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Win Over Blue Caps Keeps Undefeated Record Intact |
June 18, 2008 -- Fairfax, VA. For five innings last night, the Senators offense looked out of sync. The team had two runners thrown out on the base paths. In addition, Manager Chris Burr was clearly upset when his clean-up hitter, Mario Williams, tried to bunt his way aboard with a runner at second and two outs. However, after a stormy fifth inning, the Senators bats awakened and led the team to a 5-1 victory over the Beltway Blue Caps.
The Senators did manage five hits through the first five innings. However, the timely hitting that has become a signature of this team did not accompany those hits. The Senators only run came when David Harris scored on a wild pitch. The Senators stranded three runners and made two more outs on the base paths.
The Senators were still able to maintain a lead because of another strong outing from starter Eric Cantrell. Cantrell, the reigning pitcher of the week in the Clark-Griffith League, pitched five innings before a rain delay ended his day.
“I was just going to go out there and throw fastballs and work as quickly as possible,” said Cantrell, “but I had to change my strategy as the game went on because they started hitting the fastballs. I pitched backwards, and that worked out pretty well.”
Cantrell only yielded one run, but that one run was the source of a lot of controversy. With an overcast, thundering sky looking as if it were about to burst open with rain at any moment, the Senators entered the bottom of the fifth inning with a 1-0 lead. Burr urged his team to work quickly, clearly trying to get in the five innings necessary to make the game official before the rain came.
With no outs and a runner on first, Blue Caps leadoff hitter Sam Bender popped up a ball in front of the plate that Cantrell made a diving attempt to catch the ball in the air. Cantrell, believing he caught the ball, turned and threw to first base to get an apparent double play. However, it was ruled that Cantrell did not make the catch, which pushed the runner to second with only one out.
The next batter grounded out to the second baseman, but the runner on second came around third and tried to score. First baseman Mario Williams attempted a throw home, but appeared to make contact with the batter running down the line, and the throw was off-line. Burr, already upset over the previous call, came out to argue that interference should have been called on the batter. The argument was to no avail, as no interference was called and Burr was ejected.
The rains did come in the top of the sixth inning, delaying the game for about a half hour. When the game resumed, Kyle Hald took the mound for the Senators and controlled the Blue Caps lineup for the next two and two-thirds innings. The Senators bats finally arrived in the seventh when two walks and a bunt single to start the inning led to a four-run inning. A Blue Caps error as well as a hit batter also aided the Senators' cause. The inning was capped off by a two-run single from David Harris.
That was all the Senators pitching would need as Hald and closer Jimmy Duggan shut the door on the Blue Caps, only allowing two hits in the last four innings.
The Senators improved to 14-0 on the season, while the Blue Caps fell to 3-9. The Senators next game is tomorrow night at Paul VI High School against the Fairfax Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00PM.
Andrew Struckmeyer
Vienna Senators