Flyers top Raiders for 13th win

Published 3:33 am Wednesday, April 29, 2009

CHESHIRE — Who says 13 is unlucky?

The St. Joseph Flyers went on the road and came away with their 13th win of the season in as many tries as they beat the River Valley Raiders 13-6 on Tuesday in a game called after five innings due to darkness.

The game had a combined 21 walks.

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“Both teams had trouble throwing strikes,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant. “But we made some big plays and it’s always tough to win on the road.”

River Valley, coming off a lopsided loss to Fairland on Monday after wins over Rock Hill and Hannan, W.Va., last week, managed just three hits but used nine walks and two Flyer errors to score five unearned runs.

St. Joseph combined 10 hits with 12 walks to score.

The Flyers go a run in the first inning when Chad Harvey walked and Caleb Blackburn doubled.

River Valley scored its only earned run in the bottom of the inning, but the Flyers came back with three runs in the second.

Joey Basedow walked, Payton Blair singled, Harvey walked and Blackburn beat out an infield hit for a run. A throwing error scored Blair and then Harvey stole home.

The lead went to 5-1 in the top of the third on a double by T.J. Young and a hit by Joseph “The Shoe” Unger to score courtesy runner Anthony Whaley.

The Raiders got four unearned runs in the third to get within 6-5 before Levi Hopkins came on to pitch for the Flyers and end the rally.

“Levi Hopkins did a nice job coming in and getting us out of trouble,” said Bryant.

St. Joseph then erupted for eight runs in the fifth.

Pat Gagai singled, stole second and Basedow had an infield hit to score Gagai.

“Basedow had a hustle play where he slides head first into first base and beats it out and we go on to score seven more runs. It was the turning point,” said Bryant.

Hopkins and Blair walked and Harvey had a two-run single. A passed ball scored a run, and Blackburn, Tanner Riley and Gagai all walked to force in a run. Young was hit by a pitch to drive in a run and Unger capped the rally with a two-run single.

Blair and Blackburn were 2-3 and Unger 2-4.

St. Joseph visits Sciotoville East on Wednesday.

St. Joseph 131 08 = 13 10 3

River Valley 104 01 = 6 3 1

Caleb Blackburn, Levi Hopkins (3), Caleb Blackburn (4), Chad Harvey (5) and T.J. Young, Pat Gagai (5). Brown, Smith (5), Tyler Noble (5) and Justus. W-Blackburn (6-K, 6-BB, 1-H, 5-R, 1-ER). L-Smith. 2B-St. Joseph: Caleb Blackburn, T.J. Young; RV: Curnutte. Hitting-St. Joseph: Payton Blair 2-3, Chad Harvey 1-1, Caleb Blackburn 2-3, Pat Gagai 1-2, T.J. Young 1-2, Joseph Unger 2-4, Joey Basedow 1-2; River Valley: Brown 1-3, Curnutte 2-3.