Redbirds Capitalize on Shepherds' Miscues

Joey Mistretta-FCA

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The Shepherds hosted the Solana Beach Redbirds on Wednesday. It was a hard fought game which ultimately ended after eight innings due to darkness.

Moments that mattered

6 Errors committed in total.

Both the Shepherds and Redbirds did not play their cleanest games on Wednesday. The Shepherds only committed two errors, but their pitching handed out many walks and hit by pitches which they could not overcome. Solana Beach committed 4 errors of their own. While they certainly were not the cleanest on defense, they were able to escape scenarios with runners on base and came through offensively when it mattered.

Shepherds pitching falters.

The pitching for the Shepherds did not pitch their best game as they offered a large amount of walks and hit by pitches. This was truly their main issue, as they only gave up a total of 8 hits. While, that us a decently large number, many of the runs were because of the errors, walks and hit by pitches. Pitching Coach Isaac Friesen said he hopes to help the pitchers control the strike zone on a more consistent basis.

Upcoming games

Tomorrow, June 5, the Shepherds host a double header. The games will be at 1:00 and 4:30.

STELLAR PITCHING SPARKS SHEP'S WIN

Connor Taylor - FCA

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Game Summary

The Shepherds took home another win behind an excellent pitching performance vs. the So Cal Sparrows. Both teams struggled to get on the board early in the game because of great pitching from both squads. The Shepherds continuously found themselves in scoring position but struggled to score any runs in the beginning stages of the game. Gabe Huante broke the seal by scoring the first run of the game in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Shepherds eventually found themselves trailing after the 5th inning 2-1. Finally, Chad Ragland scored the go-ahead run off of a throwing error by the catcher during the bottom of the 6th leaving the Shepherds with the win, 3-2. 

Moments that mattered

First off, Roy Washburn shined throughout the whole game while only letting up 4 hits. Washburn threw six innings and only allowed two runs. Washburn's most significant moment came when a ball flew right into his shoulder, and he continued to scoop up the ball getting the out at first. 

Next up, Austin Caulk made a diving catch in the top of the ninth with a runner on first and one out. The play resulted in a clutch double play by Caulk to end the game and secure the Shepherds second win of the season. 

Next Game

The next game for the Shepherds will be on June 5th at Biola University vs the Redbirds. The game will be streamed on Facebook Live through the FCA So Cal Baseball page.

SHEPS TAKE INAUGURAL SBL GAME

Player of the game Sebastian Dunn gives his thoughts on the Shepherds' season opening victory

Joey Linn - FCA

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Game Summary

The Shepherds opened their 2019 summer season on Saturday June 1st against the South Bay Sliders. After the first inning, the game had the feeling of a potential offensive showcase. Both teams got on the board early and had dynamic offensive innings. This early indication turned out to be very misleading, as both teams went scoreless for the next 4 innings. Runs came at a premium throughout this matchup, as both teams had plenty of baserunners but failed to cash in on multiple scoring chances. It was ultimately the Shepherds hit parade in the 7th that broke a 5-inning hitless streak, and pushed the lead out to 4. The Shepherds would go on to add an insurance run in the 8th and hold on to win 6-1.

Moments that mattered

Switch hitting shortstop Sebastian Dunn lit a fire under the team after lining a leadoff double into the corner on the first pitch he saw in the 1st. He would eventually come around to score the first and only run for the Shepherds in the first 5 innings.

On the hill for the Sheps was right hander Philip Wall. Wall went 5 IP’s, 3 H, 4 K’s, and 0 ER. His impressive start kept his team in the game while they were struggling to score runs.

As earlier mentioned, it was the bottom half of the 7th when the Shepherds finally broke through offensively. Spark plug, Sawyer Smith led off the inning with a walk and soon after stole 2nd base. After a fly out that didn’t advance Smith, Dunn stepped back up to the plate. Hitting from the left side this time, Dunn jumped all over a 2-2 pitch and lined it into the right field corner for an RBI triple. This led to an RBI infield single from Colton Back, and a 3 run inning for the Shepherds.

Next Game

The next game for the Shepherds will be on June 4th, again at Biola against the Sparrows. It will be streamed on Facebook Live through the FCA So Cal Baseball Facebook page.