RE: Rice vs H B U - Tuesday Feb 17th
Just back from a near empty Reckling...so empty in fact that the guy throwing out t-shirts between innings was standing 10 feet from me and threw one to me! No joke!
1. The HBU starting pitcher was their Senior Friday ace and best hitter, as well. He platys 3B when not pitching and bats #3 in the lineup. He was 10-3 last year. Not great stuff, but kept the ball down in the strikezone and kept our hitters totally off-balance. We didn't square up on a single pitch until the last batter in the 4th inning...and that was a line out. Thank heavens he began to tire in the 7th, and was replaced to start the fateful 8th inning.
2. Amador looked great early, but even then was leaving everything up in the zone, which would eventually bite him. No surprising that he began to tire in the 3rd inning, as I don't believe he worked beyond 2 innings in any intrasquad game this Spring. He started throwing 91 - 92 MPH, but by the 3rd inning was throwing only 86 - 88, all the while leaving the ball up in the zone. If this trend continues, perhaps Amador is best used as a 1 - 2 inning set-up guy out of the pen where he can go all-out when he's out there.
3. It was very clear that Otto was not fully warmed up when he was hastily summoned from the pen (after Amador started the 4th inning with a no doubt HR, followed by a crushed double and a line out). Not only was he leaving pitches up in the zone when he came in, but he was only throwing 87 - 88 (vs. the 93 - 94 he was throwing over the weekend). When he came out in the 5th inning, his fastball was back up in the 91 - 92 range, and he was starting to have better command of his curveball. I only hope Otto will be available to throw an inning or two by the Sunday game, as we'll probably need him.
Game Ball #1: Our Freshmen RHP duo of Willy Amador (3.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 BBs, 5 Ks) and Glenn Otto (4.1 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 BBs, 5 Ks)-- neither was lights out, but they got the job done under very cold conditions when it is never easy to pitch.
Game Ball #2: The middle of our order duo of Leon Byrd (2-4, double, run...and with back-to-back leadoff hits in the 6th and 8th) and JC Reeves (2-4, HR #2, run, 2 RBIs)...with the game-winning bomb).
Game Ball #3: I could have given it to Matty Ditman (W, 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BBs, 1 K) for making quick work in the 9th inning, but I'm giving it to Kirby Taylor (2-3, double, BB, 2 run scored).
Safe travels everyone to Arizona. Go Owls!
(This post was last modified: 02-17-2015 09:14 PM by waltgreenberg.)
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