggressive guys need to realize that they will get better pitches to hit if and when they're ahead in the count; even 2-1. I have no problem with first pitch swinging, BUT only if it's YOUR pitch up in the zone.

Oh well, a win is a win is a win....and we did execute beautifully for the go-ahead run in the 7th inning.

Game Ball #1: Michael Aquino (2-4, double, walk, RBI) for the walk-off game-winner...and he probably would have had a 2nd RBI on that double had there not been only one out when he hit it (causing Cook to be conservatively held up at 3B).

Game Ball #2: Leon Byrd (2-3, HR #1, double, BB, HBP, SB, run, RBI)-- another game in which he played the role of tablesetter to perfection. Oh, and a great way to start off any ball game!

Game Ball #3: Could have given it to Michael Ratterree for his game-saving catch to end the 8th inning, followed by a leadoff single to start the bottom of the ninth (only to get stranded at 3B), but I'm giving it to John Simms (5.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 BB, 4 Ks) and Blake Fox (2.1 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 1 K) for keeping us in the game when the offense was coming up empty inning after inning.

Kuddos also to Zech Lemond (W, 2-0, 2.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 BBs, 5 Ks) for bouncing back after blowing the save (almost twice given Rat's diving save the previous inning) and retiring the final 6 batters faced after giving up the game-tying HR.

We've now won six straight on this "must have" home stand, with one game to go tomorrow against a very good UT-SA squad (13-7, RPI ranking of #37, 3-4 vs. Top 50, including 3 wins against a Washington State team that just won a series against Arizona last weekend)....and they'll be coming in well rested and with their entire bullpen (and best mid-week starter) available since they have not played since Sunday. Let's find a way to sweep the home stand tomorrow. Go Owls!

UTSA beat SFA 13-3 a couple of weeks ago.
(BTW, Washington State won a series against Ariz State)

And, in other news, UH beat UT tonight 4-3

(03-19-2013 10:11 PM)grol Wrote:  And, in other news, UH beat UT tonight 4-3

And the Coogs improve to 17 - 4. Pretty impressive.