Go BCC Blue Jays!: Big Day for Baseball

It was a memorable day for baseball - Derek Jeter plays his last game, Jordan Zimmermann pitches a no-hitter, Billy Beane's Athletics make the playoffs again... and the BCC Blue Jays and Nationals faced off in a well-played, competitive rec league game that was a nail-biter to the finish.

In a crisply-played match-up that ended in a mere hour and forty minutes, the Blue Jays lost 7-5 to a team strong on fundamentals and defense.

September 28 Game Report

Eli Kroskin turned in stellar glove work at 2nd base in the second inning, saving at least two runs in the process. First, Eli stopped a hard grounder and quickly threw to 1st for the out. The next play was highlight-worthy: Eli went to his knees to stab a one-hop liner, scrambled up, spun around and threw the runner out at 1st. At the plate, Eli smacked a double in the second and came around to score. He also walked in the fourth.

Andre Schnider showed great moxie in battling through two innings of work on the mound. Andre fell victim to a couple of well-placed hits but struck out four and demonstrated he has what it takes to be a successful pitcher. Andre also was Mr. Versatile around the infield, taking reps at 1st, where he had an unassisted put-out, shortstop, and catcher. At bat, Andre delivered a huge single in the fifth inning, driving in the then-tying run.

Cole Hughes pitched a lock-down fifth inning for the Blue Jays when they needed it most, striking out two and helping his own cause by catching a pop-up. Cole also did a superb job catching in the fourth and sixth innings. At bat, Cole had a walk in the third, promptly stole 2nd base, and scored the team's first run.

Sam Berman again showed his dominating form on the hill, pitching one-run ball over the third and fourth innings. Sam's line included four swinging strikeouts of some good Nationals hitters. Sam also played shortstop and had an assisted put-out on a force play at 2nd for the first out of the inning. At the plate, Sam stroked a hard line single to center that looked like extra bases but for an alert play by the Nationals' center fielder.

Xander Yu had a busy day across the board. He caught the first three innings and did an excellent job slowing down the aggressive Nationals base runners. Xander also had stints in the outfield and pitched the hard-luck sixth inning for the Blue Jays. He showed he could overcome adversity when he struck out the final Nationals batter. At the plate, Xander had a big two-run single in the second, and also walked and scored in the fifth.

Rotating between 3rd base and the outfield, Derek Sappenfield made plays in both positions. In the fourth inning, he scooped up a grounder at 3rd and nailed the runner with a strong throw to 1st. In the sixth, this time playing right field, Derek fought the sun and caught a high fly for the second out of the inning. At the plate, Derek showed good patience by walking in the second, stealing 2nd base, and scoring the team's third run of the day.

Will Dash made the most of his limited opportunities on Sunday. Due to the fast pace of the game, Will didn't make it to the field until the top of the fifth. But he delivered in a big way leading off the bottom of the fifth, when he crushed a ball into right center and didn't stop running until he was standing on 3rd. Will quickly came home and then returned to the field to play 1st base in the top of the sixth.

Jack Raymond showed a flair for the dramatic in the bottom of the sixth. With the Blue Jays down to their final out, Jack dug in and ripped a single up the middle. In the field, Jack alertly roamed between left, right and center fields. His quick return of a hard-hit ball in the second inning prevented what might otherwise have been a home run for the Nationals.

Jake Lang had extra work at 1st base due to the absence of regular 1st baseman George Roggie. Jake had three assisted put-outs over four innings. Jake also contributed innings at 3rd base and the outfield. At the plate, Jake put the ball in play all three times be batted, but the Nationals flashed the leather each time.

Gavin Ferguson swung aggressively in all three plate appearances. His hard shot in the bottom of the sixth looked promising but the Nationals shortstop made a nice play to get Gavin on a close play at 1st. In the field, Gavin rotated between outfield and 2nd base.

That's a Wrap

Thanks go to Derrick Raymond for coaching 3rd base and helping with pregame warm-ups. Andrew Lang ran infield practice and had the boys ready to roll in the first inning. Wade Hughes and Max Ferguson split 1st base coaching duties, and Audrey Sugimura kept the score book.