I am excited to announce a new series on my blog titled Show Me League Recaps. They will be posts about what happened during the games at US Ballpark!
Crush vs. Stars
Webb Dominates, As Crush Blank Stars For Second Consecutive Victory
Game Preview- The Crush will look to bring some fireworks of their own in Show Me League action on July Fourth, as they fell to the Midwest Nationals on Thursday, July 1st. The Stars will bring Jordan Carter to the mound, who will look to win their
Game Recap- Stars Jordan Carter got into a jam early, allowing back to back singles and a walk after getting Colson Sledge to fly out. Logan Winkelman tested his luck on the basepaths and was tagged out at second. Carter got an inning ending strikeout that did not allow in any runs for the Crush. Queen City wasted a great opportunity to score in the opening frame, as they headed to the bottom half of the inning with nothing on the board despite their great efforts.
Sam Webb, the starter for the Crush, recorded three outs that resulted in a quick bottom half of the first with neither team putting up a run in the inning.
Two fly outs opened the top half of the second for Queen City, followed by a Tate Winfield double. The potential first run of the game quickly evaporated, as Shane Poe grounded out to end the inning
Webb received similar results in the bottom of the second, retiring the Stars in order while keeping the scoreboard at all zeros.
The top of the third began with a leadoff single from Colson Sledge, as Logan Winkelman recorded the first out in the top of the third on offensive interference. The game really began to pick up after the first out, with Lane Crowden getting a bunt down for a single and advancing Sledge in the process. A balk from Stars rightie Jordan Carter opened the floodgates with the next two Crush hitters driving in a run to make it a two-run advantage and giving Sam Webb a lead as he looked to continue his dominance.
Sam Webb found his rhythm early and often in this one, retiring the Stars bottom half of the lineup in order in the third. Webb fired three perfect frames for Queen City to begin the game and was rolling heading into the fourth inning.
The top of the fourth started with some fireworks, as Trent Turner led off the inning with a solo home run, his second of the campaign. Carter seemed to settle down after the round tripper, as he recorded three consecutive outs.
With Queen City leading by three entering the bottom half of the fourth, the Stars needed to put something together. Sam Webb continued mowing down the Stars lineup, as he pitched another clean frame. With four innings in the books, Webb was still perfect.
Austin Anderson relieved Jordan Carter in the top of the fifth for the Stars and had a nice first inning in relief. Anderson recorded a Logan Winkelman strikeout to leadoff the frame, followed by two fly outs.
Sam Webb kept the Stars off the board once more in the bottom half of the fifth, with two strikeouts and a fly out. Through five frames, the Crush starter had to have been thinking of a perfect game or at least a no-hitter, as he recorded 15 consecutive outs.
Anderson remained in the game for his second relief inning in the sixth, looking to repeat his scoreless fifth in the process. After a leadoff walk to Tanner Lumley, the Stars pitcher recorded three consecutive outs, with two of them being via the strikeout.
Sam Webb strolled out to the mound in the bottom part of the sixth, possibly thinking of making history on Sunday evening. Bo Crites was sat down on strikes to begin the frame, as Akinori Minagawa, a pinch hitter, hit a line drive right to second baseman Shane Poe for the second out. Gage Weatherford walked, breaking up Webb’s perfect game. Finally with a runner on base, the Stars looked to capitalize and build some momentum. With a Cole Hill strikeout, the Stars momentum was zapped right out of the July Fourth air, as the score remained 3-0 Crush headed into the final frame.
Brennan Espy relieved Austin Anderson to begin the top of the seventh. Anderson fired two hitless innings, while striking out three, and only walking one. Espy made the top of the seventh look easy, retiring the side in order.
Sam Webb remained in the game to try and finish what he started. Any thought of a no-hitter was quickly wiped out on a leadoff single from Cade Holmes and a double that followed from Brennan Espy. With runners on the corners, pinch-hitter Tyler Harre struck out swinging. Webb walked Brock Schaffitzel to load the bases. With one out in the final frame, the Stars looked like they might have been able to break into the run column. A Grant Harris double-play ended the game in dramatic fashion, giving Sam Webb the complete game shutout victory.
Final Notes: Sam Webb pitched a two-hitter, while allowing two walks, and striking out nine. What a performance it was from Webb, which resulted in the Crush getting their second consecutive victory.
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