Atlanta -- Disapointed in a week 1 Opening Day rainout Ninja manager Matt Jackson celebrates week two Opening Day almost like Christmas, complete with a big dinner and wine the night before. This year's festivities included some "pretty optimistic" talk that he joked may only have been partly caused by the wine. This will be a different league the Ninja baseball club opens up the 2009 season with. Starting the 2009 campaign against the co-champion Atlanta Clowns came with some concern.
Maybe the expectations aren't so far-fetched.The Ninja's can hit and picked up some great players in the off season. And if they keep pitching the way Ben Collinger and Angus Nicholson did in a 11-7 opening victory over the Atlanta Clowns on Sunday, this could finally be their championship season.
Collinger allowed 4 runs, 1 earned over 3 innings in his Ninja Debut. The Ninja's didn't start off hot at the plate, only scoring 1 run in the first 6 innings.
Nicholson taking over duties on the mound allowed 3 runs in the 4th inning, but sealed the game by holding the Clowns scoreless for 5 2/3 innings. Adam Beacham took over in the bottom of the 9th to pitch a 1/3 of an inning striking out the last batter on a swinging strike out that was snow coned by the catcher.
The Ninja's trailed by 6 runs leading into the 7th inning, but started off hot with a Adam Beacham's lead off single. With a runner on, Chris Hanney who waked his previous two at bats belted a 390 foot 2 run homer with no outs to earn his Ninja jersey, that put the Ninja's within 4 . Getting the spark the Ninja's had been looking for, Nicholson followed with a single up the middle. The hits didn't stop until the Ninja's had a tie ball game.
The addition of Hanney in the offseason who is technically a pitcher proved to be a big one. "The funny thing is, the last time I had a hit, it was a home run" as Hanney smiled. Hanney filled the spot of an injured Mike Licata and it couldn't have worked out any better.
The Clowns and Ninja's followed the 7th inning with a quick 1,2,3, 8th. The 9th inning opened up on a differnet note. With Adam Beacham leading off the inning again, Adam belted a triple into the right field gap. After a Tyler Phillips strikeout, the Beachams kept the momentum in the family with a Wade Beacham double down the right field line to drive in his cousin Adam. Tony Lajoe followed up with a single to drive in Wade. The Ninja's ended up scoring 4 run to go up 11-7 on the Clowns.
Approaching the bottom of the 9th, the Ninja coaching staff decided to stay with the starting defense in the field and keep Nicholson on the mound. With the top of the line up due, Nicholson knew it wouldn't be an easy task against the talented Clowns hitters. Dropping the first two batters on 5 pitches, Nicholson walked and hit the next two batters. With the strong hitting number three hitter up for the Clowns, the Ninja's turned to Adam Beacham to close the game. Beacham walked the first batter and feel behind 2-0 to the Clowns cleanup batter. Battling back, Adam got the upper hand with a 2-2 count. Adam reached back firing a fast ball that was fouled tipped and snowed coned by the catcher to end the game on a strike out.
"This has to be one of the best Ninja wins in the history of the Ninja franchise" Wade Beacham said. "That was fun"
Game Notes
The Ninja's have opened up the last two seasons with a victory. The Ninja's now have a franchise record of 26-12 in just 3 years. The Ninja's acquired six new players in the offseason. Adam Beacham, Ben Collinger, Chris Hanney, JP Lowen, Mike Licata, and Tony LaJoe.
Game MVP
Going 3 for 4, with a triple, a walk, 2 RBI's, a stolen base, 3 runs scored, and the save. Adam Beacham
Well, I've always wanted to know a ninja in real life. So hello there.
ReplyDelete