Shocks at Tulane

[WuDrWu]

UCONN went back to form today, shutting down Cincy 5-1.

ECU exacted revenge on Houston, hammering the Cougars 15-3.

Southern and Memphis were tied at 12 after 7. They are still tied in the bottom of the 12th.

And the Tigers walk it off with a 2 run dinger 14-12 final.

[WuDrWu]

Looks like another wild one in store. Ritter gets a solo home run in the first, then Tulane knocks around Clayton in the bottom of the 1st. Hoese is unreal. He's a modern day cocky Roy Hobbs. Whatever he wants to hit, he hits.....single, double, home run. Whatever he wants.

Shocks answer back with 2 in the 2nd. 3-2 bottom of the 2nd. We probably need 14 or so to win the game I'm guessing.

[WuDrWu]

I think the world of Clayton McGinness but he has made 2 big mistakes this inning. Walking the 9th place batter on 4 pitches with 2 outs, then a single and I guess Hoese wanted to hit a double so he did, then on an 0-2 pitch, he left way too much over the plate and another single makes it 5-3 Tulane. Just can't make those kind of mistakes and expect to win.

[WuDrWu]

Shocks get a Gibby single and a Paxton Wallace double to crawl back within 1. 5-4 Tulane bottom 3. Clayton out and Eddy in. But Tulane already has something cooking again.

Boy, a week of good pitching sure went by the wayside in a hurry.

[WuDrWu]

Somehow Liam got out of the 3rd giving up only 1 run. Still not sure how he did it.

Since then it's been very quiet. Top 5 still 6-4 Tulane.

[1972Shocker]

I'm not sure why Liam isn't the starting rotation.

[Aargh]

Single, HBP, fly out, and an error by Boyer load the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th. Segal in to pitch. Gets out of the inning with no runs scored.

[WuDrWu]

In the bottom of the 7th and Liam running on fumes, Tulane loads the bases on a single, HBP and an error. Alex Segal comes in and shuts the door getting the next 2 on a K and pop out.

Do or die time for the Shocks. 6-4 Tulane top 8. Shocks had 2 on and 1 out in the 7th but couldn't get anything else.

[WuDrWu]

Shocks had 1st and 3rd and one out in the 8th and couldn't get anything done.

In the bottom of 8th Tulane tacked on 2 insurance runs. You'll love this...single, WP, walk, K, single RBI runner out at 3rd. HBP, walk, catcher's interference RBI, K.

8-4.

Real opportunity lost. And more poor execution. If there was an easy part of the conference schedule, it's gone and they only managed to go 3-3. Lots of pressure to win games at home the next 2 weekends.

[Wuzee]

Gotta pick ‘em up somewhere else now. Disappointing.

[WSUwatcher]

Maybe they got overconfident after coming back so easily from six down with three outs to go. Lots of poor play and especially poor pitching set that up too, and the Shocks managed to overcome it -- but you can't count on doing that every time out.

It's hard to remember now, but wasn't there a time when WSU could actually pitch? And play defense, and even occasionally execute on offense?

[WuDrWu]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

[WSUwatcher]

And speaking of that galaxy, the problem now is that although Luke Ritter is a really good player, his fellow Luke -- young Mr. Skywalker -- isn't coming along to help, because he's too small for WSU these days.

Plus, Ritter and his fellow big bat Jordan Boyer are both seniors, neither of them can help on the mound; and meanwhile, the guys on the bump are allowing six runs a game, partly because they're also giving out 5 1/2 walks a game. It's almost enough to make you want to mix movie metaphors and yell, "Beam me up!"

[Veritas]

It wasn’t like you weren’t warned WUdrWU... many many times. Are you finally coming to your senses re Butler? Or are you still drunk on the Kool Aid you mix? Stop complaining and longing for the days of GS’s team. You made your choice. Be a man and own your mistakes.
You can’t have it both ways.

[ShockerFever]

28 free passes in 3 games. It's simply par for the course. Not sure why anybody expects anything different.

BK was pushed right out the door after his ballooning 3.00 staff ERA's weren't good enough. I wonder if we would take BK's "bad" years to what we have now? Nah. I'm just saltin'.

[pogo]

After talking to BK a couple of years ago the metaphorical door was open and he walked through thinking it was best for him and the University. According to him but you may have closer information to what really happened than BK did

[1972Shocker]

Ritter Named to Honor Roll for 3rd Time in 2019

A native of Overland, Park, Kan., Ritter hit .533 with eight hits in 15 at bats in the Shockers' four games during the week. He posted three doubles, a homer, four RBIs, four walks and a stolen base, and only struck out twice.

He also compiled a blistering .933 slugging and .667 on-base percentage.

Luke Ritter, along with fellow senior, Jordan Boyer have been terrific this year. Not may guys in Shockers history can claim the kind of numbers Luke has put up during the last 2/3rd of last season and so far this season, especially when you limit the numbers to D-1 competition.

I was a little bit surprised that Luke wasn't a stronger draft last year but he may have let it be known that he planned on returning to college. Not sure where he might go this year since seniors have very little, if any, leverage and he is not a big bruiser with the potential to hit a lot of home runs. However, I could see Luke filling a role similar to the Royal's Whit Merrifield, who by the way has extended his hitting streak (carried over from last year) to 28 games. The Royal's list Merrifield at 6-0, 195. Luke is listed at 6-0, 190.

Anyway I hope Luke (and Jordan) can keep up the great years they have going although staying around a 0.400 batting average is not easy to do for a full season.

[1972Shocker]

Thought we had the command issues figured out coming into the Tulane series. In the 5 games prior to the Tulane series the Shockers gave up 15 walks and no hit batters in 45 inning for 1 free pass every inning.

In the Tulane series that ballooned to 29 free passes on 23 walks and 5 hit batters for 1 free pass per inning. Triple the rate from the previous 5 games.

Clearly we have to get that back under control for good things to happen for this team.

The only reason the Shocks didn't go 0-3 against Tulane was an implosion by the Tulane pitching staff in the 9th inning of Game 1 and a bit of divine providence.