Bottom of the 5th, Valincius still on the mound for the HOOS. Branch leads off for Oklahoma.
Missed the AB as my stream froze, but Branch singled to 2nd. One on and nobody down for Mudler.
Mudler rips a double into the RCF gap. Branch scores from 1st, 3-2 HOOS. Runner on 2nd, nobody down for Cain.
Cain gets a bunt down with two strikes. Ference double pumps his throw waiting for Godbout to cover 1st but is still able to get Cain in time for the out. Mudler moves up a base, runner on 3rd and one down for Willis.
Willis K’s (4) looking. Runner on 3rd, two down for Walk.
Walk lines a double down the LF line. Mudler scores, game now tied at 3. Runner on 2nd, two down for Willits.
Mound visit for UVA, Ference wants a chat. Jaxel and Koenen warming up for us in the pen.
Top of the 6th, Jones still on the mound for Oklahoma. Teel leads off for the HOOS.
Teel on a full count grounds out to Christiansen at 1st unassisted. One down for Wells.
Wells grounds one to Branch up the middle. He makes the throw over to 1st but it’s a bit low and Christiansen can’t scoop it. Wells reaches, one on and one down for Didawick.
Mound visit for Oklahoma. Pitching change incoming. LHP James Hitt takes over on the mound for the Sooners.
Didawick flies out to Gambill in LF. One on and two down for Hanson.
Wild pitch allows Wells to move up a base. Runner on 2nd, two down now for Hanson. 1-0 count.
Hitt throws a pickoff attempt to 2nd, Wells is called safe but Branch seemed to think he got him. There will be a review.
On review, Wells initially stepped on Branch’s foot instead of the bag but it looks like he still got back in time.
Call is quickly confirmed, Wells is safe at 2nd. Runner on 2nd, two down to Hanson. Full count.
Bottom of the 7th, RHP Kevin Jaxel takes over on the mound for the HOOS. Branch leads off for Oklahoma.
Branch rips a double down the LF line. Runner on 2nd and nobody down for Mudler.
Mudler on a full count grounds out to Godbout at 2nd. Branch moves up a base, runner on 3rd and one down for PH Dayton Tockey.
Mound visit for UVA, BOC out for a chat. Pitching change incoming. LHP Blake Barker takes over on the mound for the HOOS.
Infield in for the Hoos.
Tockey lines a base hit over the glove of Becker into LF. Branch scores, 4-3 OU. One on and one down for Willis.
Another mound visit for UVA. Another pitching change incoming. RHP Drew Koenen takes over on the mound for the HOOS.
Willis hits a grounder to Hanson at 3rd. He throws over to 2nd for the out but the throw to 1st from Godbout is offline. However, interference is called on Tockey sliding into 2nd as he collided with Godbout, so it does end up being a double play that ends the inning.
Top of the 8th, RHP Jason Bodin takes over on the mound for Oklahoma. Tockey takes over at 1st. Christiansen moves to LF. Ference leads off for the HOOS.
Ference draws a leadoff walk. One on and nobody down for Teel.
Wild pitch moves Ference up a base. Runner on 2nd and nobody down now for Teel, 1-1 count.
Teel on a full count flies out to DEEP CF on the warning track after a hell of an AB. Just missed a HR. Ference moves up a base, runner on 3rd and one down for Wells.
Wells flies out to Walk in CF. Ference scores from 3rd as the throw is up the line, game tied again at 4. Nobody on and two down for Didawick.
Didawick hits a swinging bunt that trickles down the 1st base line. Mudler is able to field it and throw to 1st for the out to end the frame.
Last time we did it was to end the 2022 season, so I’d say it was pretty frigging meaningful.
Sorry, but there’s no sugarcoating how awful the offense has been.
Two-out hitting has been woeful. Too many strikeouts with fewer than two outs and runners on base. We haven’t strung together hits. Plate discipline is as undisciplined as I’ve seen since the dark years between 2016 and 2019. Can’t hit offspeed, chasing pitches out of the zone.
Ok and our 2022 team hit the ball the ball pretty damn well. Again, a bad five game stretch, while disappointing, likely won’t define this season and we’re not in postseason play. I completely agree things need to better though, because there has been some woeful AB’s up to this opint.
Baseball is a weird game and we’ve made some out of the norm trips so far…. Baseball players probably more than any other sport are creatures of habit, I’m trying to withhold judgement until we see a couple weeks of the regular routine of games. Doesn’t excuse any poor performance but I’m not taking it too seriously either. Atleast not yet…
Basically what I’m trying to say. It is far too early to come to any conclusions about this team. If people don’t remember 2015, that team was dead in the water halfway through the year and we ended up winning a national title.
Our approaches suck right now for the most part but trust in BOC and KMac to figure things out.
Similar in the injury issues and getting right at the right time as well… not having blanco yet being the main example. I’m not saying missing your Friday guy gives your bats a reason to suck or excuses bad approach at the plate but just like anything else there’s a different mindset when a team has their leader.
Bottom of the 8th, Koenen still on the mound for the HOOS. James Nunnallee takes over for Didawick in LF. Walk leads off for Oklahoma.
Walk finally lives up to his name and draws a walk. One on and nobody down for Willits.
Willits flies out to Nunnallee in LF. One on and one down for Gambill.
Ugh. Gambill hits a slow roller to Becker at short. He charges in to field, but the throw to 1st is not in time. Walk was running on the pitch and is able to take 3rd on the play. Runners on the corners and one down for Carmichael.
Carmichael on a full count lines out to Godbout softly at 2nd. Everyone stays put, runners on the corners and two down for Christiansen.
Gambill steals 2nd without a throw. 2nd and 3rd, two down now for Christiansen. 2-0 count.
Christiansen gets ahead 3-0 and then is just intentionally walked. Bases loaded, two down for Branch, their phenom freshman.
Mound visit for UVA, DD out for a chat.
Branch flies out to Ford in RF to end the threat and the inning. HUGE.