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Friday May 1, 2009

Green Hope beats Cary 8-5

Brady DP GH's SS Eric Brady turns key 4-6-3 double play in the 1st

This game started 30 minutes late due to the wet playing conditions, and the field remained a bit soggy throughout. The lack of good footing was evident with players being a little cautious going after balls defensively, and had some effect on the pitching, at least it seemed so with GH's starter, and long striding, Max Povse. GH built a comfortable lead, but couldn't put Cary away, and Cary fought back to make a game of it late, but just couldn't finish the comeback. This wasn't a badly played game, but it certainly lacked anything really noteworthy, no great defensive plays, good but not great pitching, and some good hits but nothing really special hit tonight.

Eric Brady ledoff the game with a double off the wall in left, followed by Grant Shambley's bunt which he beat out for a hit on a very close play at 1st. With Brady now at 3rd, he scored on Michael Sondag's sacrifice fly to left, but that's all GH could produce to lead 1-0. In the bottom of the 1st, Cary tied the scored via a leadoff walk to Cary's starting pitcher Hunter Carr, Brandon Wojcrechowski's infield chopper up the middle was knocked down by Povse, but he had no play, moving Carr to 2nd. Carr stole 3rd, then on a ball which got away from GH's catcher, the subsequent high throw to 2nd allowed Carr to easily score from 3rd. After a walk, GH got lucky to turn a 4-6-3 double play, and then get a fly out to end the inning, with the score tied at 1-1.

Boghosian 3B Adam Boghosian's triple starts a 4 run second inning for GH
Poythress single After failed squeeze, Poythress singles, as 2008 All-Star HR Contest pitching star Clay Council (in Texas Ranger hat) looks on

GH scored 4 in the second, Adam Boghosian ledoff with a triple to RF, and after a walk to Matt Nusbaum, GH appearred to try a suicide squeeze play with Nolan Poythress at bat, the pitch was at head level and unfortunately Poythress instinctively didn't bunt at it, but that left Bogo as dead meat half way down the 3B line, an easy out, but Nusbaum managed to get to 2nd during the rundown. Poythress redeemed himself with a solid single scoring Nusbaum. After a fly out for the 2nd out, Brady singled between 3rd and SS, Shambley was hit by a pitch, and with the bases loaded, (and Poythress at 3rd explaining to 3B and Head Coach Mike Miragliuolo why he didn't bunt at the suicide squeeze play), Povse also singled between 3rd and SS to drive in 2 runs, and with the throw back to the infield getting away, Shambley hustled and scored all the way from 1st to make it 5-1 GH.

Poythress at 3rd Povse hit Nolan Poythress explains the squeeze play to Miragliuolo, as coach is smiling, Nolan looks to have a career in "sales" ? As that discussion continues at 3rd, Max Povse singles home 2 (with Clay Council still watching)
Boghosian throw RF Adam Boghosian's throw keep Cary's Costin at 3rd
Colantino pickoff 1B Michael Sondag tags out Cary runner picked off by GH catcher Anthony Colantino

In the bottom of the 2nd, Cary's Joe Costin singled and reached 2nd on a wild pitch, but with 2 outs, Tony Sanchez's single to RF was charged by Boghosian and his strong throw home kept Costin at 3rd, and Cary did not score, which was a momentum killer for Cary. Both teams settled into good pitching and defense, with no hits or threats in the 3rd and 4th innings. GH added 1 in the 5th, Shambley ledoff with a single, advanced to 2nd on Povse sac bunt, stole 3rd, and scored on a wild pitch, to make it GH 6-1.


So just when it looked like GH was about to breeze to victory, Cary rallied in the 5th, helped by some GH miscues to make it interesting. With 1 out, Cary's Sanchez (who was 3-3, all hard hits) singled, followed by Carr's single to RF, with GH's RF misplaying the ball, allowing the base runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd. A hard grounder up the middle was booted, allowing both runners to score. Povse then proceeded to hit the next two batters to load the bases, and end his day. Boghosian relieved and got a fly out to left, which scored another run, and a strikeout to end the 5th, GH up 6-4.


Unfortunately for Cary, they handled GH back 2 runs in the 6th. Two ledoff walks, followed by Anthony Colantino's sac bunt, and Brady's intentional walk, had the bases loaded and 1 out. Shambley's grounder to SS was booted for 1 run, and Povse's shot to CF scored another on the sac fly. GH up 8-4. Cary answered with 1 run via Percy Evans' single, and Sanchez's single down the left field line which got past GH's LF and allowed Evans to score all the way from 1st. But that was it, GH wins 8-5.


Povse gets his 7th win against just 1 loss, Boghosian gets his 4th save, and GH stays in 1st in the Tri-9 at 9-2, 17-4 overall.