Valiant Effort

The Blue Jays played an excellent game against very good competition Sunday, April 14, at Glen Hills Park.

The final score was Mets 12, Blue Jays 7.

April 14 Game Report

Dylan Edwards made sure that his first hit in kid-pitch baseball would be memorable.  He belted a line drive that cleared the shortstop and sailed into left field.  Dylan then ran the bases aggressively, stealing both 2nd and 3rd and ultimately scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Defensively, he handled multiple hits in center field.

Chris Pernie continued to wield a productive bat for the Blue Jays.  His 2-for-3 day included singles in the first and sixth innings.  He tied for team high honors with two RBI.  Chris also contributed an infield assist at 2nd base in the top of the fourth.

Charlie Knowles moved up to the cleanup spot in the order and did not disappoint.  He knocked an infield single in the first and drilled a double up the middle in the sixth.  Charlie stole a base, scored a run, and collected an RBI.  Charlie's first turn at pitcher was a success.  He turned in two solid innings that included two strikeouts and no walks.

Ethan Yu closed the game from the pitching rubber in the sixth inning.  He, too, recorded two strikeouts and no walks against a potent Mets lineup.  Ethan also did an outstanding job in his first turn at catcher in the fourth and fifth innings.  Offensively, Ethan enjoyed a perfect 3-for-3 day, stole two bases, scored two runs, and added two RBI.

Sam Berman proved to be the quintessential stopper in the starting role at pitcher.  He threw three outstanding innings, struck out four and walked none.  Sam did a great job keeping his team close through the first half of the game.  In the field, he made a spectacular shoestring grab and recorded four infield assists at shortstop.  Sam's day at the plate included a double to center field and a run scored.

John Wyatt gets our Hard Luck Hitter of the Game award.  His line drive to right field in the sixth inning was a thing of beauty.  Unfortunately, it came to rest in the glove of the Mets' outstanding outfielder.  Defensively, John contributed an infield assist at 3rd base with a nice pickup and throw to first in the fifth inning.

Jake Lang did a fine job in center field against a team that has does not lack players that can hit the ball a long way.  He prevented what likely would have been a home run when he corralled the ball and hit the cut-off man with a good throw.  Offensively, Jake continues to demonstrate a disciplined batting eye as he gets accustomed to the very liberal strike zone that umpires tend to use at this level.

Jaden smith continues to be a spark plug at the top of the Blue Jays' batting order.  In Sunday's game, he singled and reached on a fielder's choice.  Once on base, Jaden is always a threat to take the extra bag.  He stole three bases and scored two runs.  Jaden did yeoman's work at catcher, spending three full innings behind the plate.  He also did a good job in left field, where he was kept busy by a loaded Mets lineup.

Our picture of the stealth Jack Raymond didn't turn out this week, so we used the one above from our opening game.  Jack alertly grabbed a liner after it landed in right field and returned it to the cut-off man at 2nd base, holding the runner to a single on an excellent hit.  Jack also took some aggressive swings at the plate against two very good Mets pitchers.

Gavin Ferguson did an excellent job staying alert and chasing down balls in the outfield.  Against the Mets, every position is important.  Gavin did his job, getting the ball and hitting the cut-off man to prevent runners from advancing.  Gavin made contact more than once in his two trips to the plate.  His first kid-pitch hit is coming soon!

George Roggie did what a 1st baseman is supposed to do - catch the ball.  He collected six infield assists and fielded grounders for two unassisted put-outs.  George's 2-for-2 day at the plate included singles in the third and fifth innings, a run scored and an RBI.  Not noted for his speed, George hustled his way to two stolen bases.

Tom Yu provided leadership and encouragement from the 1st base coaching box and from the bench.  His contributions are invaluable.

The deliberative Brian Ferguson coached 3rd base, offering welcome advice and helpful tips to the players throughout the game.

As always, Derrick Raymond was eager to help when we needed a bench coach.   He kept the players organized.

The Blue Jays put forth a great effort on this day.  With six games left to play, many opportunities lay ahead.

Coach Steve