Two weeks exactly before the home opener on a beautiful afternoon at Wuerfel Park the Blue walked off with a 6-5 comeback win over the Gold in 7.5 back and forth innings of spring training action for the Beach Bums...
Brian Lapin lifted the Blue to the victory by doubling into the left-center gap off of Brandon Daily on a 3-2 offering in the top of the eighth to score Kyle Maunus, who was running on the pitch, from first base...
The Gold jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of second inning runs against Blue starter Kyle Touchatt...Touchatt had already recorded three outs, but with pitch counts expanding, coaches want to see more of the pitchers to be able to make difficult decisions which are coming soon...Al Barbato singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, and was along for the ride when Chase Gerdes hit a two-run homer over the fence in right-center, his first homer of the spring...
Blue was able to cut into the lead in the top of the third, scoring an unearned run against David Nathanson following back-to-back two-out errors...
Gold got the run back to stretch it to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning...Brad Miller led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a one-out single off the bat of John Alonso, and scored when Patrick Perry singled through the right side...
Blue tied the score with two unearned runs in the top of the fourth, also off of Nathanson...Ryan Kottke started the rally with a leadoff single...Damon Lessler dropped down a sacrifice bunt but reached safely on an error...Bryan Frew walked to load the bases...James Guerrero grounded in to a double play that enabled one run to score, and a two-out error allowed the tying run to cross...
Single runs in the fifth and sixth gave Blue its first lead at 5-3...With two outs in the fifth inning, Corey Whiting tripled to right off Jason Cairns...Ryan Kottke singled him home...Bryan Frew singled leading off the sixth, moved to third on an error, and scored on a groundout by Kyle Maunus...
Gold was able to get both runs back in the sixth inning against Nick Pepper...Chase Gerdes doubled the opposite way on a two-strike pitch, stole third, and scored on a groundout by Brad Miller...Mike Epping knotted the score with his second longball of the spring, lifting a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right...
A two-out error allowed Kyle Maunus to reach with two outs in the eighth before Lapin doubled him home, ending the game...
OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Gold
Start with Chase Gerdes, who was 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, two runs scored, two RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases...
Blue
The only player to post more than one hit was Ryan Kottke, who finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI...Bryan Frew reached base two more times, surprise...He singled and drew a walk...
PITCHING
David Nathanson looked much improved as he went a little deeper into the game for the Gold...Nathanson worked four innings and allowed three runs though none were earned...He surrendered just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts...Nathanson recorded five outs in the second inning before hitting his pitch limit...Jason Cairns pitched two innings as well for the Gold,allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits...Brandon Daily also went two innings, taking the loss after allowing the winning run to score unearned in the eighth...Daily allowed just one hit while striking out one...
Kyle Touchatt was extended for his second appearance on the Blue side...Touchatt threw three innings and gave up three runs on five hits to go with a strikeout...Two of his three runs scored after he already retired three hitters...Greg Ford showed some life on his fastball and di not allow a run in two innings...He walked two and struck out one...Nick Pepper tallied the win, allowing two runs on two hits to go with a strikeout in his inning...
DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS
For the first time this spring there were struggles on the defensive end...I think there were more errors today than in the first three games combined...The Gold committed six errors, four of which came on throws from third base...There were some highlights though...Al Barbato made two outstanding defensive plays to take away hits in the second and sixth, one came at second and the other came when he was playing short...Versatility is a word I've thrown around a lot this spring and today was no exception...Kyle Maunus started in the outfield and has now played first, third, and outfield this spring...Bryan Frew saw time at every infield position but first as did James Guerrero and Damon Lessler...Brad Miller spent time on the right side of the infield at second base in addition to short...
NOTES
The series is tied 2-2 between the Blue and Gold...Two bats went flying out of hitters hands...There were three broken bats...
LINE SCORE
Blue 0 0 1 - 2 1 1 - 0 1; 6R, 7H, 0E
Gold 0 2 1 - 0 0 2 - 0 x; 5R, 7H, 6E
WP: Nick Pepper (1-0)
LP: Brandon Daily (0-1)
PHOTOS
Official Beach Bums Photographer John Russell was at practice today...Here are a couple of his shots...Bryan Frew in the field...Kyle Maunus at the dish...Nick Pepper working on the mound...
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