Monday, June 7, 2010

Paints Hang On In Short Road Trip

Chillicothe 6, Butler 5

Finding a way to win is what it really comes down to when you play baseball and it doesn't matter how you get that win. While the bottom of the ninth inning in this game was less than desired, the Chillicothe Paints did come through and they did leave Pullman Park with a win. Down 6-2 going into the ninth inning, the Butler Blue Sox decided not to go away so easily, and with a few hits here and there, they scratched and clawed their way back into this ballgame, but all they had to work with was the last batter, or the 27th out, and that was more than enough time for the Paints to close the window, so to speak.

I have to comment once again on the setup of Pullman Park just like I did last year, and I have to say that Pullman Park sounds like such an interesting place to play in. I do believe it's a shame that they basically tore up the old version of Pullman Park, the same place where Yankee greats had played for their minor league stints, but overall, I wouldn't bash the new version at all though. I believe it's a great place to see a game. I love the quirky ballpark dimensions of the place because quirky dimensions such as what Butler has gives that ballpark some sort of character, which is something that I believe is being lost in today's new "state of the art" (really?) ballparks of MLB.

Anyway, let's talk about this game. For the Chillicothe offense, second baseman Torsten Boss had a single and a double. Right fielder Jeff Holm had two doubles and an RBI. Catcher Payton Bieker, hailing from the University of Purdue, had a triple. DH Ryan McMillin got an RBI off a groundout. Left fielder Brandon White had a double. Centerfielder Cody Elliott had a single, an RBI triple and a stolen base. Shortstop Grant Goodwin had two singles and an RBI.

Average Runs Per Game: 6.25

Once again, the Paints did a great job of scoring runs. The offense looks to be a cohesive unit as time goes by in this season. We'll have to wait and see what will happen to this offense when critical stretches arise, but so far you have to like what you hear from these road games. It's also comforting to know that the offense will put up enough runs on the board which will set up your pitching and defense to seal the deal. Good job, guys.

For the pitching, Blake Mascarello made the start for the Paints. He would pitch six innings of baseball and he would give up 6 hits, a walk and two runs. He would strike out two batters. Newcomer to the Paints club was F. FJ Lucchetti, and I apologize for not catching his full name even though I was listening closely to the internet radio broadcast, and Lucchetti did a pretty good job overall. He was solid in 2 and 2/3 innings of work, but he did hit major bumps in the road towards the end of his relief outing. He gave up 5 hits and a walk. He gave up 3 runs total off a hit from Ryan Lindquist, who would eventually end it for the Paints. Lucchetti did strike out two batters and he did perform well early on, and this was his first appearance, so it will only take time for Lucchetti to improve and get the wheels going, so to speak.

This was another nice win for the Paints, although it was too close for comfort at the end. The Paints return home for a game against the Slippery Rock Sliders.

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