Good guys win 3-2 and you guys hit the high notes, but I have to say we were very fortunate to win this game thanx to some poor base running and coaching by JU and a play that was NOT made (fortunately) by Liput that would have tied the game. JU's pitching was outstanding with 3 solo HR's and would have been 4 but Langworthy was absolutely robbed by a fantastic play by the JU RF. He snatched that ball below the top of the wall and was able to hold on and bring it back. If you did not see it, I would watch the highlights.
Singer was very very good, but he is his own worst enemy. He hit 2 batters on an 0-2 count and on a 1-2 count. You can't hit batters in those plus counts. The first one led directly to JU's first run and would have been more had the JU runner not hesitated on a safety squeeze and an outstanding play by Singer to not only field the bunt but have the presence to tag the runner coming home. Terrific. The solo HR was given up after we took a 3-1 lead and Singer fell behind in the count and the guy golfed a ball that looked like a 1 iron off the tee and put a hole in the scoreboard.
After 7 strong innings, Sully turned to Byrne and proceeded to give up a leadoff triple in the bottom of the 8th with a 3-2 lead. Now I was always under the impression in that instance, the corner IF's are playing NO DOUBLES defense, meaning they are guarding the lines. That ball was ankle high the whole way on the 1st base line. yes it was scorched, but IMO it should have been an out or knocked down and holding the guy to a single. But JU has a guy on 3rd and no outs. The next hitter lines to Dalton in medium RF. I think he should have tagged b/c Dalton did not have momentum and that guy is JU's leadoff hitter. Well he went 4 steps and went back to 3rd. Now with one out, the next hitter pops a ball in foul territory down the LF line, not overly deep, but b/c the infield was playing in it was a longer run that normal and Liput makes an incredible sliding stab, somewhat sno cones the ball and then it falls out of his glove (fortunately). If he catches that ball it is an easy tag up at 3rd and we have a tie game. So with the infield in, batter hits slow chop to 1B and the runner does not break on contact so he is still at 3rd base. next hitter pops out to catcher and a leadoff triple goes wasted thanx to poor baserunning, a fortunate dropped pop and a great pitching job by Byrne. Byrne then gets them 1 2 3 to end the game.
Credit JU's pitching but we need to swing a better bat. I always say solo HR's don;t beat you but that was the only way we scored and I have to think that if you had told JU we would score only 3 runs against that pitcher they would have taken it. Great outing by Singer after layoff and Girnad is filling in better than expected at catcher, both defensively and with the bat!