LATE BLOWN LEAD DROPS BRAVES TO .500
Posted June 6, 2017
The defending Powerline Baseball League champion Rosalind Athletics scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to come from behind and beat the Tofield Braves 5-4 on Tuesday night. The blown opportunity is the second time this season that the Braves have lost a lead late, the other being May 18 vs the Leduc Milleteers. On Tuesday however, the Braves would be unable to pull off a walk of win as too many missed chances plagued Tofield throughout the night.
Jumping out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning set up the Braves for what looked like an explosive night against Athletics pitcher Steve Enright. However a level of complacency by the Braves was met by a veteran pitcher settling in leading to only a single run in third inning to keep Tofield at four runs scored.
In the bottom of the sixth inning some fundamental baseball and a clutch hit meant that the Braves would strand the bases loaded as opposed to potentially breaking open the game and putting the Athletics in the loss column for the first time this season. With runners at first and second with no one out, centre fielder Dylan Berrecloth would be unable to get a sacrifice bunt down against Enright and would end up striking out. Not getting the runners over would force pitcher Corey Epp to have to stop at third and right fielder Josh McDonald to stop at second on a catcher Chad Nelson hit to left field. With the bases loaded Rosalind would turn to the bullpen and Matt Enright who would get third baseman Rob Berrecloth to pop up to the second baseman before striking out short stop Dylan Solberg to end the inning.
The three runners left stranded would be three of the ten runners left on base by the Braves, seven of which would be left in scoring position. Including the tying run in the bottom of the seventh left in scoring position to end the night for the Braves.
Offensively the Braves would be led by catcher Chad Nelson, 2 for 4, left fielder Craig Neufeld, 2 for 4 with a RBI single, run scored and double, and first baseman Craig Koughan who finished the night 2 for 3 with a double, walk and a RBI. Second baseman Sean Melanson would collect a two out RBI double down the right field line in the first inning to extend the Braves lead to 3-0 at the time.
On the mound for the Braves was right handed Corey Epp. Epp would pitch very well for the Braves through six innings before giving way to an untested bullpen for the seventh as right handed Tom Shulba had yet to see an appearance on the hill this season.
The Tofield born and raised Epp would retire eight Athletic hitters in a row from the first inning to the fourth inning but would find trouble with one out in the top of the fourth. Back to back one out singles by Clayton Harbek and Sheldon Peterson would set up a two out two RBI double by Braydon Bensen to cut the Braves lead to 4-2. Epp whoever would settle back down pitching shut out innings in the five and six stranding all three runners that would make their way on board.
For the seventh the Braves would turn to Tom Shulba to close out the game in his first appearance on the mound in 2017. Shulba would quickly find out number one via a Dan Enright pop up to short stop Dylan Solberg but would start to struggle with the strike zone at the top of the Athletics lineup.
Athletics lead off hitter Steve Enright would earn a walk on a tough pitch that didn't go Shulba's way on this night before Matt Enright would hit a single to centre fielder to put the tying run on base. Shulba would get A's short stop Adam Enright to ground out to his counter part Dylan Solberg for out two and runners at second and third. Already three for three on the night the Braves elected to intentionally walk Athletics first baseman Clayton Harbek to load the bases for catcher Sheldon Peterson. The Athletics catcher would fight off some close pitches before delivering a two RBI inside out jam shot that somehow snuck its way through the home between first baseman Craig Koughan and second baseman Sean Melanson. Both Steve and Matt Enright would score on the play and perhaps the biggest play of the game for the Athletics saw the non-fleet footed Harbek chug all the way from first to third on the play as right fielder Pete Neufeld had problems picking the ball out of the lush Tofield Sports Grounds outfield grass.
Rattled on the mound Shulba would issue a walk to right fielder Nic Ronsko to load the bases before issuing the game winning walk to Brayden Bensen for this third RBI of the night. Game over, 5-4 Athletics.
Any challenge the Braves had for a potential comeback was stimied by the impatience of the hitters. Matt Enright would get left fielder Craig Neufeld and first baseman Craig Koughan to pop up in the infield on the first pitch of their respective at bats. Koughan would be safe on a fielding error to the Athletics second baseman on the play. For the third time in as many batters Enright would get a pop up this time Sean Melanson would hit a pop up to shallow right field that would lead to a force out of pinch runner Dane McCarty after the second dropped catch in as many chances by the Athletics. With two out Enright would get his fourth pop up of the inning, this time against Shulba would would sky one for Athletics short stop Adam Enright to end the game with.
It was a frustrating loss for the Braves who for the second time started out strong but would be unable to hold the momentum. First it was a 7-5 loss to the Holden Blue Jays on May 30 after scoring four runs in the top of the first before being sunk by a three run home run by Zak Lang in the bottom of the sixth. Tuesday night it was another missed opportunity and two points after getting out to another 4-0 lead against an opponent and not being able to hold on.
The Braves however will get to work right away as they will be on the field Thursday vs the Holden Blue Jays at the Tofield Sports Grounds. First pitch is 7:00pm.