A good day for baseball was provided for the Vets-Blue Jays match-up Sunday at 11:45 on Satellite Field. Jon Atwell and Lex Herlett were assigned pitching duties for their squads.
The Vets left their bats in their cars for the top of the 1st going down in order quickly. The Jays got to work nicely with singles by Herlett, Dave Latina, Bob Noto and Art Gianakos with Paul Post providing some power with a double resulting in three 1st inning runs. Only a good throw, then a good tag at the plate by Vet's catcher Jim Wing on Noto prevented a fourth run from scoring. Now having their bats in the rack - the Vets answered with four runs in the top of the 2nd on singles by Dave Hartman, Mike Eplite, Steve Vangelder, Atwell and Brad Buchan also with the help of walks to Ken Zimmer and Wing.
In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th - the Jay's didn't plate any runs and their bats were quiet aside from singles by Scott Ross and Herlett. The Vets produced a run in their 3rd on a single by Hartman and a double by Rick Koster, then held scoreless by Herlett and the Jays in their 4th and 5th with only a single by Vince Koster.
The Jays managed a run in their 5th on singles by Dwight Partridge and Scott Ross. Bob Yakatan's key single brought in that run with the bases loaded and one out. With the bases still loaded - Atwell was able to get a strikeout and an infield ground-out to end the Jay's threat.
The Vets were able to produce four runs in their 6th on a couple of Jay's errors and singles by Matt Kelly, Eplite, Vangelder and Atwell. Then the Jays threatened in their 6th with a single by Mark Dolan, but who was then doubled up on a line drive out to end the inning. Both teams went scoreless in the 7th with Hartman closing it out for the Vets and John Weber for the Jays. Final was 9-4 with the Vets continuing to improve now 6-8 and the Blue Jays moving to 7-8.
A highlight for the Vet's day was Steve Vangelder's return to the lineup getting a couple hits and showing his old form at 1B after experiencing severe back and upper leg problems for most of the season. We'll bring him back to top form slowly. Welcome back - Steve.
