BB: Regionals (Central) USA Stadium Millington TN (Rhodes)

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU and DePauw in a pitchers' duel after four - still scoreless and the teams have 5 hits combined.  Not the sort of game one really expects when you get to #3 pitchers!

[108 Stitches]

The L by BSC does not surprise me too much. Their 2-3-4 were as good as it gets, but the bottom half and lead off were good, but nothing outstanding IMO. BSC had 8 hits vs TU, but 5 were from two batters.

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU and DePauw in a pitchers' duel after four - still scoreless and the teams have 5 hits combined.  Not the sort of game one really expects when you get to #3 pitchers!

And right after I post, the Titans chase DePauw's starter!  One run in, men at second and third w/ 1 out.  (It wouldn't bother me at all if Chris Bobo continued a 'solo duel' for a few more innings! )

[Mr. Ypsi]

After Czarnowski's 1-run double chased the starter, Frerick immediately greeted the reliever with a 2-run double!   Middle of the fifth, IWU 3, DePauw 0.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The Titans added three more in the 6th (including a 2-run double by Czarnowski), while Chris Bobo has continued to pitch magnificently.  At the end of 7, IWU 6, DePauw 0.

[Mr. Ypsi]

If the Titan defense hadn't suffered a sudden collapse, Chris Bobo would have had a complete game shutout.  Leading 6-0 in the bottom of the 9th, the first two men reached base on errors; he got the third man out, but Martel decided on a fresh arm to close it out.  John Munyon did just that - first batter hits into a game-ending DP!

Next up: a replay of game one of the regional, but with hopefully a different result!  #1 BSC vs. #6 IWU; winner meets Webster for a WS ticket tomorrow.

[Mr. Ypsi]

End of 2: BSC 3, IWU 0.

A gripe on scoring: Nick Mehn just didn't have it tonight, and was pulled after a single and a walk in the second with nobody out.  Still, it seems a bit harsh to charge him with those two earned runs when they scored on a bunt single (TO the relief pitcher), a HBP w/ the bases loaded, and a balk with the bases loaded!  'Earned' at all seems dubious; charged as earned runs to Mehn seems cruel and unusual!   I'm sure it was 'correct', but it just doesn't feel 'right'.

[mr_b]

End of 2: BSC 3, IWU 0.

A gripe on scoring: Nick Mehn just didn't have it tonight, and was pulled after a single and a walk in the second with nobody out.  Still, it seems a bit harsh to charge him with those two earned runs when they scored on a bunt single (TO the relief pitcher), a HBP w/ the bases loaded, and a balk with the bases loaded!  'Earned' at all seems dubious; charged as earned runs to Mehn seems cruel and unusual!   I'm sure it was 'correct', but it just doesn't feel 'right'.

Why not?  He put them on, and they eventually scored without an error or a passed ball.

[Mr. Ypsi]

End of 2: BSC 3, IWU 0.

A gripe on scoring: Nick Mehn just didn't have it tonight, and was pulled after a single and a walk in the second with nobody out.  Still, it seems a bit harsh to charge him with those two earned runs when they scored on a bunt single (TO the relief pitcher), a HBP w/ the bases loaded, and a balk with the bases loaded!  'Earned' at all seems dubious; charged as earned runs to Mehn seems cruel and unusual!   I'm sure it was 'correct', but it just doesn't feel 'right'.

Why not?  He put them on, and they eventually scored without an error or a passed ball.

Like I said, it was 'correct', but not sure it was 'right'.  A bunt single to the pitcher, a HBP, and a balk sure 'feel' like errors!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Bottom of the 3rd, the Titans tie it 4-4.  Short lived.  BSC gets 5 in the top of the 5th (Pitcher #2 for the Titans loads the bases; pitcher #3 immediately gives up a slam and a triple; pitcher #4 retires the side, but the guy on third scores.

Middle of the 4th, BSC 9, IWU 4.

[TitanPride]

To be fair to pitcher #3, he gave up a sinking line drive that IWU's CF dove for but missed.  Looking back, I'm sure he wishes he would have played it on one hop and limited the batter to a single and one or two RBIs.   

[Mr. Ypsi]

The Titans seem to have finally found the right arm: Jeff Johnson has gone three full innings with 1 hit, no runs.  Now it is up to the hitters, as they still trail 9-5 at the end of 6.

(BTW, my favorite pitcher, Justin Verlander, lost his no-hit bid after 8.1 tonight - had to 'settle' for a 1-hit shutout.  I wonder if he has any eligibility left?! )

[Mr. Ypsi]

To be fair to pitcher #3, he gave up a sinking line drive that IWU's CF dove for but missed.  Looking back, I'm sure he wishes he would have played it on one hop and limited the batter to a single and one or two RBIs.

Thanks for the info - I'm just following on livestats, so did not know that.  How rare must a grand slam, inside-the-park homer be?!

And since the next batter had a triple, it actually wouldn't have mattered in the score.

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU gets two more in the bottom of the 7th; now trail only 9-7 entering the 8th.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Jeff Johnson was fantastic in relief: 6 shutout innings!  Alas, the Titan hitters could not overcome the early mayhem.  Titans eliminated, 9-7.

Tomorrow BSC takes on undefeated Webster for the ticket to Appleton.  BSC must win twice before Webster wins once.

IWU was seeded 6th in 2010, won the Region, and won the World Series!  This year they were seeded 6th, beat everyone they faced except BSC, but, alas, lightning didn't strike twice.

As a Central Region guy (and with a soft spot for the SLIAC): GO GORLOKS!  If I'm not mistaken, you are in the driver's seat for the first trip ever of a SLIAC team to the WS.