Meridians Baseball

After rainouts on Thursday (independent) and Saturday (NKABL), we roll into Roselawn on Sunday afternoon for our CRC double-dip to find an empty dugout across the diamond.   A no-show by the Redhawks (who also had a DH scheduled) leave us with some infield work, loaning out the college guys (Humpert, Easterling) along with Mears & Reardon to the game next door (where they waste all their hits for the day...) and a bullpen session for Dolan since we now have 4 pitchers for just 1 game...   (Rumors swirl about Easterling pimping a single and Mears getting picked-off by a mile...)

We do get to 3 of our arms though unfortunately as the Bombers come in even stronger than our opening weekend against them.   We do give them some more free passes, but they do more to earn it this time out - scoring 5 and 6 respectively in the first two innings.  We don't do much to counter, as their pitching has improved as well and we fall easily in 5 innings.

Mears tidies up the mess with 3 K's in the final 1.2 innings to close it out.   Imperiale gets a sticker for his helmet for quieting the scoring with 1 pitch to end the long 2nd inning and an appropriate HBP in the 3rd to earn his early exit from the ball yard.

Woltermann jumps off his flight from a 10-day vaca, drives an hour and a half and proceeds to rip a 2B right away and scoring our only run (2-2).   Kraus (2-2) drives him in and Clim makes his return from the DL.

We pick up an independent game for Friday night vs. the Queen City Legends and they were more than we thought they were coming in.  We knew we had a college team on our hands, but with a smattering of D1 and JuCo guys in the mix - this crew was a little bit more than that.  We get caught with our college kids unavailable and while we hang in for a bit, it turned out to be a quick night as they walk us off in 5 innings.

Mears fights through 3 innings on the bump and should have also had our only RBI, Kraus and Reese take a turn as well.   Knocks by Reese, McCullough, Couture and Kraus (2B).

Saturday brings a barnburner and a logistics nightmare as we switch fields twice due to a burst pipe & scheduling issues and wind up on a skin field with no mound...   Reese picks back up after his appearance the night before and gets relieved after 3 due to a plethora of relief pitchers on hand.   Koppelman, Dolan and Herbstreit each get an inning before Reese has to come back in to finish off the long night.   Per Meridians statute 124.07 - Reese gets the Win.   Final: 16-10 over the LYC Raiders.

Each Meridians hurler gets at least 2 K's in their respective innings with Reese tallying 7 in his 4.1 total innings.   Herby sets the modern-day record with 3 HBP in his inning of work (he mixed in a BB in between - otherwise, it would have been 3 in a row...).   Kyle tries to make good though, with a 3B, 2H and 2R on the night.   His fellow Transylvania alum, Muench tries to lose one right away in the 1st and ends up with a 2B off the fence.   Parkhurst, 2-3, 2R - Lahmers, 2B, 2R - Reardon, 3 BBs, HBP, 3R - Humpert, 3B, 2H, 3R - Soto, 2-3, 2B and Koppelman with his 1st Meridians hit.

We then get the Redhawks in CRC play who we got a look at a few weeks prior for a quick scrimmage.  Unfortunately, they get Bommer after a week on vacation.  He runs through them facing only 1 more than the minimum, 8 K's including the side in the 4th and we wrap it up in the lightning-shortened 5th inning (Final: 10-0).   Mears, 2B, 2 RBI - Reese, 2H - Humpert & Rutherford, 2R each

We get washed out of our non-league Thursday contest, but Saturday finds us up against a continually improving Whales team and we yet again find a way to make it a close one (Final: 9-8) despite being in control throughout.

Mears goes the first 6 innings with 10 K's and Reese wraps it up (2 K's).   Cameo from Jamie Vaughn (2H, 3R) who starts us off right away with Woltermann right behind him (3BB, 2R) each scoring on the 3R blast by Reese in the 1st.   Kraus follows suit in the 4th with a solo shot to left center.

Reese's HR in the 1st earns him an Intentional BB in the 4th (with runners on 1st & 2nd no less) to get to Jack (2H, BB), who drops a hustle 2B into left for 2 RBIs.   Couture: 2BB, R - RBI from Humpert (2) and Mears.

Sunday we see Springdale Cleaners for the first time (although it was pretty easy to see them from a distance so far this summer).   They come in light on pitching and we take more than our fair share of walks including Kraus (2) with a HBP as well to score all 3 times.   Reese (2H, 2R, SB) cranks his first Meridians wood bat HR, the day after losing his first one with metal for us.

Imperiale starts us off on the bump, leaving with the lead in the 3rd - Kraus then picks up the vulture Win, tossing the final four - Final: 8-4.   Woltermann: 2H, SB, 2R - Humpert: 2B, Sac Fly and we see the return of Tim Easterling (U of Rio Grande).

A new field (Highland Hills Park, home of Muench's Highlands HS), a new opponent (LYC Raiders) and a much-improved Cincinnati Chill team result in two Wins (team's 150th overall), but injuries a plenty with half the team suffering from ankle, hand, hamstring and cheek ailments by the end of the weekend.

Bommer starts the NKABL opener off with another stellar start, earning the CG Win (5 innings, Final: 11-1) with 8 K's and retiring the side in order in each of the first 3 innings.  

Each Meridian with a hit, RBI, run or multiple - key contributors being Mears with a laser 3B off the fence, RBI - Woltermann: 3B, 2H, RBI, R - Parkhurst: 2H, 2R - Muench: 2R, RBI

While at 2nd in the last inning, Mears flips to Reese for a double play, Woltermann turns another pair on his own earlier in the day.   2013 Meridians debuts of Drew Clim and Ross Rutherford on Sunday then.

CRC play brings the Chill and a much better ballgame with the Meridians' only lead in the deciding 7th.   The wood bats remain fairly silent for the majority of this one as we face an 0-4 deficit for the bulk of the game.  

Biscotti knocks in 3, going 2-4, 2B, R.   Reardon (2-3) knots it up in the 6th with a RBI, Woltermann (3-4, 3 RBI) rips a 3B plating Soto (2 BBs, 2R) & Clim (1-3, BB, R) for the go-ahead runs in the 7th.   

Mears goes the distance (several K's) for the Win, helping himself with a 2B and the game-tying Run scored.   Final: 8-4

Bommer returns after his pre-season debut at UC the weekend prior to breeze through his first several innings, amassing 13 strikeouts with 75 pitches through 6 innings.   Striking out the side in each of the first 3 innings and retiring the side in order in the 4th as well, Boom starts the regular season in full stride.   Mears then shuts the door, striking out the side in the 7th.

While the Meridians' offense is still struggling, we still push across just enough to take home the victory - Final: 4-3 over the StarTunes.   Great over-the-shoulder catch by Couture in left while in full stride. 

RBI's by Reese (2-3, R), Kraus and Averwater - 2B, 2 Runs by Woltermann

We then pick up the Redhawks for a brief scrimmage afterwards.   Teams agree to metal bats and they want the field first.   Mears stays on the bump to retire their first few in short order and the Meridians proceed to bat twice through the lineup with the highlights being Reese tongue-punching a no-doubter high off the scoreboard in left center to shatter a light bulb (grand salami to boot) and Woltermann following suit later, golfing one off the scoreboard as well.   Reese steps up to the bump then to run through the rest of their lineup and we all call it a day.

Press Release: 

Meridians discontinue the developmental BAM throwing program until stronger (or shorter) fences can be installed...