Baseball caught by Bengals

APRIL 23, BLAIR FIELD-

The Blair baseball team lost its second game in a row to undefeated Blake High School, 10-5. Blake's timely hitting and Blair's failure to come through in the clutch made the difference in tonight's game, which brought Blair's record to 7-4.

The Blazers got out to an early lead as senior center fielder Will Fassett scored on a single by senior third baseman Thomas Kaufman in the top of the first. Senior starting pitcher Mike Coe was nearly perfect through two and two thirds innings, fanning six and allowing just one hit by Bengal star shortstop Hans Falkenhan, who went three for three with a walk and three runs.

Ahead 1-0, Blair broke down with two outs in the third, allowing five runs on four singles and three walks before the end of the inning. Seven of Blake's 10 runs were scored with two outs. "They did a great job hitting with two outs," said Coach John Macdonald. "Blake rose to the occasion."

To Coe's credit, the walks he gave up in the third were in quality at bats. Falkenhan fouled off more than six pitches before Coe threw him the fourth ball.

The Blazers responded in the bottom of the third by scoring Fassett again, junior second baseman Michael Sidorov and Kaufman to bring the Blazers within one, 5-4. Sophomore first baseman Thomas Foley was picked off at second base on a controversial call for Blair's third out, ending the rally with the bases loaded. The Blazers left a total of eight men on base, as opposed to Blake's five.

Junior shortstop Josh Richardson scored in the fifth on a solid single to center field by junior catcher Max Eckert. Blair had at least one man reach base in every inning except the fourth.

Senior Nick Cope relieved Coe to pitch the fifth and sixth innings. He sent the Bengals down in order in the fifth with two strikeouts and a pop fly to third, and he let up two earned runs in the sixth. Fassett pitched the ninth and did not let up any runs.

Blair entered tonight's game with a drastically altered lineup. Several players were not allowed to start because of "disciplinary reasons," according to Macdonald. Junior Michael Shields was successful in his fill-in role in left field, reaching base in all three of his at bats including an RBI single to score Kaufman in the third.

Blair's next game is at Damascus High School at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Apr 25.