Pirates still top the Minors
- Published: June 26, 2008
The Pirates remain at the top of the Minor league standings after three weeks of play through Saturday, June 21, with a record of 5 – 1, despite taking their first loss last week at the hands of a talented Indians team, who is one game back at 3-1.
The two teams met for the first time Monday, June 16, and were tied at five when the Indians came to bat in the bottom of the final inning. Fisher Lewis led off with his second-base hit of the game after also hitting a double and scoring twice earlier. Theron Orme then smashed a hard-hit triple to score Lewis as the winning run, which was Orme’s third RBI of the game. Earlier, Liam Weigand scored twice after a pair of base hits, while Sam Crawford added the other run after a fourth-inning base hit. The Pirates’ Nathan Miller scored the tying run in the top of the fifth after hitting a double and being knocked in, when Aaron Sherwood hit his third single after scoring twice earlier. Isaiah Taylor added a run and an RBI off his single and double, while rookie Lucas Hudson-Groves hit a pair of singles and earned as many RBI’s. Augie Knemeyer was responsible for knocking in the Pirates’ other run.
The Pirates rebounded Wednesday, June 18, to overtake the Cubs 11-3. Jacob Whetsel went three for three with a single and a pair of doubles, scored three runs and knocked in two others. Nathan Miller added three runs after hitting a single, double and a triple while netting three RBIs in the process. Aaron Sherwood added two runs after hitting a single and a double, scoring twice himself and knocking in two other runs, while Isaiah Taylor scored once after going three for three, including a second-inning double that knocked in three of his total four RBIs. Jared Scarfpin scored the team’s two other runs after going two for two with a single and a double.
The game also saw rookie Amani Wagner’s first ever base hit. The Pirates’ tough defense kept the Cubs scoreless until the fourth, when Evan Pace led off with a double, followed by Kennedy Harshaw’s single. Ethan DeWine subsequently hit a single, scoring Pace while Amanda Perkins later grounded out but scored Harshaw. Miranda Pelzl scored the Cubs’ other run in the fifth after hitting her first double, and was then sent across the plate when Sam Salazar hit a single.
Meanwhile across the park on Wednesday evening, the Indians got their second win of the week by defeating the Dragons 13-4. Fielding Lewis led the charge with a first-inning home run that scored Liam Creighton and Nathan Hardman, who were on second and third respectively. Fielding scored two other runs later after hitting a single and a triple, all of which totaled for a record six RBIs. Creighton scored again twice, as did Hardman, both of whom went three for three with Hardman getting a pair of RBIs off his two singles and a double.
Not to be outdone, little brother Fisher Lewis hit a pair of singles, scored twice and knocked in one other run. Theron Orme’s three trips to the plate resulted in as many base hits, a run and one RBI while Edward Johnson hit a single and a double, scored once and knocked in two RBIs. The Dragons struggled against a strong Indians defense, but it was the Dragons’ Taran Pergram, playing from the pitcher’s position, who had the defensive play of the game, and probably the season! His diving, ESPN-highlight-worthy-mid-air catch of a hard-hit line drive for the first inning’s second out was a beauty. At the plate, he cracked a pair of base hits in three at bats and scored once. Grant Reigelsperger scored twice after hitting a single and a triple, while Zane Pergram had a pair of base hits that resulted in his scoring one run and knocking in two others. RBI’s also resulted from hits by Danny Grote and Tony Marinelli.
The Yankees picked up their first win of the week on Friday evening by shutting out the Dragons 3-0 in a defensive struggle. Despite 12 Yankee hits, the Dragons held them to only three runs, all of which came in the third inning. Chandler Holmes, Cameron Croft and Chelsea Horton all went one for two and each scored, with Chelsea Horton adding an RBI by hitting in her big brother Chandler. Kenny McKinley and Parker Bleything then each hit a single, scoring Croft and Chelsea Horton. Yankees Tyler Restau, Joe Thorp, Ben Croft, Liam Creighton, Evelyn Greene and Danny Grote all contributed with base hits. Meanwhile, an unstoppable Yankee defense held the Dragons to only three hits from Taran Pergram, Grant Reigelsperger and Tony Marinelli.
Games on Saturday June 21 led off with the Cubs getting their first win of the season with a come-from-behind victory over the Reds. Down 6-1 after two innings, Adam Green knocked in runners at first and second with a triple in the third inning to begin the rally. Green also had two other base hits and scored a run. Kaner Butler crossed the plate three times after going two for three at the plate with a single and a double. Cameron Haught added a run after hitting a double and going one for three. Kennedy Harshaw and James Fulton both went two for three, scored a run and knocked in an RBI, with Sulayman Chappelle also getting an RBI off a base hit.
Tom Amrhein led the Reds, hitting a pair of singles, scoring twice and knocking in one other run. Other runs were scored by Christian Werner, Ethan DeWine and brothers J.T and Andrew Clark. April Riddell had three base hits and an RBI, Dylan Rainey’s three base hits resulted in a pair of RBIs and Jack Runyon was responsible for one other RBI.
The Pirates pushed their record to 5-1 with a 13-3 win over the Dragons in Saturday’s second contest. Jared Scarfpin hit to all three bases in as many at-bats, scored three runs and knocked in three more. Nathan Miller also hit his way to all three bases, crossing home plate twice and netting a pair of RBIs, while Aaron Sherwood hit a single and a double and scored twice. Jacob Whetsel pounded out three doubles, resulting in one run and three RBI’s. Augie Knemeyer smashed a pair of doubles and a base hit, knocking in two runs and one run when he was knocked in on Jasmine Davidson’s fourth inning single.
Nate Gillman-Baggett returned to the lineup hitting a pair of singles, scoring twice and adding one RBI by scoring Devon Perry. The Pirates again displayed their trademark tough defense, finishing off the bottom of the fourth with a double play from Miller to Whetsel. The Dragons pounded out nine hits, two off the bat of Taran Pergram, who also scored twice. Grant Reigelsperger cracked a single and a double and scored once, while also catching a hard hit off the bat of Pirate Isaiah Taylor to end the third inning. Zane Pergram went one for two that resulted in an RBI, while the two other runs were knocked in by Danny Grote’s pair of base hits.
Saturday’s final game saw the Yankees advance their season record to 3-1 with a 13-3 win over the Indians. The Yankees pounded out 22 hits, led by Ian Chick’s single and pair of doubles that led to three runs scored and four RBIs. Liam Weigand also scored three times after hitting to all three bases and knocking in three other runs, while Tyler Restau scored twice off his pair of doubles that also added two RBIs. Ben Croft added two runs from his pair of base hits, while Olivia Chick helped out with four RBIs.
Defensively, the Yankees made it a long day with plays like Evelyn Greene’s catch of a fly ball at third, and a pair of double plays, including an unassisted one by Liam Weigand, who caught a fly ball and tagged the base where a runner had advanced from. Despite missing several key players, the Indians hung in there, turning their own unassisted double play by David Walker. Weigand, Nathan Hardman and Fielding Lewis all had hits that resulted in the three runs scored.
Be sure and visit the league’s Web site at http://www.leaguelineup.com/ysoyouthbb for all the latest scores, standings, player stats and schedule updates.
Correction
Last week’s article mistakenly attributed a “snow cone” catch of a fly ball during the Reds 8–7 victory over the Dragons. That great catch was actually made by Weymar Osborne.
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