Go BCC Blue Jays!: Blue Jays look great in game with Pirates!

The Blue Jays continued their impressive Spring 2011 BCC Baseball campaign with an eye-popping performance in their game with the Pirates Sunday, April 10 at Pyle Middle School.

The team is doing some amazing things on the baseball field. Even better, the Blue Jays are doing it their way - having fun, doing their best, and demonstrating great teamwork and sportsmanship!

April 10 Game Report

The Blue Jays worked on throwing and catching during warm-ups, and boy did it pay off!

Perhaps they knew that they were about to deliver a defensive performance the likes of which are not often seen in the BCC National League.

Players such as Ethan Yu arrived early so that they could be ready when it was time to play ball!

Jeremy Robertson looked forward to following up his impressive outing in the season opener.

Sam Berman was ready to play before his family's car rolled into the parking lot!

William Amorosi was quietly determined to have another outstanding outing.

Ava Curley practiced stopping ground balls. Later, she would put that particular skill to good use during the game.

Allen Tousi worked on throwing and catching. The Blue Jays were ready to go!

DEEE-FENSE!

George Roggie had a truly phenomenal day in the field. Above, George collects a perfect throw at 1st base from right pitcher's helper John Wyatt to complete a put-out in the second inning.

John (13) and George (1) worked together to get another out at 1st base later in the same inning. These guys are great teammates!

Above, George completes the second put-out of the 2nd inning, thanks to the great fielding and accurate throwing of John Wyatt.

John's smooth moves at right pitcher's helper were key to the Blue Jays' defensive success!

George capped a fabulous defensive performance with this twisting, diving catch of a pop-fly foul ball. George was involved in eight put-outs on the afternoon. What a game!

Jake Schuman and Sam Berman worked wonders in the infield, as well! They teamed up to make two awesome put-outs in the second inning. In both cases, Jake fielded a ground ball at left pitcher's helper and delivered an accurate throw to Sam at 2nd base for the force out. Great teamwork, guys!

Jake contributed to the Blue Jays' highlight reel in the third inning. Playing at 3rd base, Jake scooped up a well hit grounder, gathered himself, and delivered a strike to George Roggie at 1st base to get an incredible put-out. That was beautiful, Jake!

Here, Jake prepares to make one of his three put-outs at left pitcher's helper in the second inning. First, he snagged a ground ball and threw a strike to George Roggie to get an out at 1st base. Jake ended the inning by tagging out two runners who were trying to score. Incredible!

As usual, Sam Berman made plays all over the field! He caught a throw from George Roggie to get an out at 1st base in the first inning. He made an incredible diving stop on a ground ball at second base to hold the runner to a single in the second inning. Above, Sam plays at left pitcher's helper, where he gathered a ground ball and ran to 2nd base for an unassisted put-out in the third inning. He also made an acrobatic, backhanded stop on a grounder that brought the crowd to its feet. Way to go, Sam!

Ethan Yu was frequently in the middle of the action at 2nd base in the first inning.

Ethan's unassisted force-out on a well hit ground ball was one of the best plays of the day!

William Amorosi gave his glove a workout at shortstop in the first inning. He cleanly fielded a solid ground ball and delivered a terrific throw to Ethan Yu at 2nd base. William demonstrated that he knows what to do when a grounder comes his way!

Jeremy Robertson is a great fielder and an even better teammate. Above, Jeremy jumps for joy and embraces George Roggie in a bear hug after a particularly good play. That's better than a high-five!

Jeremy could also celebrate some fantastic plays of his own! In the first inning, he grabbed a ground ball at right shortstop and delivered a great throw to Ethan Yu at 2nd base. Later, he scooped up another ground ball and threw a perfect dart to Sam Berman at 1st base. Those were outstanding plays!

Aleka Frazier and Ava Curley demonstrated some great defensive skills for the Blue Jays.

Aleka stopped two hard hits in center field in the third inning and returned the ball to the infield to hold the runners. Aleka also did a fine job at 3rd base in the second inning.

Ava made a great play on a very hard hit to left field in the first inning. She stopped the ball and returned it to the infield to hold the batter to a single. That hit probably would have been a triple had Ava not made such a great play!

Ava also made the last great play of the day for Blue Jays. She collected another smash in left field in the final inning, stopping the ball with her mitt and throwing it back to the infield. Great job, Ava!

Allen Tousi made a super play at shortstop in the third inning. He moved his feet quickly and stopped a well hit ground ball, holding the runner to a single. Like all of the Blue Jays, Allen was fantastic in the field in the game with the Pirates!

Heavy Hitters

The Blue Jays enjoyed a solid day at the plate. William Amorosi was one of the team leaders, collecting a hit in each of his three at-bats.

William also ran the bases extremely well. Take a look at his focused expression as he prepares to take off from 2nd base! William scored two big runs for the Blue Jays.

Ethan Yu provided some significant power from the third spot in the batting order. Above, Ethan prepares to crank one of his big hits through the middle of the field. Ethan reached 1st base safely twice and hit the ball well in all three of his at-bats.

The Blue Jays can always count on Ethan's hustle on the base paths. Above, Ethan cools his heels before taking off from 2nd base. Ethan scored twice in a highly productive afternoon.

Jake Schuman is another Blue Jay who reached 1st base safely twice in the game with the Pirates. Jake's line drive to the shortstop in the third inning was particularly impressive.

Jake also did a great job running the bases, paying attention when his teammates were at the plate and running when the ball was hit on the ground. Jake is yet another Blue Jay who scored two runs.

Aleka Frazier enjoyed a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, thanks mainly to her lightning fast speed! Aleka beat the throws to 1st base for infield singles because she didn't watch her hits and instead ran as quickly as she could. That's the way to do it, Aleka!

Once she gets on base, Aleka is unstoppable! She circled the diamond completely in each inning, scoring three huge runs for her team. Tremendous!

Sam Berman provided some offensive fireworks when he ripped a hit to left field in the third inning. Sam once again swung the bat with authority, hitting the ball hard in each at-bat. He reached base safely twice and scored two runs in yet another spectacular offensive performance!

Jeremy Robertson was a picture of cool efficiency with the bat in his hands! Jeremy pounded three solid singles to the left side of the infield in a flawless 3-for-3 day.

An eternally happy base runner, Jeremy toured the base paths three times, scoring a run in each inning. Way to go, Jeremy!

Ava Curley finished each offensive inning with a big hit. Another Blue Jay who enjoyed a 3-for-3 day at the plate, Ava drove in lots of runs with her big swings!

John Wyatt needed little time to put his bat on the ball. John's hitting has progressed impressively this year. He reached base safely twice and scored two runs in the game with the Pirates.

John made one of the day's smartest plays while running the bases. John was on 2nd base when a teammate hit a pop-up. Remembering what we learned in practice, John advanced just a few steps and waited to see whether or not the fly ball would be caught. It was. Then, John alertly returned to 2nd base so he would not be caught out for not tagging up. This guy has both brawn and brains!

Similarly, George Roggie held up at 1st base on the same play. When the ball was caught, George returned to 1st and avoided the double play. Above, George dusts himself off after sliding in to 2nd base to avoid the tag. That's outstanding base running!

George also wreaked havoc with the bat! Above, he prepares to crank one of three fantastic hits that he collected on the afternoon. George drove in a run with a single in the first inning. Later, he added another single and a triple to his hit total. Great game, George!

Allen Tousi made good use of his three plate appearances, slugging a single in each trip to the batter's box. Allen drove in runs and scored two of his own for the Blue Jays. Good job, Allen!

After the game, the Blue Jays once again demonstrated terrific sportsmanship, congratulating the Pirates for a fun and compelling game.

More Parents than Pictures

We had so much help from parents this week that we were unable to get pictures of everyone who chipped in. For this we apologize.

Is there a better 1st base coach than Tom Yu in the BCC National League? We don't think so. In addition to sharing his outstanding knowledge of the game, Tom also offers encouragement and timely high-fives to the many players who visit him on base. Thanks again, Tom!

Tom Curley stepped into the breach and coached 3rd base in the second and third innings. A gentleman and a sportsman, Tom sent the players home when the ball was in the outfield and kept them at 3rd base when the ball was in the infield. That's great sportsmanship. Thank you, Tom!

Shari Schuman coached 3rd base in the first inning. She had to go before we were able to get a picture of her, so you'll have to take our word for it. Shari was great!

Thanks to Max Johnson-Fraidin, George Roggie's older cousin, who did all of the work behind the plate for the Blue Jays. Max made things easy on Coach Steve, firing perfect throws back to the pitcher all afternoon. Max's game earlier in the day was a source of inspiration for George. Thanks, Max!

We also want to thank Trista Robertson for managing the Blue Jays' bench. Trista's administrative talents are very much appreciated. Unfortunately, we did not get a photo of Trista. We promise to get several close-ups during the next game!

We did get a close-up of Marie Frazier because she and husband Sean treated the team to post game snacks. Thank you, Frazier Family!

Providing nourishment to deserving players like Ethan and William is an important responsibility!

Thanks also to Maria and Phil Pearl for providing the drinks despite the fact that their daughter, Suzanne, was unable to play. Phil made a special trip to the field to drop off the goods. That's going above and beyond! Thank you, Pearl Family!

A Great Start for a Great Team!

Great game, Blue Jays!