BB: Regional (Mid-East) Terre Haute '08, Adrian '09, Marietta '10, '11

[OC_SID]

The Adrian announcer is excellent, doing a nice unbiased broadcast.

Adrian announcer is Aaron Coyle, who normally does broadcasts for Tri-State. He does an excellent job at calling the games as well as his research on the student-athletes is incredible ... When I listen to the archives of our games, I learn things about our players that I never knew.

[woosterbooster]

I really enjoyed listening to Coyle.  At one point, I think it was in the seventh or eighth inning, I was only half-listening to the game, trying to work at the same time.  Suddenly, Coyle got excited as there was a deep drive to right field.  It went out for a home run, and from his call and enthusiasm I figured it was an Adrian player that had hit it.  I was wrong, it was a Wooster guy that had just homered to tie the game at three, but Coyle's account of the play was so unbiased I couldn't tell until I paid attention to the names.

Wooster went on to lose, 4-3, giving up a run in the top of the ninth.  Argh.

[mideastfan2]

I'll be completely honest, I was hoping Wooster would play well and contend with Heidelberg for this regional title....still could happen I guess.

I'll also be honest when I say that Marietta or Otterbein would have both done very well in this regional as at-large teams, I just wish they had the shot. 

[sac]

Adrian's win this afternoon was the MIAA's 10th all-time NCAA Tournament win versus 28 losses.  First MIAA team to make the winners bracket since 2001, and only the 4th overall.

The MIAA has never had 2 teams in the same NCAA tournament field.

[old scot]

Wooster loses 4-3 to Adrian.

After reviewing the play by play, I want to know what Coach P was thinking in the 9th inning. Your down by a run, lead off hitter gets on. SAC bunt, a no brain-er? No, coach tries a steal, thrown out at second. Next batter makes an out, next batter gets a hit.
I hate to say it but, coaching cost the Scots a chance at tying the game. I guess Pettorini doesn't believe in playing ABC baseball. The Scots not only have to overcome themselves but, also the coaching decisions. I guess that's why they haven't won the big one.

[woosterbooster]

It wasn't a straight steal, it was a failed hit-and-run.  If I remember the webcast call, the pitch was high and away and O'Donnell swung but couldn't make contact.  The runner was then thrown out at second.  I don't know what the count was, and that's all-important in determining if the tactic was a good one or not.  You put the hit-and-run on when the count is in the hitter's favor, so the pitcher cannot waste a pitch.  2-1 is ok, 2-0 is better, 3-1 is best because then your hitter can take if the pitch isn't a strike and you get the walk.

Still, I agree, they should have bunted.

[old scot]

WB,
   I hear you. You have to tie the game before you can win it. I think the hit & run is appropriate in earlier  innings but, not the ninth, when you are trying to even the score.

Hopefully, the Scots can bounce back and compete for the regional bid. They have a long road ahead.

[ScotsFan]

First of all, I echo the sentiments of having to endure that broadcast with Dave Dial.  I think Ken Nemeth was echoing those sentiments as well...  Dial is usually a DJ for either QKT or KVX.  I'm not sure which one or maybe it's both.  But I will suggest that he stick with his day job and forget about a career in sports broadcasting.

Dial did the play-by-play (well he attempted to do it anyways  ) in the 3rd inning.  It was all I could do to keep listening.  And then he started to continue in the 4th when he asked Nemeth to put him out of his misery.  So, I think he realized that he pretty much sucked.  So, I guess I'll cut him some slack since he at least acknowledged he didn't know what he was doing. 

As for the game, what more is there to say???  This team has been in a funk for over a month now.  After starting the season jumping out to a 17-1 start, they have really sputtered down the stretch including finishing just 10-8 over the last month of the season including today's loss.  And with today's loss, the Scots have now lost 3 in a row for the 2nd time this season and both 3 game skids have occurred in the last month as well. 

One question about today's game.  I missed the top of the 9th.  Who took the loss?  Samson had been cruising.  Did Pettorini stick with him and try to stretch out another inning out of him?

Now it's up to Trap to come out tomorrow and shut down Transy or it will be another short-lived trip to Terre Haute for Wooster.

[woosterbooster]

Adrian 9th - A. Anderson grounded out to 2b. Todd Meyers grounded out to
ss. Sarkissian singled down the rf line. Alex Cowart singled through the left
side; Sarkissian advanced to second. Miller to p for A. Samson. B. Rickstad
singled through the right side, RBI; Alex Cowart advanced to third; Sarkissian
scored. Vanderheyden flied out to lf. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Samson took the loss.  In listening to the game, it sounded like the first hit was a looper down the right-field line that Christianson couldn't quite reach.  It didn't sound like either of the following ground balls were hit that hard, they just found holes.  That happens.

I'm wondering why Swearingen didn't catch; manager's choice or was he hurt?

[old scot]

Sampson's line. 8 &2/3rds, 12 hits, 2 K's, 1 BB. That doesn't sound like cruising to me. It seems like he was battling every inning.

[mideastfan2]

Rose Hulman upsets Calvin 4-0.......Tomorrow's schedule:

Thursday, May 15

Game 4 - Transylvania (0-1) vs. Wooster (0-1), Noon
Game 5 - Heidelberg (1-0) vs. Calvin (0-1), 3:30 p.m.
Game 6 - Adrian (1-0) vs. Rose Hulman (1-0), 7 p.m.

[countyroad]

Sampson's line. 8 &2/3rds, 12 hits, 2 K's, 1 BB. That doesn't sound like cruising to me. It seems like he was battling every inning.

From listening to the game I gathered that Adrian had a number of infield hits.

[ScotsFan]

Sampson's line. 8 &2/3rds, 12 hits, 2 K's, 1 BB. That doesn't sound like cruising to me. It seems like he was battling every inning.

countryroad was correct.  A number of those hits never made it out of the infield.  Adrian had 2 hits in the 2nd inning.  Both were infield hits.  Adrian had 3 hits in the 3rd inning.  Two were infield hits.  The fourth inning is where Samson seemed to be hit the hardest giving up 3 straight hits to start the inning and facing runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and a run already home.  He then forced two consecutive short fly outs and a groundout to end the threat.  And after that inning, he did seem to cruise until the 9th.  He only allowed a single in the 6th and a single in the 8th and had retired the 1st two batters in the 9th before losing it.

Adrian sure hurt Wooster with the 2 out thunder.  In the Adrian 3rd, with 2 outs, Samson appeared to get out of the inning but Bubba O'Donnell committed the only error of the game.  Two infield hits later and two unearned runs later, the game is tied when it should have remained a 2-0 ballgame...    And in the 9th, the three consecutive hits that produced the winning run all came after there were 2 outs... 

The weather forecast for today isn't looking so good in Terre Haute.  They're calling for a steady rain starting around the time of the 1st pitch for the noon game and not letting up until late tonight.    And there's a lot of green on the radar making it's way into Illinois toward Indiana as we speak.  Could be an interesting and long day of trying to get games in.

[woosterbooster]

After two at Terre Haute, according to WQKT's Dave Dial: The score is tied two to two.......for each team.

Shane Swearingen, Wooster's season-long starting catcher, is once again not in the lineup.  No mention why.  Possibly injured, of course, but the Scots also have somewhat of a history of players missing the post-season for disciplinary or academic reasons (Adam Arkin, Mike Barone, and others).  I hope that's not the case.

Dial mentioned this, so I'm taking it with a grain of salt.  He said that should there be problems with the weather (very possible) and it becomes necessary to play games on Sunday, Calvin, should they still be alive, would not play, which would throw a monkey wrench into the draw.

[ScotsFan]

Did they finally put Dial out of his misery?  I didn't start listening in on the broadcast until the 5th and all I've heard is Nemeth.

Wooster scored one in the 5th and tacked on 2 more in the 6th and now lead 5-2!