Published: May 10, 2008 11:08 pm            

Rockville baseball continues strong season

Rockville — It could be a matter of experience, or it could be a matter of being able to play home games for the first time in two seasons.

It’s also possible it could be the consequence of having a lot of really good high school baseball players.

Whatever the reason — and its players and fans probably aren’t particular — Rockville continued its march through its 2008 season on Saturday, pounding visiting Fountain Central 11-0 and 9-1 in a Wabash River Conference doubleheader at Gideon Field.

Luke Greene and Steven Ball were the offensive standouts, combining for six extra-base hits and 11 RBIs — Greene even settled once for a single, although it drove in two runs — while Ball and Matt King got the mound wins with help from Taylor Harper in both games.

“We got great pitching,” said coach Bob Kyle. “We had to limit those guys because we’ll have eight games in seven days, and Harper might have to pitch in five of them … and we hit the ball pretty well.”

Although the Rox improved to 18-2 for the year, they haven’t achieved many of their goals yet. So Kyle is keeping his team’s considerable accomplishments low-key right now, and his players seem to have gotten the message.

“We just hit the ball good, and kept our momentum going,” Greene said after his seven-RBI performance, “and the defense kept playing pretty good.”

“Our pitching can carry us,” said Ball, who homered in each game. “I don’t think we had any errors today [actually there were three, but mostly harmless ones], and our bats came to life.”

Ball’s bat has been pretty lively all year. He credited Kyle after the game for making him a more patient hitter earlier this year; the homers were his ninth and 10th of the season and he’s amassing offensive numbers that might put him in record-setting territory.

“I have no idea,” he said Saturday when asked about that possibility, and indicated it wasn’t at all important to him. “Just as long as we win,” Ball concluded.

Winning was in doubt only briefly Saturday. Greene’s three-run double capped a five-run second inning in the opener, and in the bottom of the fourth the Rox were able to shorten the game with a six-run rally that included Greene’s two-run single, an RBI single by Jordan Shoaf and Ball’s three-run bomb that nearly reached the softball batting cage beyond the right-field fence.

There were a few moments of tension in the second game, however. Greene’s line shot to the mound was turned into a double play to end the top of the first inning — in WRC play, each team gets one home game — and the Mustangs put together a rally in the bottom of the inning.

Brent Nelson opened that frame with a bad-hop infield single and went to third on a pickoff error. Zach Robertson got an RBI double and reached third base on a wild pitch during a walk to Noah Reissmann.

But with none out and runners at first and third, Rockville catcher Zach Clapp made some plays. First he fielded a topped roller, holding Robertson at third and getting the out at first, then pounced on a suicide-squeeze bunt in time to make the tag on Robertson. With two out and runners at first and third, the Mustangs tried to steal a run, but Ball stepped off the mound, threw to Greene covering second, and Greene’s throw home nailed Reissmann to end the inning.

And end Fountain Central’s chances, as it turned out. Ball didn’t allow another baserunner, striking out six over the next four innings.

Rockville tied the game in the third, on an error and Greene’s two-out triple, and took the lead in the fourth on Ball’s leadoff homer.

Four Mustang errors contributed to Rockville’s four-run fifth inning, with Greene adding another RBI triple, and freshman Tyler Bradburn contributed a run-scoring double to the Rox’ three-run, five-hit seventh frame.

It was a sweep enjoyed by a host of Rockville fans, Greene noted after the second game.

“Getting to play at home is a plus,” the senior shortstop said. “Our fans are supporting us pretty good.”

“We don’t travel all the time [this season],” said Kyle, appreciative of the two-year project that’s resulted in sparkling new Gideon Fields for both baseball and softball. “Now the kids are getting home [after games] at 7:30 or 8 instead of 10:30 or 11.”

But those kids can play a little, right?

“They’ve grown up,” Kyle said. “When you pencil in the same kids [in the lineup] for three years, you’re hoping they’ll grow up, and they have.

“We’re a pretty good team when we play to the best of our abilities,” he finally admitted. “Not a very good team yet, but a pretty good team.”



First game

Fountain Central 000 00 — 0 2 1

Rockville 050 6x — 11 10 2

Hands (L, 0-2) and Reissmann; King, Harper (5) and Clapp. W — King, 5-1. HR — Ball (9).

Highlights — For Rockville, Luke Greene had a single and double with five RBIs, Steven Ball had a triple and a homer with three RBIs and Tophel Secuskie was 3 for 3 with a double.



Rockville 9, Fountain Central 1

Game 2

Rockville ab r h bi FCentral ab r h bi

King rf-cf 5 2 1 1 Nelson 3b-p 3 1 2 0

Shoaf lf 4 1 1 1 Robertson ss 2 0 1 1

Greene ss 4 1 2 2 Reissmann c 2 0 0 0

Clapp c 3 2 1 0 Hands lf 2 0 0 0

Ball p-rf 4 1 1 1 Smith p-3b 3 0 0 0

JClevenger cf 2 0 1 0 Carver 2b 1 0 0 0

Bradburn 2b 1 1 1 1 Symr ph-2b 1 0 0 0 RClevenger 3b 4 0 2 0 Clark 1b 1 0 0 0

Earl 3b 0 0 0 0 Mrxmllr ph-1b 2 0 0 0

Kelley 1b 4 1 1 1 Lawson cf 2 0 0 0

Harper 2b-p 3 0 0 0 Finley ph 1 0 0 0

Ridge ph 1 0 1 0 Corey rf 1 0 0 0

Vancleve rf 2 0 0 0

Totals 35 9 12 7 Totals 23 1 3 1

Rockville 001 140 3 — 9

Fountain Central 100 000 0 — 1

E — Ball, Hands, Smith, Carver 3, Reissmann. DP — FC 1. LOB — Rockville 8, FC 5. 2B — Robertson, Bradburn. 3B — Greene 2. HR — Ball (10). SB — J.Clevenger, Clapp. CS — Reissmann.

IP H R ER BB SO

Rockville

Ball (W, 5-1) 5 2 1 1 1 6

Harper 2 1 0 0 3 3

Fountain Central

Smith (L, 4-5) 4 6 5 2 2 2

Nelson 3 6 4 3 1 0

Smith pitched to 3 batters in 5th.

WP — Ball, Smith. T — 1:50.

Next game — Rockville (18-2, 10-1 in Wabash River Conference) has a home game Monday against Covington. Fountain Central is 5-15 and 4-6.

        

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