Meridians Baseball

Meridians begin 2012 with a pre-season tune up vs. the Cobalts at McNicholas HS on Sunday.   Special thanks to Mark Dietz and the Cobalts for getting the field ready for play despite another shower Saturday night.

We get 10 to the diamond anxious to get some live baseball in despite facing the Cobalts college contingent on the mound throughout the afternoon.   They had so much pitching that they pitched the last half inning against themselves (we played 8).

The spring fling was ripe with Meridians newcomers: Mears, Riggan, Witt, Vickery and Keever with both Jeff Mears and Anthony Vickery getting base knocks.   Jeff also makes his mound debut, tossing 3 innings - Reese & Kraus toss two innings each.   Hits by Arnold and Reese as well with a web gem up the middle by Ehrhardt.

...it's a tradition.   And we did it right, picking the annual effort back up at Pappadeaux Thursday night - putting away 7.5 pounds of crawfish between 5 main participants with 3 other spectators (but yes, Kendra ate one that she commissioned to have pre-cracked, pulled and squeezed for her).

Soto, Parkhurst, Reese, Arnold and Meridians' rookie Vickery made the journey with the 3 lead-off men handling the mudbugs menu.  We have so much fun that we forget to force Vickery to eat at least one 'fish...

Tyler Fugate:  5-2       Derek Reese:  3-4, Save

Justin Kraus:  1-0        Kyle Herbstreit:  1-1        Chris Cornett:  Save

Chase Stewart:  1-0    Tyler Sickinger:  1-0, Save      

2011 Meridians HRs

Tanner Lahmers (3), Justin Kraus (2), Christopher Lee, Chase Stewart

Iron Man Honorable Mentions to two of our 2011 Meridians rookies:

Tanner Lahmers - playing out of position, this natural outfielder rarely spent time roaming the green grass this summer.   Warned that we needed infield help - he did see some dirt for us throughout the summer both at SS & 3B, but where our biggest hole turned out to be was behind the plate where he found himself for a handful of games throughout the season and then both tournament games to wrap up the summer.

Kyle Herbstreit - a pitcher by trade, Herby gets recruited to play infield for us.   He does grab the bump from the veterans a few times, but the rest of the summer found him all across the diamond - refusing no assignment - including a catching debut of 9 innings in the humid heat of early June and a standard 9-3 put out in his right field debut in late July.

Meridians fall in Season Finale  (Sunday, August 21st)

We fail to get the job done in Sunday's NKABL Tournament final.   Gater comes back in after exactly a month off and goes the distance (118 pitches) tallying 13 K's in this hard-luck loss.

Not a single multi-hit day for any of the Meridians, but with a wild arm on their hill - we do take 5 walks and 4 HBP (2 requiring medical attention ~ Arnold: bruised jaw & broken molar with Lahmers taking one directly off the hand).

While not a top team in the NKABL, the kids from Ludlow do get hot in the last few weeks of the year to take down the top 2 including slipping by us for the very first time.  Final: 4-5

Although not a tournament type final score, definitely a close contest with our new rivals in the NKABL.   Back & forth all night, this game certainly had the feel of postseason with each run being celebrated by both sides.  

2011 Meridians Silver Slugger Derek Reese booms two doubles on the night with 2 RBI, scores 3 runs including the tying run in the bottom of the 7th after earning a BB and a delay steal of 2nd base.   'Stinky glove' Reese also earned his keep toeing the rubber for the first 5 innings and leaving with the lead (5 K's).   The 'other' Tyler steps in and earns the Win thanks to the offense, helping himself with a Sac bunt to get Reese & Love in scoring position.   Soto gets the opportunity then after putting one in the pitcher's hip the time before - this time also goes back up the middle, but with more mmmph behind it.   Reese scores from 3rd and Love rounds 3rd hard also looking to score, but another good Tarheels outfield throw holds him up.   The toss to 3rd to try and nab him sails into foul ground and the Meridians walk-off.   Final: 9-8 to advance to the the NKABL Final.

Multi-hit nights for Soto and Cornett (2 SB) along with Reese, Sickinger also adds 2 SB and a smooth double-play before taking the bump.