Pitcher no match for Seattle's Studs
August 10, 2003
By NICK SCHWIEN
Hays Daily News
WICHITA -- Chris Ofat turned the Studs into duds.
And in the process, the right-handed pitcher lifted the Hays Larks to a convincing 9-2 win over the Seattle (Wash.) Studs Friday night in the team's second game at the 69th annual National Baseball Congress World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
"Coach said they were a good hitting team, but if I just kept the ball away and threw strikes, I'd be OK," Ofat said.
Ofat was more than OK, dominating Seattle's lineup that had put on an spectacular offensive display earlier in the tournament as the Studs won their opener 11-1 over the Santa Maria (Calif.) Indians in only five innings.
But Friday's game was quite the opposite, thanks to Ofat.
"We were concerned," Hays manager Frank Leo said about Seattle's offensive firepower. "We didn't want to let them get any type of momentum and get on a roll. They swing it pretty good, and Chris did a good job. We told him he would probably have to pitch them away, and he did a tremendous job all night long."
Ofat pitched away, past and through the Studs. The Larks will face either the Nevada (Mo.) Griffons or the Kearney (Mo.) River Bandits Monday in the next round at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Game time is still pending. Right-hander Jim Popp (2-0) is the probable starter for Hays.
It was evident Ofat, a product of Ohio Dominican, was on his game from the start. He struck out the first two batters he faced.
"He's been solid all year," said Hays catcher Adam Cox. "No one's ever been on him. No one has gotten a lot of hits off him. He does what he does every day. He does it ever time out."
After hitting two batters in the second inning, Ofat got out of the jam with a line drive to shortstop Dan Schwartzbauer, who did his fair share of stellar defensive work throughout the night -- something Larks' fans have become accustomed to in his three years with Hays.
And as Ofat worked his way into a groove on the mound, so did the team's hitters at the plate.
After struggling in the early innings in the team's 7-2 win over the Natchitoches (La.) Braves in Tuesday's opener, the Larks' offense struck for four runs in the top of the second to stake Ofat to an early lead.
Cody Ehlers led off the inning with a walk, and singles by Craig Cooper and Aaron Batlle loaded the bases for Jeff Bieker, who hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Ehlers.
Pete Maropis followed with a single to left to drive in Cooper before Dan Schwartzbauer's two-out double into the left-field corner scored Batlle and Maropis for a 4-0 cushion.
"We scored the runs early, and it's just a lot easier pitching with a lead," Ofat said. "Our defense has been solid all year, and it was again."
Ofat relied on a steady stream of curveballs to right-handed batters and fastballs to left-handers -- along with a few changeups -- to keep Seattle guessing.
After Hays (42-10) tacked on two runs in the third for a 6-0 lead, it was all Ofat. And when he did get into a jam, he found a way to pitch himself out of it.
Ofat allowed a single and double to start the fourth. But after the double, Ofat looked at Cox, pointed to himself and let him know that things were going to be just fine.
"It was an 0-2 pitch, and he called it outside," Ofat said. "I left it down the middle, and he hit it for a double. I just told him, 'My fault. My fault.' I just had to bear down from there and not let them get any runs."
Ofat got back-to-back strikeouts, then a ground ball to get out of the inning. And, it took a bit of the spirit away from the Studs.
"I thought it was key when it was 6-0 and nobody out and runners at second and third," Leo said. "If they chip back into it and get close, it's a new ball game. But Chris beared down and battled out of it. What a tremendous job on his part.
"He keeps his composure, and that's what you have to do. You can't let one play change the game."
Ofat, who became the club's fourth six-game winner this summer -- perhaps the first time Hays has had that many pitchers win six games in a season in franchise history -- lost his shutout in the eighth when Bryce Gardinier led off the inning by hitting a ball that curled around the right-field foul pole for a home run. But Ofat then retired the next three batters he faced.
"I got into a groove for a little while," said Ofat (6-0), who allowed one run on five hits in eight innings, with two walks and nine strikeouts.. "Everything I threw, I could spot wherever I wanted. They were swinging at some pitches that weren't even strikes. ... And they let me work at my own pace. That (20-second pitch) clock helped me out even more. I think it worked more to my favor than it did Seattle's."
Newcomer Shawn Butler, who joined the team for the World Series, allowed a run in the ninth in relief. But Hays had added two runs in the sixth and one more in the eighth to leave Seattle (34-23) trying to rally from a 9-1 deficit entering its final at-bat.
"That was a big game right there," Leo said. "I knew going in that Seattle has a tradition of being a good, strong ball club. I watched them play Santa Maria, and we were playing this game like it was a semifinal game for us because that losers' bracket is a tough road -- especially with the teams that are over there.
"We knew we had to be focused coming in. We wanted to make them catch us, put up the runs and make them catch us. I think our offense took care of itself. We hadn't been swinging well, but we did a good job against that ball club and made them try to catch us."
Cooper and Batlle each went 2-for-4, with Cooper scoring two runs and Batlle scoring once and driving in another as Hays out-hit Seattle 10-6.
Seattle's Matt Gardner suffered the loss as the Larks improved to 15-1 against left-handers this summer.
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