In the first round robin game in the 2024 Roy Hobbs World Series,
the Defending AAA champs met up with a familiar old foe: the Maine Black Bears.

The Maine Squad played a 10:00 am game at the Jet Blue complex against the St.Louis Grays
(last year's 3rd place team in the AAA division). The Grays prevailed in 10 innings in 87 degree heat
with high humidity. The Black Bears then had to load up in their cars and travel 30 minutes across town
to take on the Cubs. The 1:45 pm start was the only game of the day for the Cubs.

The Cubs took advantage of the tough schedule for their opponent by jumping right on them in the top of the 1st.
Shawn Martin got things going with a lead-off walk. As Martin was attempting to steal second, Jerry Rosen hit a rocket
in the right centerfield gap for a RBI double. Gene Hallenbeck singled Rosen home with one out. After Gene stole second,
he then scored on an error by the Bear's third baseman.

The Bears (down 3-0 early) got one back in the bottom half of the inning. The Cubs won the second inning, when they scored
2 in the top of the second on singles by TJ Scorsone, Shawn Martin, and Jerry Rosen. Cubs' starter Mike Girard got through the 2nd inning unscathed
allowing just one single, allowing the Cubs to win the first two innings by a total of 5-1.

The Cubs failed to score in the 3rd and the Maine team scratched across 2 runs in the bottom half to pull to within 5-3, making it a game.

From that point on, the Cubs outscored the Black Bears 10-0, walking off with a 7-inning win, totaling 15-3.
Walks to Scorsone and Massaroni and a RBI single by Tim Brown plated one in the 4th. Darrell Duncan doubled and Massaroni, Brown, Jim McQuade,
Ralph Caputo, and Rosen all singled to help plate 6 runs in the 6th inning. The Cubs 3-run 7th was highlighted by a double by Duncan (his second of the day)
and singles by Hallenbeck, Randy Craft, and Brown (his 3rd hit of the day).

Girard settled in after the 3rd inning and shut out the Bears the rest of the way. He gave up just one hit batter and one single over the last 4 innings.
His line read: 7 IP; 3 runs; 2 earned runs; on 5 hits; one walk; one hit batter; and 3 strike outs. Girard was backed by very solid defense,
especially from the infield, who turned 2 nice double plays and Scorsone, Massaroni, Brown and Martin all had highlight reel plays.

It was a great start for the Albany Cubs, to what promises to be a very challenging week for them. They will play a AAAA 3rd place finisher, and another
playoff team, from last years' AAA division in a doubleheader on Monday, and the 3rd place finisher in last years' AAA playoffs. If they do well in these 3 games,
they will likely be moved up to the Quad A bracket for this years' playoffs. Lots of challenging competition left before the playoffs even start.
One game at a time.





-- Edited by mgirard11 on Monday 11th of November 2024 05:18:55 AM