Sunday, June 24 (WEEK 10)
WOODSTOCK — The Bats outscored the Cubs, 8-5, on Sunday to pick up their first win of the season, but it was their first inning defense that caused the biggest buzz in the Bats dugout.
Wins have been rare for the Bats the last few seasons, but triple plays have been even rarer. In fact, none of the team's old-timers could recall a triple play over the last 20 years.
If double plays are a pitcher's best friend, Bats starting pitcher Mike Hareng must have really been feeling the friendship vibes in the first inning. After the Cubs leadoff batter reached on an error and stole second, Hareng walked the next hitter to set up a no-out, first and second situation. The following batter then bounced a ground ball to second baseman Bill Beckett who tossed it to shortstop Earl Blankenship coming across the bag for the first out. Blankenship relayed to Matt Weiss at first base to complete the twin killing. Seeing that the original runner on second was now barreling down the third base line heading for home Weiss fired a perfect srike to catcher Kevin Molbeck who tagged the sliding runner for the third out of the triple play.
The Bats took advantage of some mental lapses by the Cubs defense in the bottom half of the first and scored 5 runs, all with two outs. After the Bats first two batters grounded out Hareng and Weiss followed with 2-out singles. Beckett then reached on an error to load the bases.
Mike Steffy's swinging bunt in front of home plate went for an infield single and drove home Hareng for a 1-0 lead. Jeff McClellan followed with a ground ball to the Cubs shortstop who decided to go to second base for a force out, but the second baseman failed to cover the bag allowing another run to score for a 2-0 lead. Rich Skibski then drove home Beckett and Steffy with a 2-run single and McClellan scored on a passed ball to complete the 5-run outburst.
After a scoreless second inning the Cubs opened the third with five straight hits and an error to cut the lead to 5-4. The Bats scored 2 more runs in the third and 1 in the fifth to take an 8-4 lead, but the Cubs were not finished.
With Hareng tiring in the sixth the Cubs put together a double, a walk and another Bats error to load the bases. The lefty proceeded to walk home a run to pull the Cubs closer at 8-5 and prompting a conference on the mound. Bats manager Skibski opted to keep Hareng on the hill who rewarded his decision with 2 strikeouts and a ground out to end the threat. Weiss came on to pitch the seventh to secure the win for Hareng and pick up the save.
The Bats collected 9 hits in the contest with Weiss (3) and Hareng (2) accounting for 5 of them. The victory raised the Bats record to 1-5 while the Cubs fell to 1-6.
The Bats next game will be on Sunday, July 1 at 1:30 p.m. against the Lightning at Behm Park in Grayslake, Ill.
BATS DROPPINGS
After managing only two 1-2-3 innings in the first five games the Bats equaled that number on Sunday when Mike Hareng retired the Cubs in order in the second and fourth innings. The Bats also allowed only 3 batters in an inning on two other occasions, but they included baserunners being erased by a double or triple play ...... Bats outfielder/first baseman Jeff McClellan lobbied hard after the game to break from 150 years of baseball rules and traditions and have his fielder's choice in the first inning changed to a hit (it wasn't) ...... The Bats have a chance to do something next Sunday that they haven't done since the 2011 season — win consecutive games ...... For the second game in a row Lilah DiBlasi, the team's nurse and #1 fan, saved a frog wandering in the Bats dugout from harms way. Lilah hand-carried the disoriented amphibian from the field to a nearby marshy area. She's so sweet!
