Sunday, June 05, 2005

DIRTBAGS TRY NOT TO TOSS AWAY THIS SURVIVAL SUNDAY

Forty Niner baseball fans (we use the official nickname since big crowds have a lot of pre-1989 Dirtbag era followers) were mildly amused Friday night when an assortment of Rhode Island mistakes led to an eight run outburst early. Saturday night the shoe was on the other foot and despite a gritty comeback the Beach boys could not overcome the cardinal, gold and blue.

The first two colors are those of the Southern Cal Trojans and the blue, well there was this Estrada-squeezing home plate ump and a rush to a bad judgment by blue’s brother at first. In the books it goes as a 6-4 Ian Kennedy win, no shame there, but a plethora of errors, mental and physical, that sets of a very busy 24 hours at Blair just like it will be in F-land, 6-5 losers to Arizona.

At Blair Friday was an evening for executing a plan against an opponent who’s RPI (222) recalled a sitcom of the same number, Saturday night was thermo-nuclear war where little went to form especially a shocking four run fifth. In the stands on one side were the well-heeled escaping-from-LA USC aristocrats mocking the clean-living, hard working, 49er faithful. Fortunately the turnout of Pepperdine fans we see today is more modest in numbers and attitude. Veteran Cesar Ramos finally gets the call for LBSU opposed by talented Wave freshmen Barry Enright who already has a 9-1 record. Barry was the WCC freshmen of the year, Cesar, albeit a long shot, made the final cut for National Player of the Year. Game two at 5 would be Jered Hughes, but first games first. Last night sophomore right-hander Ian Kennedy went 8 1/3 innings and closer Paul Koss struck out All-America shortstop Troy Tulowitzki with two outs and runners on the corners Saturday in that disappointing 6-4 result. A record crowd of 3,233 witnessed one of LB’s shakiest gun fights in many a year. A game Marco Estrada (8-3) took the loss but he could have sued his usually great defense for non-support. In the bottom of the second, USC won the home team coin flip, Troy boy Hector Estrella hit a tailor-made double play ball to short but Sindlinger's throw bounced in the dirt and into the D-bag dugout as two runs scored for the Trojans. LB had an answer in the third on Sean Boatright's RBI double to left, scoring right fielder Steve Velazco. USC intentionally walked Tulowitzki for runners at first and second with two outs then Kennedy got Evan Longoria to pop to center. The game got tied in the fourth when Jose Hernandez hit a fly ball that three USC fielders lost in the lights and it fell for a double. Sindlinger then blooped a single to center to make it a 2-2 contest. In the fateful fifth Vieira was hit by a pitch as the lead off and but the sac by Estrella worked when Brandon Godfrey’s throw to make the force at second was ruled, that blue crew again, too late. One out later the home crowd gasped as Buck and Weathers sent out lefty Steve Hammond to play the percentages to get lefty hitter Matt Cusick. It didn’t work and now all the Niner fans were sick too. He singled, as did Jeff Clement and when the throw from right field got past Longoria one more was in and then more misery as Hammond's wild pitch plated another SCer.

In the 8th Kennedy hit Tulo followed by Longoria's RBI double. He scored on an RBI groundout by Chris Jones and the lead was now just 6-4. The ninth however was more bad news. Pinch-hitter Tom Wolf knocked out Kennedy with a single up the middle, Jacobsen then singled pinch-runner Tom Sarti to third but Troy reliever Paul Koss got Tulo a 1-2 fastball to end the game and set up the need to win three in a row to advance.

SUNDAY MY DUST WILL COME—web posters lamented the loss saying, “the B.S. call at first base in the top of the 9th ... SC 3rd baseman made a good snag on a grounder, did a 360 degree turn to make the throw to first, pulled the 1st baseman off the bag ... our guy was called out. Not sure why we didn't wave Mocny into home in the 9th, if you're gonna put a PR in then put his feet to work - would have scored easily”…Meanwhile on Nutwood Fullerton stranded 17 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the ninth inning, as second-seeded Arizona escaped with a 6-5 victory over the top-seeded Titans in a winner's bracket game on Saturday night in front of a Goodwin Field record-crowd of 3,654….The Titans entered the bottom of the ninth trailing, 6-3. They scored twice and had the bases loaded with no outs but failed to score another….Tuffy now plays Missouri who’s Tigers scored in six of the first seven innings Saturday to beat Harvard, 14-6…Arizona, who improved to 39-19 overall awaits in the nightcap… ironically if the Cats win and ASU also does the super regional would match UA with the Sun Devils… First things first, beat Pepperdine or the Bags pack their bags, hug teammates and end the season early—DR. DAN

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