Chicago State @ ISU--Tuesday (3/30)

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bluepower

Baseball Mod
Game start delayed until 3:25 p.m. as officials thought the game was supposed to start at 4:00.

Beautiful baseball weather...with sunny skies and about 61-degrees at 3:00 o'clock (ET) first pitch. Winds will be light from the south.

On paper, our offense should be able to pound out double-digit runs today as CSU pitchers have about a 11.50 ERA while generating about four runs per games for their offense. (As of 8:30 a.m. (ET) they had not updated their stats to include last weekend's games, which they lost.) On the season CSU is 1-11.

Meanwhile, ISU is looking to go with the Johnny Whole Staff approach to pitching again today, so look for eight or nine guys to take to the hill. Here's the link to the pre-game story from gosycamores.com:

http://www.gosycamores.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=65128&SPID=7256&DB_OEM_ID=15200&ATCLID=204918555

The game will be available on WISU 89.7 FM with the pre-game starting at 2:45 and through Live Stats. Here is that link:

http://www.gosycamores.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&KEY=&SPID=7256&SPSID=65130
 
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Sounds like Heller should extend into the TH LL's today to create some valid matchups.
Maybe ISU should only use wooden bats today?
 
How's come ISU doesn't play Purdue for a mid week game?? West Lafayette is only a 2 hour drive. Guess Purdue needs all the wins they can get haha
 
WISU Pre-Game Show with Coach Heller: Scheduled to see about eight pitchers. JT Stenftenagel will be the first to take the hill. Blake Drake will see two innings...the rest just one. It appears that Chicago State will also pitch a variety of guys. There was discussion of the weekend series against ILS, but that rehashes the information on the thread about Rick Heller's Weekly WBOW Show.
 

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Game delayed...to start at 3:25 (ET). Game delayed as umpires thought it was a 4:00 p.m. start...the announcer said he reviewed the video of the ninth inning of the controversial second game of the series and he said the video showed the ball was a foot off of the plate...after today, the Sycs are on the road for the next 17 days...

Game finally sees first pitch at 3:42 p.m. (ET).

Fieser is back at third. The rest of the line-up is about usual. Lucas catching. Graham is DH.

In the first inning...Stenftenagel on mound...first batter grounds out to Grgurich at second...first single to right field by CSU...turned a 1-6-3 doubleplay to end top half of inning. 0-0

In the bottom of the frame...Straus, Burnam, Graham and Fieser will handle the bats to lead things off...Straus grounds out to ss...Burnam walks on a 3-1 count...Graham grounds into a doubleplay (4-3) to end inning. 0-0
 
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Going to the top of the second...Brandon Flora is on the mound...batter flies out to Ball in right...next batter grounds out to ss...both batters have attacked the first pitch...next batter goes to 0-2 and strikes out swinging. 0-0


In bottom of second frame, Fieser, Ort and Ball will come to the plate...Fieser suffered a bruised elbow in the first game of Saturday's DH, but is back in the line-up, although perhaps not throwing at full speed...Fieser singles to center...Ort singles to right field...runners at first and second...Ball hits into a 6-3 double play...Fieser moves to third...Lucas singles through pitcher to center...Fieser scores...the second inning has been the most productive inning this year with 26 runs...Grgurich lines a single to left field...runners at first and second...Ben Ferrell gets infield hit to second...bases loaded for Straus with two outs...Strausborger gets a single through ss...Lucas and Grgurich score and Ferrell moves to third and Straus moves to second on the throw...CSU making pitching change... new pitcher has a 33 ERA...Burnam goes to 3-0 before walking on four pitches...Graham strikes out swinging. Sycamores lead 3-0.
 
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Going into the top of the third...Brett Merkley is the new pitcher...first batter strikes out swinging... next batter grounds out to Fieser at third whose arm looked strong...next batter grounds out to second. Three up, three down for the third straight inning (DP made it that way in the first). ISU leads 3-0.

Luke Fieser leads off the bottom of the third...Fieser goes to full count and then hits his second homer of year to left...Ort strikes out swinging...Ball hits first pitch to second for out number two... Lucas is HBP for fifth time this year...runner on first with two outs...Grgurich singles to center...runners on first and second...Ferrell is hit in back of helmet...bases loaded with two outs... Straus, for the second time in two innings, is up with bases loaded...he got two RBI last time...Straus grounds out to ss (6-4). ISU leads 4-0.
 
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Blake Drake is expected to pitch two innings as he comes in for Merkley...looking for the fourth inning facing the minimum number of batters...first batter lines to ss for out one...next batter grounds out to ss...final batter flies out deep to center as Straus makes a good catch. ISU still up 4-0.

Going into the home half of the fourth frame...new pitcher for CSU is Jeremy Jones, a freshman with a 21.6 ERA in 1.2 innings...Burnam had walks in both the first and second...Burnam flies out to center at the warning track...Graham (0-2 today) gets a single up the middle...Graham moves to second on passed ball...Fieser goes to 3-0 and then walks on four pitches...Graham and Fieser execute a double-steal...Ort (.373 coming into today) hits a sac fly to deep left to score Graham... pitcher called for a balk when he throws to ss instead of second...Ball pops out to right. Sycs lead 5-0.
 
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Going to the top of the fifth...Drake remains on the hill...four straight 1-2-3 innings...first batter flys out to ss...batter goes to an 1-2 count and strike-out called looking...batter gets a ground ball single up the middle...next batter hits a double over Strausborger's to drive in first run...runner at second with two outs...passed ball off back-stop sends runner to third with Lucas' throw almost getting runner...Drake losing his edge and batter walks with runners on the corner with two outs... batter goes to 1-2 count before hitting a ball through the left side to drive in another run...runners at first and second...next batter goes to 3-0 before walking...bases loaded with a .219 batter coming up and a pitching change...new pitcher is Scott Harlan...who was not scheduled to pitch today...grounder down the third base line for a double under Fieser's glove...two runs score...ISU up 5-4...grounder to ss ends inning. ISU leads 5-4.

Going to the bottom of the fifth, the Sycs will look to get a couple of those runs back...new pitcher for CSU is Albert Carpen who moves in from left...Lucas lines to right-center for a single...Grgurich hits a single off the glove of 2B...runners on first and second...Ferrell bunts down first base line, pitcher commits error, runners safe on all three bags with no outs...for the third time today, Straus is coming up with the bases loaded...sharp grounder to second gets runner at second and Lucas scores from third...runners at first and third...Straus steals second...Burnam goes to 3-1 count before being given an intentional walk...Graham up with bases loaded and one out...CSU looking for a double-play...Graham pops out to ss for second out...Fieser flies out to center on a diving catch. ISU leads 6-4.
 
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Moving to the top of the sixth...Harlan stays on the mound...first batter chops out to Fieser at third...next batter lines out to ss...batter goes to 0-2 before getting a single to left...final batter pops out to Strausborger in short center. ISU leads 6-4.

Going to the home half of the inning...new pitcher for Cougars is Johnathon Carpen (one of three Carpen brothers in this game!)...Robbie Ort grounds out to first (3-1)...Ball (0-3) is the only Sycamore not to reach base in this game...Ball goes to a 1-2 count and strikes out swinging...Lucas flies out to center. Score still 6-4, ISU.
 
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In the top of the seventh, Friday guy Jake Petricka is on the bump...first batter grounds out to Grgurich at second...next batter goes to full count before walking...next batter strikes out swinging and base runner is caught stealing second. ISU leads 6-4

In the bottom of the seventh frame...Grgurich goes to a 3-2 count before walking...Ferrell, who has been on base every time today, pops out to short right...Grgurich is caught stealing second... Straus struck out swinging. ISU up 6-4.
 
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Going to the top of the eighth...the new pitcher is Kevin Mann...Jordan Pearson replaces Grgurich at second...first batter bunts for single...next batter hits into a 6-4-3 double play to clear the bases... final batter struck out looking. Sycs up 6-4

In the bottom of the eighth, the Sycamores will look to increase their lead...new pitcher for Cougars as Michael Comacho takes the mound...Burnam reaches on error by 2B...Graham hits high pop-up that falls in center for hit (mis-communication amongst the Cougars)...Fieser hits a single to right to drive in Burnam...runners at first and second with no outs...Ort gets hit by pitch and loads bases... Ball has struggled at plate today and has gone 0-4 today...Ball goes to a 1-2 count and strikes out looking...Lucas pops out to 2B...runners hold...Pearson walks to drive in a second unearned run of the inning...bases loaded with two outs...Ferrell walked on a full count to drive in another unearned run...the ninth batter of the inning is Straus who reaches on error by 2B and another unearned run scores...Burnam flies out to left to retire the side. ISU leads 10-4. (Following inning the unearned runs were adjusted down to just one.)
 
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NOTE: Radio feed disappeared at 5:55 when they were attempting to put the regular programming over the air and the game on the internet feed only.

Into the final half inning...first batter grounds out to ss...next batter strikes out looking... final batter grounds out to ss. ISU wins 10-4.

ISU gets 10 runs (9 earned) on 14 hits and commits no errors to get their 15th win of the season.

CSU generated four runs in the fifth inning for all of their scoring. They has seven hits and made two errors to drop to 1-13 on the season. Their pitchers hit three batters and gave up seven walks.

It was, except for the scoring in the fifth, a very tight defensive performance for the Sycamores with the Cougars going quietly in all but one inning.

In hindsight, we should have held them scoreless in the game and we should have scored more runs as we left 13 on base. It was, though, a good warm-up for the weekend when they will face an "A" level team, rather than the struggling team they faced today.
 
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Why should they have been held scoreless? They werent the best team we've faced all year, but they were better than their 1-11 record. They just didn't have any pitching.
 

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They have been scoring about four runs a game this season. Our pitching mowed them down in eight out of nine innings. Getting the bases loaded after two were out and getting four runs in the fifth with four hits (four of the seven they got today), a passed ball and a walk didn't fit the mold of the game.
 
sycamores28 said:
Yea well Blake Drake is a lost cause.
Click to expand...

Blake's not a lost cause, he just needs to find that level where he can still throw the ball hard but find the zone consistently. He retired the first five batters he faced on Tuesday and then once CSU got one hit, he got a little rattled and lost hit command.

We're going to need Blake over the rest of the season. Don't forget how Blake pitched in the extra inning game with Western Michigan (4 innings, no hits, three strikeouts) -- he kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win.
 
Drake needs to get into the mental aspect of the game...in the zone mentally. He does seem to be thrown off easily and that is mostly because the opposition is getting to his head. Not being a coach, I don't know how you train someone to get into and stay in the right frame of mind, no matter what happens. He has the tools physically, but until he learns the mental part of the game, he will continue to experiences blips.
 
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