06-14-2007, 07:00 AM
http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=39560
Howard dusts off Xenia
Tom Usher | tusher@limanews.com - 06.14.2007
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — So much for being a tad rusty.
Lima Locos third baseman Tom Howard didn’t look anything like a player who had been a red-shirt freshman at Central Michigan.
Howard went 2 for 4 with a double, a grand slam and five RBIs in the Locos’ 10-2 bashing of Xenia on Wednesday before over 600 fans at Shawnee High School.
“We did a great job with the two-out hits,” Locos coach Rob Livchak said. “And Howard had a great game.”
Howard launched a monstrous grand slam in the third inning to cap a five-run inning to give the Locos a 6-1 lead. His RBI double to left-center field in the fifth made it 8-1.
And consider the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Howard didn’t play at Central Michigan this season.
“It was more of a learning experience than anything,” Howard said. “It took a little bit of time (to get adjusted to live pitching), but hopefully I’m out of it after tonight. … It felt real good, especially in front of the big crowd.”
Howard, from Grand Ledge, Mich., hit 15 home runs his senior year in high school and 28 for his high school career.
The Locos (2-2) rolled out pitching, timely hitting and defense before the Big Brothers-Big Sisters crowd. Xenia is 2-2.
Locos outfielder Antonio Calloway (Chattahoochee CC) went 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Sean Laird had a double and two RBIs and catcher Jon Gossard was 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
Defensively, Locos center fielder Keenan Wiley (Kentucky) made two web-gem catches. In the first inning, Wiley went to the fence in left-center field to make a running catch.
Then, with a runner on first and one out in the second inning, Wiley came flying in, went airborne and made a belly-sliding catch of a fading quail in shallow center field off the bat of Leroy Urbina. Wiley then fired to first to complete a double play to end the inning.
“It went from a bloop base hit to a double play, which is great for any pitcher,” Livchak said.
With the game tied at 1, the Locos exploded for five runs on one hit in the third inning.
Laird reached first on a fielder’s choice grounder to third, which brought home Wiley to give the Locos the lead to stay, 2-1.
With two out and the bases loaded, Howard (Central Michigan) launched a monstrous grand slam to the hill in left to push the Locos’ lead to 6-1. Howard jumped on the first pitch of Xenia starter Jesse Luker.
“I felt I got it more off the end,” Howard said of the grand slam. “But once I felt it go, it was good.”
Locos starter left-hander Brian Hangbers (Bowling Green State) worked the first four innings and gave up one run on one hit. He struck out four and walked none.
Tyler Gatrell (Marshall) threw the next four innings and gave up one run on five hits. J.R. Peck (Morehead State) pitched a shutout ninth inning.
Locos notes: Injury update — Locos outfielder Eric Moore (Montevallo) suffered a broken left big toe when he hit the bag beating out a bunt hit in the eighth inning Sunday. Moore, who is out four to six weeks, went home to Florence, Ala. … Left-hander Casey Ingle has stiffness in his left forearm. He left the game in the middle of a batter in the sixth inning Sunday. … The Locos added right-hander James Thompson (Chattahoochee CC) to the roster. He’s from the same college as speedster outfielder Antonio Calloway.
Howard dusts off Xenia
Tom Usher | tusher@limanews.com - 06.14.2007
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — So much for being a tad rusty.
Lima Locos third baseman Tom Howard didn’t look anything like a player who had been a red-shirt freshman at Central Michigan.
Howard went 2 for 4 with a double, a grand slam and five RBIs in the Locos’ 10-2 bashing of Xenia on Wednesday before over 600 fans at Shawnee High School.
“We did a great job with the two-out hits,” Locos coach Rob Livchak said. “And Howard had a great game.”
Howard launched a monstrous grand slam in the third inning to cap a five-run inning to give the Locos a 6-1 lead. His RBI double to left-center field in the fifth made it 8-1.
And consider the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Howard didn’t play at Central Michigan this season.
“It was more of a learning experience than anything,” Howard said. “It took a little bit of time (to get adjusted to live pitching), but hopefully I’m out of it after tonight. … It felt real good, especially in front of the big crowd.”
Howard, from Grand Ledge, Mich., hit 15 home runs his senior year in high school and 28 for his high school career.
The Locos (2-2) rolled out pitching, timely hitting and defense before the Big Brothers-Big Sisters crowd. Xenia is 2-2.
Locos outfielder Antonio Calloway (Chattahoochee CC) went 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Sean Laird had a double and two RBIs and catcher Jon Gossard was 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
Defensively, Locos center fielder Keenan Wiley (Kentucky) made two web-gem catches. In the first inning, Wiley went to the fence in left-center field to make a running catch.
Then, with a runner on first and one out in the second inning, Wiley came flying in, went airborne and made a belly-sliding catch of a fading quail in shallow center field off the bat of Leroy Urbina. Wiley then fired to first to complete a double play to end the inning.
“It went from a bloop base hit to a double play, which is great for any pitcher,” Livchak said.
With the game tied at 1, the Locos exploded for five runs on one hit in the third inning.
Laird reached first on a fielder’s choice grounder to third, which brought home Wiley to give the Locos the lead to stay, 2-1.
With two out and the bases loaded, Howard (Central Michigan) launched a monstrous grand slam to the hill in left to push the Locos’ lead to 6-1. Howard jumped on the first pitch of Xenia starter Jesse Luker.
“I felt I got it more off the end,” Howard said of the grand slam. “But once I felt it go, it was good.”
Locos starter left-hander Brian Hangbers (Bowling Green State) worked the first four innings and gave up one run on one hit. He struck out four and walked none.
Tyler Gatrell (Marshall) threw the next four innings and gave up one run on five hits. J.R. Peck (Morehead State) pitched a shutout ninth inning.
Locos notes: Injury update — Locos outfielder Eric Moore (Montevallo) suffered a broken left big toe when he hit the bag beating out a bunt hit in the eighth inning Sunday. Moore, who is out four to six weeks, went home to Florence, Ala. … Left-hander Casey Ingle has stiffness in his left forearm. He left the game in the middle of a batter in the sixth inning Sunday. … The Locos added right-hander James Thompson (Chattahoochee CC) to the roster. He’s from the same college as speedster outfielder Antonio Calloway.