MAC muscles up to sweep pair from Raiders
By DONN ADAMSON
Daily Journal Sports Editor
Daily Journal Sports Editor
Mar 27, 2009 - 11:31:18 CDT
FARMINGTON - A change of venue for Thursday’s home games against the Three Rivers Raiders proved to be in the Mineral Area College Cardinals favor.
Playing at Wilson Rozier Park instead of their on-campus field, the Cardinals sent seven extra-base hits to the outfield wall, and two more over the eight-foot exterior, winning their first game in a 10-1 blow-out and the second in an 8-7 comeback.
A 20 foot trickler off the bat of lead-off hitter Josh Maynard to start the first game resulted in his going all the way to second on an overthrow into right field. Maynard scored two batters later on a single by Tyler Smith and after the bases were loaded on three straight singles, it looked like it was going to be a rough day for the Cardinals.
Aaron Blunt pitched his way out of the jam and he would do it again three more times before notching up the seven inning win. Blunt struck out eight batters and gave up only two walks and nine hits, leaving the bases loaded twice to strand a total of eight Three Rivers’ runners.
Mineral Area took the lead for good in the bottom of the first with Bobby Tatum being hit with a pitch, Mike Bigogno reached on a catcher’s interference and a Raider’s error scored Tatum. Isaac Armstrong hit a bases-loaded infield single to score what would be the winning run.
Armstrong had a huge afternoon offensively going 4-4 in the first game and 6-8 overall with four RBI.
A big part of Three Rivers defensive struggles in the first game came from not being able to get out the No. 9 hitter Chance Cleveland. Cleveland reached base safely all four times at bat with a single and three walks, resulting in his scoring three of the four times. Three times he led off the inning including a five-run rally in the fourth.
Cleveland followed his walk in the fourth with his second stolen base of the game, and after Tatum also walked and stole second, Korey Domenick unloaded on a 2-0 fast ball for a 370 feet home run over the right-center wall for three runs
The Cardinals were not finished as Bigogno singled and scored on a double by Richie Stanley. Armstrong hit a two-out single to score Bigogno. Armstrong’s hit was peculiar in itself. The ball was driven straight up causing the catcher to back up and upon coming forward decided to let the charging pitcher or third baseman to make the catch. The ball landed safely on the grass only 20 feet from home plate between the three players as Bigogno crossed the plate.
RBI doubles by Tatum in the fifth inning and by Armstrong in the sixth put the Cardinals in position for a 10-run shortened game.
MAC filled the bases in the sixth with the score 10-1 and only one out, but Raiders’ relief pitcher Jacob McMican was able to pitch out of trouble with a strike out and a comebacker.
The extra inning at bat did not help the Raiders as Blunt claimed the win after a minor scare. Nathan Booker hit Three Rivers’ only extra-base hit with a double and with two outs Jesse Hughes drafted a fast ball over the fence, but just a tad foul. Blunt hung a curve on the next pitch and froze the clean-up batter for strike three.
A home run by Shane Crossen in the second inning gave notice that Three Rivers planned to salvage at least one win out of the doubleheader. The Raiders tacked three more runs onto their score in the third inning with doubles by William Ruthven and Cody Carlyle, a sac fly by Tyler Wrinkle and a RBI single by Crossen for a 4-0 score.
Mineral Area figured out the pitching of Three Rivers’ Nick Lesmeister the second time through the line-up staring again with the No. 9 hitter Nick Cox. Cox started a five-run rally with a lead-off single in the bottom of the third.
Three batters later Bigogno cleared the bases with a three-run triple, and then scored on a towering fly ball by Blunt that fell beyond the right-center wall for a home run. Lesmeister pitched his way out of the inning, but Three Rivers’ coach Stacey Burkey had seen enough and Ryne Armstrong took over the mound in the fourth inning.
Booker reclaimed the lead for Three Rivers with a two-run opposite field shot in the fourth inning. With a runner on third and only one out, Coach Jim Gerwitz decided to make a switch of pitchers, bringing in Tyler Beers to finish out the game.
Beers struck out the next two batters to strand the runner at third, and he would give up only three hits for one unearned run the rest of the way, logging five strike-outs in his three and two-thirds innings.
Trailing 7-5, the Cardinals received a big boost from their pinch hitters in the sixth inning. After Armstrong led off with a single, Cleveland pinch hit for a double to put both runners in scoring position, and pinch hitter Dylan Harris came through with a clutch single to score both runners and knot the game up at 7-7.
Wrinkle led off the seventh for the Raiders with a single, and Crossen sacrificed Wrinkle to second with a perfect bunt to the right side. A passed ball put the leading run at third, but Beers would get a pop-out to first and a ground ball to short to escape without damage, and his teammates would reward him in the bottom of the seventh.
A lead-off double by Blunt on the very first pitch bulked up Mineral Area’s hopes. Jimmy Thompson laid down a perfect bunt to advance Blunt to third, but a strike-out put him there with two outs. Armstrong would hit his second game-winner with a single to left, scoring Blunt.
MAC (7-17 overall, 3-3 Region 16 and 2-0 in conference) will play at St. Charles on Saturday for their next games.
FIRST GAME
Three Rivers 100 000 0 - 1 9 2
Mineral Area 210 511 x - 10 10 1
WP- Blunt 7i 1r 9h 8k 2bb, LP- Stockton 4i 9r 6h 2k 4bb 1hb, McMican 21 1r 2h 3k 3bb 1hb.
Hitting:
Three Rivers - Carlyle 3-3, Hughes 2-4, Booker 2-4, Smith 1-3, Maynard 1-4. 2b- Booker.
Mineral Area - Armstrong 4-4, Domenick 2-4, Cleveland 1-1, Tatum 1-3, Bigogno 1-3, Stanley 1-3. HR- Domenick, 2b- Armstrong, Stanley.
SECOND GAME
Three Rivers 013 201 0 - 7 13 1
Mineral Area 005 002 1 - 8 12 1
WP- Beers 3 2/3i 1r 3h 5k 0bb, Lawson 3 1/3i 6r 10h 4k 1bb. LP- Armstrong 4i 3r 6h 3k 0bb.
Hitting:
Three Rivers - Smith 4-4, Crossen 2-3, Hood 2-4, Ruthven 1-3, Wrinkle 1-3, Rowden 1-4, Carlyle 1-4, Booker 1-4. HR- Booker, Crossen. 2b- Ruthven, Carlyle.
Mineral Area - Blunt 2-4, Armstrong 2-4, Tatum 2-4, Cleveland 1-1, Harris 1-1, Cox 1-2, Stanley 1-4, Domenick 1-4, Bigogno 1-4. HR- Blunt. 3b- Bigogno. 2b- Cleveland, Blunt, Domenick.
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Playing at Wilson Rozier Park instead of their on-campus field, the Cardinals sent seven extra-base hits to the outfield wall, and two more over the eight-foot exterior, winning their first game in a 10-1 blow-out and the second in an 8-7 comeback.
A 20 foot trickler off the bat of lead-off hitter Josh Maynard to start the first game resulted in his going all the way to second on an overthrow into right field. Maynard scored two batters later on a single by Tyler Smith and after the bases were loaded on three straight singles, it looked like it was going to be a rough day for the Cardinals.
Aaron Blunt pitched his way out of the jam and he would do it again three more times before notching up the seven inning win. Blunt struck out eight batters and gave up only two walks and nine hits, leaving the bases loaded twice to strand a total of eight Three Rivers’ runners.
Mineral Area took the lead for good in the bottom of the first with Bobby Tatum being hit with a pitch, Mike Bigogno reached on a catcher’s interference and a Raider’s error scored Tatum. Isaac Armstrong hit a bases-loaded infield single to score what would be the winning run.
Armstrong had a huge afternoon offensively going 4-4 in the first game and 6-8 overall with four RBI.
A big part of Three Rivers defensive struggles in the first game came from not being able to get out the No. 9 hitter Chance Cleveland. Cleveland reached base safely all four times at bat with a single and three walks, resulting in his scoring three of the four times. Three times he led off the inning including a five-run rally in the fourth.
Cleveland followed his walk in the fourth with his second stolen base of the game, and after Tatum also walked and stole second, Korey Domenick unloaded on a 2-0 fast ball for a 370 feet home run over the right-center wall for three runs
The Cardinals were not finished as Bigogno singled and scored on a double by Richie Stanley. Armstrong hit a two-out single to score Bigogno. Armstrong’s hit was peculiar in itself. The ball was driven straight up causing the catcher to back up and upon coming forward decided to let the charging pitcher or third baseman to make the catch. The ball landed safely on the grass only 20 feet from home plate between the three players as Bigogno crossed the plate.
RBI doubles by Tatum in the fifth inning and by Armstrong in the sixth put the Cardinals in position for a 10-run shortened game.
MAC filled the bases in the sixth with the score 10-1 and only one out, but Raiders’ relief pitcher Jacob McMican was able to pitch out of trouble with a strike out and a comebacker.
The extra inning at bat did not help the Raiders as Blunt claimed the win after a minor scare. Nathan Booker hit Three Rivers’ only extra-base hit with a double and with two outs Jesse Hughes drafted a fast ball over the fence, but just a tad foul. Blunt hung a curve on the next pitch and froze the clean-up batter for strike three.
A home run by Shane Crossen in the second inning gave notice that Three Rivers planned to salvage at least one win out of the doubleheader. The Raiders tacked three more runs onto their score in the third inning with doubles by William Ruthven and Cody Carlyle, a sac fly by Tyler Wrinkle and a RBI single by Crossen for a 4-0 score.
Mineral Area figured out the pitching of Three Rivers’ Nick Lesmeister the second time through the line-up staring again with the No. 9 hitter Nick Cox. Cox started a five-run rally with a lead-off single in the bottom of the third.
Three batters later Bigogno cleared the bases with a three-run triple, and then scored on a towering fly ball by Blunt that fell beyond the right-center wall for a home run. Lesmeister pitched his way out of the inning, but Three Rivers’ coach Stacey Burkey had seen enough and Ryne Armstrong took over the mound in the fourth inning.
Booker reclaimed the lead for Three Rivers with a two-run opposite field shot in the fourth inning. With a runner on third and only one out, Coach Jim Gerwitz decided to make a switch of pitchers, bringing in Tyler Beers to finish out the game.
Beers struck out the next two batters to strand the runner at third, and he would give up only three hits for one unearned run the rest of the way, logging five strike-outs in his three and two-thirds innings.
Trailing 7-5, the Cardinals received a big boost from their pinch hitters in the sixth inning. After Armstrong led off with a single, Cleveland pinch hit for a double to put both runners in scoring position, and pinch hitter Dylan Harris came through with a clutch single to score both runners and knot the game up at 7-7.
Wrinkle led off the seventh for the Raiders with a single, and Crossen sacrificed Wrinkle to second with a perfect bunt to the right side. A passed ball put the leading run at third, but Beers would get a pop-out to first and a ground ball to short to escape without damage, and his teammates would reward him in the bottom of the seventh.
A lead-off double by Blunt on the very first pitch bulked up Mineral Area’s hopes. Jimmy Thompson laid down a perfect bunt to advance Blunt to third, but a strike-out put him there with two outs. Armstrong would hit his second game-winner with a single to left, scoring Blunt.
MAC (7-17 overall, 3-3 Region 16 and 2-0 in conference) will play at St. Charles on Saturday for their next games.
FIRST GAME
Three Rivers 100 000 0 - 1 9 2
Mineral Area 210 511 x - 10 10 1
WP- Blunt 7i 1r 9h 8k 2bb, LP- Stockton 4i 9r 6h 2k 4bb 1hb, McMican 21 1r 2h 3k 3bb 1hb.
Hitting:
Three Rivers - Carlyle 3-3, Hughes 2-4, Booker 2-4, Smith 1-3, Maynard 1-4. 2b- Booker.
Mineral Area - Armstrong 4-4, Domenick 2-4, Cleveland 1-1, Tatum 1-3, Bigogno 1-3, Stanley 1-3. HR- Domenick, 2b- Armstrong, Stanley.
SECOND GAME
Three Rivers 013 201 0 - 7 13 1
Mineral Area 005 002 1 - 8 12 1
WP- Beers 3 2/3i 1r 3h 5k 0bb, Lawson 3 1/3i 6r 10h 4k 1bb. LP- Armstrong 4i 3r 6h 3k 0bb.
Hitting:
Three Rivers - Smith 4-4, Crossen 2-3, Hood 2-4, Ruthven 1-3, Wrinkle 1-3, Rowden 1-4, Carlyle 1-4, Booker 1-4. HR- Booker, Crossen. 2b- Ruthven, Carlyle.
Mineral Area - Blunt 2-4, Armstrong 2-4, Tatum 2-4, Cleveland 1-1, Harris 1-1, Cox 1-2, Stanley 1-4, Domenick 1-4, Bigogno 1-4. HR- Blunt. 3b- Bigogno. 2b- Cleveland, Blunt, Domenick.