GAME BLOG - Copperheads vs. Settlers

Well here's some fresh blood for the blog.  It's my first crack at this, and between PA announcing and running the scoreboard, it may get interesting. Needless to say, it's a great day for baseball, especially the start of a brand new campaign.

• 5:30 pm - Licking County is just arriving as the Copperheads are doing some batting practice. Still looking great outside.  There have been reports of bad weather throughout Ohio all day but, as of now, the sun is still shining on Athens.  The Settlers come in with a record of 2-1, third best in the league.  Should be an interesting match-up due to the relationship between the coaches. Settler's skipper Kyle Sobecki served as an assistant coach under Copperheads coach Mike Florak at Youngstown State from 2005-2007. Can the student best the master?  Only time will tell... Here's hoping some good weather doesn't prevent Southern Ohio from raining all over the Settler's parade.
• 6:40 - Less than one hour before game time and the national weather service has announced a tornado watch for Athens County until 10 pm.  Despite this announcement, it's still beautiful outside and the game is ON!  Licking County has finished with their batting practice and the coaches have finished catching up. 
• 7:25 - Field condition is a little behind and so will be the start of tonight's game.  I just received the lineups, and it looks like Cameron Hobson will get the start for the Copperheads while Eric Best will be throwing for Licking County.  
• 7:35 - Well the field crew came through in fine style because it's time for the first pitch.  
• 7:48 - The first pitch of the season is a strike, but a bobbled ball by Chad Geier allowed the first batter of the game, John McCambridge, to get on base.  He was able to steal both second and third en route to being driven in by Phil Kaiser.  Hobson is able to fan Turk and Gray to minimize the damage at one run.
• 7:50 - Today's hot dog eating contest was much shorter than yesterday's.  Those kids are champions.
• 7:55 - Chad Geier & Jerod Yakubik go down swinging and Michael Fear pops up to end the inning.  Uneventful first go-around for the Copperheads.
• 8:06 - Great diving stop by Trent Moses gets Brian Kordal at first.  Koenicsfeld strikes out, but a bang-bang play at first goes to the runner, McCambridge as Davis advances to second.  A single into left field brings one runner home.  Hobson beans Bucholz to load the bases, but, after a meeting on the mound, strikes out Kaiser to once again minimize the damage.  The webs are certainly being shaken off, but he's shown poise in getting out of these first couple jams.
• 8:13 - Jake Plata tallies Southern Ohio's first hit of the season with a double to the right field wall.  Marrero flies out to right but a great throw holds Plata at second.  Davis flies out to end the second inning.  Slow start in front of a great crowd.
• 8:22 - Firs two Settlers go down but another bang-bang play at first is awarded to the runner, Kordal.  But he's soon thrown out at second to end the inning. The crowd is definitely into it, heckling the ump on every bad call and the players for even the slightest lack of hustle.  
• 8:31 - I'm seeing a trend with these close plays at first, only this time it didn't go the runner's way as Moses is out.  Glass and Geier strike out to end the third.  Through the first three, Southern Ohio has two errors, one hit, and no runs.  They'll need to shake off the rust soon if they want to start the season off right.  
• 8:40 - McCambridge doubles to left with two outs and Roberts walks to put two men on and force another meeting on the mound.  Hobson's day is done and Nick Egan comes in to do some relief work.  He gives up a bloop single to Dan Bucholz to drive in another run, but Bucholz is then caught at first to end the inning.  Licking County takes a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 4th.  
• 8:54 - Yakubik strikes out and Fear grounds out to first.  Hiscox gets on base but no damage is done as Jake Plata flies out to end the inning.  Everyone's still looking for the offense to get off the ground.
• 9:00 - After a Phil Kaiser walk and a John Turk single, there are runners at the corners for Garrett Gray.  Southern Ohio turns the first double play of the season and Kordal is caught stealing at second to end the top of the 5th.  The Settlers carry a 4-0 lead.  
• 9:07 - After Marrerro reaches base, Davis hits into a quick double play.  Trent Moses then strikes out to end the inning as the Copperheads offense continues to stumble.
• 9:19 - A bunt that looked to be dribbling foul leads to Southern Ohio's third error of the night, sending Steve Davis to second.  McCambridge flies out to second, but Roberts is hit by Egan's pitch to put men on first & second.  Bucholz is walked to load to bases leading to yet another meeting at the mound.  Egan comes back to strike out Kaiser to leave the bases juiced.
• 9:27 - Kyle McMillen continues to look strong in his reliever role as he fans Glass.  Geier tallies only the second Copperhead hit of the night and reaches second on a Yakubik ground out to first.  No damage is done though as Michael Fear grounds out to end the inning, leaving a goose egg in the run column.
• 9:47 - Brannon Belair comes in as the third Copperheads pitcher of the night, throwing a strike with his first pitch.  John Turk reaches first off the Copperhead's fourth error of the night.  Both sides of the ball look cold for the home team.  A running catch by Plata prevents a definite extra base hit.  After a walk of Kordal, Koenigsfeld drives run number five into left field by a diving Michael Fear.  Davis adds one more to make it a 6-0 Settlers lead.  Belair's night barely had a chance to get started before it ended as Rob Moffat comes in to hopefully stop the bleeding.  He gets some quick help as Koenigsfeld is caught trying to steal third.  McCambridge sends one over the head of Moffat but a great play by Geier gets him at first to finally end the 7th.
• 10:04 - New Licking County pitcher Andy Podolinski hurls three straight strikes then four straight balls to retire Hiscox and walk Plata.  Justin Marrero finally puts the Copperheads on the board with an RBI triple into dead center.  Davis adds another with a bloop double into right field that just barely landed fair.  Now Trent Moses reaches on a hit and another run comes in on an error at first.  Zach Thoma comes in to pinch hit but grounds out to first.  Geier is beaned on the first pitch of his AB to put runners on the corners.  The fourth run of the inning is scored by a Yakubik passed second base.  Just like Brannon Belair, Andy Podolinski's is pulled in the same inning he's thrown in.  New pitcher Jarad Miller fans Fear to end the inning, but the Settlers' lead is suddenly down to two.  The Copperheads seemed to have finally found their offense and there is finally life at Bob Wren Stadium!
• 10:14 - The leadoff batter, Bucholz, reaches and is moved over by pinch hitter Chris Serritella with a bunt that so no Copperhead covering first base.  Another bunt by is picked up in time to get the force out at third.  John Turk bats into the team's second double play of the night.  Great job to end the inning after a concerning start.  
• 10: 22 - Hiscox leads off the bottom of the 8th with a double to right field.  There's some confusion over whether or not he was out, but after a quick conference, the umps call him safe.  As expected, Sobecki goes out to argue the call, but avoids being ejected.  Plata & Marrero strike out & pinch-hitter Jeff May grounds to first to end the 8th.  The fans are getting more riled up as the night goes on.  One more inning for Southern Ohio to try to pull off the comeback.  
• 10:39 - New Copperheads reliever Tyler Gatrell sits down Gray but walks Kordal to start the 9th.  Koenigsfeld strikes out and Kordal steals second on a misplaced ball by catcher Jeff May.  Davis walks to put men on first & second and McCambridge singles into right to push the Settlers' lead to three.  McCambridge moves to third as Kordal comes home.  He's soon followed by McCambridge who steals home to make it 9-4.  Runners continue to move at will as Roberts steals second.  Gatrell induces a popup to end the inning.  The Copperheads have a big hole to crawl out of to pull out the victory.  
• 10:49 - Miller gets Moses to fly out to center for out number one.  Thoma reaches with a single to left field.  Another long fly to left tallies out number two.  The local Bobcat, Yakubik, is Southern Ohio's last hope on opening night.  Unfortunately, he grounds into the force out to second to end the game.  The Copperheads hang an "L" on the board and start this 2009 campaign 0-1 as Licking County improves to 3-1.

Well, despite one big inning for Southern Ohio, both sides of the ball seemed to be sputtering throughout.  Hopefully the coaching staff can help the team correct these opening night mistakes.  The Copperheads travel to Stark County to face the 2-2 Terriers tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. before coming back home Friday to face the Xenia Scouts at 7:30 p.m.  Stay tuned to Brian Boesch, Tony Castricone, and Allie LaForce on Power 105 to catch all the action!  Also, be sure to head over to copperheadbaseball.com for the game recap and all your latest info on the Copperheads!

- Justin Sampson