West
Baden, In. - The Cincinnati Buckeyes
opened their 2008 campaign on Saturday on
the grounds of the historic West Baden Hotel
in West Baden, In. The weather and the venue
could not be more perfect for Spring base
ball. The Buckeyes faced the tough and gentlemanly
Blues of Indianapolis. Not the ideal adversary
to start off the season, but they are very
enjoyable to play.
The
first game was played in front of a good
crowd, many of whom recieved miniature bats
as souvenirs of the event. The Buckeyes got
off to a quick start, scoring 8 runs in the
first inning, striking some well-placed hits
and getting assistance from the Blues defense.
It looked early like the boys in blue (from
Ohio) might upset the boys in blue (from
Indiana). Unfortunately, the feeling was
short-lived, as the Blues fixed their defensive
problems quickly. The one-bound rule confounded
the Buckeye strikers, and they couldn't seem
to use it to their advantage on defense,
either. At the end of the seven-inning game,
the enthusiastic crowd congratulated the
victorious Blues, who scored 25 tallies to
the Buckeyes 12. Mr. Mark Hurr struck two
long doubles and tallied three aces. Mr.
Chris Lyon also crossed the plate three times.
After
some team photos, the ballists took the trolley
south to French Lick, where they were treated
to a spectacular spread of the finest food
and drink at the French Lick Resort & Casino.
Both
teams headed back to the field for the second
match of the day. The crowd had swelled to
a few hundred people in anticipation of the
3:00 game, and cheered as both teams lined
up. The Buckeyes struck first, with Mr. Noah
Goodwin tallying an ace for the Bucks. The
Blues scored four in their at-bat, but in
an effort to make a good game, the Buckeyes
came back with four of their own in the second
frame. After a couple of quick, scoreless
innings (thanks in part to Mr. M.Hurr, who
skillfully plucked a ball struck over his
head in center field on the first bounce),
the Blues bats started to come back to life,
and the Buckeye defense did little to stop
it. The Cincinnati willows kept the game
close, and had they not stranded so many
in the later innings, the outcome would have
been very different. But the Blues were victorious
again this day, besting the Cincinnati nine
14-11. More team photos and media followed.
Many
thanks to the folks at the West Baden Hotel
for the beautiful venue and hospitality,
the French Lick Resort & Casino for the
delicious lunch, the media for covering the
event and spreading the game of vintage base
ball, the many, many spectators who came
to watch us have fun - they were among the
best crowds we've played for - and finally,
the Blues for helping us hammer off the winter
rust so efficiently and enjoyably.
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The
Buckeyes return to action on Saturday, May
3 at Monroe Park in Monroe, Oh. They will
face a select nine of local coaches as part
of their Little League Opening Day celebration.
The 11:00am game is preceded by a parade.
Article
submitted April 28, 2008
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