’Skins tame young Jays on diamond

By Jim Metcalfe, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Wednesday, April 2, 2008 (7 months, 3 weeks ago)
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WAPAKONETA — St. John’s has only two seniors and a total of four baseball players with any varsity experience from a year ago.
One might expect a painful growing process in 2008 for the Blue Jays because of all that inexperience.
It showed Monday night in the season opener at Wapakoneta, with the host Redskins securing a 6-1 victory at a windy Redskin Field.
The Jays fielded a starting lineup of one senior, three juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen.
“It was what we expected, especially with only two practices outside and only one 3-inning scrimmage before tonight. It’s a tough adjustment to see practically our first live pitching,” Jays coach Dan Metzger began. “I was most disappointed that we took a lot of called third strikes. With a lot of youngsters, they were tentative at the plate and got behind. When you get down in the count, a good pitcher can work. We just didn’t put a string of hits together.”
The Jays did get the first batter on in the first four innings but could only score one time.
Senior Taylor Bowersock singled to right to lead it off; two outs later, he swiped second and went to third on a throwing error but was left stranded.
The Redskins went up 3-0 in the bottom of the first against starter Nate Webb (0-1). Zach Brown (2-for-4) lined a lead-off single up the gut. Mike Rosenbeck grounded out to third; on the throw to first, no one covered third and Brown scooted there. He scored on a slow nibbler to third by Andy Martin (2-for-3). A passed ball and a fielder’s choice put him at third, from where he scored on a single to center by Mike Bogan (2-for-4). Matt Deffenbaugh (2-for-3) ripped an RBI double to the fence in center for a 3-0 lead.
The Jays scored their only run in the third against starter Cory Lotridge. Joel Pohlman walked but was forced at second by Bowersock. On a hit-and-run play, Tyler Bergfeld hit a slow roller wide of first that left runners at the corners. Curt Metzger squeeze-bunted to plate Bowersock and move Bergfeld up. He went to third on a sharp single to left by Webb but both were left stranded.
The Jays got Ryan Fischer (lead-off walk) to third in the fourth against relief pitcher Josh Vorhees (1-0) on a wild pitch and a 2-out sacrifice bunt by Jordan Rode but not to home base.
Wapak got an unearned run in the fourth on two errors and an RBI groundout by Brown that plated Pat Huffman.
The hosts got two in the sixth on a 2-out double steal against reliever Joel Pohlman. Pinch-runner Jordan Rupert got into a rundown between first and second, allowing Rosenbeck to swipe home. Bogan’s double to the fence in left got Rupert home.
“We had the typical breakdowns you see with youngsters playing their first varsity game, like leaving a base uncovered. Nate pitched a pretty good game; so did Joel when he was in there. We just made some mistakes,” coach Metzger said. “We just can’t afford to give a team extra outs and extra runs. Realistically, this was a 3-1 game. We have to be fundamentally sound in the field but it will come with playing time.”
Vorhees retired the final 12 batters he faced in his four innings.
“It’s early; this is something to build on,” Metzger added. “All in all, it wasn’t that bad, just a young team that has to grow up in a hurry. We have to be aggressive at the plate; I don’t mind a strikeout when you’re getting your cuts.”
The Jays visit Crestview 5 p.m. Wednesday.

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