Bullpen gives lift in Hays win
August 12, 2003
By NICK SCHWIEN
Hays Daily News
WICHITA — Frank Leo and Joe Hill hadn’t really had a chance to see a lot of their relief pitchers in the 69th annual National Baseball Congress World Series through the team’s first two games.
But all that changed Monday.
Leo, the team’s manager, and Hill, the club’s pitching coach, had to be pleased with what they saw out of three relievers in a 3-2 win over the Nevada (Mo.) Griffons at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
“It’s good they got tested, and it’s good we got a win out of this,” Leo said. “It gets their feet wet, gets them into the tournament. … It’s good anytime you can get your pitchers out there and into the tournament atmosphere. It’s a plus.”
The Larks advanced to today’s 5 p.m. game against Prairie Gravel (Ill.) in the winner’s bracket. After Monday, only four teams remained undefeated in the double-elimination tourney, including the Larks and Prairie Gravel. Right-hander Ryan LaMotta (6-0) is the probable starter for Hays.
Hays had used its bullpen sparingly in the tourney. In an opening win over the Natchitoches (La.) Braves, Tommy Hottovy and LaMotta combined for 41/3 scoreless innings in a 7-2 victory. But both were used mostly as starters this summer.
In the team’s second game, the Larks used a strong performance by starter Chris Ofat before Shawn Butler — who joined the club before the World Series — gave up a run in one inning of relief in a 9-2 rout of the Seattle (Wash.) Studs.
But when starter Jim Popp — who surrendered a run in the first inning — left after the third with shoulder problems Monday, the call came to the bullpen.
“Coach said I might come in about the fourth, so I should get myself ready,” said right-hander Andy Pape.
With Hays (43-10) clinging to a 2-1 advantage over its Jayhawk League foe — a team the Larks had gone 7-0 against this summer ehading into the game — Pape and two other relievers shut the door on the Griffons.
Pape gave up a single to the first batter he faced to start the fourth before retiring the next three batters.
He retired the side in the fifth and sixth, then yielded two singles in the seventh. But Pape got out of a first-and-third jam with the help of a diving catch of a line drive by second baseman Pete Maropis to end the inning.
“When your starter comes out early, the bullpen has to pick up the slack,” said Pape (5-1), who allowed no runs on three hits in four innings, with one strikeout.
Randy Curtis — who played the regular season for the Topeka Capitals, another Jayhawk League team — drove in Dan Schwartzbauer — who led off the seventh with a double — on a soft single to left to give Hays a 3-1 lead.
“It was unbelievable,” Curtis said about the team’s bullpen. “Pitching and defense does it. When we saw them when I was at Topeka, they didn’t allow anything. They’ve been unbelievable so far.”
Curtis’ RBI single proved to be the difference.
Hottovy took over to start the eighth and retired the side.
Hottovy walked Brandon Green to start the Nevada ninth. Reed Hawkins reached on a throwing error by Hays third baseman Shawn Smarsh, putting runners at second and third.
Hays center fielder Mark Lyons made a sliding catch on a fly ball by Gus Milner, but Green scored on the sacrifice fly, cutting the Larks’ lead to 3-2.
Closer Jim Miller took over for Hottovy and got a grounder for the second out. But Hawkins was able to advance to third on the play, leaving the tying run only 90 feet away for Nevada (34-22).
Brian Bugg worked the count to 2-2 before Miller got a pitch on the outside corner for a called third strike, ending the game.
“I’d thrown him five fastballs in a row and a breaking ball,” Miller said. “I thought he’d swing at it and miss. I think possibly he could have thought it was outside.”
It was Miller’s eighth save this summer, tying him for second on the all-time single-season record. Mike Rohrbach also had eight saves in 1996.
Back-to-back RBI doubles by Smarsh and Curtis off Nevada starter Jeff Gray (5-2) gave the Larks a 2-1 lead in the third.