St. Johns Saints Baseball

THE SAINTS TRAVELED TO NORTHERN OHIO TO COMPETE IN THE TITAN INVITATIONAL.  ST. JOHNS LOOKED FORWARD TO PLAYING THEIR YOUNGSTOWN NEMISIS, THE DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPION CLEVELAND MOSQUITOES.

GAME 1

THE SAINTS OPENED THE TOURNAMENT IN THE SECOND ROUND AGAINST THE 1-0 MOSQUITOES.  TODD SCHIFFHAUER WAS HIS USUAL SELF, PITCHING THE SAINTS TO A 3-2 VICTORY OVER THE CLEVELANDERS.
GREG STOKES DOUBLED TWICE AND SCORED TWICE.  JIM JASKOWSKI SMACKED A 2-RUN SIXTH INNING DOUBLE, TO SNAP A 1-1 TIE.  SCHIFF PITCHED HIS WAY OUT OF AN ERROR CREATED BOTTOM OF THE SIXTH, YIELDING ONLY A SINGLE RUN.  THE FINAL LINE ON SCHIFFHAUER WAS 7 INNINGS, 2 RUNS, 1 EARNED, 6 HITS, 5 PUNCH OUTS AND A SINGLE WALK.

GAME 2

A ONE-SIDED STRIKE ZONE AND AN EVEN MORE HORRIBLE CALL AT THE PLATE, DEPRIVED 17 YEAR OLD ALEX VALADJA OF HIS FIRST SAINT VICTORY.  VALADJA WAS BRILLIANT THROWING A COMPLETE GAME, STRIKING OUT 7 WITHOUT WALKING A BATTER.  HE GAVE UP 5 HITS.  HOWEVER THE EVER CHANGING SAINT STRIKE ZONE AND THE PITCHING OF OHIO TITAN ACE, ANDY SCHON, KEPT THE SAINT BATS IN CHECK.
IN THE CONTROVERSIAL TOP OF THE 6TH., WITH 1 OUT, THE TITAN BATTER REACHED ON AN INFIELD THROWING ERROR.  A SUCCESSFUL BUNT PUT RUNS ON FIRST AND SECOND WITH ONE OUT.  THE TITAN LEAD OFF HITTER SINGLED TO LEFT, THE NEARLY PERFECT THROW FROM RICK KRIST BEAT THE RUN HOME, AS HE WAS BLOCKED OFF THE PLATE BY SAINT CATCHER MIKE SCHMIDT, AS THE RUNNER GOT NOWHERE NEAR THE PLATE.  HOWEVER, THE UMPIRE RULE SAFE.  THAT PLAY WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A SACRIFICE FLY, WHICH SHOULD HAVE ENDED THE INNING.  ON THE FLY BALL, THE RUNNER FROM FIRST WENT DIRECTLY TO SECOND WITHOUT TAGGING.  THE SAINT APPEAL WAS DENIED BY THE HOMEPLATE UMPIRE, WHO RULED SAFE EVEN THOUGH HE SAID HE DID NOT SEE THE PLAY.
DOWN TWO, THE SAINTS RALLIED BEHIND A DOUBLE BY NATE STATZER AND SINGLES BY JON ZILLES AND ANDY BLACKWELL.  HOWEVER, TWO SUBSEQUENT OUTS ENDED THE GAME.  FINAL SCORE THE HOST OHIO TITANS 2, THE SAINTS 1.