Tuesday, August 7, 2018

White Happened in Vegas, 29-23

The most important takeaway from Tuesday's 29-23 White win over Vegas Gold is this: We BROKE the CURSE of the FIRST! It's a myth, after all!

After breaking out with hits from six of our first seven hitters, punctuated by Charlie Uhlman's two run double in the gap, it didn't look good when V. Gold scored nine of a possible ten runs through two to take a 9-5 lead.

Then what happened in Vegas - White won six of the final seven innings (and the other was scoreless). A good formula for success!

Clutch hits abounded. Mike Saindon, a two run single in the third. He repeated that in the fifth, when we scored five runs after the first two batters made outs. Coach Neil Henry kicked that one off with triple to left. In the sixth, it was Kravin's two run double with two outs. In the seventh, Saindon's third straight two run single.

It didn't dawn on us at the time but between the seventh and ninth innings.White had 20 STRAIGHT batters reach safely via hit or walk. That has to be some kind of record. All the hits were singles too, except when Mike Guerrero hit a double over John Banker in right center for our final run of the game.

So - eight runs with two outs in the sixth and seventh, and 13 with no outs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth. That's a winner!

We hit .704 as a team. Saindon led the way with his five hits and seven RBIs. Guerrero added 4-4 plus a walk. Leadoff Rich Brown had his usual 4-5 day with a great catch and four runs scored. Vince Franceschi also had four knocks, good for four RBIs. Three hits from Paul Lisi, Superman Howard Davis, Henry, and Kravin rounded out the all out team effort.

And, separately, we have to acknowledge Helen Kostov, 3-3 with a walk, continuing her hot pace since returning from Italia. Because she does it against the severe shift and players playing shallow. There is no needle she can't thread.

Great defense all around, particularly Lisi on a running catch in the first robbing Brian Black of a home run, Kostov on a hot shot liner at third in the third, Saindon on a dive in the sixth on a liner, and a throw from Franceschi to Davis to Partridge nailing Rich Schuler as he tried to stretch a beautiful liner down the right field line into a double.

White Shines!

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