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Home opener UK vs XU...

Well, UK threatened with two outs, but failed to get the timely hit and Heyer goes down on strikeouts.

So... Gabriel just said that we're not going to get our new announcer until women's basketball season concludes? I guess that is two more weeks?
I wonder what is listened to more? Baseball or women's basketball? Hopefully they place the better of the two with the more popular sport going forward.
 
I wonder what is listened to more? Baseball or women's basketball? Hopefully they place the better of the two with the more popular sport going forward.

No idea. I can say that I have never listened to women's basketball though. lol I doubt they will change. You know how basketball moves the needle in this state.
 
Brad gets a 1 out strikeout with 1 on. He goes up 0-2 to start the at bad before throwing a ball and giving up a stolen base. The throw was there on time, but a bit off the bag and the big Xavier runner slides in safely. Play was close. Brad struggles to close out the at bat and it is run full. Good at bat with some fouled off pitches. Brad at 50 pitches now. He then gets him looking!! K to end the inning.

By the way, Gabriel letting us know that former Kentucky shortstop Matt Reida is now on the Xavier coaching staff. He was at Indiana prior to this season. I will always remember Reida is from Russiaville, Indiana.
 
Dawson smoked one towards short and it gets past the infield for a single. Strong swing. Pompey having a strong at bat right here. He's worked the county full and fouled over numerous pitches to stay alive. Pompey bounces one in the hole between second and first and the second baseman runs it down, but the stretch to grab it gives Pompey enough time AND Dawson smartly and quickly runs to third to put runners on the corners with no outs.
 
No idea. I can say that I have never listened to women's basketball though. lol I doubt they will change. You know how basketball moves the needle in this state.
Women’s basketball team is horrible, can’t imagine many are still listening to their games at this point.
 
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Becker battled pretty well, but he ends up going down on strikes. Aklinski gets enough of it and it is a sac fly all the way to deep left field that scores Dawson to cut the lead in half 2-1. Looked like he got great wood on that one and that it had a chance to get out, but it falls just short of the warning track. Still, an excellent at bat.
 
This issue with base running has got to get taken care of. How can we get so many guys thrown out on the base paths?
 
Pompey tries to catch Xavier napping and he goes on a very delayed steal. He almost makes it and is probably just inches shy of being safe. Still, he's thrown out and it ends the 3rd inning. 2-1 Xavier going to the fourth.
 
Pompey tries to catch Xavier napping and he goes on a very delayed steal. He almost makes it and is probably just inches shy of being safe. Still, he's thrown out and it ends the 3rd inning. 2-1 Xavier going to the fourth.
Looked to me like he may have been safe, they replayed it 3 times...... very close !
 
One of the new additions to CHS this year is a covered bullpen area behind the LF foul pole. UK added it because, in the tournament, you have to provide one for both sides or switch dugouts. This allows UK to stay in their dugout if the situation arises again.
 
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Brad gets a quick first out with a pop up to the middle infield taken by Heyer. Brad gets to another full count, he's now at 57 pitches, but he gets a strikeout with a high fastball. Heyer then takes a strong grounder to third and throws out the runner to get the final out of the inning.

At the initial glance from the backside I thought Pompey was safe, but I kind of changed my mind when it gave the umpire's point of view on the second replay. It was definitely close. UK is sub .500 in stolen base attempts this season. 3 of 7.
 
One of the new additions to CHS this year is a covered bullpen area behind the LF foul pole. UK added it because, in the tournament, you have to provide one for both sides or switch dugouts. This allows UK to stay in their dugout if the situation arises again.
Glad that they made that change. The dugout switching was/is silly.
 
Collete has tree limbs for arms. He swings at a very high fastball for the first out and fourth strikeout of the day. This umpire isn't calling a whole lot at the bottom of the strike zone. Looks like he's not giving much at all at the knees. Cottam swinging at the outside pitch. He fouled off the first one, and then gets his second strike swinging at a similar pitch. A high and outside fastball sits down Cottam.

By the way, if I don't need to do updates then let me know. It is kind of an old habit from when we had only audio and even the live stats were unreliable.
 
Collete has tree limbs for arms. He swings at a very high fastball for the first out and fourth strikeout of the day. This umpire isn't calling a whole lot at the bottom of the strike zone. Looks like he's not giving much at all at the knees. Cottam swinging at the outside pitch. He fouled off the first one, and then gets his second strike swinging at a similar pitch. A high and outside fastball sits down Cottam.

By the way, if I don't need to do updates then let me know. It is kind of an old habit from when we had only audio and even the live stats were unreliable.
I am following the game by refreshing this game thread.

Please update as much as you’d like. I love it. And thank you.
 
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Johnson gets behind quickly, but he keeps battling to get the count to full and takes an inside pitch for ball four and for UK's first baserunner of the inning. Miller, the pitcher for Xavier, is a freshman righty that goes 6'5 and 210. He already has one appearance on this short year going 3.2 innings against Florida State and giving up one run on 6 hits while collecting two strikeouts and giving up one walk. He is working pretty slowly and against Squires with 2 outs he has started him off with three straight balls. Squires takes a 3-0 fastball down the middle for strike number one. Wind seems to be going from right to left according to that beautiful American flag in left field. Squires then takes one that is bit inside for ball number 4. Runners on second and first with two outs. Miller now with 70 pitches on his arm.
 
Miller works ahead of Heyer and goes up 0-2. Heyer is getting a bit of a second chance as we saw a similar situation facing him in an earlier inning. However, the results are the same as Heyer goes down swinging at an offspeed pitch that fell away from him.

So we go to the 5th inning with UK still trailing 2-1. Each team has 4 hits and 0 errors.
 
UK sends the senior pitcher back out to the mound for the 5th. He is sitting on 60 pitches and the first pitch he throws is lined to Becker for the first out. Becker throws it to first just in case. Brad then gets a strikeout of the leadoff hitter for the second out of the inning. Third baseman Grammes grounds one past the diving Dawson for a two out single. Brad then gives up a 3-1 walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Belanger now coming out to have a talk with Brad. Mason Hazelwood and Alex Maley are both in the bullpen working at the moment. Belanger elects to allow Brad to keep throwing.

I think we have technically just left four on base in this game. It would be 5, but Pompey got caught stealing.
 
Brad now facing the 4 hole hitter, DH Griffiths, a lefty v. righty matchup that Brad ends up winning when he gets a ground ball to Dawson who goes the short route to second base for the third out of the inning and to end the threat.

Score still remains 2-1 through 4.5. Xavier now out-hitting UK five to four. Strikeouts really hurting UK as they have 6 total through four at bats. Musketeers just have 3 strikeouts.
 
Xavier makes a pitching and defensive change as they go to Allbry Major, the centerfielder to pitch and Sexton moves to centerfield and Danison comes off the bench to play left. Major is a righty 6'5 freshman righty who also has one appearance on the year. It too was against Florida State where he went 2 innings giving up 1 hit and recording one strikeout. Major is a very athletic player with big time arm strength, but Dawson works a full count before recording a walk. Major has a lot of movement in his windup and has a big by the ear arm motion.
 
Major starts Pompey off with a big curve ball that catches all of the plate. I have to say that if he pitches that later in the year to Pompey then it isn't coming down for a long time. He follows it up with the same pitch out of the zone that Pompey frustratingly takes a hack at. Pompey works it back to full for the second straight at bat before Pompey goes down swinging. UK is really liking the idea of starting the runner on full count, even when it isn't two outs. In this instance, Dawson takes second on the swinging strikeout from Pompey, helped by the Xavier catcher mishandling the ball out of his glove.

Runner at second base for Becker. I have to say that the umpire gave Major the low part of the strike zone on one pitch against Becker that I haven't seen him give today. Becker flies out to left field for the second out of the inning. Becker is frustrated with himself because he got something to drive and just got under it. Sigh of relief for Aklinski as he fouls off an 0-1 pitch behind the plate, but the Xavier catcher over runs the ball and it drops harmlessly and gives Aklinski a second chance. Aklinski isn't able to take advantage as he swings at some real gas on the inside corner for the third out of inning.

Going to the 6th with UK down 2-1.
 
All the runners left on base is very frustrating!

All the strikeouts are what are hurting my feelings. That is 8 today. We have struck out 36 times through the first 4 and a half games. That is 7 strikeouts a game so far.

Carson Coleman now coming in for UK. He's done pretty well so far. Gabriel says that he was injured a year ago when he was hit in the face with a ball and that's why he sat out last year. This is Coleman's third appearance. He's thrown three total innings in two different games so far this year and has yet to give up a hit, but has given up 2 walks and gotten 5 strikeouts. He walks the first one he faces here tonight.
 
Coleman looks to have a pretty solid two seam fastball that has some movement back towards a righty. Carson gets a fly ball to left field, this one finds Pompey for out number one. Major, the runner on first, steals second. UK has got to improve on throwing out runners. This one looked like Squires' throw beat the runner, but it was a bit low and Dawson didn't field it cleanly. UK is not 0-3 on the season trying to throw out runners. Carson struggling a bit now and walks the hitter on 4 straight pitches. Danger time here with 1 out.
 
Carson facing the 6'6 first baseman Warkentin, who has struggled early this season, but is 1 of 2 today with his first hit of the season. Still Carson is able to strike him out swinging. Now UK going to the bullpen with two outs. I imagine that they'll look for a matchup here and will bring in lefty Hazelwood. Hazelwood is a freshman that has appeared in two games with 2 innings pitched and a 0.00 ERA. He's given up a hit and a walk with 3 strikeouts. He will face Sexton in this 2-1 game with 2 outs and runners at second and third.
 
Man alive....this is great. Sitting on the back deck with a cold one and the Cats on ESPN3. Man I've missed you baseball season!
 
Hazelwood starts off with a strike, but even he is struggling to find the K zone as he falls behind 3-1. Still, he gets the pitch needed with a grounder to first base that Cottam takes himself for out number three. No damage done.

2-1 going to the UK half of the 6th.
 
Man alive....this is great. Sitting on the back deck with a cold one and the Cats on ESPN3. Man I've missed you baseball season!

I am at the kitchen table with the open windows to my right and a cold beer to my left. I'm very happy.
 
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The guys out on the deck at the Cliff have a long ball to go with their beer and brats as Collette took a middle fastball out of the park! Nicely done big man!!
 
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