Rebels Top Jays in 8 vs 8 Baseball
Posted June 20, 2012
The Ryley Rebels doubled up the Holden Blue Jays, 6 – 3 on Tuesday night in Holden in game that featured both teams only having 8 players. The game a little bit of everything from great defensively plays to timely hitting to some head scratching calls. The Rebels win combined with the Bardo loss to Leduc moves the Rebels into sole possession of 2nd place as the Rebels and Athletics prepare to square off on Thursday night.
Win – Craig Koughan (4-0)
Loss – Maury Micklich (0-1 vs Rebels)
Despite the weather not looking too promising as clouds circled the area, there wasn’t a drop that fell on the game as RHP Craig Koughan took to the mound to get the Rebels back into the win column after a 7-0 loss on Thursday night vs the Milleteers. Koughan once again worked quickly but a couple of long at bats by Jays hitters saw Koughan’s pitch count creep up for the first time in a few games. Koughan recorded 4 strikeouts and did not walk a Jays batter but had some trouble with Jays lead off hitter CF/LF Allan Ziegler and two hole hitter SS Dylan Boyko. The combination of Ziegler and Boyko combined for 6 of the 7 hits by the Jays and Ziegler scored all 3 Jays runs. But Koughan was able to finally settle in agains the top of the order when the Rebels needed it the most, in the bottom of the seventh and for the first time got both Ziegler and Boyko to flyout to end any chance of a come back.
The Rebels defence was once again solid, despite only have two outfielders in LF/CF Kris Kushnerick and CF/RF Tyson Schielke. Koughan was able to pitch Jays batters into some unique shifts that the Rebels employed throughout the game to try and minimize the effect of only two outfielders. 2B Brian Tavaroli made two outstanding plays up the middle to take away sure base hits from RF Randall Ziegler in the fifth inning and from 3B John Thorowksy in the sixth inning. Both plays saw Tavaroli range to his right to back hand the ball and toss out the runners at first base with the help of 1B Donnie Oslund. LF Kris Kushnerick made a sliding catch in the sixth inning to take a sure base hit away from C Stephen Hrabec who appeared to find a hole in the Rebels defensive alignment with SS Corey Epp sliding into the outfield grass, 3B Travis Bugge sliding closer to the short stop hole and Kushnerick shading towards centre field. Great pitching and hitting his spots gave the Rebels defence a chance to make plays all game.
The Rebels offence came out of the gate quickly against Jays RHP Maury Micklich collecting two hits and a run in the first three batters to face him. With one out 2B Brian Tavaroli reached with a hard hit single into centre field and was followed by C Dylan Solberg hitting a tailing double into right field that was just out of the reach of RF Randall Ziegler to cash in Tavaroli. Tavaroli would once again score in the third inning for the Rebels on a RBI ground out by LF Kris Kushnerick to re-establish the lead for the Rebels at 2-1.
Rebels came back out in the fourth inning to score another run when 1B Don Oslund came home on a broken up double play by 3B Travis Bugge who was able to get enough of SS Dylan Boyko to allow SS Corey Epp to reach first base and Oslund to score. In the fifth inning the Rebels capitalized on some sloppy play by the Jays to score two more runs to push the lead to 5-2. C Dylan Solberg would strikeout on a pitch in the dirt but his counterpart C Stephen Hrabec would have a hard time corralling the ball and a errant throw to 1B Pat Kawalik would allow Solberg to reach. On the very next pitch, LF Kris Kushnerick hit a RBI double to the fence on a first pitch curveball to score Solberg. Kushnerick would advance to third on an errant throw to first base on 1B Don Oslund’s ground ball as 3B Jonathon Thorowsky would triple pump while looking Kushnerick back to second base. Kushnerick would later score in the inning on a swinging bunt ground out by 3B Travis Bugge.
The win puts the Rebels at 6-4 on the season and in sole possession of second place in the PBL standings. The Rebels will have a big game versus the Bardo Athletics on Thursday and a Rebels win means widening that gap between them and Bardo for second place but a Bardo win would see the Athletics re-take second place as Bardo would hold the season series at a 3-0 sweep over the Rebels. The Rebels will count on that impressive 5-1 record on the road to challenge the Athletics however the only loss on the Rebels road record is to the Bardo Athletics in Bardo. With arms rested from the weekend and Koughan pitching a complete game on Tuesday night, the Rebels might take the kitchen sink approach with RHP Blake Helgeland, RHP Corey Epp, RHP Don Oslund and RHP Kris Kushnerick all with rested arms and ready to throw with the upcoming week off due to the All Star Game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm at the Bardo Recreation Grounds.
