Shutouts galore!
Today in the CBO
News and Notes - Reports from around the Commonwealth
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
25 August 2299
BMU: Two Refractors Fight, Get Suspended by Team
C.I.T. Ruins Refractors players, CF Alan Steele and RP Jeremy Crowe, were involved in a pre-game batting practice scuffle yesterday before their loss at Union Hope. That got each player suspended three games--or the entire series--next week versus the Outpost Zimonja Strongbacks.
Steele was set to be in the starting lineup for the Refractors for the first time this season. However, he took exception to Crowe's pitching style, resulting in the two exchanging words before they started hitting each other. Steele was then scratched from the game, as well as Crowe. Now, they will sit and watch when their team attempts to catch Mystic Pines for the Cambridge League title. The Raybathers lead by four games with seven to play.
Since starting 10 games with the Fort Hagen Silver Shroud in 2296, Steele has been caught in a numbers game in the franchise. He appeared in 14 games as a pinch hitter for the Shroud and 6 with the Refractors. Last season, he hit just .077 in 1 for 13 batting. This season, he played in 13 games, going 4 for 10 on the season.
Crowe came to the Refractors after being released by the Roxbury organization. He has only appeared in two games in 2299, going 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA.
Neither player is likely to remain with the club following the 2299 season.
Hope Shines, Shuts Out Abernathy, 4-0
Matt Hope of the Fort Hagen Silver Shroud blanked Abernathy 4-0 on 2 hits. He rang up 12 strikeouts, keeping batters off balance all day long.
This year Hope has fashioned a 12-5 mark, 3.83 ERA and pitched 171.1 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .266 against him and he has logged 120 strikeouts.
Jim Tiller hit a two-run home run in the 5th inning, his 21st of the season, to put the Shroud up 4-0 at that point. Howard Miracleman, playing in the place of injured Mark Miller, was 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Browneye Slugs Synths to 6-3 Win
A 5-RBI performance from Justin Browneye helped the Lexington Synths beat the Concord Radstags, 6-3. Doug Dee El got the save, his 26th in 33 chances. The slumping Radstags have lost 6 straight.
Nasty Byrd aided the Lexington cause with a run-scoring walk in the top of the fourth. For the game, the left fielder drew 2 walks in 4 plate appearances.
"Good baseball players make you a smarter manager," said Lexington manager Sprole Races.
Teddybear Gives Atom Goose Eggs
Everything clicked on the hill today for Chris Teddybear as he hurled the Jamaica Plain Red Rockets to a 8-0 shutout win over the Atom Cats, limiting them to 5 hits while recording 13 strikeouts and yielding no walks. He overpowered some batters with fastballs and buckled knees with sharp breaking pitches.
"We had our shot at him a couple of different times," Cats manager Paul Stands said. "We just weren't able to get to him."
On the year Teddybear has compiled a 14-4 mark with a 3.28 ERA.
Party Boys Win at Easy Town, 8-7
The Nordhagen Beach Party Boys topped the Easy Town Assaultrons, 8-7, with youngster Ryan Combs playing a key role. Combs was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 singles, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 for the Party Boys in the win. Tom Mannequin converted his 16th save in 17 tries. Nordhagen Beach improves to 66-35 with the win. They lead their division by 11½ games.
Nordhagen Beach relied on the hitting of Mike Swift to pick up the win. The catcher ripped a bases-clearing triple in the top of the first inning to put the Party Boys on top, 4-0. For the game, Swift had 1 triple and 2 singles in 4 at-bats.
"We cashed in when we had the chance," said Nordhagen Beach manager Craig Robinson.
Gunners Fall Short at Goodneighbor, 5-4, on Walk-off
Zachary Utsinger helped his team muscle past the Quincy Gunners, 5-4. In the game, the Goodneighbor left fielder hit 2 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored twice. Goodneighbor reliever Tiny Greene was the winner. His record is now 1-1. The losing pitcher was Ryan Kazarian. The winning streak has now reached 8 games for Goodneighbor and cut their magic number to two. They just need one more win in this series to clinch the Minutemen League and set Quincy as the #3 seed.
The game came to a dramatic end. In the bottom of the ninth, with Goodneighbor trailing 4-3, Utsinger hit a curveball from Ryan Kazarian for a 2-run home run, giving the Hancocks the walk-off win.
"It's great to see the crowd jacked up," Utsinger said.
Yao Guai Down Swatters, 6-2
The FHE Yao Guai picked up a win at BosCom Circle, taking down the Diamond City Swatters, 6-2. Starting pitcher David Kiwi was a big reason why. Kiwi went 9 innings to notch the win. He scattered 9 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. His record improves to 5-8. The 'W' lifts FHE's record to 44-57.
Po Greenzone dealt the Swatters a blow in the bottom of the third. Batting with a runner on 1st and FHE leading 1-0, Greenzone hit a first pitch fastball for a run-scoring double.
Greenzone said his team "played with focus."