baseball

With our 5th win in a row tonight, we hold on to our first place standing in the Pinckney Division.  Jamestown was able to pull out a win in extra innings to remain just a half game back.  Here's a look at where we stand in other areas of the NYPL:

• Batavia is 3rd in batting and pitching with a combined .264 BA and 3.08 ERA.
• Arquimedes Nieto is now 2nd in pitching with a 1.28 ERA and perfect 5-0 record.
• Adam Reifer still dominates in saves and games at 18 and 25, respectively.
• Colt Sedbrook is 8th in batting with a .310 ERA.  He is also 3rd in on-base percentage at .403 and tied for 3rd in triples with 5.
• Shane Peterson is 5th in on-base percentage (.388).
• Jose Garcia's 19 stolen bases makes him tied for 3rd.

Make sure you get to the ballpark this weekend for some great promotions!  Tomorrow (Saturday) the first 500 fans will receive a Chase Utley bobblehead.  Sunday, the ZOOperstars will be in town for some added entertainment at the game, and as always, kids can run the bases after the game.

The Muckdogs (37-23) excelled on both sides of the plate to take down Mahoning Valley (26-35) by a score of 10-1.  Thomas Eager (4-3) started and earned the win in five innings with two htis, one run, four walks and five strikeouts (including four straight).  George Brown (3) picked up the save in the 9th, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout.  On the losing end, Mark Rodrigues (0-2) went two-thirds innings with three hits and four runs.

Batavia had one of their biggest innings of the season, scoring eight runs in the 3rd inning to put the game out of reach.  It all started when Chris Swauger and Edwin Gomez plated back-to-back singles.  Jose Garcia then had a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners one base.  When Frederick Parejo was up next, he reached and the two runners scored on a fielder's choice; Parejo then moved to second on a throwing error.  Colt Sedbrook singled in the next at-bat to score Parejo.

Shane Peterson then reached on another fielder's choice, Osvaldo Morales was hit by a pitch and Charlie Cutler singled to load the bases.  Alex Castellanos then came up with a two RBI single.  After Swauger walked to load the bases again, Gomez had his second hit of the inning, a three-run double.  The Muckdogs scored the eight runs on six hits and an error and had thirteen come up to the plate during the inning.

Mahoning Valley's only run came in the 5th inning as singles by Brock Simpson and Jeremie Tice put two on.  Simpson scored the only run when he came home on a double play ball.  On the night, Swauger was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored.  Castellanos went 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored.  They finish out the weekend with a three-game series against Williamsport at home.

*At the completion of all tonight's NYPL games, I'll have an update on our standings!*

Two new faces have been added to the Muckdogs roster. Here's a look at our new players:

• Ismael Cardona, Catcher: Cardona comes up from the GCL Cardinals where he was batting .222 with 7 RBI.  Orignally from La Sabana, Venezuela, Cardona will add some depth in catching.
• Osvaldo Morales, First Base: In Johnson City, Morales was batting .250 with 12 homeruns and 28 RBI.  In his first start as a Muckdog last night, he went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Also, I know I'm a little late with the reminder but, don't foget there are player appearances today at Denny's from 11:30-12:30 and at Oliver's Candies 12-1! Be sure to stop out, chat them up and get to know some Muckdogs...and then of course get out to a game to cheer them on! We are home all this weekend and this Monday with all games starting at 7:05, except for a 1:05 start on Sunday.

Behind a solid starting pitching effort by Scott Gorgen (3-2), the Muckdogs (36-23) remain in 1st place in the Pinckney Division after a 4-2 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (26-34).  Gorgen threw five innings with five hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.  Russell Young (4-3) suffered the loss in his six innings with five hits, three runs (one earned), one walk and 2 strikeouts.

In the 2nd inning, Batavia started things off by scoring two runs on three hits.  Chris Swauger singled and Alex Castellonas doubled to get on base and Edwin Gomez came up with a double to drive them both in.  They added another run in the 4th when newcomer Osvaldo Morales doubled and Swauger singled.  The Muckdogs's 4th and final run of the night came in the 8th inning.  Jose Garcia bunt-singled, stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error.  With Frederick Parejo at the plate, the Scrappers had a fielding error which allowed Garcia to come in to score.

Mahoning Valley threatened in the 9th, scoring two runs in the inning on a walk and two doubles, but it was not enough.  Jason Buursma came into relieve Miguel Tapia in the 9th to earn himself his third save.  In an inning of work, he let up only one hit while striking out two.

Castellonas finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  Swauger also went 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored.  The teams face each other again tonight in Batavia at 7:05.

Here's a look at where our Muckdog leaders are in the NYPL:

• Arquimedes Nieto remains the league's pitching leader with a 5-0 record and 1.28 ERA.
• Adam Reifer also still leads in saves with 18 and in games with 25.
• Colt Sedbrook is 8th in batting with a .312 BA.  He also is 2nd in on-base percentage (.406) and tied for 4th in triples (5).
• Jose Garcia is 4th in stolen bases with 18.
• As a team, the Muckdogs are 3rd in both hitting and pitching.  They have a combined batting average of .263 and a combined ERA of 3.13.

*In closing, Sunday was my last game here in Batavia. I am returning to school at Kent State University to begin my senior year as a broadcast journalism major.  It was great getting to know those of you who I had a chance to meet at games and getting feedback from you!  I will still be posting frequently for the Muckdogs with game reviews, information on players being moved up or down, community events, and so-forth.  So keep checking in! And get out to Dwyer Stadium as we continue our great run for the playoffs!

The Muckdogs (35-23) took down the Doubledays (31-27) by a score of 5-3 to complete the sweep this weekend.  Ramon Delgado (5-1) had a strong start for the win, going five innings with two hits and four strikeouts.  Adam Reifer (18) came in to pitch the 9th and got the save.  He let up one hit, one run and one walk while striking out one.  Auburn's Joel Carreno (5-4) suffered the loss in his five innings with seven hits, five runs, two walks and two strikeouts.

Batavia started their offense in the 1st, scoring once in the inning on a Brett Lilley walk, Colt Sedbrook double and a sacrifice fly by Christian Rosa.  They added two in the 2nd when Frederick Parejo double and came around home on a throwing error.  Jairo Martinez then doubled and Jose Garcia singled to drive him in.  In the 4th, Alex Castellanos doubled and Martinez singled to make it 4-0.  The Muckdogs last run came on a Chris Swauger homerun in the next inning.

The Doubledays threatened in the 7th as they scored two runs, the first on a solo-homerun by Adam Amar and the second on a Joel Collins double and Karim Turkamani single.  Collins also had a homerun in the 9th, but Batavia held on for the win.

Martinez finished 2-for-3 with a double, run and RBI.  The Muckdogs now send seven players to the All-Star game this week before returning to league action at home versus Mahoning Valley on the 21st.

 Batavia (33-23) looked sharp defensively as they beat Auburn (31-25) 5-1 to gain another game on the Doubledays.  Hector Cardenas (4-0) remained perfect in the win, going five innings with two hits, one run (unearned), two walks and three strikeouts.  Matthew Wright suffered the loss in his four and a third innings, giving up five hits, two runs, two walks and striking out two.

The Muckdogs jumped on board first in the 2nd as Charlie Cutler scored the first run after he walked and scored on a Frederick Parejo double.  The Doubledays came back to tie it up in the top of the 3rd.  Luis Rivera scored the only Auburn run of the night when he singled, moved around the bases on two sacrifice bunts and scored on a fielding error.

However, the Muckdogs came out with offensive power to get the win.  In the 5th they got the lead back after Jose Garcia doubled and then came home when Colt Sedbrook grounded out.  They plated another in the 7th on three singles by Edwin Gomez, Brett Lilley and Sedbrook.  Batavia's big inning came in the 8th as they added two insurance runs on back-to-back round-trippers off the bats of Xavier Scruggs and Cutler.

Sedbrook ended the night 3-for-4 with an RBI and Gomez went 2-for-4 with a run scored.  The Muckdogs travel to Auburn tomorrow to try to gain yet another game on the Doubledays.

In a recent post about low attendance at Muckdog games, some suggested getting players out into the community in order to get more people to fill the seats at Dwyer Stadium.  We do have player appearances scheduled.  Last Friday, pitchers Arquimedes Nieto and Hector Cardenas and catcher Christian Rosa were at Denny's from 11:30-12:20 signing autographs and meeting fans.

 Muckdogs Arqumedes Nieto, Hector Cardenas and Christian Rosa.

Players sign autographs for young Muckdog fans.

We have three other player appearances set-up in the near future:

-Friday, August 22: Denny's from 11:30-12:30 and Oliver's Candies from 12-1.

-Friday, September 5: Denny's from 11:30-12:30

These are some great opportunities to get to know the Muckdogs and ask them questions and get some autographs.  So, on your lunch breaks, get out to grab a bite to eat and meet some of the team, and then come cheer them on as they fight for a playoff spot this season!

After winning three and losing three on their six game road trip, the Batavia Muckdogs now have a record of 32-23 which puts them 1 1/2 games back of Pinckney Division leader Jamestown and 1 game up of Auburn.  Here's a quick look of each of the six games:

• Saturday, August 9: Batavia 2, Brooklyn 0:  Thomas Eager improved to 3-3 with the win on the mound, throwing the first 5 innings with only 1 hit and 1 walk.  Adam Reifer picked up his 14th save with a 1 hit, 2 strikeout 9th inning.  Colt Sedbrook had his 2nd homerun of the season, ending the night 2-for-3.  Chris Swauger went 2-for4 with the other RBI.
• Sunday, August 10: Brooklyn 6, Batavia 5:  The Muckdogs out-hit the Cyclones 13-9 but Brooklyn scored 1 in the bottom of the 10th to squeeze out the win.  Josh Hester started the game, going 3 innings with 6 hits, 5 runs and 3 strikeouts.  Jason Buursma suffered the loss as he went 1 1/3 innings with 2 hits, 1 run and 1 strikeout.  Offensively, Jose Garcia had a big game, going 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored.
• Monday, August 11: Brooklyn 2, Batavia 1:  Batavia dropped another close game, as the Brooklyn pitching staff had 14 strikeouts in all.  For the Muckdogs, Zach Pitts threw 4 innings with 5 hits, 2 runs and 2 strikeouts to drop him to 0-4.  There were no offensive stand-outs, as Garcia, Brett Lilley, Sedbrook, Xavier Scruggs and Swauger each had 1 of the team's 5 hits.
• Tuesday, August 12: Batavia 3, Tri-City 2:  Newcomer Adam Veres went 5 strong innings with 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in the start and Ramon Delgado (4-1) followed him with 1 hit, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts in the next 3 innings for the win.  Reifer added another save in 1 inning of work with 1 strikeout.  Beau Riportella broke out of his slump in a big way, going 2-for-3 with a double and all 3 of the team's RBI.  Charlie Cutler also went 2-for-3.
• Wednesday, August 13: Batavia 5, Tri-City 2:  LaCurtis Mayes (3-0) earned the win in his 1 inning of work, only allowing 1 hit.  Reifer had yet another save, making it 16 on the season.  He pitched 1 inning with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.  Riportella had a big night again, going 2-for-4 with a double, stolen base and 2 runs scored.  Lilley went 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI.
• Thursday, August 14: Tri-City 2, Batavia 1:  The Muckdogs tried for the sweep, but couldn't hang on in another low-scoring game to finish up their road trip.  George Brown (0-3) got the start and the loss, throwing 5 innings with 5 hits, 2 runs and 4 strikeouts.  Sedbrook had the only multi-hit night for Batavia.  He went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Batavia now comes home for a big weekend series against Auburn.  Tonight's game starts at 7:05 with Launch-a-Ball and fireworks after the game.  After traveling to Auburn on Saturday, they finish up the series back at Dwyer on Sunday at 1:05.  Going into tonight, here is a look where some of the Muckdogs stand statistically in the NYPL:

• Arquimedes Nieto now leads in pitching with a 5-0 record and 1.42 ERA.
• Adam Reifer is still on top in saves with 16.
• Jose Garcia's 17 stolen bases puts him in 4th place.
• Colt Sedbrook is 5th in on-base percentage with .396 and tied for 3rd in triples with 5.
• As a team, we are 3rd in batting with a .236 BA and 4th in pitching with a 3.22 ERA.

*Also of note, the Muckdogs have acquired new infielder Alex Castellanos who is being brought up from Johnson City.  While there, Castellanos was batting .298 with 7 homeruns, 31 RBI and 20 stolen bases.  The Miami, Florida, native with be wearing jersey number 24.

Get ready for some barbecue. A fundraiser in memory of David J. Pettinella Jr. (1981-2005) will be held August 30 to benefit the Batavia Senior Little League. Come by Williams Park between 11:00am to 3:00pm—or until the food is sold out—for a pulled pork barbecue dinner cooked by Frank Penna. For $9 you get a pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes and coleslaw. Drinks will be available for purchase.

For tickets, call Kathy at (585) 409-6300, or Leanna at (585) 738-7388.

Above photo available courtesy of the Creative Commons License.

 With many Muckdogs being moved up to Quad Cities these last few weeks, we have a few players joining our team from Johnson City.  Here's a look at our two newest players:

• Adam Veres- Pitcher: Veres leaves Johnson City with a record of 2-2 and an ERA of 2.38.  In 22 and 1/3 innings, he has 22 hits, 13 runs (6 earned), 7 walks and 32 strikeouts.  Originally from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Veres played at St. Petersoburg JC.  In his Muckdog debut yesterday, he threw 3 innings with 4 hits and 6 strikeouts.
• Jairo Martinez- Outfield: In Johnson City, Martinez was batting .247 with 4 homeruns and 17 RBI through 30 games.  Hopefully he will be able to help out the Muckdogs by continuing his high on-base percentage of .781.  He is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2005.

Also to note, player features of pitchers Thomas Eager and George Brown and outfielder/first baseman Shane Peterson are up on the Muckdogs website, courtesy of the Redwings staff.  Be sure to check them out!

Still locked in a tie for second place in the Pinckney Division, the Muckdogs (29-19) went into Auburn (28-20) Thursday and won big on the road, shutting out the Doubledays 11-0.  Ramon Delgado (3-1) had a terrific start, going five innings with seven strikeouts and only one hit to get the win.  Auburn's Joel Carreno (5-2) pitched four innings with seven hits, five runs, three walks and five strikeouts for the loss.

Batavia started their big offensive night in the 2nd when Frederick Parejo scored the first run after he singled, stole second and came home on a Chris Swauger single.  They scored three in the 4th on a Charlie Cutler single, Xavier Scruggs double and a two-run homerun off the bat of Swauger.

The Muckdogs added another in the 5th when Jermaine Curtis walked and stole second.  Parejo then singled to drive him in.  The 6th inning was another big three-run inning.  It started off with a Jose Garcia double and a single by Colt Sedbrook.  Brett Lilley then flew out for an RBI.  Singles by Shane Peterson, Cutler and Scruggs set-up and scored the other two runs.

Batavia's last damage came in another three-run inning in the 7th.  Garcia started the rally again with his first homerun of the season.  Sedbrook singled and Lilley doubled to put two men on.  Sedbrook came in to score when Peterson grounded-out and Lilley came home on a Parejo single.

Swauger finished the night 2-for-4 with a homerun and three RBI.  Scruggs went 2-for-4 with a single and two RBI.  Parejo went 3-for-6 with two RBI and a stolen base and Sedbrook went 4-for-6 with a double.  In all, the Muckdogs had eighteen runs on the night.

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With the big win over Auburn, Batavia now sits alone in second place, one and a half games behind Jamestown and one ahead of Auburn.  The Muckdogs look to rise in the standings tonight as they take on the Doubledays again for the final game of the series.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 and Dwyer's gates open at 6:00 with fireworks after the game.

Here is an update of where we stand in the NYPL:

• Arquimedes Nieto remains 2nd in pitching, with a record of 5-0 and an ERA of 1.52
• Adam Reifer still leads in saves with 13.
• Jose Garcia is in 4th place with 16 stolen bases.
• Shane Peterson's .409 on-base percentage is 2nd in the league.
• Colt Sedbrook is tied for 2nd in triples with 5.
• The team is 2nd in batting with a combined average of .268.
• They are also 5th in pitching with an ERA of 3.28.

Batavia (28-19) and Auburn (28-19) entered Wednesday tied for second place in the Pinckney Division, and ended the day the same way after each winning a game of the doubleheader.

The first game was a continuation of the suspended July 20th game.  It started in the bottom of the 1st with two outs and two on for the Muckdogs who were down 1-0, and ended with a 2-1 win for the Doubledays.  Zach Pitts (0-3) suffered the loss in his five innnings with five hits, two runs and four strikeouts.  Daniel Farguhar got the win, going five and a third innings with two hits and three strikeouts.

Auburn scored the deciding run in the 3rd on a Bartolo Nicolas double and Adam Amar single.  The Muckdogs only run came in the 7th when Shane Peterson walked and moved to third on a Jermaine Curtis double.  Chris Swauger then came up with the RBI single.  Peterson ended the game going 2-for-3.

In the second seven-inning contest, Arquimedes Nieto (5-0) had an impressive start.  He went five innings with one hit, two walks and six strikeouts to earn the win.  Adam Reifer pitched the ninth with one hit, one walk and two strikeouts to get his thirteenth save.  On the losing end, Matthew Wright went five innings with five hits, one run, one walk and four strikeouts in the loss.

The only run of the game came in the bottom of the 5th.  Swauger started off the inning with a double.  He then came around to score on a sacrifice bunt by Beau Riportella and a throwing error on the same play.  Swauger went a perfect 2-for-2 in the game.  Newcomer Brett Lilley also went 2-for-2 in his first Muckdog start.

The two teams battle it out again in Auburn tonight before returning to Batavia for their final contest of the series.  Game time on Friday is 7:05 with fireworks after the game.

Also, for those fans who haven't heard, outfielder Jon Edwards and shortstop Domnit Bolivar have been moved up to Quad Cities.  We expect to have new players brought up from Johnson City...I'll let you know when we hear more!

 Batavia (27-18) could only score one run to Williamsport's (24-21) ten for their second straight loss.  George Brown (0-2) started on the mound and got the loss.  He threw five innings with three hits, two runs, and four strikeouts.  Tyler Cloyd (3-1) earned the win in his seven innings with seven hits, one run, one walk and six strikeouts.

The Muckdogs scored first in the 2nd when Charley Cutler singled and Edwin Gomez doubled to send in their only run on the night.  The Crosssutters answered in the 4th when Cody Overbeck reached on a force out and Steve Susdorf followed him with a single.  Troy Hanzawa then singled to plate both runners.

They added three insurance runs in the 6th on a Susdorf single, Jim Murphy double, Hanzawa walk and single by Brandon Haislet.  The Crosscutter's other big inning came in the 7th when they added three more on a Susdorf homerun, Murphy walk, Hanzawa double then a Bryan Frew RBI single.

The best bat on the Muckdogs side came by Gomez.  He went 2-for-3 with a triple and one RBI.  Batavia is off tomorrow before facing Auburn at home for a doubleheader on Wednesday.  The first game starts at 5:05.

Going into tonight's game versus Williamsport, here is where we stand:

• we are two games behind Jamestown and still hold the second best record in the NYPL at 27-17
• Jermaine Curtis is 10th in the league in batting average (.308)
• Arquimedes Neito is 2nd in the league in pitching (4-0, 1.73 ERA)
• Adam Reifer leads the league in saves and games (12; 19)
• Jose Garcia is tied for 3rd in the league in stolen bases (15)
• Jon Edwards is 2nd in on-base percentage and 4th in slugging percentage (.425; .561)
• Shane Peterson is 4th in on-base percentage (.409)
• Colt Sedbrook is tied for second in triples (5)
• overall, the team is 2nd in batting (.266) and 6th in pitching (3.36 ERA)

The Muckdogs (27-17) looked like they were going to add a game to their win streak, but a Williamsport (23-21) three-run 9^th inning was enough for the Crosscutters to win 6-5.  Scott Gorgen (2-1) suffered the loss for Batavia, pitching three innings with three hits, three runs, two walks and three strikeouts.  The winning pitcher was Brain Rosenberg (2-1), who threw two innings with one hit, one run, two walks and three strikeouts.

 Williamsport struck first in the 3^rd inning, scoring two runs when Bryan Frew reached on a fielder’s choice and Brandon Haislet singled to put two on.  D’Arby Myers then singled to send both home.  They added one more in the 5^th on a Frew single and Travis D’Arnaud double.

 Batavia got on the board in the 5^th after Colt Sedbrook singled and eventually scored when Domnit Bolivar grounded out.  They went on to take the lead in the 6^th.  Frederick Parejo walked and Edwin Gomez singled before advanced a base on a Beau Riportella sacrifice bunt.  An error later in the inning got Jose Garcia on base and scored Parejo and Gomez.  Sedbrook then singled to score Garcia.

 The Muckdogs added one more in the 8^th when Parejo walked, stole second and scored on a Riportella single.  However, the Crosscutters came on in the 9^th to score three runs that the Muckdogs could not answer.  Troy Hanzawa singled and Tim Binkoski, Frew and Haislet walked to start the rally.  Myers and D’Arnaud both reached on a fielder’s choice to score the last two.

 Riportella was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and stolen base.  Sedbrook had the only other multi-hit night for the Muckdogs, going 2-for-4.  The two teams face each other again Monday night. 

 Here is the first installment of my new Meet the Muckdogs segment.  Keep the feedback coming of who else you would like to here from! Enjoy!

The Muckdogs (26-16) offense scored ten two-out runs with fourteen total hits in the game to take down the State College Spikes (9-32) by a score of 12-7.  Arquimedes Nieto got the start, going four and two-thirds innings with six hits, three runs, one walk and three strikeouts.  LaCurtis Mayes (2-0) pitched two-thirds of a scoreless ball to get the win.  State College’s Maurice Bankston (0-5) suffered the loss in his four and two-thirds innings with nine hits, six runs and a walk and a strikeout.

Batavia jumped off to an early lead in the 1^st on a Jermaine Curtis single and Shane Peterson double.  They added another in the 3^rd when Jose Garcia doubled, stole third and scored on a double-play ball.  The Spikes got on the board in the 4^th after Jeremy Farrell reached on an error, advanced on a wild pitch, then came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Andrew Biela.  They took the lead in the next inning when Andy Vasquez singled and scored on Chase D’Arnaud’s double.  The bases were then loaded and D’Arnaud scored when Biela was hit by a pitch.

But the Muckdogs wouldn’t stay down long, as they rallied for five runs in both the 5^th and 6^th innings.  In the 5^th, Charley Cutler singled, Curtis walked and Peterson had a RBI double.  Jon Edwards then hit two in on a single before Domnit Bolivar doubled and Frederick Parejo singled to score the other two runs.  In the next inning, the bases were loaded and a run was scored after Garcia singled, Colt Sedbrook was hit by a pitch and Peterson and Edwards had back-to-back walks.  Bolivar then singled to plate two.  Batavia’s last two runs scored when Parejo reached on a throwing error.

State College tried to rally back in the 8^th, scoring four runs with the help of four Muckdog errors, but it was not enough.  Batavia goes for the sweep and their eighth win in a row tonight at 7:05.  Ryan Howard bobble-heads will be given away to the first 500 in attendance.