All News

Jays Top Royal 7-5, Extend Win Streak to Five

Posted June 5, 2013

Jays Top Royal 7-5, Extend Win Streak to Five

Looking for a singular quotation or reason for the Holden Jays recent success seems unlikely. The bounces go their way, the ball stays just inside the line, and those opposition line drives seem to find gloves every time. While the defense lapsed occasionally on Tuesday night, the Jays pushed their win streak to five games and held off a depleted Armena Royals team missing several keys bats. The 2013 iteration of the Jays continues to roll onwards, infused with new arms and a newfound sense of consistency. 

 
Grayson Soprovich took to the bump again for the Jays, countering Armena’s Adam Johnson. Early control issues pressured Johnson into several deep first inning counts, eventually ceding four runs to the Jays. Soprovich too struggled in the first, although a dropped fly ball prolonged his half inning, giving up an unearned marker. Each pitcher settled somewhat, with Johnson giving up two unearned runs in the third and Soprovich surrendering nothing more in his four innings of work.

Despite early success at the plate the Jays’ bats cooled while Armena found its stroke in the fifth as Randall Ziegler took to the mound. Giving up two in both the fifth and sixth, a long layoff between appearances partially explained Ziegler’s struggles with the other side of the equation filled in by Armena’s league-leading offence.

Leadoff hitter Zenan Sherbaniuk gave the Jays fits all night, scoring twice, stealing a base and reaching safely three times, and three-hole hitter Dean Prpick also looked dangerous at the plate, scoring once and hitting the ball hard all night. 

 
Returning to last season’s form, Holden player-manager Steve Hrabec handed himself the ball for the seventh and overcame an early hit batsman to secure the save. With the new bevy of pitching depth, Hrabec has seen less work early in the year, but nonetheless pitched a quick and effective inning.

Essentially, this simplistic approach has moved the Jays away from the highs and lows of past seasons.  Once again pitching and defense led the way, but opportunistic hitting also shows up more often than not this season. Stuck without former ace Kyle Muzechka, the team has adapted on the fly and stares down their longest win streak in the past four years.

The Bardo Athletics come to town on Thursday looking to cut the streak short. Hopefully the Jays find an answer and continue to show Coach Art Micklich that they do in fact ‘want it out there.’ 

—- Dylan Boyko

Sponsors