Smith, Pollock tie VT
records as Mountaineers are shutout 5-0 by All-Americans
LOWELL, Mass. – The Vermont Mountaineers were shutout by the
Lowell All-Americans by the score of 5-0, a game that saw
two Mountaineers put their names in the record books.
The Mountaineers squandered several opportunities to break
the scoreless tie, stranding two runners on base in each of
the first three innings.
In the fifth inning, the Mountaineers got two more base
hits, including a two-out single by Curt Smith (Maine) that
tied a Mountaineers single-season record in total bases with
66. However, Matt Prokopowicz (Hofstra) ended the inning on
a ground ball to second baseman Anthony Santos, who made a
solid defensive play to keep the Mountaineers off the board.
Mike Powers (Maine) faced the minimum amount of batters
coming into the bottom of the fifth inning, when he allowed
a leadoff walk to Miguel Magrass. After Rivers popped out in
foul territory near third base, Magrass stole second base
with Tom Stack-Babich at the plate.
Stack-Babich struck out on a pitch well outside of the
strike zone that was not handled cleanly by Gerald Ogrinc
(Wright State), who threw wildly to first base. Ogrinc then
allowed a passed ball with Bobby Brown at the play which
allowed Magrass to score. Brown then lined a double to
rightfield to score Stack-Babich, giving the All-Americans a
2-0 lead after five innings.
Arshwin Asjes (Temple) relieved Powers after five innings,
as Powers allowed two runs on two hits while striking out
two.
Another Mountaineers milestone came in the top of the
seventh inning when A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) hit a ball
down the leftfield line for his 14 th double of the season,
tying a Mountaineers single-season record initially set by
Matt Rizzotti in 2005.
Things started to unravel for the Mountaineers in the bottom
of the seventh inning when Heath Wall singled home Stack-Babich
with two outs from second base, with the throw from
leftfield allowing Wall to take second base. Santos would
get on with a single, and in the next at-bat Tim Manton
broke the game open with a two-RBI single to leftfield that
scored Wall and Santos.
Dan Lozeau (1-0) captured the win for the All-Americans,
while Powers (4-2) took the loss despite a mostly effective
outing.
The Mountaineers return home tomorrow for a Sunday afternoon
contest at Recreation Field against the first-place Holyoke
Giants. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Tune into
the game over the air on ESPN 1240 WSKI with Kyle Dorau and
Chris Fells, or online at www.teamline.cc with Paul Roper.
Robin Roberts Returns
The final game of the regular season is scheduled for
Tuesday, July 31. This game will feature the return of Hall
of Fame great, Robin Roberts , back to the same field were,
in his final season of summer baseball, he led the Twin City
Trojans to the Northern League Championship 60 years ago.
His 18-3 record in 1947 caught the eye of a Philadelphia
Phillies baseball scout and he was signed to an amateur free
agent contract the next spring.
Two years later, Roberts, the ace of the Phillies, pitched
the "Whiz Kids" to their first National League pennant in 35
years. Roberts was a 20 or more game winner between 1950 and
1955 with his high water mark in 1952 when he won 28 games.
Roberts was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Roberts agreed to serve on the Mountaineers board of
directors at the outset of central Vermont 's entry in the
New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2003. His strong
support for the Mountaineers program is seen through his
contribution back to the organization of any fees he
receives in the sale of his memorabilia when he is in town.
Mountaineers officials are planning a special event to mark
the 60th anniversary of Roberts' last amateur appearance at
Recreation Field. Roberts will hold an autograph session the
morning of the game (9am to Noon at the Capital Plaza ), and
will be at the ball park for pre-game festivities that begin
at 6pm.
