Knights Blaze Through Paints

North Coast 13, Chillicothe 5

Sometimes, you just know it when you see it. Things got pretty ugly in a hurry for the home team as the Paints lost another one to the visiting North Coast Knights by a score of 13-5 on Tuesday. Just like the previous game, things just got out of hand, and when they saw their opportunities to grab control of the game, the Knights took every opportunity they saw. This was a bit of a hard one to see as the Paints weren't playing so well, especially with the gloves.

One vivid reminder would be a routine ground ball that went right through second baseman Kyle Gendron's legs, but to be fair, that wasn't the only mistake made by the defense. Everyone was having another off night, and as the game wore on, it just wasn't getting any better. Unlike the previous game though, all it took here was the third inning for things to start crumbling. A 6 run third inning accompanied by a 4 run fourth inning ended being a huge difference maker in this game, and the Knights did what they had to do to make their attempts successful.

To form an interesting analogy about this game, I'd have to say that the weather before the game was pretty hot once again, and the opposing team's bats were even hotter. The Knights blazed a trail, and marched valliantly past the Paints' pitching staff and defense to capture the victory. Okay, so maybe I'm not the best when it comes to making interesting and entertaining analogies, but it was worth a try.

Stephen Shackleford made the start for the Paints, and things went south quickly, unfortunately. He put in 3 innings of work in his start, and gave up a total of 7 runs to opposing batters. he gave up 7 hits and a walk to the Knights. He managed to strike out three batters, but in comparison, they pale to the likes of the 7 runs given up, and that's the thing that made him have a quick start. Oddly enough, I recall the huge Knights rally in the third inning starting solely on a throwing error by catcher Kris McDonough to first base on a chopper.

Eric Heckaman pitched four innings of relief, but he didn't fare much better on the mound. He gave up the 4 runs in the fourth inning, and gave up 5 hits and a walk in total. He struck out only one batter. Tony Davey and Krist Linster would see some action on the mound for the rest of the game. To sum up the problems that were experienced here, I think you'd have to look no further than the shaky defense that was behind the pitchers for this one. Most of the offense made by the Knights came off of blunders made by the Paints' defense.

Kyle Galbraith had a single. First baseman Cory Maguire had an RBI single and a triple. DH Andrew Marshall had an RBI single and a double. Right fielder Eian Banks had a single. Catcher Kris McDonough didn't have a hit, but he had an RBI for this game. During Kyle Gendron's at-bat, two runs scored off the only error that the Knights made all game long, a ball that got past the shortstop that looked pretty routine. Gendron would get in a single.

Overall, this game wasn't played really well. It's sad to say that, but it's true. These things happen, and in baseball, cycles of this do occur, but you gotta prepare for it when you start slumping or when you feel like a slump is one the horizon. You can't get yourself worked up and you can't add pressure to the situation or else that will cause things to get even more out of control. All a team can do in this situation is to just ride out the storm, and stay relaxed. Continue to have fun out there on the field, dig deep, think about your heart and soul, and eventually, you'll climb your way out of the hole that you created.

I had the time to talk to some of the players briefly before the game, and I asked one player what he thought about the other ballparks that are in the Prospect League. I won't hold anything back when I report this response, but this player said some of the ballparks are okay, and some are, and I'm only quoting, "crappy." Of course, he said that V.A. Memorial Stadium is most likely the best ballpark in the Prospect League, and judging by the looks of the ballparks myself, I have to humbly agree.