061604recap

Manchester, Connecticut - The TCB Americans
took advantage of 9 walks by TCB National pitchers,
and pounded out 7 hits to win 9-1 in Super East
Baseball League play.
The Nationals had an opportunity to score first when
consecutive Americans' errors put Shawn Howey and
Elliot Morales on to lead off the game. Howey was
the gunned down by Americans' catcher Mike
Reeder as he tried to steal third, and after a fly out
and a walk, Americans' starter Ben Merritt struck out
Kyle Befus looking to end the threat.
The Americans went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first.
Mike O'Malley walked, stole second, and was
advanced to 3rd when Mike Padovani reached on an
error. The Americans then executed a perfect
double steal with a 1st & 3rd situation, as Padovani stole second with
a throw allowing O'Malley to score.
The Nationals tied it in the top of the second on consecutive singles by
Jim Ross, Joe Gunshor, and an RBI single by Howey. The Americans
came right back in the bottom half. After Pat Irvine walked, Luke
Cowan singled, and a passed ball allowed both runners to move up.
Tyler Tomer plated Irvine with an RBI groundout to second. O'Malley
followed up with an RBI single to put the Americans up 3-1.
The 3-1 lead was all the Americans pitchers would need as they
pitched 5 shutout innings the rest of the way. Merritt would earn the
win, throwing 3 innings, scattering 4 hits, while allowing the lone run
and striking out 1. Andy Mayer pitched 4 scoreless innings in his TCB
pitching debut. He allowed only 2 hits and struck out 5 to pick up his
first save.
The Americans would push across 2 more runs in the 3rd, and 4 in the
6th. In the 3rd, Padovani led off with a double to left, and following a
Jason Rago walk, Jon Weiss singled to load the bases. Irvine then
walked, forcing in Padovani and Rago scored on a wild pitch to give
the Americans a 5-1 advantage. In the 6th, the Americans plated 4
more. Rich Catalano singled, and after Padovani walked, and Rago
was hit by a pitch, Weiss came through with an RBI single. Reeder the
finished the scoring with a bases clearing double.
The Nationals never really got anything going after the 2nd, as they
managed only 3 hits the rest of the way, 2 singles by Befus, and a
single by Jovan Rosa, who also made several spectacular plays at
shortstop.