|
|
 |
Astros Go 1-2 in Ripken Tournament
The Astros headed down to Maryland for the Turn Two Tournament at the Ripken Academy. The Astros won their opener over the New Jersey Mariners Saturday morning, then came up empty against the Olney Pirates Saturday afternoon, before returning Sunday morning and showing alot of fight, coming up just short in the last inning against the South Jersey Bulldogs while attempting to overcome a 5-run deficit.
In the opener, we took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Frankie's RBI single, but gave it back with some sloppy fielding and trailed 2-1 after one inning. The Astros strung together eight hits and five runs in the third through fifth and looked to be comfortably on our way, but the Mariners scored three of their own in the bottom of the fifth before Jared came in to put out the fire. So we went to the bottom half of the sixth up by a run and started to breathe easy when Jared got the first two batters, but soon afterwards Coach David started to lose what little hair he has left as we walked the next two batters. Finally, Jared struck out the last batter looking on a 3-2 pitch, and the Astros had one in the books.
In the Saturday afternoon game, the boys proved beyond a doubt that we should not have fed them fried food for lunch. We were going to have to be at our best to compete with a very tough Olney Pirates squad, but unfortunately we were anything but. The team came out a little flat, although we were still in it through four innings, closing to 4-1 in our half of the fourth when Frankie walked and then stiole his way around the bases, including home on a wild pitch. But that was all the offense the Astros could muster on the afternoon, and when the Pirates put up six more in the fifth, this one was over.
The following morning, fueled by some of the best food that Aberdeen's Cracker Barrel has to offer, the boys got up bright and early for an 8:30 game against a hard-hitting Bulldogs squad.The Bulldogs scored in every inning, while we did not, and consequently we came up for our last licks in the short end of a 9-4 score. But with one man out and a man on first, the boys began a comeback rally that was reminiscent of last year's comeback rally on the same Fenway field. We loaded the bases, scored two on an infield error and then another two on a bloop double to make it 9-8 with a man on second and two out. Frankie, who was smoking the ball all weekend, smacked a screamer to rightfield that would have plated the tying run, but he hit it too hard as the rightfielder came up with it and threw in time to first base...or at least that's how the ump saw it. :) All in all, though, a stirring comeback and the boys showed alot of fight as they could easily have mailed it in at that point.
Over the weekend, the hitting was led by Frankie, Teddy and Ryan, who had three hits apiece (and Frankie was robbed a couple other times). Teddy, Jared and Vito pitched well against some very good-hitting teams. Disappointing to come up short, and even more disappointing to know we have to wait another year for the next Ripken tournament - always a good time, and even more so this year staying on campus.
|
|
