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Volpe's roll past Yankees 5-2
Scott Bolasky goes 6 strong & Ben
Swatsky launches 2 doubles as the Fleetwings go up 1-0.
SCHERERSVILLE
-- The Fleetwings rallied for four runs on six
hits in the fifth inning to back up the strong pitching of Scott Bolasky for a
5-2 win over the Northern Yankees to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-5
semifinals.
One can make an argument that the
Yankees' pitching staff has four aces on it. Kory Bates (2008 Trico Pitcher of
the Year, 7-0, 1.19 ERA and a league leading 55 Ks), Matt Reppert (5-2, 0.81
ERA), J.D. Wyborny (4-2, 1.97 ERA) and Josh Ziegler (4-1, with a league leading
0.70 ERA) are all excellent. Including first round play, these four have
combined to go 21-5 on the season. They have different styles, but there is no
discernable "ace" among the four.
This "ace" thing is not an issue with
Volpe's.
Despite the fact that Matt Wiltrout was
7-0 with a 1.23 ERA and finished second in the Pitcher of the Year voting,
Bolasky is the unquestioned ace of the Fleetwings' staff. "Bo" was 6-2 with a
2.46 ERA this season (throwing almost exclusively against the league's best
teams) which brings his career record to 46-21.
"He's our number one pitcher," said
Volpe's player/manager Jeremy Arner after the game. "He came out and dominated
for five innings."
Bolasky allowed just four singles
through the first five frames, maintaining a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the
fifth, when Volpe's got themselves some breathing room with a four-spot.
"He had quick innings and didn't walk
anyone and when you do that, you can afford to give up a hit or two," said Arner.
Bolasky's counterpart also cruised
early, before hitting a rough patch in the fifth. The only run starter Matt
Reppert allowed through the first four innings came with two outs in the second
inning, when Arner struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but hustled down to first
to beat the throw. Adam Ganser then came in as the courtesy runner and promptly
scored three pitches later when Dan Hemberger laced a line-drive to left-center
that was just out of the reach of a diving Mike Fignar. The ball rolled past him
for a RBI double and a 1-0 Fleetwings' lead.
The Yankees did get a great opportunity
to tie the game in the top of the fifth as Ryan Birkenstock laid down a perfect
drag-bunt single to start the inning. Dave Sandt sacrificed him to second and an
infield error allowed Fignar to reach first as Birkenstock went to third and the
Yankees were in business with runners on the corners and one out. But Bolasky
induced a shallow fly-out to left and another fly-out to center to end the
threat.
Then the Fleetwings broke it open in the
home half of the fifth.
Hemberger laid down a bunt single to
start the inning and advanced to second on a passed ball. Charlie Torres laid
down a bunt to attempt to move Hemberger up 90 feet, but hard-charging first
baseman Darrin Lenhart made a nice play to get Hemberger out at third. Their
good fortunate quickly turned sour as Garger got a bad-hop hit past Lenhart
seven pitches later and Mike Cudwaddie laced a RBI single to right-center and it
was 2-0 Volpe's. Ben Swatsky then launched a double that took one bounce off the
center-field fence to score Garger and Cudwaddie and it was 4-0 Fleetwings.
Scott Matejicka then blooped a single to right, got caught in a run-down between
first and second, but in the process of being tagged out, Swatsky scampered home
for a 5-0 lead.
Adam Sandt got one back for the Yankees
with a long, leadoff homer to start the sixth and it was 5-1 Fleetwings. Lenhart
singled and then moved up 90 feet at a time on two ground-outs before scoring on
a two-out single by Birkenstock for a 5-2 score before a ground-out ended the
sixth.
Nick Nigito relieved Bolasky in the top
of the seventh and allowed a leadoff single to Fignar before retiring the next
three batters for the save and the 5-2 win for Volpe's.
Arner was glad to see the bats come
alive for Volpe's on Saturday, especially Swatsky, who was in the Trico MVP race
before finishing the season with a 4-for-28 slump.
"We got a lot of good swings today,"
said Arner.
The Yankees (now 26-8-1 on the season)
will send Josh Ziegler to the hill for Game 2 at 5:00 on Sunday at Scherersville
#5. The Fleetwings (26-7) will start Matt Wiltrout, who shut out the Yankees
back on May 23 at Scherersville #5 by a score of 1-0, going the distance and
tossing a four-hitter.
Birkenstock finished 2-for-3 for the
Yankees on Saturday, while Swatsky was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI,
Hemberger was 2-for-2 with a 2B and Dave Toth was 2-for-3 for the Fleetwings.
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