Jays Edge Angels, Slip into the Playoffs
Posted July 10, 2013
Putting in a relatively complete team
effort, the Holden Jays guaranteed themselves a playoff spot and earned a
little revenge against the Beaumont Angels on Tuesday night. Following a razor-thin
11-10 loss last week, the Jays rebounded to re-establish some level of
consistency before the second season commences.
In tough against Beaumont ace Ryan Lehman, Holden’s sense of urgency
finally kicked in, and the Jays momentarily stayed afloat near the top of the
PBL standings.
effort, the Holden Jays guaranteed themselves a playoff spot and earned a
little revenge against the Beaumont Angels on Tuesday night. Following a razor-thin
11-10 loss last week, the Jays rebounded to re-establish some level of
consistency before the second season commences.
In tough against Beaumont ace Ryan Lehman, Holden’s sense of urgency
finally kicked in, and the Jays momentarily stayed afloat near the top of the
PBL standings.
Likened to hitting a moving shoe box, the
strike zone took centre stage on Tuesday. Both Lehman and the Jays’ Grayson Soprovich
showed their displeasure at several pitches, as the shrinking target put Holden
behind the eight-ball early. Soprovich conceded two runs in the first on rare
walks, a lazy past ball, and some timely Beaumont hitting. However, some
dubious balls turned into strikes could have quelled the Angels’ rally before
it realistically started. Lehman’s luck was no better as, despite some control
issues throughout the night, many no doubt strikes seemingly slipped past the
umpiring crew. Both pitchers adapted as the game moved forward, but fear of a
missed call coming back to haunt either team remained constant throughout the
evening.
strike zone took centre stage on Tuesday. Both Lehman and the Jays’ Grayson Soprovich
showed their displeasure at several pitches, as the shrinking target put Holden
behind the eight-ball early. Soprovich conceded two runs in the first on rare
walks, a lazy past ball, and some timely Beaumont hitting. However, some
dubious balls turned into strikes could have quelled the Angels’ rally before
it realistically started. Lehman’s luck was no better as, despite some control
issues throughout the night, many no doubt strikes seemingly slipped past the
umpiring crew. Both pitchers adapted as the game moved forward, but fear of a
missed call coming back to haunt either team remained constant throughout the
evening.
Answering in the third with their own
manufactured runs, the Jays used a single, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt followed
by a clutch Randall Ziegler rip to score two. An inning later the Jays moved
ahead on a Brian Ziegler infield single that plated Stephen Hrabec, enough to
get the win aside from a late insurance run.
After a rocky start, Soprovich settled into relative cruise control for
a complete game and his fourth win of the season. Aided by an eight-man
Beaumont roster that gifted the Jays with a free out at the bottom of the
lineup, Holden’s victory did little to clear the muddy waters of the playoff
picture but did ensure the Jays a playoff berth. Holden still has one game
remaining, a rain-out stuck in scheduling purgatory, that will be played next Thursday in Bardo.
manufactured runs, the Jays used a single, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt followed
by a clutch Randall Ziegler rip to score two. An inning later the Jays moved
ahead on a Brian Ziegler infield single that plated Stephen Hrabec, enough to
get the win aside from a late insurance run.
After a rocky start, Soprovich settled into relative cruise control for
a complete game and his fourth win of the season. Aided by an eight-man
Beaumont roster that gifted the Jays with a free out at the bottom of the
lineup, Holden’s victory did little to clear the muddy waters of the playoff
picture but did ensure the Jays a playoff berth. Holden still has one game
remaining, a rain-out stuck in scheduling purgatory, that will be played next Thursday in Bardo.
—- Dylan Boyko
