When OPPORTUNITY knocked, Sabine answered the door, scoring 10 unearned runs in a 12-6 win in Overton Tuesday night. The Nationals ran their record to 9-0 and extended their "come-from-behind" streak to three games. The Spartans from Overton played an EXTREMELY HOSPITABLE HOST, handing out more runs than door prizes at a Tupperware party.
On the offensive side, Sabine's Dylan Cook had his best game of the season with a 4 for 4 effort and two triples.
Observations from the front row:
(1) Happy birthday to you,
... Happy birthday to you,
... Happy birthday Sabine Nationals ......
... Happy birthday to you.
I went to a baseball game in Overton Tuesday night .... and a birthday party broke out. I forgot to bring a gift!!! That's alright; the Overton Spartans brought enough for the Nationals.
(a) To be fair to both the Spartans and the Nationals, both teams committed five errors. However, errors present OPPORTUNITIES ..
--- WRONG PLACE/WRONG TIME ... runs scored on errors.
--- RESPONSES ... What does the team do with the extra "at bats"?
These two error factors determine how costly the errors are. The Overton errors were costly!!!
(b) As for how the Sabine - Overton game turned out:
............................(Runs Scored) ....Total ... (Most Errors Allowed)
................ Errs .... Ern .... Unern .... Runs .... 1st .... 4th .... Runs
Sabine ....... 5 ........ 2 ........ 10 ........ 12 ....... 3 ....... -- ........ 2
Overton ..... 5 ........ 3 .......... 3 .......... 6 ...... -- ........ 3 ........ 8
.. DIFF ........ -- ...... (1) ........ 7 .......... 6 ............................... 6
Inn'g .... Opportunity ................... Response
.1st .... Sabine 2 errors ........... Overton - 2 runs (1 Unearned)
........... Bases loaded .. 1 out .. DOUBLE PLAY (P3-3U) ... better known as a "rally killer".
.4th .... Overton 3 errors ......... Sabine.. - 8 runs ( 7 Unearned)
-------- 2 runs scored on E-1 throw and E-2 - ball knocked out of glove by the runner on play at plate.
-------- 1 run scored on bases loaded 2-out HBP (hit by pitcher).
-------- 3 runs scored on bases loaded 2-out triple.
The Spartans didn't take advantage of their opportunities.
(2) Sabine's 4th inning ... biggest DOOR PRIZE of the party.
-- Overton leads 6-4 after 3 innings.
-- The Spartans' Jessie Roach has only given up 3 hits and 4 runs (3 unearned).
-- He has struck out 8 of the 9 Sabine outs in the game.
So what went wrong? The BIG "E" .....
(a) POPTEST TIME ... What is the BIG "E"?
-- The letter at the top of an Eye Chart.
-- The nickname for Elvin "Big E" Hayes, famous U. of Houston and NBA star/HOF'er for the Washington Bullets.
-- The 1958 Ford Edsel .. voted as one of the Top 50 "Worst Cars Of All Time".
-- The grade given to star athletes in small Texas towns to allow them to remain "E"ligible for football.
-- Big "E"rrors that allow a BIG HURT on the scoreboard.
(b) The Fateful ... make that The Fatal Fourth Inning ... for the Overton Spartans...
Sabine ..................... AB ........... Remarks ................................................................ Outs ............... Score
Dylan Cook .............. 3B ...... High fly to right center ...............................................
Jared Streeter ......... E-4 ..... Grounder fumbled by 4 ............................................................ RBI ..... 5-6
Dakota Stewart ........ W ...... Streeter CS - caught stealing (2-5) ............................ 1 out
Brandon Florence ..... 1B ...... Bouncer up the middle ..............................................
Blake McCann ......... KOK ..... Runners at 2nd/3rd ................................................... 2 outs
Jay Horan ................. W ....... Stewart scored on E-1 throw past 5 ........................................ E-1 ..... 6-6
............................................. Florence scored on E-2 (knocked ball from 2 glove) .................. E-2 ..... 7-6
Tell DeFreece ........... IW .............................................................................
Bruce Broyles ........... W ........ Bases loaded ..........................................................
Spencer Gregory ..... HBP ...... Bases loaded ......................................................................... RBI ...... 8-6
Dylan Cook .............. 3B ....... Hard line drive to left center ................................................. 3 RBI .... 11-6
Jared Streeter .......... W ........ Cook scored on wild pitch ...................................................... WP ..... 12-6
Dakota Stewart ........ W ...............................................................................
Brandon Florence .....1-3 ....... Grounder to 1 ........................................................... 3 outs
(3) Dylan Cook had a monstrous offensive game to lead the Nationals.
--- 4 for 4, scoring 4 runs and 3 rbis.
--- Hit two triples IN THE SAME INNING, including one with the bases loaded in the 8-run 4th inning.
--- The last three games, he's 8 for 9, with 8 runs and 5 rbis.
Not to forget his pitching over the last three games .........................
--- Pitched 5 innings, with 13 "K's" out of 15 possible outs.
Overall Tuesday night, the offensive leaders were as follows:
(a) Sabine .............. AB .... R ... H ..................... RBI ... W ... SB
Dylan Cook ............. 4 ...... 4 ... 4 1B(2) 3B(2) .... 3 ..... -- .... 1
Dakota Stewart ....... 1 ..... 2 ... 1 1B .................. 1 ..... 3 .... 1
Brandon Florence .... 2 ..... 1 ... 1 1B .................. 1 ...... 2 .... 1
Overton
Jessie Roach ........... 3 ..... 2 ... 3 1B(2) 3B ......... 2 ..... -- .... 3
(b) If you weren't impressed with the "AT BATS" of Dylan Cook and Jessie Roach, think about this:
..................... Hits ............................. AB .. H
Sabine ............ 6 ............. Cook ........ 4 .... 4 ... 1B, 1B, 3B, 3B
Overton .......... 3 ............. Roach ....... 3 .... 3 ... 1B, 3B, 1B
The only others to get a hit were for the Nationals ..
-- Stewart ... one-hopped center-field fence for ground-rule double.
-- Florence .. bouncer up the middle for single.
(4) It's been almost a month since Dakota Stewart slipped and fell at Chapel Hill while making a defensive play. He hurt his arm and hasn't pitched since. He started against Overton Tuesday night. The arm is still bothering him ... and it showed..
-- 6 batters ... 1 hit and 5 walks.
-- He was pulled with one out (caught stealing) and the bases loaded, leading 3-2.
-- Blake McCann came in and threw a double play (P3-3U) pitch to end the 1st inning.
-- Cook and Streeter came in later in the game to pitch an inning apiece and hold Overton in check.
Sabine ..... Inn'g .... Hits ... Runs ... E/Rns ... K ... W ... HBP
Stewart ....... .1 ....... 1 ....... 2 ......... 1 ...... -- .... 5 ..... --
McCann ..... 1.2 ....... 1 ....... 3 ......... 2 ....... 1 .... -- .... 1
Cook ......... 1 ......... -- ....... 1 ......... -- ....... 1 .... 3 ..... --
Streeter .... 1 .......... 1 ...... -- ......... -- ....... 3 .... 1 ..... --
.................. 4 .......... 3 ...... 6 ......... 3 ........ 5 .... 9 ..... 1
(5) It’s called the “Freebie Factor”. That’s base runners allowed on first base without the benefit of a hit or fielder’s choice putout.
.................................... (FREEBIE) ....... Error= ................ RBI ....... Run
Sabine ................ # .... Run ..... RBI ...... Run ...... WP ..... Hits ...... Total
Walks ................. 11 ..... 4 ......... 1 ......... --
HBP ..................... 3 ...... 1 ......... 2 ......... --
Errors .................. 2 ...... 1 ......... 1 ......... 3
KO-PB/WP ........... -- ...... -- ........ -- ........ --
--Totals .............. 16 ...... 6 ......... 4 ......... 3 .......... 1 ....... 4 .......... 12
Overton
Walks .................. 9 ....... 2 ......... -- ........ --
HBP ..................... 1 ...... -- ......... -- ........ --
Errors .................. -- ...... -- ......... -- ........ 4
KO-PB/WP ........... -- ....... -- ........ -- ........ --
--Totals .............. 10 ....... 2 ......... -- ........ 4 .......... -- ....... 2 ........... 6
The final score definitely reflected the impact of the Freebie Factor ....
-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
(6) The “Trick Pick-Off” moves came out to play Tuesday night. You’ve seen the regular ones ....
-- Runner on 1st and 3rd
-- Fake a throw to 3rd, then throw to 1st, trying to catch the runner off guard.
-- Runner on 1st attempts steals 2nd. Catcher throws to shortstop IN FRONT of 2nd, who throws home, trying to get “delayed steal” runner from 3rd.
Well, Overton brought in a couple of new ones … one (no effect) and one (should have worked).
-- Top of the 4th inning, Spartans leading 6-5.
-- One out, Stewart on 3rd and Florence on 2nd.
(a) Roach turned and threw to shortstop (at normal position) instead of 2nd base. They hoped Stewart would try to steal home. He stayed at 3rd.
-- Roach then tried a quick pick-off move to 3rd base. The throw sails high and past 3rd, bouncing off the fence and down left-field line. Stewart scored from 3rd, and Florence advanced to 3rd.
-- E-1 on throw – unearned run – score tied 6-6.
(b) Two outs, Florence on 3rd and Horan on 2nd.
-- In my opinion and by all appearances, the following was a trick pick-off play…..
-- In a “live-ball” situation, Roach walked off the mound to talk to the first baseman, Moore, who met him between the mound and 1st base.
-- Florence took off from 3rd to steal home plate. Roach turned and threw to the catcher in plenty of time to get him.
-- Florence bumped the catcher’s glove with his leg, knocking the ball loose.
-- Safe at home, E-2 – Sabine leads, 7-6.
It should have been 3rd out, 6-6 tie.
-- Two walks and HBP later, Sabine’s Cook tripled to left center with bases loaded. Score increased to 11-6, and ended Roach’s night on the mound.
-- The pick-off plays were a HUGH “Key Moment” in the game for Overton. Their “lack of success” resulted in 7 unearned runs in the 4th inning.
(7) Once again, the running game was prevalent for the Nationals, as well as the Spartans. But once again, so were the base-running OUTS!!!
(a) Sabine recorded 8 stolen bases, 4 by Streeter. However, as for making outs …
-- 4th inn’g --- Streeter caught stealing –3rd base (2-5).
-- 4th inn’g --- Florence caught stealing – home (E-2). Safe when ball knocked out of catcher’s glove.
(b) Overton recorded 7 stolen bases, 3 by Roach. However ... the outs ...
-- 1st Inn’g – Carpenter caught stealing 3rd (2-5).
-- 1st Inn’g – Charlton caught in rundown off 3rd (2-5-2-E-6). Safe at home on dropped throw by shortstop.
-- 1st Inn’g – Roach steals 3rd, scores in overthrow to 3rd by catcher (E-2 throw).
-- 3rd Inn’g – Lyon out at home (2-1) on wild pitch.
-- 3rd Inn’g – Putnam caught in rundown off 3rd (2-5-E5 throw). Safe at home on 3rd baseman throwing error.