BASEBALL: Despite five home runs and two wins in two games, the Falcons are still not in synch at the plate.
By: Neil Hay
Just two games into the 2002 season, the Peddie baseball team has shown a healthy appetite for the long ball.
The question is, How long before the Falcons develop a taste for singles and doubles?
Peddie has banged out five home runs – including three grand slams by Anthony Belasco – in winning the first two games. But other than going deep, the Falcons are not yet in synch at the plate.
Take opening day last Wednesday. At first glance, the 17-6 five-inning (10-run rule) win chalked up by Peddie over visiting Malvern Prep looks pretty convincing.
But a perusal of the box score offers some interesting tidbits.
For one, Peddie managed only six hits, to 11 for Malvern. For another, the score was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the fifth inning. And Matt Pustay, the starting pitcher for Peddie who earned the win, was not at his best.
But, hey, it was only opening day. And a win is a win.
Malvern led 3-0 when Peddie batted in the bottom of the second inning. Belasco, who plays center field and bats leadoff, strode to the plate and, with the bases loaded and two out, delivered a grand slam that put the Falcons ahead 4-3 and – more importantly – changed the complexion of the game.
"That home run was huge," said coach Frank Schermerhorn. "If Belasco makes out, who knows. That totally changed the game.
"Belasco showed some exceptional power in Florida," said Schermerhorn of his postgraduate addition. "Belasco hit one in Florida against Blair with one hand. He has plenty of power. He is strong enough. What he needs is to be more compact with his swing. He does not have to muscle up so much. It is a matter of consistency. But I am not surprised with his power. Our job is to make just minor adjustments."
The visitors still had plenty of fight left, scoring three more in the top of the third for a 6-4 lead. The Falcons answered with two in the bottom of the frame, and the game was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the fifth.
That is when the Falcons decided to end the game right there, scoring eleven runs, including another Belasco grand-salami. Once the Falcons pushed across the 10th and 11th runs, the umpires halted the game by the 10-run rule. Peddie by a TKO.
Of the Falcons’ six hits, three were homers. Erik Lohrmann had a home run and a single, with two RBI and three runs scored. Dave Wysocki added a double, one run scored, and three runs batted in.
"We hit a little bit. They helped us with some (11) walks." Malvern also committed three errors. Five Peddie runs were unearned.
Pustay was not in mid-season form, allowing six runs (two earned) on 11 hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Said Schermerhorn, "It was not typical Matt. He didn’t have his breaking ball, his pitches were up and in the middle of the plate. He did not locate as well as he does. He was hit. He will be okay. Malvern is a good offensive team. They have a quality program. We are very happy to open with a win."
Pustay hurt himself with two errors. After a rough couple of innings, he settled down and kept the Malvern bats quiet until the Falcons exploded in the fifth.
Belasco struck again Wednesday in Peddie’s 6-3 win over visiting Hun. With the bases loaded and one out in the second inning, Belasco belted his third grand slam to stake the locals to a 4-0 lead. The next inning Gavin Vetrano socked a solo home run for a 5-0 lead. In the next frame Belasco’s infield out plated Peddie’s sixth and final run of the game. For Belasco, who also singled in his first at bat, it was his thirteenth run batted in two games.
Hun finally broke through against Lohrmann, the starter and winner, in the top of the sixth. With two out, a walk, bloop single, triple and passed ball cut the lead to 6-3. Lohrmann then got the final out of the inning. It was to be the last out of the game too, because the contest was called by the umpires on account of darkness.
Lohrmann allowed two hits, struck out five and walked four in notching the win. Said Schermerhorn, "Erik looked a lot better than he has." In all, Lohrmann threw 97 pitches, of which only five were breaking balls. He had a lot of 3-2 counts.
"It was a step in the right direction," said Schermerhorn.
It is only two games into the campaign, but Schermerhorn had hoped to see more consistency from his hitters. Sure the home run is nice. But the Falcons are going to have to show more offense throughout the lineup. Peddie now has five homers in two games. But the Falcons can not expect to live off the home run all season long.
Against Hun, Peddie managed just four hits. Nine outs were on infield popups, either in fair territory or foul. Peddie batters struck out just once. But 10 runners were left on base.
"Our offense has been very lethargic. We had chances to bury Hun and didn’t come up with the big hits. We’ve shown little offensive consistency. We are living on the home run. That is no way to play. We had bad swings in favorable counts. We do not have a lot of discipline or execution at the plate. We are not quite there yet."
When that happens, look out.