Cats v Aces (Home Opener)
- Thread starter Comebakatz3
- Start date
Looks like Evansville may be the polar opposite of Elon. Really good hitting lineup but struggling on the mound.
REMINDER: There will be a pop-up or two. Obviously, just 'X' out of them and press play afterwards.
UK-Evansville
UK-Evansville
Smith starts with a HBP. Deep fly is loud but an out. Walk. 2 on with 1 out. First K for Smith. Roszel chats always seem to work. It's wild. Ground out to Pitre playing in shallow right. Cats get into trouble but come out clean.
Fly out to right by Waldy. Gray gets a single "through the glove," an Ace. Gray steals second on a foul tip. Then an error moves him to third on a pick off try. Burkes then looks at strike 3 for the second out. Just cannot strike out there. Have to put the ball in play. Ground out to second ends the inning for UK.
0-0 going to 2nd
0-0 going to 2nd
With 1 out... UK playing an inexperienced outfielder leads to a single that should have been an out. Then UK commits an error (not ruled one!?) when they had a pickoff. Gilliam's throw to second is wide. Hord now up and he works a full count. Hord hits it off the base of the wall to score one. An RBI double for the former Cat. Defense matters. That's two mistakes, neither of which ruled errors but they gave up a run regardless.
1-0
Walked the 9 hole. With a strikeout to follow and then Smith BARELY beats the Aces runner to second to end the inning.
1-0
Walked the 9 hole. With a strikeout to follow and then Smith BARELY beats the Aces runner to second to end the inning.
The Aces center fielder fell when trying to field a fly ball and Gilliam gets a double off it. McCoy then hits a monster off the wall that goes for a triple to tie the game 1-1. Stanke goes down swinging. Byars squares to bunt, it goes through the bat and Aces throw behind the runner and it hits off McCoy's helmet and goes into left and allows McCoy to score 2-1 Cats. Cats probably get lucky there as that throw off the helmet takes the decision away from Mingione. Byars continues to struggle at the plate and he strikes out once again. Smith also strikes out swinging.
Cats get the lead 2-1 going to the third.
Cats get the lead 2-1 going to the third.
I think it requires further emphasis... McCoy was likely hung out to dry because of Byars missed on the safety squeeze. Mingione calling a safety squeeze in the 2nd inning of a 1-1 game. UK got lucky in that a failed bunt in that situation is regularly an out and rarely a run.
Aces starts off with a single, but Pitre starts a double play and Smith and Gilliam finish it cleanly. Smith with a little bit of a control issue in this one so far. Pitre gets another one, a little bit of a wide throw, but Gilliam hauls it in for a quick top of the 3rd.
2-1 UK
2-1 UK
Waldy hits one into the gap, but Waldy runs himself into an out at second base trying to stretch it into extras. UK going to challenge it. Another base running error for UK. Mingione called it chaos... I guess he nailed it. Darran Headrick seems to think that maybe he is safe as he might have got his hand in before a tag is applied. His initial thought was that it was an out, and they now overturn it and they call him safe.
Not a fan of that last bunt. All the others have been timely. Not this one.
Small ball with the bases loaded with your #4 hitter up 6-2… I’d throw that play away and burn it coach.
Bases loaded bunt with your clean up hitter(who I think is 5 for his last 7?) results in a force out at home. Mingione is an idiot
Regardless, if your 4 hole is bunting there then he cannot and should not be your 4 hole.
Evansville has 5 errors on the day. Another one here with 2 outs gave Byars an extra base on a single. Great play by 3B to make a barehanded grab, but the throw was way wide.
Just so you are aware, UK is now in the top of the 6th and Hise is on the mound. Cats up 6-2. Hise has been hit, but most have been to Pitre and he's taken care of business.
Looks like Evansville knows how to bunt. That was such a stupid decision earlier to bunt with the bases loaded.
Evansville likely needs to manufacture runs to win this. Don't know that they'll be able to slug it out with us with our pitching. So, that made sense there for them. We should be swinging away against their pitching.
How about two runners trying to take second picking up the only outs of the inning. Way to put pressure on the defense.
The base running and small ball is getting a bit ridiculous today. Leaving so many runs off the board.
Get another walk and then try that bunt thing with two outs and bases loaded again. It's sure to work this time.
Not sure if this was mental or if we tried to get cute by getting the runner hung up long enough to plate Burkes. Either way... it's the 6th inning against Evansville with 0/1 out. We shouldn't be getting cute. We should be swinging the bat and putting pressure on them that way. I would understand that if had to have that run to tie or get a lead later in the game, but not up 3 in the 6th.
To say Ming and his coaching staff are morons, is an insult to morons. The decisions they make with men on base are beyond comprehension.