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Recaps for Sunday, September 21, 2008:
"Royals defeat Astros in Championship"
Royals - The Boys in Blue faced off Saturday in a rematch of the 2007 Championships against the Dayton Astros to once again play for the league's coveted MVABL League Champions Trophy. In Game 1, the Royals sent Jason Holmberg to the hill for the start. The Astros countered with their ace, 5-0 Brian Girard, but as the Royals were blessed with their full squad, the Astros missing a few of their strong arms, Royals hit-stealer Mike Leach was not in the infield for the Astros. With Leach out and 7 errors the Royals were able to sneak a few key hits through the infield and plated 11 runs in the first 3 innings. The Astros came out with a bang as leadoff hitter PJ Dobbins belted a solo shot into the woods over the right-centerfield fence. The Astros added their 2nd run in the bottom of the 3rd with a sac fly from the bat of Evan Tennery. The Royals and Astros traded runs in the 5th. With the score sitting at 12-3 in the top of the 6th, the Royals' bats were silenced by the sneaky-curve from Astros reliever PJ Dobbins. Things would get a bit shaky for the Boys in Blue as the Astros began to mount a comeback. A few misplayed balls and next thing you knew the Astros had cut the Royals lead in half plating 3 runs as Garrett, Dustin, and Dan all crossed the plate. But the Astros weren't done scoring and plated another in the bottom of the 7th. With the score 12-7 entering the 8th, the Royals were finally able to string together a few hits off Dobbins, and Brian Duffy and Tim Peffley scored with the help of a Jesus Velasquez III sac fly and Brett Reasoner single. Down 7 in the bottom of the 8th the Astos bats stayed hot as they got to the Royals starter. After a pair of back-to-back singles off the bats of Tennery and Jason Joyce, Tony Duncan belted a double to the gap to plate them both. With 2 outs in the inning the Royals went to their bullpen for relief bringing another Royals rookie, Brett Reasoner, in to close things out. After a walk, Reasoner got the much needed groundball allowing Duffy and Tim Biedenharn to record the easy force out in the middle of the infield. In the top of the 9th the Royals bats continued to be baffled by Dobbins on the hill and went down in order. Down 14-9 the Astros hoped to do what they had done in their previous 2 series and pull one out in the end, but Reasoner stayed strong and after recording 2 quick outs only allowed a walk and a single before getting Tennery to fly out to center to close out game 1 with the Royals on top 14-9.
With one game down, the Royals looked to clinch their 2nd Championship in team history and be the first to repeat since the Woodpeckers won 4 straight. The Royals made a game-time decision to rearrange the pitching rotation for game 2 and sent rookie Brett Reasoner to the hill to repeat his performance from back on August 3rd. The Astros countered with their 8-2 left hander, Bryan Leach. The Royals got to Leach early in the game as they were able to plate 6 runs over the 2nd through 4th innings with RBI hits from Holmberg, Biedenharn, Shawn Rudegeair, Velasquez III, and Duffy. The Astros finally got to Reasoner in the 7th inning. After recording 2 quick outs, a single, and a pair of walks, Mike Flanagan belted a double to the gap that cleared the bases before the Royals could end the inning. And in the top of the 8th the Astros plated another run off another double, but this time off the bat of Tennery to cut the lead to 2. In the bottom of the 8th, the Royals were able to get runners on 1st and 2nd after a pair of walks before the Astros went to their bullpen and brought Mike Flanagan to the hill. Flanagan got a much needed groundball that was misplayed and the Astros were unable to turn the double play and only recorded an out at first. With runners now at 2nd and 3rd veteran Eric Jameson stepped up to the plate. Facing a 1-1 count, Jameson belted a single just out of the reach of a leaping Astros shortstop that was able to score Reasoner and Franklin to give the Boys in Blue a little breathing room heading into the 9th. Up 8-4 the Royals sent veteran Scott Falkowski to the hill to put a cap on a great season. Falkowski needed just 5 pitches to record the save and secure the team's 2nd team Championship.
Recaps for Sunday, August 31, 2008:
"Rangers Defeat Outlaws 14-7"
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"Astros pick up 20th win, defeat Panthers 18-3"
Astros - The Astros put the finishing touches on a very good regular season Sunday with a 18-3 victory over the Panthers. Brian Girard worked a complete game allowing just 2 earned runs. Evan Tennery, PJ Dobbins and Karl Flaugher each collected 4 hits to lead the offensive explosion.
"Panthers Walk Off with Win over Dragons"
Dragons - Dragons vs. Panthers was a make up from a rain-shortened game. The game took over in the top of the 2nd with the Dragons up 2-1. Dustin Cope was on the hill for the boys in green. Things started off well for the Dragons. Getting a early lead with the sticks, just typical Dragon baseball with the errors and miscues. D. Cope was throwing very well. Allowing only a handful of balls to leave the infield. The sixth inning delivered only 4 pitches. The Dragon bats were as HOT as they have ever been. It was the top of the 4th when Brian Spears was up to bat. One pitch later... gone! Spears gets his first HR of his MVABL career. But it would not take long before lightning would strike twice. This time it was the top of the 8th, Aaron Brown up and 2 pitches later... see ya! Brown gets his first HR of his MVABL career. So two Dragons homer in the season's final game. Nice job guys. However, it would not be enough to contain the Panthers. D. Cope got into trouble in the bottom of the 8th allowing 2 runs to tie the game and loading the bases. Scott Jones came in to relieve and got out of the jam. Now with the game tied 8-8, it would be extra innings. The bottom of the 10th, the Panthers' Taylor Hause hit a walk-off homer to take the victory, 10-8.
Recap for Tuesday, August 19, 2008:
"Woodpeckers Nip Dragons, 10-9"
Dragons - The Dragons were oh so close. With a 2-run lead going into the top of the 7th, the Dragons fail to get it done. D. Cope was on the hill for the boys in green. The Dragons played very strong behind Cope. Committing no errors and only allowing 3 runs through 4. But the dreaded 5th inning came. Its been more than once this season the Dragons have fallen apart in the 5th or later innings. No different Tuesday night. Dragons up 7-3 going into the 5th, the Woodpeckers put up 4 runs to tie the game. S. Jones relieved Cope, having a perfect 6th inning. With the game tied in the bottom of the 6th, S. Bischoff lead off with a chance to take over the lead. And that's just what they did. S. Bischoff walked, S. Jones singled, then D. Riley sacrifices to move the runners over. A. Brown pounds a 2 RBI single that gives the Dragons the lead. Now with a 2-run lead and only 3 outs away from the much needed first win, the Dragons cave. Jones getting the leadoff man to fly out, the next batter walks, followed by 3 consecutive singles that tie the game. Then a miscue in the middle infield allows the lead run to cross the plate. Once the dust cleared, the Dragons still had a chance to win. Going into the bottom of the 7th, the Dragons had one last chance to pull it off. Woodpecker pitching spread thin, they called on former minor leaguer D. York to close the door. And close the door he did. Striking out 3 of the 4 last batters. This by far was the best game the Dragons have played and the toughest one to lose. With only two game left before the play-in game, the boys in green are fighting to get that first win.
Recaps for Sunday, August 17, 2008:
"Rangers Sweep DH from Astros"
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Recaps for Sunday, August 3, 2008:
"Woodpeckers Take Two From Outlaws"
Woodpeckers - The red-hot Woodpecker bats would not disappoint again during a key doubleheader this weekend. In game one versus the Outlaws, the tag team duo of Milliron and York would once again help carry the Woodpeckers as they combined to go 7 for 8 with three doubles. Lee Jury was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Tony Iacavone drove in three runs as the Woodpeckers finished off the Outlaws in the 6th with three runs. James Hammock was strong on the mound throwing a complete game allowing four runs on eight hits over seven innings earning his third win of the season with the 9 to 4 victory.
The Woodpeckers were hungry again in the second game of the doubleheader looking to extend their winning streak to four and go over .500 for the first time all season. John Milliron would go deep twice with solo shots in the first inning and fifth, hitting a ball deep into the right field trees and off of the foul poll down the right field line. Drew York continued to add to his league-leading extra base hits with two doubles and Mike Heck hit a triple and a home run of his own. Tony Iacavone, Tommy Bowlen, and Steve Kennedy all had multi-hit games as well for the Woodpeckers. Josh Fickert earned the win throwing 4 and 2/3 innings striking out five and allowing one run on four hits. Mitch Brown finished off the Outlaws allowing one run on three hits over the final 2 and 1/3 innings as the Woodpeckers went on to win 10 to 2.
"Panthers sweep Aviators 10-9, 17-9"
Panthers - The Panthers swept the season series from the Aviators on Sunday at National Trail. Game one got off to a bad start for the Panthers as the Aviators put up 6 in the top of the 1st off a few hits and some errors. The Panthers would score 1 in the bottom of the 2nd as Taylor Hause scored 1 of his 5 runs on the day. Panthers starting pitcher Randy Haines would settle down for a few innings, until Jeff Cherry came in in the 4th with 1 out. Jeff would get the next batters with a strike out and groud out. The Panthers came alive in the 5th scoring 6 runs, still down by 1. In the bottom of the 6th, the Panthers would get an RBI basehit from Chris Kuhn, tying the game, and an RBI groundout from Damon Barr to take the lead 10-9. That's where the score would stay as Jeff Cherry pitched a scoreless 7th to pick up the win.
In Game 2, the Panthers came out hot, scoring 5 in the first and 4 in the 2nd, and never looked back. Jeff Cherry started and pitched strong again picking up his 2nd win of the day. Offensively for the Panthers, Thomas Fluty was 5-8 with 7 RBI's. Doc Hayes 3-5 with 7 RBI's. Taylor Hause had 5 RBI's, 5 runs scored. And Jeff Cherry pitched 8 2/3 innings only giving 3 earned runs while striking out 11.
"Astros and Royals Split DH"
Astros - The Astros and Royals split a double-header on Sunday. The Royals took game 1 with timely hitting capitalizing on Astro errors. The Royals built a 6-2 lead through the 4th. The Stros tried to peck away at the lead but in the end fell short. Final score, Royals 8, Astros 6. Garrett Copas worked 3 scoreless innings in relief and Jason Joyce was 3 for 3 with 3 RBI to lead the Stros.
Game 2 saw the Stros take the early lead scoring 4 in the top of the 1st and 4 more over the next 3 innings to build an 8-1 lead. The Royals would chip away and by the end of the 5th had cut the lead to 8-5. But both teams would tack on one more as the Stros hold on for a 9-6 victory. PJ Dobbins led the offense going 3 for 4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 4 stolen bases. Bryan Leach picked up the win to improve to 8-1 on the season.
"Rangers Sweep Dragons, 6-4, 25-1"
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Recaps for Wednesday, July 30, 2008:
"Woodpeckers beat Sox, 6-5"
Woodpeckers - Coming off a huge win versus the Astros, the Woodpeckers were looking for revenge against the new league leader Beavercreek Sox. It didn't take the Woodpeckers long to get the bats going scoring three runs in the top of the first. Kyle Hopwood singled to right field and John Milliron walked setting the stage for MVP candidate Drew York. York drove the second pitch of his AB over the left center field fence giving the Woodpeckers a 3-0 lead. The Sox would battle back picking up a run in the bottom of the first and third innings thanks to strong hitting by Daniel Marsh and Dustin Bassler. The Woodpeckers would counter with a run in the top of the 4th thanks to an RBI double by Lee Jury scoring Tony Iacovone. They would plate two much needed insurance runs in the top of the fifth when Tommy Bowlen went deep with his first home run of the year and Chad Lowe would later score on a wild pitch. TJ Lee cruised through the fourth, fifth and sixth for the Woodpeckers setting up an exciting seventh inning. The Sox plated three runs thanks to an error, two singles, and a double. With two outs and the tying run at first, Lee was able to get a long fly ball to right field to end the game and earn his fourth victory of the year with a final score of 6 to 5.
Recaps for Sunday, July 27, 2008:
"Woodpeckers dethrone Astros, 6-0"
Woodpeckers - After a lackluster performance versus the Indians on Tuesday, the Woodpeckers came with their game faces on Sunday versus the league leading Astros. They would strike first in the top of the first thanks to a single by Bill Hare, a RBI double by Kyle Hopwood, and another RBI double by Drew York. The 2-0 lead would be all that Kyle Hopwood would need on the mound as he threw 7 shutout innings allowing four hits while striking out seven earning the win. Josh Fickert threw the final two innings for the Woodpeckers striking out three and allowing only one Astros baserunner. In addition to Hopwood and York’s strong performances at the plate, John Milliron continued to tear it up going 2 for 3 with his fourth homerun of the season, while Mike Heck (1-2B, 1-HR) and Lee Jury (1-2B, SB) both went 2 for 4.
"Outlaws have Rangers number, Win 12-5"
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Recaps for Saturday, July 26, 2008:
"Rangers Topple Indians 9-7"
Rangers - Read More.
Recaps for Sunday, July 20, 2008:
"Woodpeckers defeat Outlaws 17-5"
Woodpeckers - After two tough defeats to the Sox in the past week, the Woodpeckers came out swinging versus the Outlaws in the early game on Sunday. Jon Milliron (4-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI’s), Drew York (3-3, 5 RBI’s) and Kyle Hopwood (3-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) were all a homerun away from hitting for the cycle. Tony Iacavone went 4-4 with 3 runs and Bill Hare and Jason Moniaci were also perfect at the plate with 2 for 2 performances. Kyle Hopwood also picked up the win throwing 5 solid innings and James Hammock threw two scoreless innings in relief as the Woodpeckers scored 17 runs on 24 hits cruising to a 17 to 5 win over the Outlaws. For the Outlaws, Matt Rudy went 2-4 with a double and two runs scored while Mark Lucas was 3-3 with a double and 4 RBI’s. With the win, the Woodpeckers are two games from .500 and are looking to move up in the standings with twelve games remaining in the season.
"Rangers Snuff Out Dragons, 15-2"
Players of the Game - Clint Wolf, Rangers (4-for-5, 2HR, 7RBI, 2B)/David Riley, Dragons (1-for-2, 3B, 2RBI)
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"Astros Top Royals 19-10"
Astros - The Astros improved to 16-1 on the season after beating the Kettering Royals on Sunday. Brian Girard took the mound for the Stros and pitched well in front of a rough defensive outing. Girard worked 5-2/3 and allowed just 3 earned runs. But on a day that saw the Astros record 7 defensive miscues, the Royals would take advantage of the errors with timely hitting and keep this one tight early and held a 5-4 lead entering the 5th. But the Astro offense took off late scoring 15 runs over the final 5 innings and Bryan Leach worked the final 3-1/3 to close the door for a long, hot 19-10 final. PJ Dobbins led the offensive charge going 3 for 5 with a HR and 7 RBI. Jason Joyce, Tony Duncan and Evan Tennery each recorded 3 hits on the day as well.
Recaps for Sunday, July 13, 2008:
"Astros Ground Aviators in DH"
Astros - The Astros improved to 15-1 on the season after taking both ends of a twinbill Sunday against the Dayton Aviators. Astro rookie Josh Cornwell made his second straight strong start in game 1. Josh worked a complete game allowing just 3 runs en route to a 14-3 victory. Dan Flanagan led the Astro offense with 3 hits and Tony Duncan provided the big blow with a Grand Slam in the second inning.
Bryan Leach made his return to the mound in game 2. After holding the Aviators hitless through the first 3 innings, a couple hits and an error would plate 2 runs for the opposing squad. After 2 more scored in the 5th, the Aviators had cut the lead to 9-4. But the Stros would tack on an insurance run and Mike Leach would close the door for a 10-4 final. Jason Joyce led the offense going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and his 2nd stolen base of the day.
"Sox Squeak Past Woodpeckers, 12-10"
Sox - The Sox met stiff competition Sunday evening when they played their first game against the Dayton Woodpeckers. The Sox Brennan Glass threw two perfect innings to start the game, but the Woodpeckers came alive in the third inning when they managed to load the bases on a Sox infield error and then got a grand slam home run from their ten-hole hitter, Ryan Carey. Working with a four run deficit, the Sox offense took its turn. With a lead-off doubles from Micah Wilson and Dan Marsh, followed by singles from Wes Rehmert and Brian Weems, the Sox managed to put three runs on the board in the third inning. The teams tied the fourth inning, both adding three runs to their totals. For the Sox, Dan Marsh smashed a triple to the fence to be followed by doubles by Dustin Bassler and Jeremey Fruhwirth, and a single by Wes Rehmert. Sox relief pitcher Troy Mercer held the Woodpeckers to one run in the fifth inning, but his counterpart blanked the Sox in the bottom of the inning. In the six, the Woodpeckers managed to add another run with nice small ball hitting, but the Sox couldn’t stand being down by three runs and came roaring back with a single by Micah Wilson, a double by Dustin Bassler, and a bases-clearing three-run homer by Jeremy Fruhwirth. Wes Rehmert then hit the sixth Sox double of the night to drive in the fourth Sox run and give them the lead for the first time in the game. The second Sox relief pitcher, Ken Carpenter, took the mound in the seventh inning and promptly felt the sting of the Woodpeckers offense, giving up a solo homer to tie the game once again. The battle was finally decided in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Sox added two more runs on a single from Jeremey Fruhwirth and a home run from Brennan Glass. The Sox closer Dustin Lacy held on against the aggressive Woodpecker offense to blank them in the ninth inning. The Sox now have 11 wins and only one loss for the season.
Recaps for Sunday, July 6, 2008:
"Astros Improve to 13-1 with DH Sweep of Panthers"
Astros - Astro Rookie Josh Cornwell made an impressive pitching debut for the Stros as he worked 6 strong innings allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 8. Dan Flanagan started the Astro scoring in the first with a solo Homerun off the scoreboard in left and continued his hot hitting going 3 for 3 to lead the Astro offense. Jason Joyce made his return to the mound for the Men in Black and after walking 2 hitters and allowing a hit to the tone of 3 runs, finally dusted off the rust to close the game. Final Score Astros 10 Panthers 5.
Game 2 saw yet another Astro Rookie making his debut on the mound. Justin Watkins took the hill this time and not to be outdone worked a complete game allowing just 1 hit while striking out 11 in an excellent first outing for the Stros. Jason Joyce led the offensive charge in game 2, going 3 for 3 with 3RBI. The final in game 2 was Astros 10, Panthers 1.
"Wolf and York play HR Derby in Rangers/Woodpeckers Split"
Players of the Game - Clint Wolf, Rangers (7-for-7, 2HR, 7RBI, 5R, 3SB)/Drew York, Woodpeckers (2-for-5 2HR, 6RBI, BB)
Rangers - Read More.
Recap for Tuesday, July 1, 2008:
"Royals Maul Panthers, 24-7"
Player of the Game - Shawn Rudegeair (Royals) 5-5 (4 runs / 4 RBIs / BB)
Royals - The Royals took the field Tuesday night just as the sun was setting over Rotary Park to face off against the Dayton Panthers. The Boys in Blue were feeling pretty "Blue" after 3 straight losses and were hoping Tuesday would be their night to get back on track. Starting on the hill for the Royals was veteran Kevin Reynolds. Reynolds was looking to get back in the win column himself as he drew the short straw and was tagged to start against the Sox in his last outing. The Panthers countered with hard-throwing Jeff Cherry. Both squads had the minimum to start, with the Panthers sending Ryan Diehl out to first base, right from the Doctors to remove the pins... Diehl did get some relief as their 10th showed up in the bottom of the 2nd. However, Diehl did make a sharp snag at first even on his injured foot. As the sun set on the evening, the Royals offense unleashed the frustration of the 3 dismal losses on the Panthers' pitchers. In the top of the first, the Royals were able to get on the board as Velasquez, finally back in the lineup, and Franklin plated a pair. In the top of the 2nd, it was more of the same. Rookie Tim Biedenharn came around to score after a sac bunt by another Rookie Brendan Regan. With the bases empty, veteran Ben Ailes stepped up to the plate batting leadoff in the absence of Tim "Will Mays Hayes from Major League 2" Peffley, and Ben continued where he left off belting a solo shot to left center, his 2nd in 2 games. The Royals added 3 more as Rudegeair, Velasquez, and Franklin hit 3 straight singles. Down 7-0, the Panthers were able to plate 3 of their own capitalizing on some Royals miscues. But over the 3rd and 4th innings, the Royals would send 22 batters to the plate and recorded another 12 runs. In the bottom of the 4th, the Panthers added another pair of runs. As the game continued, the Royals batters were dialed in on the Panthers' pitchers and plated another 5 runs on 6 hits in the final 2 innings. In the Panthers last trip to the plate, they would add their final run of the night to end the game at 24-7. At the plate, the Boys in Blue were dialed in after their last 3 games and belted out 25 hits, several Royals had multiple hits. But the on the night, Shawn Rudegeair broke out of his slump and went 5-5, scoring 4 runs and notching 4 RBIs.
Recaps for Sunday, June 29, 2008:
"Bombs Away in 'Boro as Woodpeckers Sweep Royals"
Woodpeckers - Following a small Tornado in Springboro on Saturday, the Royals and Woodpeckers faced off on a windy and cloudy Sunday afternoon. In game one the Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to three hits, three walks, and two hit batters by Ryan Fickert. The Woodpeckers turned it on late scoring 10 runs in the final three innings due in part to homeruns by Kyle Hopwood and Jon Milliron. Lee Jury went 3 for 4 with a double and Drew York was 1 for 1 with three walks and two runs scored. TJ Lee came on in relief of Fickert after he was ejected for hitting his fourth batter of the game and picked up the win with four solid innings of mound work. Final score of game one, 10 to 3.
Balls were flying out of the park at a record pace in game two of the doubleheader when leadoff hitter Tim Peffley took Chad Lowe deep in his first at-bat. Clean-up hitter Jason Holmberg would follow with a homerun of his own in the top of the first. The Royals were not done yet with the long ball as Bledenharn and Ailes would go back-to-back in the top of the fourth leading to a 5-run fourth inning. However, the Woodpeckers were not to be denied in this homerun derby contest as Jon Milliron, Kyle Hopwood, and Drew York would all hit homers of their own. Multi-hit players included Bill Hare (2-4, 2 R), Steve Kennedy (3-3, 4R), Jon Milliron (2-3, 3 R, 4 RBI’s), Drew York (2-3, 2 R, 4 RBI’s), Mike Heck (3-3), Lee Jury (2-3, 2 RBI’s), Tommy Bowlen (2-4, 3 RBI’s), Ryan Carey (2-3), and Kyle Hopwood (2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI’s). James Hammock was perfect in 2 and 1/3 innings of relief earning the win as the Woodpeckers crept closer to .500 with a 20 to 8 win.
"Astros Sweep DH from Outlaws"
Astros - The Astros improved to 11-1 on the season after taking both ends of a twinbill sunday against the Kettering Outlaws. Brian Girard took the hill for the Stros in game 1 and after working 3 scoreless innings to start the game, settled in with a 5-0 lead. But the Outlaws would battle back scoring 2 in the top of the 4th off of 3 consecutive hits to cut the lead to 5-2. Girard would then find his groove and close the game strong with 5 strikeouts over the last 3 innings. The Stros would tack on 2 more insurance runs in the 6th for a final of 7-2. Evan Tennery continued his hot hitting going 2 for 2 and Jason Joyce provided a 2-run homerun to lead the Astro offense.
Bryan Leach then took the mound in game two for the Men in Black, and the offense would once again provide an early lead after scoring 3 runs in the top half of the 1st inning. But the Astro offense would then become lethargic and the Scrappy Outlaws would fight to keep this one interesting. After runs in the 2nd and 4th had cut the lead to 3-2, Gregg Foster would score on an Adam Stewart single to increase the lead to 4-2. But the 2 run cushion would not last long as Outlaws catcher Rick Anderson belted a solo homerun off Astro reliever Mike Leach to cut the lead to 4-3. The score remained 4-3 until the top of the 7th when Gregg Foster hit a solo shot of his own to increase the lead to 5-3. After an error and a walk put the tying run on base for the Outlaws, Mike Leach worked out of a jam to pick up the save and preserve the Astro Victory. Final Score 5-3. Evan Tennery, Adam Stewart and PJ Dobbins each collected two hits in the Game and Gregg Foster hit his 3rd homerun of the season.
"Rangers Claw Past Panthers, Sweep DH"
Players of the Game - Brad Clark (Rangers) 2-2b, 4RBI, 6IP, 1H, 6K
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Recaps for Sunday, June 22, 2008:
"Rangers Knock off Indians 6-3"
Players of the Game - Jersey No. 8 (Rangers) 2HR, 4RBI
Rangers - Read More.
"Stros Sweep Season Series from Dragons, win 10-2"
Astros - After the first taste of losing this season, the Astros bounced back Sunday against the Dragons for a 10-2 victory. Dustin Vincent lead the offense with 3 hits, while PJ Dobbins showed his power going 2 for 4 with a Homerun and 3 RBI. Mike Leach was the story of the day for the Stros pitching a complete game 4 hitter with 15 Strikeouts and just 2 walks. The Astros are now 9-1 on the season.
"Woodpeckers Defeat Aviators 13-4"
Woodpeckers - The Woodpeckers started off hot in their game versus the Aviators on Sunday. In the first two innings they plated 9 runners and never looked back as they went on to win 13 to 4. Nine Woodpecker batters had at least two hits, led by John Milliron (3-5, 3 RBIs, 2 Runs) and Tony Iacovone (2-4, 3 RBIs, 2Runs). TJ Lee was solid on the mound throwing 6 innings, striking out 5, scattering 4 hits, and allowed only three runs, earning his second victory of the year.
"Sox Offense Rolling, Reel off 20-7 win over Royals"
Player of the Game - Tim Peffley (Royals) 2-4 (2B, 3 RBI, SB, BB)
Royals - The Royals faced off Sunday night in their first matchup of the season against the tough young Sox team. The game was a great mid-season matchup pitting the two squads, each posting 6-1 records, against each other for 2nd place. Kevin Reynolds started on the hill for the Boys and Blue and he was countered by one of Wittenberg's current arms and Sox veteran Tim Antil. The game started out slow as each team tried to get going again after the Father's Day bye week. The Royals only sent 8 batters to the plate in the first 2 innings against Antil, and Reynolds only faced 6. In the top of the third, the Sox got a runner to 3B after a Marsh double and a FC. However, the runner was cut down at the plate on a 1-2 play after a passed ball walk to end the inning. In the bottom of the third, the Royals would get on the board for their only lead of the ball game as Ben Ailes knocked an RBI single plating Regan, who picked up his first hit as a Royal. But the Sox would open the flood gates and began hitting the ball all over the ball park. The Sox sent 24 batters to the plate over 3 innings, and when the dust settled they held a 12-1 lead over the Royals. In the bottom of the 6th, the Royals were able to get a runner into scoring position as Rudegeair belted a triple to the CF fence. With a runner at third, and fear of the game ending early, Royals skipper laid one down for the team to score the run to keep the Sox lead under 12 to extend the game. Making his first appearance off the hill for the Royals, Brendan Regan recorded 3 K's to retire the Sox in order. In the bottom of the 7th, the Royals picked up another run as Peffley plated Biedenharn off a Sox wild throw. But the Sox continued to keep the Royals down as they erased the Royals one run with another of their own in the top of the 8th. As the 9th inning started, the Sox held a 13-3 lead, and Regan took the hill trying to keep the game respectable, but it was not to be his inning. Regan faced 11 batters, but the Boys in Blue were unable to pickup the much needed 3rd out of the inning. Looking for some relief to get 1 more out, Royals skipper sent Brian Duffy to the hill to stop the bleeding. Duffy faced 2 quick batters before getting a much needed groundball to short to end the inning. When the dust settled after the top, the Sox held a 20-3 lead. As the Royals went to the plate in the bottom of the 9th just looking to get a little work in against the Sox pitching, veteran Scott Falkowski led off the inning with a sharp single up the middle to bring a little life to the Royals bench. Baker followed with a single of his own. This brought leadoff man Tim Peffley to the plate and he delivered with a blast to center that cleared the center fielder and after an errant throw, Peffley joined his teammates on the bench plating all 3 baserunners. Duffy followed up reaching base with his 2nd walk of the day. Reynolds moved him around with his 2nd hit of the day, but was quickly erased with a tough 6-4-3 double play, but Duffy was able to score on the play. With 2 outs, and water bottles on the line, Rudegeair hit into a 6-3 to close the book on the night with the tough loss to the young Sox team 20-7. It was a tough game, but the young Sox hitters belted towering balls all over the field all night. For several Royals it was their first glimpse of the Sox and next time the Boys in Blue hope to be on the other side of the scoreboard. Notable mention for the Boys in Blue, Royals Skipper belted his 200th and 201st hits as a Royal.
Recap for Thursday, June 12, 2008:
"Sox Tame Panthers, 18-0"
Sox - The Sox continued their winning ways Thursday defeating the luckless Dayton Panthers by a score of 18-0. The Sox again brought their offense combining for 19 hits. Hits per batter seemed to be an important statistic as seven Sox batters had a multiple hit night – DaShone Kirkendoll and Brennan Glass both hit a double and a single, AJ Bush hit four singles, and Brandon Aselage, Brian Weems, Marcus Douthy, and Scott Szalejko each hit two singles. Hitting came from throughout the Sox lineup – Jeremey Fruhwirth blasted a triple, Tim Antil smashed a double, and Pete Silvinski knocked out a single.
The Sox pitching staff had another strong outing. Wes Rehmert started on the mound. He pitched 3 innings, faced only 10 batters, and earned 5 strikeouts while giving up only one walk. Ken Carpenter threw 3 innings in relief, faced 14 batters, and earned 4 strikeouts while yielding 4 hits and 1 walk. The Panther nine (literally) ran out of pitching arms after 4 long innings. The deep Sox bullpen offered up Troy Mercer to finish the game for the Panthers. Troy threw 2 innings for the Panthers, faced 14 Sox batters, and struck out 3. His teammates burned him for 3 hits but only 2 earned runs. The game was called after 6 complete innings having reached the time limit. The Sox season record is now 4-1.
Recap for Tuesday, June 10, 2008:
"Sox Register 3rd Shutout, Defeat Aviators 14-0"
Sox - After their one-game meltdown on Sunday, the Sox regained their momentum in Tuesday's 14-0 win over the Dayton Aviators. The Sox really brought their offense to the game knocking out 13 hits including a homerun by Dan Marsh, doubles by Brennen Glass (2), Dustin Bassler, AJ Bush, and Marcus Doughty, and singles by Jeremey Fruhwirth (2), Dustin Bassler, Ken Carpenter, Darren Mumaw, Wes Rehmert, and Brian Weems. Starting pitcher Tim Antil took home the win having faced 16 batters in 4 innings, allowing 5 hits, and earning 4 strikeouts. Relief pitcher DaShone Kirkendoll pitched 2 innings, facing 11 batters, allowing no hits, and earning 3 strikeouts. The game was called after 6 complete innings having reached the time limit. The Sox season record is now 3-1.
Recaps for Sunday, June 8, 2008:
"Indians Sweep DH from Woodpeckers"
Woodpeckers - The Woodpeckers were looking to extend their two game winning streak versus the Indians, but the bats of the Tribe proved to be too potent in key situations. In game one, the Woodpeckers tied it at 3–3 in the top of the 4th thanks to singles by Steve Kennedy and Kyle Hopwood and a double by Drew York who later scored on an error. The Indians countered in the bottom of the 4th with three runs of their own with the help of two hit batters, and a walk from Danny Colella, Brian Boggs, and Mike Pickarski. The Indians would put the game out of reach in the 6th thanks to several errors and poor decisions by the Woodpeckers defense as they went on to win their fourth game of the year 9 to 3.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Woodpeckers ace Kyle Hopwood looked to repeat his performance from last week. Despite striking out 12 batters over 7 innings, the Indians came through with 11 hits including two homeruns by Joe Pickarski (3-4, 6 RBI’s) and a 3-4 day from Kyle Robinson. The Woodpeckers only managed 7 hits thanks to a strong outing by Matt Spradlin. The Woodpeckers mounted a comeback in the bottom of 7th inning when they produced two walks and two hits leaving them three runs behind. However on Bill Hare’s base hit to left field, Chad Lowe was caught in a rundown between third and home after running through coach Jamie Magnon’s stop sign and ending the game at the final count of 8 to 5.
"Royals Shoot Down Aviators, 17-4"
Player of the Game - Jesus Velasquez III (Royals)4-4, 3R, 2B, 2 BB, 2RBI
Royals - On one of the hottest days of the summer so far, 9 Royals made the trek to National Trail High School for their first game against the Aviators. Due to unforseen circumstances, veteran Scott Falkowski got the nod to take the hill for the Boys in Blue working off 7 days rest. The Aviators would counter with their undefeated ace, Dan Slaton. Slaton was able to control the Royals offense for the first inning, but from their on out, the dam was cracked. In the top of the second, the Royals were able to get their first 4 runs on the board. Royals skipper Mark Franklin plated one with an RBI single & later scored on a passed ball. Veteran Nathan Schwab's patience at the plate led to another, drawing a bases loaded walk, and Eric Jameson also scored on a passed ball. For the Boys in Blue, Scott Falkowski picked up right where he left off the week before, he kept the Aviators hitters at bay for 5 scoreless innings picking up 5 strikeouts and issuing zero free passes. In the top of the 5th the Royals offense plated an additional 6 runs sending 11 batters to the plate. The Royals hitters recorded 8 straight hits (5 in a row, a BB, and 3 more) before the dust cleared. In the top of the 6th the Royals offense extended their lead to 13-0 plating another 3. However with their backs against the wall, the Aviators finally got to the thin Royals squad and plated a few of their own. After scoring a few off some Royals miscues, a double off the bat of Aviators skipper Jeremy Kilgore (2-4) plated the first earned run for the Royals starter. After losing some zip, the skipper went to the pen to put veteran Brian Duffy on the hill to work his "Wakefield" magic with the windy conditions. Duffy was able to calm the Royals defense and wrap-up the bottom of the 6th. Needing a few more runs to end the hot day, the Royals were only able to plate one in the top of the 7th as leadoff man and Royals rookie Tim Peffley belted a solo shot to center for his first HR of the year. The rest of the 7th and 8th finished fairly quietly for the Royals and Aviators. With the score still 14-4 entering the top of the 9th inning, the squad would send all 9 batters to the plate for one more round. Peffley led off the inning with a double, which the patient squad followed up with a BB and 2 HBP to plate their first of the inning. Velasquez and Franklin knocked back-to-back singles to plate the squad's final 2 runs of the game. Duffy wrapped up the bottom of the ninth to complete the game. Duffy finished the game going 3 2/3 innings tallying 5 Ks and 2 walks against 14 Aviators hitters as the Royals cruised to a 17-4 victory over the Aviators securing Falko's 3rd victory of the season. Offensive highlights for the Boys in Blue, Velasquez III (4-4 / 3 runs), Peffley (3-5 / HR), Franklin (4-6 / 3 RBIs / 3 RBI).
"Rangers Beat Panthers 13-3"
Players of the Game - Jacob Robinson (Rangers) - 8+ IP, 8 Ks, 2-for-4, 2 2B
Rangers - Read More.
"Astros win Battle of Unbeatens, 10-5 over Sox"
Players of the Game - Tony Duncan (Astros) - 3-4, HR, 4RBI, 2 runs
Astros - The Stros and Sox took the field Sunday in the battle of the unbeaten in the MVABL. Brennen Glass took the mound for the Sox against Astro Ace Bryan Leach. Both pitchers quickly worked through the opposing teams lineups and going into the fourth inning the game remained scoreless. But as the temperature remained warm, the Stros bats started to heat up as well. After a leadoff double by Mike Flanagan and back-to-back walks by Mike Leach and Jason Joyce, Evan Tennery continued his hot hitting with an infield single to plate the first Astro run. Not to be out-done, Tony Duncan also remained on fire as he doubled to right to clear the bases and give the Stros a 4-0 lead. The Sox would counter with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 4-1. The score would remain until the top of the 7th when Duncan once again came up big for the Stros blasting a solo shot to left to increase the lead to 5-1. But the tough young Sox team came roaring back in the bottom of the 7th scoring 3 big runs to cut the lead to 5-4. With the presence of an all time Astro pitching great (and yet another cousin) leering on from the dugout, Mike Leach came on in relief for the Stros in search of the all time team and league career saves mark. After the Stros failed to score in the top of the 8th, The Sox would make things interesting getting the tying run to third and the go ahead run at second, but Leach worked out of a Jam and would go into the 9th holding onto a 1 run lead. Looking to provide a little breathing room on a day that saw the Astros not only battle the heat, and a tough opponent but some raunchy breath as well, Tony Duncan leadoff the ninth with a single and after a sacrifice from Dan Flanagan and a couple Sox Miscues both runners would come around to score to increase the lead to 7-4. After a PJ Dobbins walk, consecutive singles by Mike Flanagan, Mike Leach and Jason Joyce would give the Astros the cushion they sought increasing the lead to 10-4. The Sox would rally for a run in the bottom of the Ninth but Leach would close the door and preserve the win for his cousin and his record breaking save. Final Score Astros 10 Sox 5. Tony Duncan lead the Astro offensive charge going 3 for 4 with a HR 4 RBIs and 2 Runs Scored.
Recap for Thursday, June 5, 2008:
"Sox Blank Aviators 10-0"
Sox - Following its season opening 12-0 win over the Dayton Panthers last Sunday, the Beavercreek Sox again were dominant in last night’s 10-0 win over the Dayton Aviators. The Sox performance was led by outstanding pitching from Wes Rehmert. Setting the tone for the game, Wes dominated the first four innings on the mound. He struck out eight of the sixteen batters he faced, while giving up just two hits and two walks. The Sox offense took advantage of seven walks and two errors by the Aviators to set the table for its power hitters. Following singles by AJ Bush and Jon Dalton, Tim Antil smashed a triple to the outfield fence to give the Sox a five run lead in the first inning. A single by Dan Marsh in the 4th inning scored one run. It was quickly followed by a towering 3-run homer over the centerfield fence by Brennen Glass to bring the Sox total to 10 runs. Ken Carpenter came to the mound in relief in the 5th inning. Supported by solid infield play, he faced 10 batters, earned two strikeouts and gave up one hit and one walk.
Recaps for Sunday, June 1, 2008:
"Rangers and Aviators Split DH"
Players of the Game - Jacob Robinson (Rangers)/Dan Slaton (Aviators)
Rangers - Read More.
"Woodpeckers sweep DH from Dragons"
Woodpeckers - The Woodpeckers got into the "W" column thanks to a 7 inning complete game, four hit shutout by Kyle Hopwood. In his first start of the season he struck out 14 Dragons hitters and walked only one. On offense, the Woodpeckers were paced by Drew York who was 3 for 3 with two home runs and four RBIs. The hits kept coming as four players had two hits each and seven other batters contributed a hit as the Woodpeckers went on to win 12 to 0.
In game two of the double-header, T.J. Lee took the hill and came out throwing smoke, striking out the side in the first inning. He went on to throw 5 1/3 innings striking out 10 Dragons batters and allowing only 1 earned run (4 R) on 2 hits earning his first win on the hill. The patient Woodpecker hitters drew 18 walks and Drew York went yard again with a 3-run home run in the top of the first inning. In addition to the walks, 10 hits helped plate 15 Woodpecker baserunners as they held off a late rally by the scrappy Dragons to win 15 to 9.
"Astros Sweep DH from Indians"
Astros - Garrett Copas took the hill for the Stros in Game one of the twinbill. Despite 3 strikeouts in the first, a couple of unearned runs gave the Tribe a quick 2-0 lead off the Astro rookie. The score would remain 2-0 until Mike Flanagan's leadoff homerun cut the lead in half in the top of the 3rd. As Copas continued to cruise, the Stros bats finally woke up scoring 4 in the 4th and 6 more in the 5th to increase the lead to 12-2. The Tribe would tack on a run in the 6th, but Copas finished with an impressive complete game victory allowing just 1 earned run while striking out 11. Tony "Woody" Duncan and Evan Tennery were both 4 for 4 in the game to lead the Astros offensively. Final score was Astros 12, Indians 3.
The Stros would then send lefty aAce Bryan Leach to the hill in Game 2. After Leach worked a scoreless first, Mike Flanagan hit a leadoff HR (his second of the day) and was followed up two batters later buy a solo blast from Jason Joyce to give the Men in Black a quick 2-0 lead. But the scoring in this one would be few and far between as both Leach and his counterpart Matt Spradlin would work quickly through the opposing team's lineups. The score would remain 2-0 until the bottom of the 5th when the Astro power display continued as Gregg Foster blasted a 2-run HR to dead center to increase the lead to 4-0. The tribe would attempt to rally as Spradlin tripled to lead off the 7th and would score on a sac fly, but that is all the Tribe could muster off Leach as he closed the game with his 4th win of the season. Bryan would also work a complete game allowing just 1 earned run on 4 hits while striking out 9 and walking just 1. Evan Tennery continued his hot hitting going 2 for 3 making him 6 for 7 on the day overall. Mike Flanagan, Jason Joyce and Gregg Foster all homered for the Stros. Final Score Astros 4 Indians 1.
Recaps for Sunday, May 18, 2008:
"Aviators win 3 straight, top Dragons 14-10"
Aviators - Sunday afternoon matched the Dragons against the Aviators once again. The Dragons took an early lead 4-1, but lost the lead quickly by the 3rd, with the Aviators scoring 4 in the second, 3 with two outs. The Aviators never looked back and led the rest of the day, with 11 of 12 players scoring a run on the afternoon. Ian Slaton had an emergency start, and was shaken for 5 runs over 4 innings, but was still able to notch the win. The Dragons did not want to go away though as they scored 5 more runs between the 4th and 5th inning off reliever Derek Taggert. Derek was able to calm down and record 5 strike outs in 3 innings. The Aviators continued to put runs up scoring 14 again, putting their weekend total to 28 runs. A perfect squeeze by newly added Tyler Rhodus to score Seth Heeter from 3rd in the 5th was also an impressive stat for the day. Another note from the game, as a team, the Aviators put up 17 stolen bases on the afternoon. Next up for the Aviators in a doubleheader against a tough Rangers squad, who took the first matchup 9-3.
"Royals Beat Rangers 8-4"
Players of the Game - Clint Wolf (Rangers)
Rangers - Read More.
"Astros Remain Undefeated, Topple Dragons 13-3"
Astros - Brian Girard took the mound Sunday against the Dragons and picked up where his teammate Leach left off. Girard would work a complete game allowing just 2 earned runs en route to his second victory of the early season. PJ Dobbins continued to run up his stat totals going 1 for 3 with a Homerun, 5 RBI, and 3 Stolen Bases. Evan Tennery, Adam Stewart, Chris Musick and Karl Flaugher all had multiple hits on the days as well.
Recaps for Saturday, May 17, 2008:
"Aviators top Outlaws"
Players of the Game - Dan Slaton (Aviators) 7 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 5 K
Aviators - The Aviators notched their second win of the season against the Outlaws on Saturday. Dan Slaton continued to dominate as he only allowed 2 hits over seven innings, with 1 earned run and 5 k‘s. The offense of the Aviators continued to stay hot putting up 14 runs on the afternoon, including 11 off starter Justin Chadwell. The Outlaws had a little bit of a run off reliever Brad Shaeffer, scoring 6 runs over the last two innings, but he shut the door at the end of the game recording back-to-back strike outs to end the game.
"Astros Stymie Rangers, 9-5"
Players of the Game - Bryan Leach (Astros)/Clint Wolf (Rangers)
Rangers - Read More.
Astros - Saturday's game saw the first place Stros face off against the (at the time) second place Rangers. Bryan Leach continued to assert his dominance for the Men in Black, working 6 strong innings allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 9. Jason Joyce led the Astro offense going 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. PJ Dobbins was 2 for 3 with an RBI and 2 Runs and Gregg Foster was 1 for 2 with a HR and 2 RBI.
"Royals Beat Dragons 13-1"
Royals - In a busy weekend of MVABL action the Royals opened with a 13-1 victory in their first matchup. It was a battle of left-handers on the hill as Scott Falkowski (Royals) and Alex Patton (Dragons) both threw complete games for their squads. For the Boys in Blue it was their 3rd CG of this young season from their staff. All the Royals contributed, led by rookie Jason Holmberg who went 4-5 (3 runs / 3B / SB / 3 RBI) and veteran Eric Jameson 3-3 ( run / 2B / BB / RBI).
Recap for Tuesday May 13, 2008:
"Panthers Slay Dragons 14-4"
Panthers - The Dayton Panthers came out ready to redeem themselves after Sunday's loss to the Royals. After getting the game going, the Panthers were able to get the bases loaded, but the threat was ended with a ground out. Damon Barr made the start and was able to get out of a bases loaded jam of his own without surrendering a run. Offensively, the rest of the game for the Panthers was a lot of patient at-bats and timely hits. Thomas Fluty and J. Cherry each had a pair of hits and 3 RBIs apiece. Doc Hayes was kept in the park, but still managed 3 RBIs. Barr's night on the mound was a quick 4 innings, picking up 4 Ks and not allowing a run. The Panthers number one draft pick, Thomas Fluty would come in relief and pick up 6 Ks in 3 innings.
Recap for Tuesday May 6, 2008:
"Lippincotts RBIs Propel Rangers to 10-2 win over Woodpeckers"
Players of the Game - Jonmarc and Jeremy Lippincott (Rangers) 5-5, double, HR, 6RBI combined
Rangers - Read More.
Recaps for Sunday May 4, 2008:
"Aviators pound Dragons in First Franchise win, 24-6"
Aviators -
The Dayton Aviators got their first franchise victory over the Dragons in the early afternoon game Sunday. The Aviators got out to an early lead scoring 3 in the first inning and another 6 in the second. The offense did not stop throughout the afternoon as the Aviators had all 11 batters have at least one hit, and nine of the twelve pounding out two or more. On the other end of the game Dan Slaton continued his dominance, pitching five innings and has yet to give up a earned run in his early career. He went into the second inning and with two outs gave up a flair over short to give up his first hit of the season. Dan allowed only four other hits throughout the day, struck out seven, and picked up the victory. Batters are now hitting a whopping .135 against Dan through nine innings of pitching. On the offensive end, the Aviators had highlights from top to bottom but some top performers were leadoff hitter Nathan Pope going 3-4 with four RBIs, four runs scored, and two stolen bases. Also for the Aviators were Jeremy Kilgore going 4-5 with a double, five RBIs, and four runs scored. Brad Shaeffer went 4-5 with three RBIs, two doubles and two runs scored. Jesse Brown went 4-4 with a double, triple, 2RBIs and four runs scored. Last but not least was Tony Antku going 4-5, 3 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, and 3 runs scored.
"Astros Offense Takes Off in 15-3 over Woodpeckers"
Astros - Bryan Leach turned in yet another impressive performance for the Stros on the mound working 7-1/3 innings allowing no earned runs on just 4 hits while striking out 10 Woodpeckers hitters. The big story, however, was the offense. After combining for just 9 hits over the first two games, the Astros pounded out 18 hits en route to a 15-3 victory Sunday night. It was a family affair at the plate, Bryan Leach would help his own cause going 2 for 5 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored while cousin Mike Leach was 2 for 5 with a double. Dan Flanagan was 2 for 2 with an RBI and 2 runs scored while brother Mike was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles. Outside the family reunion, PJ Dobbins added a pair of hits and runs scored and Dustin Vincent was 3 for 4 and safely reached base in all 5 plate appearances.
"Royals Play Tough D to Outlast the Panthers, 7-4"
Player of the Game - Kevin Reynolds (2-4, 2R, SB/CG, 3 Ks, 5 Assists)
Royals - The Royals squared off Sunday against the undefeated Dayton Panthers. Making his first start for the Boys in Blue this season was veteran Kevin Reynolds, and the Panthers sent MVABL veteran Jeff Cherry to the mound. Both pitchers would be tough to hit on the night as the game must have finished in record time! In the bottom of the first the Royals were able to plate the first run of the game after Reynolds was able to help his own cause scoring from second off a single from Ailes. However the lead was short lived for the Boys in Blue as the Panthers clawed their way right back into the game plating a pair of their own off singles from Hause and Tobais. Down 2-1 the Royals wouldn’t tie it up until the bottom of the 4th when a case of Déjà vu saw Reynolds scoring from second again off a single, but this time off the bat of Jesus “Puke Bucket” Velasquez III for his first of 3 RBIs in the day. Reynolds continued to keep the Panthers at bay as he silenced the hot Panther bats in the top of the 5th. In the bottom of the 5th the Boys in Blue would regain the lead plating 2 more runs off a 399 foot double to center off the bat of another Royals rookie Tim “I don’t sell cars” Peffley. With a bit of a lead, Reynolds would continue to make quick work of the Panthers hitters, throwing 7 pitches over 2 innings, and with the help of some solid defense all around, capped by a Peffley diving/recovering for the throw’em out web gem from the hot corner. However the Panthers were not about to let the Royals ride off into the sunset with the victory and were able to plate a pair of their own off a tricky “bunt gone bad” and a fielder’s choice and tie the game up at 4 after 7! All tied up and stricken with the fear of the Skipper going to the pen, the veteran right-hander recorded another short inning recording 3 outs on 4 pitches. As the bottom of the eighth began the Boys in Blue looked to regain the lead they’d let slip away for Reynolds and came out swinging. Ailes was able to reach first and late score on a throwing error to give the Royals a 5-4 lead bringing Jesus “I can’t take it anymore” Velasquez to the plate. After only seeing 5 pitches total in his first 3 at-bats, he couldn’t take it anymore and deposited the first pitch he saw in the at-bat over the right field fence for the 2-run homerun giving the Boys in Blue a little cushion. As the top of the 9th began, and a few insurance runs, Royals Skipper sent Reynolds back to the hill to finish what he’d started. Reynolds recorded the first out of the inning with his 5th 1-3 assist, Biedenharn recorded the second out from short. With 2 outs and with the game on the line Panthers batter Hall kept his squad alive reaching on his 3rd hit on the day bringing the hot bat of Danny Armstrong to the plate. However it was not to be the Panthers day as after 1 pitch Reynolds got Armstrong to ground into the game ending 5-3 put out. On the day it was a great pitching duel from both starters, who each went the distance and absolutely flew through the lineups, as the game finished just under 2 hours, but it was Reynolds and the Royals who would rebound from their tough loss against the Outlaws to record the Win. At press time Royals Skipper gave the game ball to their hurler, but Velasquez deserves an honorable mention as he battle with the flu bug and his lunch to help the squad pull out the win.
"Outlaws use 'Big Inning' to Round Up Rangers, 13-7"
Player of the Game - Mark Lucas (Outlaws) 2-4 HR, 2B, 4RBI; Justin McCurdy (Rangers) 4-4, 2 doubles, 3RBI
Rangers - Read More.
Recaps for Sunday April 27, 2008:
"Panthers take DJaxx 8-3"
Panthers - Sunday's matchup between the Panthers and Djaxx was a good one. The Panthers defense held as they only let one man aboard in the 1st. Offensively in the bottom of the 1st the Panthers started a 2 out rally with a walk to Damon Barr, Zac Tobias being HBP, and then another big 3 run homerun from Doc Hayes. This being his 2nd 3 run longball in as many games. Still with 2 outs the Panthers capitalized on a walk by Thomas Fluty, a single by Randy Haines, and 2 more walks to score another run to make it a 4-0 contest. In the top of the 2nd the Marutcheon roped a hanging slider to deep right to earn a triple. The next batter reached on an error that led to a run for the Djaxx. Quickly though the Panthers made 2 more outs to end the top half of the inning. The bottom half started off well for the Panthers, but fizzled after 2 K's and a ground out. Barr cruised through the 3rd retiring 3 straight batters. The Panthers were able to plate 3 more runs as they batted their first 6 in the line-up. The Djaxx were able to answer in the top of the 4th when an error let the first man aboard, and a 420 ft. shot to center by clean-up batter York plated 2. But the offensive attack would be short lived as the next two batters were put away to end the rally. The remainder of the game turned into a pitchers duel, Lee allowing 1 more run, and Barr 0 runs. Barr finished the game with 8 K's, 1 BB, 1 HBP, and only 2 earned runs, going all 9 for the Panthers. A congratulations is in order to Doc Hayes and Danny Armstrong for their offensive efforts in the two games. Hayes is currently batting .444 with 2 Home Runs, and 8 RBI's. Armstrong is hitting a hot .583 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI's.
"Stros hold off Indians 6-4"
Astros - Two league veterans took the mound Sunday afternoon as the Indians sent Skipper Phil beach to the hill to square off against long time Astro Ace Brian Girard. Both Pitchers worked out of early jams and kept the game scoreless through the first 2 innings. The Astro offense would then get going scoring 2 runs in each of the next two innings coming off a combination of hits by Karl Flaugher, Mike Flanagan and Dustin Vincent and a pair of bases loaded walks by Jason Joyce and Adam Stewart. Trailing 4-0 the Indians battled back with a run in the 4th and another in the 5th to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. Gregg Foster would then hit an RBI Triple to center and later score on a Mike Flanagan single to increase the lead to 6-2. The Score would remain 6-2 until the Indians began a rally off Astro reliever Mike leach in the bottom of the 9th. A two run homerun cut the lead to 6-4 and after a single brought the tying run to the plate, PJ Dobbins recorded an outfield assist throwing out an Indian base runner at the plate to end the game in dramatic fashion and give Mike Leach his first save of the season. Brian Girard picked up his first win of the season pitching 6 strong innings allowing just 1 earned run while striking out 5. Mike Flanagan and Gregg Foster each recorded 2 hits to lead the Astro Offense.
"9-run inning propels Outlaws to 11-9 win over Royals"
Player of the Game - Kevin Reynolds (Royals) 4-5, SB, 3RBI
Royals - The Royals and Outlaws game kicked off the day of MVABL action and it lived up to all the hype. Taking the hill for the Outlaws was their ace Kevin Ashworth, and the Boys in Blue countered with rookie Jason Holmberg. The Royals struggled to overcome the generous strike-zone that was playing into the hands of the Outlaws as the Royals were blanked in the first two innings recording 4 of Ashworths 8 K's on the day. However the thrid is when the wheels would fall off the wagon for the Boys in Blue, already down 1-0, the Outlaws pounded out 10 straight hits before Holmberg was able to reel them back in and close out the frame. But the damage was already done as the Outlaws picked up 9 runs in the top of the 3rd to go up 10-0 on the Royals. With the large deficit the Boys in Blue mounted a small comeback plating 7 of their own over the 3rd and 4th innings to cut the lead down to 3. As Holmberg was settling into a groove to give his team a chance to earn back a few runs here and there. The Outlaws tacked on their final run off a sac fly in the 6th. As the game churned on, the Royals were able to plate a pair of runs over the 7th & 8th highlighted by a Holmberg pinch-hit triple. As the game entered the 9th inning the Outlaws still held a 2 run lead, a double play and Holmbergs 11th K ended the top of the frame. With the meat of the Royals lineup due up things looked bright for the Boys in Blue as Brian Duffy led off the inning with a sharp single up the middle, but working deep into the game himself, Ashworth with the help of his defense on a sharp shot to the hot corner added 2 more K's to end the game. It was a great game on both sides, but the deficit proved to be too much to overcome against Ashworth and the Outlaws.
"Rangers Ground Aviators 9-3"
Player of the Game - Justin McCurdy (Rangers) 3-4, 2 triples, 3 runs, 2RBI
Rangers - Read More.
Recaps for Sunday April 20, 2008:
"Royals Open Up on Top, Win 21-10"
Player of the Game - Ben Ailes (Royals) 4-4, 5 runs, triple, 3RBI, 2 OF assists at home
Royals - The Boys in Blue opened up the 2008 season against one of three new teams to join the MVABL. Royals Rookie Jesus Velasquez III started on the hill for the Boys in Blue. After being rained out last weekend the Royals were ready to take the field after their off-season workouts and scrimmages and see how the team would perform. Lee started on the Hill for the DiamondJaxx and would give it his all going the distance for the expansion club, but he would have a rough start on the day.
The Royals entered the game as the visitors and would have first crack at scoring those first runs of the season. In the top of the first inning the Boys in Blue showed poise and patience at the plate as they were able to send 11 batters to the plate and recorded 8 runs off 4 walks, 3 singles, and a double before the dust settled. Velasquez got his first shot off the hill as the DiamondJaxx headed to the plate in the bottom of the 1st, but was able to relax and just throw as his teammates had built a quick lead. In the bottom of the first, Velasquez had a little control issue offering up 3 walks & 2 HBPs in the bottom before he got the Jaxx to ground into an easy 5-3 to end the 1st with the Royals up 8-2.
In the top of the second another Royal crossed the plate as veteran Ben Ailes was able to score on a fielding error off Rudegeair's bat. The Jaxx would counter plating one of their own as Chad Lowe plated Timmy Mays with an RBI single. In the top of the 3rd, the Royals Skipper led off with the second of four ground rule doubles, and would later score as rookie Mark Baker would add a ground rule double himself. Up 10-3 the DiamondJaxx would plate a pair in the bottom of the 4th to cut the Royals lead to 5, and in the bottom of the 6th they would plate another 2 to reduce the deficit to 3.
With the score 10-7 as the Royals headed to the plate in the top of the 7th, the Boys in Blue extended their lead to 5 again as Ailes and Rudegeair both crossed the plate and they continued to cash in over the final 3 innings. The Royals were able to plate 5 in the 8th and 4 more in the 9th. Down 21-9 the Jaxx were faced with a tough delimma as they had to face Royals closer Kyle Ubinger. They were able to get the bases loaded and plate a run, but the game ended as Rudegeair cut a relay throw from RF Eric Jameson and was able to throw behind the runner who was caught off 3rd for the final out of the game.
"Rangers Knock of Tribe, 8-5"
Player of the Game - Jeremy Lippincott (Rangers) 2-4, 2 doubles, 3RBI
Rangers - Read More.
"Stros take season opener 6-1 from Dragons"
Player of the Game - Brian Leach (Astros) 5 IP, 10K, 0 Hits
Astros - The Dayton Astros took the field Sunday night for a nightcap against the upstart Centerville Dragons. The Astros lineup showed the return of many familiar faces as well as a few newcomers. Brian Leach made his return to the mound for the Astros a memorable one. After giving up an unearned run in the first, Brian provided some heat to an otherwise cool evening, working 5 very strong innings allowing no hits, and striking out 10 Dragon hitters. Cousin Mike Leach then came in to close the door for the Stros allowing just one hit with 2 strikeouts while facing the minimum 6 batters in 2 innings. Mike Flanagan also showcased his defensive ability gunning down multiple Dragon base runners, recording 5 defensive assists from behind the plate. While the offense put up 6 runs, the Astros bats were kept fairly quiet. Mike Leach was 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI, Mike Flanagan was 1 for 3 with a triple and an RBI and Astro rookie Karl Flaugher was 1 for 1 with a stolen base in his Astro debut.
"Panthers Win Shootout With Outlaws, 19-14"
Panthers - The season opener for the Panthers started with a quick 1-2-3 inning at the plate. 2 K's and 1 flyout in 12 pitches thrown by veteran Outlaw Ryan Benkert. The Outlaws took to scoring quickly in their first at-bat putting up 6 runs on 2 hits, 2 HBP, and 2 errors. Things looked like last year's Panthers until the call was made to bring in Panther veteran Jeff Cherry. In 7 pitches Jeff ended what looked like another Outlaw run. Finally in the 4th, an offensive spark lit by Justin "Doc" Hayes gave his team the jumpstart they needed. After 8 batters the Panthers put up 4 runs on 5 hits. All of which were singles, being hit by Hayes, Thomas Fluty, Danny Armstrong, J. Cherry and Chris Hall. Hall and Armstrong taking credit with 2 RBIs a piece. Though the Outlaws were not to let a four run 4th go unanswered, scoring another on a single from Kevin Ashworth, taking their lead to 4.
The fifth turned out to be the turn of the tide in the Panthers favor, led off by Damon Barr with a single. Former Columbus Leaguer, Zac Tobias, helped the cause with a single himself. But it was Doc Hayes with a deep blast to left field to plate three runs that got the visiting dug-out fired up. The momentum continued to build as Cherry sat down 3 straight Outlaws to finish the fifth. The top of the sixth proved to be the deciding inning in the game. On the heels of 7 hits, the Panthers tacked on 7 more to go up 14 to 8. The Outlaws at bat in the sixth was as the one before, J. Cherry picking up his 4th K of his outing. But the Outlaws pitching staff came through with a shut-out 7th and an offensive push to score 3 in their half. Not to let another close one slip away to the Outlaws, the Panthers scored 5 more in the 8th, 2 more RBIs going to Hayes and a 3rd going to Armstrong. With time running out the Outlaws made their last run in the 8th to add 3 more. But Cherry would pick up his 1st win of the season after 6 2/3 innings and 6 K's.
Outlaws - The Outlaws received some notable offensive support from Rick Anderson and Kevin Ashworth. Rick finished a homer short of the cycle and added 4 RBIs. Kevin was a perfect 5-for-5 on the day with a double, triple and 3 RBIs.
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