Hutchings Throws a Complete Game Gem, Baybay Leads the Offense; Expos Salvage Series Split With Tri City

Posted June 8, 2016


Hutchings Throws a Complete Game Gem, Baybay Leads the Offense; Expos Salvage Series Split With Tri City

The Vancouver Minor Expos were looking to exact revenge on a Tri City ball club that came out victorious against them by a score of 3-2 just over a week ago. The boys from East Van were disheartened by that loss and with all players now healthy they were looking to take it to the Indians with their ace on the bump. Hutchings, despite a slow start settled in and threw a complete game masterpiece while Baybay lead the offensive charge as he contributed to 2 of the 3 runs. Vancouver over Tri City by a score of 3-1.

 

TriCity 1 EXPOS 3

The Expos sent their ace to the mound as they were looking to salvage a series split with the Tri City Indians. Hutchings, on his 15th birthday started off slow in this one as the first two innings saw Hutchings give up a hit and 2 walks but the Indians could not capitalize; same could be said about the Expos who loaded the bases in the 2nd inning off two singles and a hit by pitch but could not plate a run. The Indians plated the first run of the game as Sugi reached base on a SS error, Wilson promptly hit a hard line drive for a double scoring Sugi, Tri City up 1-0. Clark continued to retire Expo hitter after hitter as the 3rd and 4th innings were silent for the Vancouver offense.

It wasn't until the 5th inning where Baybay stepped up to the plate to lead off the 5th, after a poor at bat in the 2nd inning he was determined to redeem himself and catalyze the Vancouver offense, and that's exactly what the former Trout Lake Little Leaguer did. Baybay hit a hard grounder through the left side to kickstart the offense, Horino moved Baybay to 2nd on a bang-bang chopper, with 1 out Antiporda drilled a line drive to LF for an RBI single scoring Baybay and advanced to 2nd base on an error by Stanyer. Next hitter, Howse with a 1-2 count on him hit an absolute moonshot to the left-center gap scoring Antiporda easily and Howse himself ending up on third with a stand up triple. The offense that was so dormant leading up to the 5th had finally broke out. 

Hutchings was on straight cruise control from the 4th inning on as throughout the game had a first pitch strike percentage of nearly 80% and had full command of all his pitches. Once the now 15 year old got settled in, he had Tri City hitters baffled. In the 6th inning, Hutchings got the party started again this time with a leadoff hustle double off the relief pitcher Ryan Blight, Hutchings was moved over to 3rd by Domingo and the Expos were faced once again with Tri City's dreaded 5DLS defense; however, it would backfire on Mundle and the Pawlicks as Baybay would bloop one over the shallow second baseman to plate Hutchings for a huge insurance marker.

Hutchings would get 7th inning leadoff hitter Blight to hit a ground ball to deep SS where Yamamoto and Ellis (first baseman) combined to make a stellar play; Columbus (2nd batter of the inning) would be retired on the good ol' dropped 3rd strike 1-3 putout; then Hutchings would get Letteri to strikeout for the third time to end the ballgame, the birthday boy with a dominant 97 pitch complete game (7 innings, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 9 Ks).

 

It was a great tight ball game from start to finish, both teams playing very well and both starting pitchers were excellent, in the end it was Hutchings' masterpiece and catalyst Baybay that propelled Vancouver to a 3-1 victory. The Expos are now 3-0 to kick off the pivotal month of June and hope the wins keep on coming as they fight for one of the few remaining provincial berths. The Vancouver Minor Expos are busy starting Saturday as Whalley Prep visits Nanaimo Park for an exhibition intitating a 6 games in 6 days stretch which could make or break the Expos.



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