JASPER/BC GAME 2 -- RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

[MIF04]

Game two provided the same score…but a different victor and that sets us up for a pivotal Game 3.  Everything you would want should be present at Vincent-Beck at 4 p.m. today – drama, emotion, heroes, villains…  Now, for some random observations:

1. Matt Hicks makes a nice play on Jasper’s 1st hitter. Hart hits a shot toward the middle…Hicks ranges to his left, gloves it and makes an authoritative throw to first.  The kid had a tough Thursday night but was ‘nails’ at SS on Friday.

2. Jumping out to an early lead is a curse, not a blessing?  Jasper rolls to a 3-0 lead only to fall.  BC scores 4 in the 4th including 3 when Troy Bolton’s 2-run flare to LF turns into an adventure and BC winds up with a 4-3 lead.

3. Phillip Meeks pitched an outstanding game, allowing only 5 hits (although it seems like Jasper’s Hart had 5 all by himself).  A tough, gutty performance by the kid. 

4. Both starters (Meeks and Ellis) got in trouble with the opponent’s bottom of the order and that lead to each team’s ‘big’ inning.  Put another way, both team’s lead-off hitters got ‘big’ hits…Hart a 2-run single to open Jasper’s scoring and Bolton’s 2-run single.

5. Small things = big things?  With 2 outs and the bases loaded, BC’s Chase Warner stood on 2nd base as the Cardinals’ #9 hitter ran the count all the way out to 3 and 2.  Like all good ballplayers in that situation, Warner was running on the pitch.  The ball was bounced to third base and Warner, running hard and aggressively, beat the ball to 3rd and BC scored their 1st run.  The rest, as they say, is history.

6. There were much fewer errors in Game 2.  Up to the end, though, you felt Jasper was never out of it and, when BC 2B threw away what would have been the final out of the game, you could feel the ‘panic’ set it.  Credit Meeks for keeping his wits about it and pitching out of that jam as well.

7. Travis Reagan had an RBI single to plate Jasper’s 3rd run and had another hard hit ball only to have BC 3B Joseph Robertson rob him with a nice play moving to his left.  Johnny Dishon had a hard hit single in his last at-bat and the Cards need his bat to stay hot for Game 3.

8. Who will pitch Game 3?  My money is on Clark (BC) vs. Reagan (Jasper) although BC feels confident in swinging the bat against Reagan.  Stephenson is the type of guy who gives BC fits as he showed in game 1.  If BC had a viable option at SS, you might see Hicks but he is too valuable defensively.

So there you have it, sports fans.  All knotted up after  two games with the rubber match set for this afternoon.  4 p.m.  Vincent-Beck Stadium.  Trip to the state tournament on the line.  Be there.  Aloha.

[Guest Bulldog]

Hey MIF04, you think stringer can hit?? lol

[MIF04]

Yeah...he's the next Ichiro.....LOL.

[Guest Bulldog]

I was thinking Bonds....LOL

[bulldog16]

Here's something to think about....3-2 2 outs bases loaded and the Jasper pitcher was in his windup..The play was close at third anyway, if he's in his stretch the runners don't get as big of a jump and the runner is out at third...would the outcome of the game had been any different? who knows..like I said, just something to think about

[Hupernikomen]

Here's something to think about....3-2 2 outs bases loaded and the Jasper pitcher was in his windup..The play was close at third anyway, if he's in his stretch the runners don't get as big of a jump and the runner is out at third...would the outcome of the game had been any different? who knows..like I said, just something to think about

3-2 and bases loaded you want a strike.  Most pitchers feel more comfortable from the windup.  Yeah that was a huge play and you are right it may have been an out, but the guy on 2nd probably gets a pretty big jump either way.  The guy at third wouldn't of had near the jump he had, but that didn't factor in the play.