Gold Country Buzzards

Gold Country Ol’ Buzzards Game Report #23

September 19, 2010

                           Great season ends with loss in championship game

Buzzards held down by Reds, 11-3

The Buzzards gathered for the final game of the 2010 NABA season at Playfields Park in Davis at 11 am on September 19th. The local forecasts were strangely calling for rain around game time and sure enough, sprinkles did hit Davis but earlier at about 8 o’clock and moved east. On the way to the game, many players ran into rain around Roseville coming west down I-80 and wondered about the field conditions.

At game time the field was in good shape with little sign of the morning sprinkles. The weather was cloudy with a breeze at game time with a chance of rain later. Not your normal mid-September Sacramento weather. Still, the game brought out lots of family and friends ready to see the final game of the NABA 48+ Sacramento Championship Series.

For the big game, both teams were starting their top pitcher for this season on the mound. The Reds sent sneaky right-hander, Danny “Smiley” Harvey #25, with his ‘short-armed’ assortment of slow stuff and a sneaky fastball, to the bump. The Gold Country Buzzards sent their ace southpaw, Dave “Keppie” Kephart #21, to the hill to battle the defending champs.

The Reds scored first in their half of the first inning. The home plate ump was struggling with Keppie’s fastball and was not calling anything on the inside half of the 17 inch-wide plate. With Kep forced to pitch to a ‘coffee can’ sized strike zone with this good hittin’ team, meant a lot of work for the fielders. Dennis Viegas led-off with an eight pitch at-bat looking at several strike three pitches - but getting the call – until singling to left field. The next batter took seven pitches before grounding into a good looking double-play when Keppie snagged the sharp come-backer and spun around to hit Dave “Evy” Everingham with a strike. Evy made a nice turn at the bag on a fast approaching, former Sac City college teammate, Viegas and threw out the runner for the two quick outs.

However, that strike zone haunted Kep all game. The next batter walked before big Andre Gonzalez #16 hammered a 1-0 pitch into right field. The next batter, Pablo Gonzalez, walked to load the bases. Reds’ shortstop, Steve Morano, followed with a seven pitch at-bat before spanking a hard ground ball through the left-side hole to score two runs. The next batter walked before Harvey grounded out 6-3 to end the first inning.

While Harvey was baffling the Buzzards into pop-ups, ground outs and K’s, the Reds scored again in the second inning. A walk, single, wild pitch and infield error resulted in one run.

The Buzzards scored in the top of the third. Pete “Baron” Von Zboray hit a one-out single to left field. Then Dan “Wookie” Wukmir walked to put runners at first and second. Batting next, Scott “Donut” Reeves is apparently eating ‘enhanced with something’ donuts as he pounded the ball over the outfielder’s heads in left-center for a double scoring the Baron. With two runners in scoring position and only one out, it looked good for some more runs, but the Reds held and the score after three innings of play was 3-1 Reds.

The Reds scored two more in the fourth on a walk followed by a double and two singles before another big Buzzard double-play. This one was a smooth looking classic, short to second to first, with Evy gloving the hot grounder, then feeding it to Taylor “Welzy” Welz covering the bag. Welzy made the catch, turn and throw to first baseman, Mike “Bake” Baker in time to nail the runner.

The Reds scored two in the fifth inning. Three singles and a run-down between first and second with Viegas scored the runs. In the top of the sixth, the Buzzards scored a run when Welzy led off the inning with a solid single to left. Next, Evy walked putting two runners on. After two infield force-outs, Bake hit a clutch line drive single to right-center field scoring the run.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Reds’ hit batter’s count pitches for five hits and four runs before Keppie was replaced by Fred “Freddie” O’Donoghue #26. Keppie’s back tightening up and the umpire not seeing the fastball strikes were tough breaks for the Buzzards today. Freddie shut down the Reds for the rest of the game, but the Buzzards were in a big hole.

The never-say-die Ol’ Buzzards scored in the ninth inning. Welzy hit a line drive single to left field to open the inning. Calls for “put the box of t-shirts in the dugout” were met with laughs and “not this time” as memories of last Sunday’s dramatic come-back victory with six runs in the ninth inning by the Buzzards came to mind, however, that would be hard to duplicate, but possible. Batting next, Evy, doubled into the right-center field gap sending Welzy hustlin’ from first base to score. But there were no more miracle finishes today as the Reds won 11-3.

A fabulous Buzzard baseball season ended on a down note, but the Buzzards got together afterward and celebrated a fine season with brews and snacks.

Keppie was disappointed in the final results, but he carried the team most of the season. Against 35 Reds’ batters, Kep threw 114 pitches (67 strikes & 47 balls). There were 15 hits and 5 walks for the Reds with 3 strikeouts.

The Buzzards' offense was held in check by Danny Harvey’s pitching with six strikeouts and some good defensive plays. Plays like big Andre’s over-the-shoulder catch of the pop fly ball behind first base and then the infield pop-up, near collision with Harvey, that Andre usually doesn’t make, were key outs. The Reds played flawless defense.

The Buzzards got just nine hits to go with three walks in the game for their total offense. Three players got two hits each – Bake, Pete and Welzy. That accounted for 2/3rds of the game’s hits. It is tough to score with so few opportunities when the hits aren’t falling in. The ribbies were knocked in by Bake, Donut and Evy.

Not the best way to end a season, but playing for the Sacramento NABA 48+ championship makes for a successful season, and now yearning to take it away from those damn Reds next year. Good job Buzzards. The next Buzzard baseball game will be in March 2011.

Buzzard Note #1: After the runner-up plaque was awarded and team photo taken, the Buzzards gathered ‘round for final words from Pete plus a big thank you to the team. Wags then presented the team’s MVP, Dave Kephart, with an autographed bat by Nick Swisher. The next Buzzard award went to the player that ‘Improved the team the most’. Wags announced Dave Everingham and handed Evy an autographed bat by Eric Chavez for playing that key role in the Buzzard season.

Buzzard Note #2: The end of the season team & family party will be at Ray & Liz Henry’s home in Eden Valley, Colfax on Sunday afternoon, October 10th. Some of the ball players will be playing in a planned practice game against Colfax High that morning and heading over to the Henry’s at about 1 o’ clock. Ray will provide the food. Mark your calendars. More info to come later.