Author: mightyeskimo

Gameday 6: Ducks vs Grizzlies

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (2-3)

vs

Bauerstown Grizzlies (1-3)

9pm

West Field

South Oakland looks to win its third straight game and get back to .500 after a slow start. Bauerstown looks to get back in the win column after two tough losses. These are two evenly matched teams. It should be a good game.

Here’s an old scorebook page:

Ducks vs Rakers? this is from like 2007. One of TC Jones’s first games as a Duck. My cousin Paul pitched for us. He was really good when he was sober. This must have been a night game.

Must be the Rakers. Note their #7 and 9 hitter. Barchie also pitched for the Ducks for a half season. He recorded 15 Ks in one game. I think that’s still a single game record.

We were just about to get really good. After TC came, he brought a bunch of Pitt Club players and we went from terrible to competitive. We started this year like 0-8 and wound up finishing like10-14 and narrowly missing the playoffs.

Bad News for the Grizzlies

Ducks Win. South Oakland 7, South Side 1

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Ducks win, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland won its second straight game, and improved to 2-3 on the season with a victory over the Eagles (2-1) in Elliot on Sunday.

Ducks starter, Chuck Zuzack pitched 4 strong innings and Mike Longman threw three scoreless innings in relief.

The Ducks trailed 1-0, when Joe Graff tied the game with an RBI single in the second.

The Ducks added two in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the seventh

TJ Morgan had 2 hits and an RBI in his season debut.

Pulice, Gwin and Dover hit doubles.

South Oakland plays next on Wednsday, 9pm at home vs the Grizzlies

 

Ducks Win. South Oakland 7, Jays 3

2018 South Oakland Ducks

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (1-3) beat the Sheraden Jays (1-1) 7-3 in Munhall Wednesday night. Tony Casale hit a leadoff triple, and the Ducks scored five runs in the first inning, and the Jays never threatened the early lead.

 

Randy Patten threw five strong innings allowing 2 runs on five hits, with 5Ks, Mike Longman recorded the 2-inning save allowing one unearned run.

Tom Pulice threw out a guy at second by like ten feet.

Ben Gwin recorded 2, HBP, putting him in the team lead.

South Oakland added one in the fourth and one in the sixth.

I don’t know what it is about teams with non-player coaches, but it’s terrible to play against them. They typically have fans and random people in the dugout that run their mouths. Good for them, I guess. I can’t imagine playing in an adult league and having to deal with some twenty year old’s dad bitching at me. It’s bullshit. I can’t imagine what their game against West View was like.

South Oakland’s next game is Sunday, 12pm at Hershel Park vs the South Side Eagles.

Gameday 4: Ducks vs Jays

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-3)

vs

Sheraden Jays (1-0)

9pm

West Field

South Oakland looks to win its first game of the season tonight vs. 2017 Single A champion Sheraden. The Ducks need to get in the win column before the division is out of reach.

Here’s a random scorebook page from our illustrious 15 year history:

Ducks 6, Lions 4. This is from 2014. I really had fun that season. It was our first year not playing in the most competitive division, and not winning the title that year still feels like a missed opportunity.


It looks like we threw out a couple guys at home. Former manager, TC Jones started the game and went 2 innings, recording 2Ks. Looks like he pitched out of some trouble. We could use him this year. Ciccone came in to pitch the last few innings.

Alex Riley and Garrett Moore both played in this game for us. Hartranft and Swetz with RBI. Ciccone and Culp put the game out of reach in the fifth with back to back hits. I stole a ton of bases that year, so did Tony.

Great weather for baseball. Lets get a win tonight. 0-4 would be our worst start since 2007. We need a spark.

Bad News for the Jays

Ducks Lose: Cranberry 3, South Oakland 0

Uncategorized

South Oakland dropped to 0-3 on the season with a disappointing loss to Cranberry on Saturday. Cranberry scored three unearned runs due to a dropped fly ball that kept the second inning alive, and allowed Cranberry to plate three runs.

More concerning was the Ducks’ inability to hit. Cranberry’ starter was very effective. The Ducks were one-hit for the second straight game, and have only scored 4 runs in three games. Chuck Zuzack (L, 0-1)and Chris Heisler combined to throw six solid innings, allowing zero earned runs.

South Oakland next plays at home on Wednesday night at 9PM against Single A champs, Sheridan.

What a miserable game. This weather sucks. We’ve wasted three good pitching performances so far. No need to panic, but it’s time to score some runs and get a win.

Gameday 3: Ducks at Cranberry

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-2)

at

Cranberry Crusaders (1-1)

5pm

Veteran’s Park of Cranberry (North Boundary Park)

South Oakland looks to win its first game of the season against the Crusaders this afternoon in Cranberry.

Below is an old scorebook page from a game two years ago vs. Cranberry. I remember we played this game at McGee Field because the mound at Spring Hill had been vandalized the night before. TJ had his car broken into, I think. We won on a walk-off hit by Culp in a ridiculous, 12-11 game.

Koshzow hit a ground rule double into the pool in left. We were down 11-10 going into the bottom of the seventh. They had their ace throwing and we knocked him around.

This season we pretty much only had Pat on the mound after Grahme blew out his shoulder. Nichols started this game, I think Brandt’s friend went 2 innings, and then Sorosky finished off the last two.

Alex Riley got on base three times this game in the revenge match against his former squad, and committed an error in RF.

Bad News for the Crusaders

 

 

 

Ducks Lose: South Oakland 1, Carrick 5

2018 South Oakland Ducks

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-2) lost their second straight to start the season, falling to the Carrick Express (2-1), by a score of 5-1 in Munhall last night.

The Ducks lead 1-0 going into the top of the fifth when Carrick scored a run on  a walk, a fielder’s choice, a ground out and two, 2-out errors. Then Slavs hit a double to drive in two more and that’s all Carrick would need. The Express added two more in the seventh on a misplayed fly ball that turned into a double, and three singles.

South Oakland’s defense was uneven, with players making a few spectacular plays, but costly errors leading to runs. Randy Patton (L, 0-2) pitched 7 solid innings for the Ducks, who only recorded two hits on the day.

No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds.

South Oakland’s next game is Saturday, 5pm at Cranberry.

Gameday 2: Ducks vs Express

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-1)

vs

Carrick Express (1-1)

9pm

West Field

South Oakland looks to get back on track after a tough loss to West View last week. Carrick is good. We are short a few guys tonight, so some players who might not start normally will get some at bats against one of the better pitchers we will face this season.

Below is an old score book page from 2010.

This was a Ducks vs Maulers game. The Maulers played in single A that season, and would eventually become the Express. South Oakland won 6-2. We lost to them earlier in the season.

Vernacchio’s last at bat was a 2-RBI double.

Kress, Kopy, Cannon, are all former Black Sox and Express players. Gruendle is still on the Express.

This must have been early in the season before all the Waynesburg guys joined the team that season and I nearly destroyed the franchise, which I’ve written enough about at this point.

Casale had a day. Duffy left to be a scientist halfway through this season. Guthrie would get the win on the mound in the deciding game of our second championship.

Bad News for the Express

Ducks lose. South Oakland 3, West View 5

2018 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland of the North Side (0-1) had its home opener spoiled by West View (1-0) Wednesday night, surrendering 4, runs in the top of the seventh in a brutal 5-3 loss.

Ducks catcher, Tom Pulice hit a triple and a sac fly. Starting pitcher, Mike Longman, threw four solid innings in the no decision, and left the game with a 3-1 lead.

South Oakland lead 3-1 in the top of the seventh. West View recorded two infield hits, and the Ducks committed two errors, and the game was tied without a ball leaving the infield. There was a sacrifice fly, and a single and the lead evaporated.

South Oakland had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t tie up the game.

The Wolfpack hung around. Their pitchers kept us from adding to the lead. They deserved the win.

Now its snowing again.

South Oakland’s next game is at home on Wednesday vs Carrick.

Gameday 1: Ducks vs. Wolfpack

2018 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side

vs

West View Wolfpack

9pm

West Field

Getting out of spring view field was long over due. I think it’s incredible we are playing in the old Homestead Grays park.

No metal spikes.

Here’s a link to pretty cool site that shows how destroyed the field was before the renovations. Dead Baseball.

In stead of discussing this game, in honor of our 15th anniversary, I’m going to look through old score books and write about my findings. I am bored with half assed inflammatory previews.

This would probably be better as video, but i assume people only read these at work and that might be prohibitive. Still, maybe Germani and I can get together and create some amazing Pittsburgh NABA content.

Some of these old books are insanely rough. I think during the league’s first two seasons, I gave Boley our scorebook and he entered the stats, so there are many missing pages. Check this out from 2005.

These are consecutive pages, first a Maulers lineup, with Joe Graff leading off, then a Knights lineup, a Warriors lineup and a Ducks lines with the header: Ducks vs. Phantoms. There is no phantoms lineup anywhere though.

Naba legend Vinny Gala batting cleanup and playing 3rd. This was before Graff took over the league. We held them to one run. I don’t know how we managed that. Swetz must have pitched.

I think Brandt and Sorosky became Knights the next season. The Warriors won the title in 2005, I think. Maybe it was the Black Sox. Craig Boley: 2-3 and reached on an error, 2 SB, 2R. Solid production from the 8 spot.

We had a decent lineup. Hartranft, Swetz, Swanger, Adam Oliver. Eric Lee was the fastest guy I’ve ever seen. I think he’s on the lamb somewhere. We didn’t have a natural shortstop or enough pitching. We had like 3 second basemen who couldn’t throw. It was rough on defense.

Here’s an old picture from the blog’s glory days.

Bad News for West View