5/7 (Schenectady, A-Diamond) - On a summer like night for baseball, the rival Twins and Pirates faced off in their first encounter of the season. These games are typically well played and competitive. This tilt was no exception!
The Twins came in a little banged up, and short-handed, but The Edelman Men always come to play, and with one man wrecking crew Jeff Whitehead on the bump, and wielding some big lumber, the Buccos had their work cut our for them. Former Twin, Rick Knipper, was toeing the slab for the Black and Gold. The Pirates broke out their new Gold jerseys, in a turn back the clock ode to the '79 Pirates!
With no defense for a walk and an error, the Twins broke on top 1-0, which could have been more except for a John Haff back to the infield grab, one of several sparklers by the big man this night. Knipper settled in, allowing 2 to plate, on 5 hits over the next 4 frames, with Whitehead crushing a 3B and 2B that figured in the scoring.
Meantime, on the hill, Whitehead shackled the Swashbucklers Sabers on 3 hits over 4 shutout frames, before getting touched for 2 tallies in the 5th on hits by Greg Allen and Jose Moreno, that were chased home on a Dane Dostie 2-Bagger, to close to 3-2 after 5 innings. Dane was at every Pirate off-season work at Frozen Ropes (thank you B. Roberts!), and his work is paying dividends!
Knipper was twirling a gem, keeping the Pirates close. After 2 quick outs sandwiched around a free pass, another walk, the table wa set for that man Whitehead. After a Manager Dalton visit, Knipper elected to pitch carefully to the Twins slugger, and induced a long, high shot to right, that was mis-played into a two base error, and scored 2 more for a 5-3 edge. An error plated the 6th run, and the Pirates faced a 4-run deficit, with two at-bats remaining.
With 1-gone, Dom Carnibucci got a hustle single, and came around on a Paul Peters gapper for 2 bags and a ribby. With 2-outs, a Jim Ansel single plated Peters, and Ansel came around to score after a steal, and was driven home on Moreno's 3rd hit of the game. The Buvs cut the lead, but still trailed 6-5.
Knipper's excellent outing was done, and Ansel came on to throw a 1-2-3, with the last, a punch out. Do or die time for the Bucs....... Manager Edelman opted to go with the hard throwing Steve Rychik to cement the W, a guy the Pirates had never faced.
Dostie continued a good nite, hustling to get to the bag on an E-3. A backwards k, and a 6-3, had 2 in the wagon and one dragging for the Look-a-Likes. Jim Jasiewicz worked a great at-bat fouling off several tough pitches and having good blinks to work the 3-2 into a free pass. Dostie then moved up and over to 3rd on a wild pitch, scoring on an E-2, to tie the game at 6-6. Jazzy promptly stole 3rd, and the winning run was 90' away. Carnibucci, seeking redemption from some tough earlier going, aggressively attacked a fast ball up, and lined it into right center for the Game Winner....and raise the Jolly Roger!!
R H E Twins 6 6 2 Pirates 7 11 3
Twins - Whitehead 2-4, 3R; Rick Saidenberg 2-4, 2 rbi Pirates - Moreno 3-3, r, rbi; Peters 2-4 r, 2 rbi; Carnibucci 2-4, r, 2 rbi; Dostie 1-3, r, 2 rbi; and Allen 2-2, r
IP H R ER BB K WP ERA Whitehead 6 11 5 5 1 7 0 7.50 Rychik (L) 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 0.00
