HOLLANDALE - The Argyle Beavers smacked three home runs and Justin Crotty struck out 12 in a complete game, four-hit 5-0 Home Talent League baseball win Thursday night over Hollandale.
"Justin pitched well and we got the hits when we needed them," Argyle player-manager Travis Erickson said.
Argyle's Joe Johnson juiced a fastball over the left-center fence on just the second of four pitches he would see in the game, giving the Beavers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
"Joe saw just four pitches tonight. When you hit a homer, a flyout and a double with two RBIs, that's a good night," Erickson said.
Johnson flew out to deep left in his second at-bat and doubled off the fence in left in the seventh.
"I kind of knew what pitches were coming, but I was absolutely seeing the ball well," Johnson said.
Argyle pushed its lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Bryan Ritschard skied a solo homer to left. In the seventh, after Johnson's leadoff double, Ritschard belted his second round-tripper of the night.
"I was seeing it well. Tonight was one of those nights where you just see the ball out of the pitcher's hand," Ritschard said.
On the mound, Crotty dazzled. He allowed a hit in each of the first, second, fourth and seventh innings and struck out the side in order in the third. The Rockies only had more than one runner reach base in the fourth and seventh innings.
"It was pretty much fastballs - getting ahead of hitters. On Thursdays you can stick with fastballs, but on Sundays, those hitters will hit it hard," Crotty said.
Hollandale skipper Cory Kelly thought the youth of his night league team showed.
"Crotty's a really good pitcher, and we have a few young kids right out of high school. They probably haven't seen pitching that good," Kelly said.
"But it's good for these younger guys to be in contention and to play games and players like this in the night league. In the Sunday league, we've been hitting pretty decent and our pitchers have been pretty good. Anybody can beat anybody in that whole league."
Pine Bluff 4, New Glarus 3
NEW GLARUS - The Tourists couldn't contain Pine Bluff's hitters, as New Glarus fell in Home Talent Night League action Thursday night.
Brandon Bayrhoffer struck out five hitters in five innings for the Tourists before getting relieved by Brandon Austin in the sixth.
New Glarus took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a pair of groundouts, but Pine Bluff came right back and scored two runs in the third to flip the advantage. New Glarus tied the score in the bottom of the fourth, but Pine Bluff scored the final run of the game in the top of the fifth.
"Justin pitched well and we got the hits when we needed them," Argyle player-manager Travis Erickson said.
Argyle's Joe Johnson juiced a fastball over the left-center fence on just the second of four pitches he would see in the game, giving the Beavers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
"Joe saw just four pitches tonight. When you hit a homer, a flyout and a double with two RBIs, that's a good night," Erickson said.
Johnson flew out to deep left in his second at-bat and doubled off the fence in left in the seventh.
"I kind of knew what pitches were coming, but I was absolutely seeing the ball well," Johnson said.
Argyle pushed its lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Bryan Ritschard skied a solo homer to left. In the seventh, after Johnson's leadoff double, Ritschard belted his second round-tripper of the night.
"I was seeing it well. Tonight was one of those nights where you just see the ball out of the pitcher's hand," Ritschard said.
On the mound, Crotty dazzled. He allowed a hit in each of the first, second, fourth and seventh innings and struck out the side in order in the third. The Rockies only had more than one runner reach base in the fourth and seventh innings.
"It was pretty much fastballs - getting ahead of hitters. On Thursdays you can stick with fastballs, but on Sundays, those hitters will hit it hard," Crotty said.
Hollandale skipper Cory Kelly thought the youth of his night league team showed.
"Crotty's a really good pitcher, and we have a few young kids right out of high school. They probably haven't seen pitching that good," Kelly said.
"But it's good for these younger guys to be in contention and to play games and players like this in the night league. In the Sunday league, we've been hitting pretty decent and our pitchers have been pretty good. Anybody can beat anybody in that whole league."
Pine Bluff 4, New Glarus 3
NEW GLARUS - The Tourists couldn't contain Pine Bluff's hitters, as New Glarus fell in Home Talent Night League action Thursday night.
Brandon Bayrhoffer struck out five hitters in five innings for the Tourists before getting relieved by Brandon Austin in the sixth.
New Glarus took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a pair of groundouts, but Pine Bluff came right back and scored two runs in the third to flip the advantage. New Glarus tied the score in the bottom of the fourth, but Pine Bluff scored the final run of the game in the top of the fifth.
