Rebels End Three Game Skid
Posted May 31, 2013
To start out 2013, the Ryley Rebels went 2-0-1 in their first week of the season but it was an ugly affair that resulted in a 15-13 loss against the then winless Beaumont Angels that started an equally as ugly, if not more ugly, three game losing streak. The losing streak saw the team fall dangerously close to fifth place and out of the playoff picture with a 2-3-1 record after losing to the Angels 15-13, the Holden Blue Jays 8-4 and finally the Camrose Roadrunners 8-3 on Tuesday night in Ryley. All three games were played in Ryley giving the Rebels a 1-3 home record with the one win technically coming on the road as they were the home team against the Bardo Athletics in Holden on May 11 to kick off the 2013 PBL Season. The Rebels came into Beaumont determined to end skid and kick start what hopefully will become a winning streak to start off the month of June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | LOB | |
| REBELS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 8 |
| ANGELS | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 13 |
Win – Craig Koughan (2-1)
Loss – Ryan Lehman (0-1 vs Rebels)
Save – Ron Oslund (1)
The Rebels would send ace Craig Koughan to the mound to stop the early season bleeding and right the ship heading into the second month of the season. The Angels would send the slinging RHP Ryan Lehman to the mound to see if he could lead Beaumont to only its second win of the season and hopefully second win against the Rebels.
Koughan would pitch a clean first inning after Lehman held the Rebels off the scoreboard in the top half of the first inning by only allowing a walk in the four batters he faced. The Rebels would strike first in the top of the second inning when CF Tyson Schielke would hit a stand up double near the right field swimming hole to put a runner into scoring position with one out. RF Brett Holmberg would take a Lehman fastball to deep left field which would allow the speedy Schielke to make it to third on the out. With two out and runners at first and third after a 1B Travis Bugge walk, Lehman would balk home a run for the Rebels as for the second time this year against the Rebels, Beaumont pitching did not seem to be aware of the fake to third balk rule change. The costly error would make it 1-0 Rebels.
Sidewinding P Ryan Lehman would be seeking Beaumont’s second win
But the Angels would respond off of Koughan in the second inning when 1B Matt Berube would smack a ball off the left centre gap fence for a stand up double to quickly put a runner into scoring position for the Angels. 2B Chad Rigar would score Berube on a RBI single to make it 1-1 but the Angels pressed for more. With a changing strike zone frustrating both Lehman and Koughan all night as well as hitters from both sides, Koughan would find himself with the bases loaded before getting out of the jam on a fielders choice to end the inning.
The Rebels would be held off the score sheet in the third inning as Lehman worked quickly with the slinging sidearm fastballs retiring the hitters in order. Another lead off hit, this time by extra hitter Cam Reekie in the third inning set up another run for the Angels and once again looked like another big inning but Koughan was able to pitch out of another bases loaded jam after surrendering two very tough walks. Voicing his displeasure to the home plate umpire on the way to the dugout heading into the fourth was, in retrospect, not great for the Rebels as Lehman would start off the fourth inning with back to back out strikeouts of Koughan and LF Kris Kushnerick. With the frustrating strike zone which saw Kushnerick, Lehman and some Beaumont dads shaking their heads and voicing their displeasure during the at bat, tempers boiled over when Kushnerick was called out on strikes for the second time in the game. After snapping off a great 1-2 slider right down the middle of the plate, Lehman was left with hands on his knees as the pitch was called a ball. Obviously frustrated, Lehman would appear to over throw his fastball missing outside for ball three. Now with the count full and more frustration Lehman would go even further outside, but this time it was called strike three. Although Kushnerick didn’t go full Crash Davis and use the exact magic words on the home plate umpire to receive the boot, the at bat changed the focus of the rest of Rebels into a swing first mentality.
The change would pay dividends in the fifth inning when the Rebels would score four runs off of three hits and four Angels errors as anything with a sniff of a foot of the strike zone was being put into play. With one out, DH Kevin Reinholt would score C Dustin Solberg on a RBI single then P Craig Koughan would cash in 2B Corey Epp on an error to SS Darien Goudreau. The big blow to the Angels in the inning came on a lengthy battle between Lehman and Kushnerick, who seemed to learn his lesson from the previous two at bats looking. Kushnerick would tag a 3-2 fastball back up the middle to score SS Brian Tavaroli and Reinholt on the two RBI line drive single. At the time the Rebels were sitting at a 6-2 lead but the Angels would once again chip away at Rebels pitching in the home half of the fifth inning.
Ron Oslund would make his 2013 debut with a walk in the second inning
The fifth inning would prove to be Koughan’s final inning on the night and it wasn’t an easy one for the right hander. Another lead off hit by extra hitter Cam Reekie would cost the Rebels a run as two batters later, 3B Markus Breitz would score him on a RBI single to make it 6-3 Rebels. After getting the second out of the inning, Koughan would struggle to locate the zone as he would hit 1B Matt Berube and 2B Chad Rigar to once again load the bases for the Angels. It was the third time in five innings the Angels would have the bases loaded. In the previous two innings, the Rebels escaped with no damage, in the five inning the Angels would make them pay as RF Kenton McDougall would hit a two RBI single to push the Angels within one at 6-5 Rebels.
With Koughan’s night done and a 6-5 lead, the Rebels would score one in the top of the sixth which turned out to be Lehman’s last inning on the evening. 1B Travis Bugge would earn a walk, the fourth and final walk from Lehman, to put a runner on base to start the inning. 3B Ron Oslund hit a ground ball to SS Darien Goudreau which looked like it could have been a taylor made double play ball, but instead the soft infield would slow it down just enough for Goudreau to decide to take the runner at first and not to try and get the lead runner who was slowly chugging his way to second. The decision to go to first to retire Oslund would allow Bugge to make it to third base on a single by C Dustin Solberg with 2B Corey Epp hitting a sacrifice fly to score him and make the lead 7-5 Rebels halfway through the sixth inning.
Longtime PBLer Ron Oslund making his first appearance for the Rebels in 2013 was sent to the hill to close out the game in what Manager Kevin Reinholt was hoping would be a six out save. Oslund would be greeted with a first pitch double by P Ryan Lehman to start the Angels sixth inning off, but another mistake by the Angels would cost them a run in the inning. With a runner in scoring position as Lehman stood on second base, SS Darien Goudreau would hit a come backer to Oslund on the mound. Frozen like a deer in the headlights, Lehman appeared to quickly cycle through the options in his head before making a dash for third base. Oslund would take two steps towards Lehman before throwing to 3B Craig Koughan who would be waiting for Lehman’s slide for the easy first out. Oslund would escape the inning and leave two Angels on the bases, the ninth and tenth runners left on base for Beaumont on the evening.
DH Kevin Reinholt would hit a RBI single in the fifth inning
The Angels would turn to P Markus Breitz to try and hold the Rebels to a 7-5 lead but was unable to find much success. After having a great deal of success against Breitz last week, the Rebel hitters settled in score two more runs as 3B Craig Koughan would reach on a fielder’s choice and LF Kris Kushnerick would hit a two out double to put runners on second and third for the hot hitting CF Tyson Schielke. Already with a double in the game as well as using his speed to score on the throwing error to C Greg MacIntosh who threw the ball into centre field allowing Schielke to not only make it to third base but to come all the way home to score as the Angels outfield was late to provide cover. With two out and Kushnerick getting a massive lead off of second base, Schielke would hit a single into left centre to score both Koughan from third and Kushnerick from second to make it a 9-5 Rebels lead.
Beaumont would desperately try to claw back in the bottom of the seventh and got off to another great start as P Markus Breitz would hit a first pitch up the middle for a single. Great defence once again by P Ron Oslund as he would fielder another come back and go to second to get the force out for out number one. A wild pitch would move C Greg MacIntosh into scoring position before 1B Matt Berube would be hit for the second time putting runners at first and second with one out. While the Angels did make a couple mistakes on the base paths, C Greg MacIntosh made the Rebels look really bad when he would score from second base on a wild throw from C Dustin Solberg to P Ron Oslund. The ball would slowly roll into the triangle of Oslund, SS Brian Tavaroli and 3B Travis Bugge with nothing anyone could do but watch MacIntosh score the Angels sixth run of the evening to make it 9-6 Rebels.
A hard slide by SS Brian Tavaroli would break up a potential double play in the seventh and extend the inning for CF Tyson Schielke’s two RBI single.
With the wheels looking like they were going to come off, LF Kris Kushnerick began to loosen up the shoulder should Manager Kevin Reinholt need to make a change with the go ahead run on deck but veteran Ron Oslund would clutch up like he has for so many years in the PBL. Oslund would get a strikeout of RF Kenton McDougall for out number two before walking the tying run to first to load the bases and bring the winning run to the plate in Ryan Lehman. Oslund was unfazed as he would dispose of Lehman with only the Rebels third strikeout of the evening, but none bigger, to earn the save and leave Angels stranded on all three bases for the third time.
While the Angels would outhit Ryley 10-8, the Rebels pitching staff and defence would come up pick to limit the damage as Beaumont would hit 1 for 8 with two out and 4 for 22 with runners in scoring position on the evening. Missed opportunities that the Angels will have to take as a learning experience and try to move forward as they try to battle for a playoff spot in their first season.
The Rebels on the other hand finally had some clutch hitting as they went 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position with all four of those hits coming in the final three innings of play and accounting for five of the nine total runs. The team also came up big with two outs in the seventh to add some insurance as the would collect three hits with two outs after heading into the seventh 0 for 6. They finished 3 for 10 with two outs.
Next week the Rebels will travel to the Bardo Recreation Grounds to take on the rival Athletics. In their first match up of the season the Rebels came out on top 5-4 to kick off the season as Craig Koughan earned the win defeating Chris Middlestat. While it is not clear who will be pitching for the Rebels on Tuesday night in Bardo, the team has already begun preparing to face off against PBL All-Star Ryan Olsen as a Bardo win will move them to .500 for the first time this season and move their winning streak to three games after starting the season 0-3. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm in Bardo.
