Third Edition Of Riley's Ramblings

Throughout the 2011 baseball season, sophomore Alex Riley (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) will be providing insights on this year's UB team from a player's point of view.  Below is the third installment of Riley's Ramblings, as Alex takes a look at the Purple Knights' in action from April 11-17, 2011.

RILEY'S RAMBLINGS-EDITION THREE

Entering this week of play the whole team was ecstatic to play and redeem ourselves against the one and only team to sweep us last year in St. Thomas Aquinas College.  In preparation of this series the hitters focused on how to alter STAC's game plan and make them play our brand of baseball by getting off to an early start.  The pitching staff conversed with coach Joe Tonelli discussing how to approach the STAC hitters who are known to bunt and steal at any time in the ballgame.  We came into this series knowing it was the most important series we have encountered so far and knew we had to win it in order to stay in a favorable position in the conference standings. 

For the first game of the series we traveled out to Chester, New York to play on a field that was completely turfed and was in great playing condition after a torrential downpour prevented all other teams across the northeast from playing.  This game did not go well at all for our squad as we took a tough 8-2 loss.  This was the type of game we absolutely wanted to avoid as STAC was able to control the momentum of the game throughout its entirety.  This was the hardest loss the team had taken the whole year, we knew we had to get our act straight or else we could easily land in a losing streak.

For game #2 of the series we were lucky enough to have the rare privilege to play under the lights at the West Haven High School.  There the team met early to discuss the measures that had to be taken to put the prior loss behind us.  It was before this game that the team conversed for the most peculiar meeting I have ever seen in my sixteen years in the game of baseball.  Here we all agreed to put our past stats up in smoke (literally) and focus entirely on a flawless team-oriented approach for the upcoming game. As the first inning of the game began, Shaun Hancock promptly shut down the STAC offense.  Then the offense broke out for the best half inning I have ever heard, as the sounds of the bats cracking for hit after hit put eight runs on the board.  As a pitcher I will be the first to admit that pitching becomes as easy as reciting the alphabet after you get an outburst that enormous in the first inning of play.  And Hancock put that theory to good use as he and Anthony Plomitallo combined to shut them down as the final score was 9-0.

We then took our show to Harbor Yard where we encountered what was similar to category five hurricane winds.  The first game was a nail biter in that the game went back and forth as the wind took advantage of both defenses, which concluded with a STAC winning 3-2.  This loss wasn't as hard to swallow as the first game was, however losing the opening game of the double header put extreme implications on the second game making it the most important game we have played in this season. And in another great game a pitchers duel erupted as Matt Batolomei battled Mark Fochesato of STAC combined to allow no runs through the first five innings of play.  Then in the sixth inning after a single to open the inning by senior captain Gaetano Giunta, We all knew this may be our best chance to take the lead.  Peter Barrows then stepped up to deliver the most clutch hit the team has had this year as he doubled to the right center gap scoring Giunta.  The seventh inning began with the whole UB roster and faithful on the edge of their seats anticipating every call of the umpire.  After a surprising two out walk tempers were flaring as every player on each side of the field knew the importance of winning this game.  With the next batter flying out to center field to end the ball game, tempers swayed from dangerously hostile to celebratory for us as fast as the swift winds were blowing.

Entering play his upcoming week we are looking to finish the STAC series by winning the final "rubber match" game.  Following this game we will play perennial powerhouse Dowling along with a possible make up of a Molloy rain delay.  So once again, the team would love to see all of you ramblings followers to come out and support the team again as we are in the midst of creating a memorable season for the Purple Knights.