April 10

The miserable weather from Monday was long gone on Tuesday, in the afternoon we were back at McCaskey for game #2 of our mini-homestand. This was the makeup game from April 4 which I would have missed, the postponement that day allowed me to get it back (although I lose the game on the 16th I could have worked because of playoff hockey in Reading: easy come, easy go). At 4:15 game time it was chilly and windy but the difference as opposed to Monday was that we had clear and sunny skies with no snow flurries in sight. Cedar Crest was the opponent and for a second straight day the Red Tornado fell behind early as CC scored single runs in the first and second innings. In their half JPM got on the board, Jonathan Metzler singled and scored on a Seth Winters RBI groundout to make it 2-1. In the visiting fourth Crest put five on the board, the Red Tornado picked up a single in the bottom half when Dylan Esh was hit by the pitch and scored on Noah Bergey's RBI groundout. A two-run fifth for Cedar Crest made it 9-2 but JPM battled back in their half. Caleb McFarland and Mason Lee started the rally with back-to-back base hits, Evan Proulx walked to load the bases. Alex Dominguez's two-run double scored McFarland and Lee, Esh followed with another walk to reload the bases. Proulx scored the inning's third run on a double-play grounder (no RBI), after five it was 9-5 CC. In the seventh Crest added four runs and it looked like the issue might finally be decided but the Red Tornado simply refused to go quietly. Proulx started the home seventh with a base hit, Dominguez followed with a single, after Esh flied out Metzler's RBI hit scored Proulx to make it 13-6. Bergey was hit by the pitch to load the bases, Winters followed with a double into the gap to score Dominguez and Metzler. Alex Polito walked to reload the bases, McFarland picked up an RBI on a fielders choice grounder when Bergey beat the throw to home plate. Winters scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-10, Lee kept the line moving with another walk to reload the bases with one out. Proulx struck out for the second out, Dominguez was hit by the pitch to force home Polito. Esh popped out in foul territory for the final out as the six-run inning brought the final to 13-11. Esh started on the mound and took the loss with relief support from Bergey and Metzler. On the one hand the club gave up thirteen runs for a second straight day which is not encouraging but on the other hand the guys never gave up and battled to the last out. The club stays home for a date with Warwick on Wednesday. Take care, thanks for reading.