Rhys Casley Homers Twice for Host Pirates, Third in Two Days

Texaco Pirates Bahamas Invitational
Man-O-War Cay, the Bahamas
May 25, 2007 – Day Two

Game 2 – 7:30pm

……………………………………………………R…..H…..E
Miami Presidente Florida……………4……3…..1
Abaco Sluggers, Abaco Island……2……2…..5

WP-Rob Schweyer; save Edney Bethel (5)
LP- Rob Fawcett

K’s:Rob Schweyer (Miami) (10) in 4 inn; Edney Bethel (Miami) (8) in 3 inn, Rob Fawcett, Abaco (18) in 7 innings

Scoring Recap:

[MAN-O-WAR, THE BAHAMAS] – The Presidente team from Miami, Florida scored one run in the first and three in the second, making it stand up for a 4-2 victory over the Abaco Sluggers, a neighboring island team, in the Bahamas. Miami’s Alexis Fernandez, who homered in last night’s game scored two of the four runs, reaching on a single in the first and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Grant Albury, and aboard on a walk in the second inning, and coming around to score on an error, wild pitch, and passed ball. The other two Miami runs came in the third, when centerfielder Roy Mueller reached on an error, and leftfielder Lazzaro Fernandez reached on an infield hit, and came home to score. The Abaco Sluggers plated their two runs in the third inning, on an error, a walk, and RBI single by Fred Sweeting. Once again, the pitching on both sides was dominant, with Abaco’s Rob Fawcett racked up 17 strikeouts in seven innings, while Miami’s Rob Schweyer and Edney Bethel combined for 18 of their own.

Game 3 – 9:30pm

……………………………………………………………..R…..H…..E
Texaco Pirates, the Bahamas……………6……7…..1
Abaco Sluggers, Abaco Island…………..0……3…..2

WP-Doug Sleep; save Rob Scheller (5)
LP- Rob Fawcett

HR-Rhys Casley (2) (TP); Barry Kahler (TP); Tim Albury (TP)
K’s: Doug Sleep (TP) (8) in 4 inn; Rob Scheller (TP) (8) in 3 inn;
Rob Fawcett (Abaco) (13) in 7 innings

(Photo: Rhys Casley, with the swing that powered two more HR’s Friday)

For the second night in a row, the formula for victory for the host Texaco Pirates was home runs from Casley, Kahler, and Albury The only difference on Friday night, is that the Albury homerun was from Tim Albury, instead of Grant Albury. Rhys Casley had a monster night, with two home runs, 4 RBI, three hits and two runs scored. Casley has 6 hits in two games so far, and three home runs. The local fans now know him by name, anticipating each at bat, the way fans used to avoid the hot dog stand when Bonds was coming up.

SCORING RECAP

Casley’s first home run came to lead off the third inning, breaking a scoreless tie. It was a carbon copy of last night’s home run, a high towering drive that was never in doubt, landing in someone’s back yard on the street leading into the ballpark. Barry Kahler made it back-to-back home runs, his second in two nights. In the 5th, Tim Albury added a solo home run to left field to extend the lead to 3-0, for a good, competitive ballgame going into the 7th. But after striking out the first two batters in the 7th, an infield error and a walk meant that Fawcett would have to face Rhys Casley once more. One swing of the bat from Casley and the 3 run lead doubled to 6-0, an insurmountable lead with Rob Scheller on the mound for Haziel McDonald’s hometown Pirates.

Abaco’s Rob Fawcett struck out 13, in his second game of the evening, giving him an even 30 on the night in 14 innings pitched. Doug Sleep and Rob Scheller again split the pitching duties for the Texaco Pirates, each striking out eight, and combining for the three hit shutout.

TOURNAMENT CONCLUDES ON SATURDAY

The third and final day of competition at the first Texaco Pirates Bahamas Itournament will start tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, and continue with games slated to go at 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and an “if” game at 9 p.m. in the elimination portion of the tournament.

The championship game will be broadcast on Ballparkradio.com. Check the Ballparkradio website at www.ballparkradio.com for a click to listen link and further updates on Saturday. The games on Saturday will conclude the first ever Texaco Pirates Bahamas Invitational tournament held at the spectacular beachfront field on Man-O-War Cay, in the Bahamas.

The crowd on hand for Friday’s games was larger than the opening night, with a still larger crowd expected for Saturday’s games. Many locals from the Man-O-War community have turned out to help host the toeurnament, and also enjoy the competition. Fans accustomed to the usual fare of hot dogs and hamburgers would be delighted by what they find here in the Bahamas, including grilled mahi-mahi and chicken, peas and rice, Bahama spiced macaroni and cheese, homemade coleslaw, and a full table of desserts, including coconut pound cake. Just prior to the start of the first night’s game, it seemed that half of the town was dining at the ballpark, with the now familiar golf carts rolling in for a Friday night at the ballpark. Other fans had come by ferry from neighboring islands, along with the Abaco Sluggers team. The crowd included a number of retired ballplayers, families, kids and teens alike, to root for their local team, in a scene reminscent of an earlier era in men’s fastpitch.

Watch for Maddy’s photo slide show from Friday night’s games.

Best regards,
Jim Flanagan
www.fastpitchwest.com
www.ballparkradio.com
Email: jim (at) fastpitchwest.com

Home Runs by Casley, Kahler and Albury Power Bahamas Offense

TEXACO PIRATES/the Bahamas 4,
Miami Presidente/Florida USA, 3

[MAN-O-WAR, THE BAHAMAS] – Game one was a night of dominant pitching with Rob Scheller and Doug Sleep combining for 18 strikeouts for the host Texaco Pirates, while their counterpart, Rob Schweyer struck out 15 for visiting Presidente team of Miami, Florida. But in spite of the sometimes overpowering pitching, it will likely be the home run slugging that Bahamas fans will remember from this opening act, which saw the host Texaco Pirates rally from down 3-1 in the 6th, to win 4-3, scoring two in the 6th and one in the 7th. Six of the seven runs scored in the game came across the plate on home runs.

Rhys Casley, Barry Kahler and Grant Albury had big nights for the host Texaco Pirates. Casley had a towering home run and a double, scoring two and driving in one, Kahler a game-tying 2-run homer in the sixth, while local Man-O-War Pirate Grant Albury provided two hits, including the biggest one of them all, a tie-breaking seventh inning home run that provided the margin of victory.

Miami, for their part, made the most of just two hits, scoring three runs in the first two innings. After Casley put the Pirates on top 1-0 in the top of the first with his home run, Michael Baillou, Jr. coaxed a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the first, and came home to score on a Carlton-Fisk-esque home run, which had fans craning their necks to see where it would land. It stayed fair, and gave Miami a 2-1 lead. The visitors extended their lead to 3-1, when designated hitter Frank Gonzalez walked to lead off the second inning, was sacrificed over to second by Serrano Baillou, and scored on a flair single down the right field line by Miami’s Tony Currey, a ball which fell just beyond the reach of the Pirates right fielder and second baseman.

It was the last base runner that Miami would have on the night however, as Rob Scheller settled in, to retire the next 7 in a row, 6 on strikeouts, giving way to Doug Sleep, who retired all nine batters that he faced, eight of them on strikeouts. But in spite of that fact, Miami clung to the 3-1 lead into the 6th inning, riding the right arm of Rob Schweyer who had all of his pitches working, most notably the big rise ball that no one seemed to be able to catch up with. But in the 6th, it was Casley again that provided the spark for the host Pirates, lining a vicious double down the left field line, followed by a game-tying-two-run-homer by Barry Kahler to straightaway center field.

[Photo: Grant Albury, Texaco Pirates, with Game winning homer]

In the top of the 7th, it was local son, Grant Albury, hitting in the designated hitter’s spot, who provided the margin of victory, battling past a two strike count, for the game winning home run to straight away centerfield. The pitch he hit was a good inside rise that Albury appeared to just muscle out of the park. Three “Sleepy” strikeouts later, and the game belonged to the host Pirates.

WP-Doug Sleep
LP-Rob Schweyer
HR-Rhys Casley (TP), Alexis Hernandez (MP) Barry Kahler (TP, Grant Albury (TP)
2B-Rhys Casley (TP)
E-Miami (2)
K’s: Rob Scheller (TP) 10 in 4 inn; Doug Sleep (TP, 8 in 3 inn; Rob Schweyer (MP) 15 in 7 inn.

SCORING RECAP

Texaco Pirates 1st: Rhys Casley solo homer, 1 hit, 1 run; Texaco Bahamas 1, Miami FL 0
Miami, FL 1st: Michael Baillou Jr. walked, Alexis Hernandez homered, 1 hit, 2 runs, Miami, FL 2, Texaco Bahamas 1;
Texaco Pirates 6th: Rhys Casley double; Barry Kahler home run, 2 hits, 2 runs, 3-3 tie;
Texaco Pirates 7th: Grant Albury home run, 1 hit, 1 run, Texaco Bahamas 4, Miami, FL 3

OTHER NOTES

Players and fans got a scare in the 4th inning when home plate umpire John Gretz took a hard drop directly on his knee, which knocked him down and nearly out of the game. Gretz recovered and managed to finish the game, but was icing down when last seen after the game. One does not surrender work in the Bahamas easily.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Play continues tomorrow night:

Friday, May 25
7:30pm EST – Abaco Islands vs. Miami President, FL
9:30pm, EST – Texaco Pirates vs. Abaco Islands

Saturday, May 26
Elimination play begins
3pm EST
5pm EST
7pm EST “If game”

Internet connection permitting, the championship game(s) on Saturday, May 26 will be broadcast on Ballparkradio.com. Be sure to check www.ballparkradio.com for “click to listen” link and updates on Saturday regarding broadcast schedule. We did complete some testing yesterday and it appears that we are good to go.

Keep an eye on the Morning Brief blog at Fastpitchwest.com, where we are posting updates and some of Maddy’s photos in a daily slide show.

http://www.fastpitchwest.com/morningbrief

All results will be posted to Al’s Fastball, so check Al’s for scores and more.

Best regards,
Jim Flanagan
www.fastpitchwest.com
www.ballparkradio.com

A quick note from Man-O-War Cay [pronounced “Key”] in the Bahamas — players have begun arriving for this week’s tournament in the Bahamas. Rhys Casley, Rob Scheller and Doug Sleep were among those players arriving early to enjoy the warm hospitality of the Texaco Pirates team, headed up by Haziel MacDonald. Haziel and some of his teammates were waiting dockside near the Marsh Harbor Airport to bring the players (and Fastpitchwest) to the Man-O-War Cay, about a 15 minute boat ride across the water, and hosted a dinner for the early arrivals. Watch for more reports — and photos — soon.