Meridians Baseball

Sweltering Sunday starts off well with Daron Williams on the hill and a lead in the first few innings of the day, but the heat and hot bats of the Cincinnati Hawks keep us down for the duration as we drop the pair.   Too hot to keep a book, but Soto only makes 1 out all day (3-4 with 4 walks) and that one ends the suffering at the end of Game 2.   Multi-hit day also for McClung, Pratt and Blain Williams (who gets picked off yet again, and this time was worse than all of the others...).   Pratt and B. Williams  make their Meridians' debut on the mound with Phil unable to hit the mascot so he tries to hit the on-deck batter instead (who he then struck out).   Web gems from Soto sliding to the dugout fence for a pop-up and Pratt with 2 sliding grabs in right field.   Great play all day by newcomer Ryan Williams (yes - another Williams, but this one's not related).   Kudos to Derek Williams and Fread who don the gear for the 2 games after Soto catches 8 innings in the morning for the Cincinnati Yankees win.

We didn't have to wait 3 hours between games this time, but Game 1 was cut short due to time and we only get 6 innings in.   Not that we had done much to that point except put a lot of runners on base to no avail.   Only note to speak of was the Meridians debut of Daron Williams on the mound despite a sprained ankle.   A quick 1-2-3 inning for him with 2 K's.   (Final:  0-6 vs Cinci. Royals)

We took out our frustrations during Game 2, scoring 13 runs and wrapping it up in 5 innings.   McClung goes yard at Roselawn 1, Fread hits all afternoon and Kraus helps himself with a long double while earning his 2nd win in as many starts.   (Final:  13- 1 vs. The Heat)

Web gems of the day to Pratt with two lasers shot in from right field and McClung very strong all day at short, charging hard and throwing rockets across the diamond.

Yes, the title's accurate - we played at 1:30 and then again at 5:30 with a make-shift Memorial Day weekend lineup.   Players brought in from across OH, KY & IN.

Game 2 highlights:   We play with 9 and just 9 with the pitcher hitting and outfielders playing 2nd and 3rd.   Complete Game by Justin Kraus in his Meridians debut!   3 of our 5 runs knocked in by '07 Meridians Silver Slugger, Jack Parkhurst, who also pushed the winning run from 1st to 3rd with his hardest hit ball of the day.   2 HBP later, we walk off with the win in the bottom of the 7th.  We either score there or the game is a tie due to darkness.   (Final: 5-4 vs. Cincinnati Royals)

Blain Williams makes his Meridians' return, hitting all day and adding two brothers the the Meridians mix.   Strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play by Kraus and Derek Williams.   Great bare-handed stop on a gapper by perennial sub Chris Arnold and relay by fellow sub Taylor Fisher (Dayton Braves) to easily gun down a runner at 2nd.

Game 1:   We make a mini-comeback with 4 runs in the 4th, but not enough as we drop our first game of the season.   4 hits (B. Williams, Parkhurst, Pratt & De. Williams) while the team accepts 4 walks.    (Final: 4-12 vs. Cincinnati Hawks) 

We lose our make-shift shortstop (naturally a pitcher) in pre-game warm-ups, which puts Soto at short all day without incident (nothing in Game 1, but challenged right away in Game 2).   At least 4 of our guys picked off (3 in Game 2, two of them off 2nd base) on the day so it's obviously our first time out this year.   Web gems go to Meridians' newcomer, Phil Pratt with a spin & throw along with a diving stop at 3rd base.   Taking it for the team and getting us the win in Game 2 were Boehringer & De. Wiilliams.   Multi-hit days for B. Williams, Parkhurst, Pratt and De. Williams.