SW4A Week #5

According to the weather geeks, we should???????? have a better week for games. Let's all hope so! Good luck to all!

 

Providence at Myers Park Preview

The meat grinder that is the SW4A has gnawed all but two as the loop completes its first circuit this week. And if Mother Nature finally decides to cooperate with the high school baseball schedule, Tuesday, one of those two will feel the bite of defeat.

Currently the Providence Panthers (7-1) are riding atop the league standings at 5-0, having completed their suspended game shutting out Butler 3-0 and managing to play through the rain on Thursday to best Ardrey Kell in extra innings 10-7. The Panthers’ lone set back this year came at the Impact Invitational at the USA Olympic baseball training center in Cary when defending 4A state champion Greenville Rose rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth in a 4-3 comeback win.

Myers Park is the SW4A’s only unblemished team to date, starting out at 8-0. Rain has caused the Mustangs to fall behind on its league schedule as MP will be forced to handle at least three and one half innings of a suspended game leading Weddington 4-2 and a make-up contest with East Meck this week, plus their scheduled games against the Panthers and South Meck. This week’s schedule will surely tax the Mustang arms as there will not be many easy outs in their opponent’s line ups.

Both MP and Providence took care of defending league champion Ardrey Kell this last week in similar fashion: jumping out to four run leads in the first inning, falling behind in the middle innings only to rally late for the victory. In both games, the bullpen was the difference as the Knights were able to knock out the number one starter for both teams early to grab the lead only to see the bullpens do the job against them, giving the Panthers and Mustangs the opportunities for late inning heroics.

Even with a win, the victor will only be half way home with the tough leg to go as they sprint to the finish in the league race. But as everyone knows, it better to have a head start, especially in a short race.

Match-up
Infield
1B – MP: Andy Wilson - JR; Providence: Kurt Semeniuk - JR
Both players are solid in the field and cable of providing a key hit. Semeniuk may have a bit more pop in this bat. – ADV: Even

2B – MP: Grant Goodson – SO; Providence: Drew Casella – SR
Goodson has done a solid job at the top of the Mustang lineup in this first trip through the SW4A wars. The sure handed Casella helps keep the Panther defense strong up the middle. – ADV: MP

SS – MP: JD Ey – SR; Providence: CA Clayton – JR
Probably the top two SS in the league if not two of the top players period. Clayton bats three hole for the Panthers and has some of the quickest hands and feet in the league. Ey is a silky smooth glider that covers more ground with his 6’4 frame than one would think and bats clean-up for the Mustangs. ADV - Even

3B – MP: Tyler Powell – SO; Providence: Richie Shaffer – SR
Powell has done an excellent job on the hot corner for the Mustangs but the Panthers have and All-American in the same position. ADV – Providence

Outfield
LF – MP: Max Morrill – SR; Providence: Mike Dunn – JR
Both bat in the middle of their respective lineups. Morrill may have a bit more speed, Dunn maybe a little more power. ADV – Even

CF – MP: Matt Hedburg – SO; Providence: Tyler Zupcic – SR
Hedburg had the game winning RBI against AK and will patrol CF for several years to come for the Mustangs, but is a step behind the speedy Zupcic who has been the Panthers’ hottest bat of late. ADV – Providence.

RF – MP: Joe Hager – JR; Providence: Brett Austin – SO
The switch hitting power hitter Austin made the play with his glove to keep the game going into extra innings against AK. Hager has share some time with Harrison Henney for the Mustangs – ADV – Providence.

DH – MP: Brent George – SO: Providence: Ben Harton – SR
George filled in for Ey at SS while Ey was still on the hardwoods. His bat was too good to keep out of the lineup. Harton hits when Fuller is on the mound. – AVD – MP.

Battery
C – MP: Brain Holberton – JR; Providence: Matt Lee – SR
Lee does a good job handling the Panther staff but Holberton is one of the leagues’ top two receivers and is at or near the top of the conference in hitting. – ADV – MP

SP – MP: Chris Overman– SR; Providence: Jordan Fuller - SR
Overman had been dominate this year until being roughed up last week. Fuller is up in the Panther rotation and has allowed next to nothing all season. – ADV - Even

Relief Pitching: MP: Austin Campbell, Robert Balsley, Hedburg; Providence: Alex Askey, Shaffer, Semeuik - With the buildup of games this week for the Mustangs there could be consequences on the bullpen pitchers availability. Likely Panthers will have all arms available. ADV - Providence

 

Ardrey Kell VS West Meck

Kell won 13-3. Game closer than score indicated. West was up 2-0 out of the gate. Kell had a five run second after a fly ball was dropped. Nick Forst Threw well for Kell to get the win, Austin Machicote finished up. Ratledge had a couple hits, along with Zico Pasut. Kell still not playing real clean baseball.

Not sure who started for West, but Dalton Shaw came in and did a good job in relief, as a freshman. Charlie King, Nick McGee had hits (sorry I do not have everyones name)

For Kell a win is a win, back to conference play tomorrow.

 

Indy 6, South Meck 4

INDEPENDENCE 6, S. MECK 4

Independence 001 111 2--6 10 2
South Meck 102 000 1--4 6 0

WP-Hutchings. LP-Woods (1-1). Leading hitters-I: Brynarsky (2-4), Stewart (2-3, double); SM: Rowe (2-4, double), Wright (1-2), Baer (1-1,. Double). Record-SM 4-4 1-3 SW4A, I 4-5 1-4.

 

Wow...Big upset. Congratulations to Indy! If you're playing in the SW4A, you better come prepared every night.

 

PHS-MPHS

Great work, mincmi. Interesting analysis, and hard to argue with.
Should be a fun outing.
Just FWIW, I think Overman hits left but throws right, and the Wilson kid is a JR, not a SR.

 

FYI Tyler Woods of SM was not the losing pitcher in this game. Woods came into the game with the score tied at 3. SM's starting pitcher started the inning by walking the first batter. Woods came into the game at that point and time. Eventually the walked batter scored the go ahead run and the score was never tied again. The walked batter was the responsibility of SM's starting pitcher. rule 10.17 (d)

 

Quote from Myers Park vs Providence Game

In Providence's 5-1 win over Myers Park a Pro scout at Myers Park/Providence game, "why does Coach Hignight have his players sqawk like monkies, and scream like girls? He needs to have some respect for the game."

Shaffer looked great on the mound, and as always a well coached Providence team will take advantage of an opponents mistakes.

 

East Meck v Indpendence

Ind 000 000 0 0 3 2
EM 000 110 X 2 7 0

WP Crews LP Plyler
This is a completely unofficial score, based on my completely pitiful memory. Both pitchers kept the opposing team off balance. East got yet another strong performance from yet another young pitcher. This time it was soph. lefty Jonathan Crews in his first start in the SW4A. Once he found his groove he mowed down batter after batter for the Eagles. The Eagles pitching staff (4 of their top 5 being sophomores or juniors) has a combined ERA this year somewhere south of 2. Coach Koppe has these boys firing on all cylinders.

Independence's pitcher (I think I've got his name right) also stayed one step ahead of the Eagle Batters. The Eagles sprayed 7 hits, but couldn't quite ever put them all together. Leighton Daniels continued his torrid pace going 2 for 3 with a RBI. On of the team's few seniors, Logan Porter also had 2 hits driving in the game winner in the 4th.

 

Thanks for the information. Just took what was called in to the Observer and copy and pasted because no one took the time to post anything on either game South has played this week.