south oakland ducks

Gameday 13: Ducks vs Cranberry

2019 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (6-6)

vs

Cranberry Crusaders (8-1)

8 PM

West Field

South Oakland looks to even the season series against Cranberry tonight in Munhall, and keep their slim hopes for a first round bye alive. The Ducks dropped the last meeting between the two teams 5-4 in 8 innings.

Cranberry is winning a lot this season. If all the previous years’ standings and hadn’t been lost in the site migration, I’d look at the variance in runs for and allowed and try to figure out if this season is lucky or based on overall improvement.

In a relatively short season, streaks are obviously even bigger. A team can play over its head for a month and never see a true regression to the mean. Throw in a couple good pitchers and you can run away with it.

At 6-6 we are underachieving, and have only scored about 4 runs per game. On the plus side we’re allowing 3.5 runs a game, and any other year that would probably be good for a couple more wins at this point. We’ve had bad luck with runners in scoring position.

Our team is going to start hitting or we won’t. I think we’re due.

Bad news for Cranberry

Gameday 13: Ducks at Oilers

2019 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (6-6)

at

Hebrew Oilers (9-5)

6:45 PM

Mellon Park

South Oakland can sweep the Oilers and keep their slim hopes for a first round bye alive with a win tonight in East Liberty. Field conditions will not be great, but the BIG OIL has their grounds crew standing by.

The Ducks have not found their groove offensively yet, which is disconcerting given we are past the halfway point of the season. Good pitching has kept them in every game. Hopefully the team heats up in the second half. If not we will be fighting to stay in the top six and avoid a play-in game.

Bad news for the Oilers

 

Gameday 12: Ducks vs Jays

2019 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (6-5)

vs

Sheraden Jays (6-3)

8pm

West Field

South Oakland looks to take the season series from Sheraden tonight in Munhall as the teams meet for the second time in a week. The Ducks won last Wednesday’s game 5-2.

The Ducks sit in fifth place, a game behind Sheraden. A win tonight will keep the team in the hunt for a bye.

We should have most of our starters tonight, and Colton is going to pitch again after recording nine strikeouts against the Jays last Wednesday.

Bad News for the Jays

Gameday 9: Ducks vs BIG OIL

Uncategorized

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (4-4)

at

Hebrew Oilers (7-3)

7:30pm

Mellon Park

South Oakland starts off a week of playing the two most likable teams in AA in East Liberty tonight when they take on the defending champs who have no ringers at all and are a completely legit AA team that in no way is good enough to move up.

Tomorrow the Ducks play Sheraden at West Field. The commissioner will be in uniform for South Oakland, and I wonder if the Jays will be stupid enough to start another fight. I think I’ll have a brief history of NABA fights next week. My two readers can look forward to that one.

Anyway, let’s take care of tonight first. We need a win to stay above .500 and keep the Oilers within striking distance.

Bad News for Big Oil

Gameday 7: Ducks at D2

2019 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (4-2)

at

Pittsburgh D2 (1-5)

8:30pm

Herschel Park

South Oakland looks to keep pace with the division leaders with a win tonight in Elliot against a D2 team with a surprisingly poor early season record. Last year we swept D2, but they had a bunch of good pitchers. I don’t even know what D2 stands for.

But they are not twice as many laughs as the original.

If we’re not flooded out, this is the start of 4 games in five days. This weather has been brutal. It should be a close game tonight if we play. Memphis will probably bean some guys if he pitches. Hopefully the week off doesn’t favor the team full of 22 year olds.

We have Quinn pitching tonight, who is second on the team in Ks per 7, with 11 strikeouts in 7 innings so far this year (Zingle, 1.1 IP, 3K).

Bad News for D2

Ducks Win. South Oakland 8, South Hills 1

2019 South Oakland Ducks, Ducks win, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

Ducks starter Blaise Smiley (W, 1-1) pitched four innings, allowing zero earned runs on three hits and zero walks. Blaise won his first game as a Duck and recorded his first base hit of the season on a bunt in the sixth inning that sparked a five-run rally to put the game out of reach.

Both teams were short-handed, and the Devils were playing their third game in two days.

South Hills scored an unearned run in the first and lead 1-0 through three. South Oakland took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on three doubles and a walk from Lombardi, Pulice and Colton and James Fago.

In the top of the fifth inning Ducks outfielder, Mark Lombardi singled, advanced to third on two passed balls, and scored on a ground out to put the Ducks up 3-1.

In the top of the seventh, South Oakland chased the Devil’s starter, and scored five runs on four hits, an error and a couple walks, some of which were off the South Hills relief pitcher.

Ducks reliever, Cody Quinn pitched two scoreless innings, and James Fago blanked the Devils in the seventh.

South Hills drops to 4-4 on the season, while the Ducks improve their record to 4-2, and stay within striking distance of undefeated Bauerstown (5-0), and the Hebrew Oilers (6-2).

South Oakland plays next vs D2, Wednsday, 9pm at Springview Field.

 

 

Gameday 6: Ducks at Devils

2019 South Oakland Ducks

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

at

South Hills Devils (4-2)

12:30pm

Herschel Park

South Oakland looks to get back on track after a tough loss to the Grizzlies when they travel to Elliot to take on the Devils. This is a rematch of last year’s epic 10-inning loser’s bracket semifinal that basically assured neither team would be rested or have enough pitching to advance to the finals.

Devil’s manager, Rich Rodi will likely deploy the neutral zone trap, in an attempt to stifle the Ducks breakout.

It will be the Devil’s third game in two days, band both teams figure to be short handed due to the holiday weekend. I’m excited to play a day game. 9pm on a weekday feels a lot later than it did ten years ago. Anyway…

Both teams have championship aspirations, and both teams are currently chasing the Grizzlies (4-0) and Oilers (6-2) in the standings. It should be a closely contested affair.

Bad News for the Devils

Gameday 5: Ducks vs Grizzlies

2019 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (3-1)

vs

Bauerstown Grizzlies (3-0)

9pm

Springview Field

The Ducks can take sole possession of first place with a win at home tonight against the undefeated Grizzlies.

Bauerstown picked up a catcher/pitcher from Pitt Johnstown who’s hitting .800, throws 95 mph, runs a 5.8, 60 yard dash, and hits 500 foot home runs. I hear he also has a solid low post game.

The Grizzlies have some solid guys and are young. They swept the Bandidos over the weekend, and beat the Devils to open the season. They are scoring 8 runs a game. Last season, they eliminated us from the playoffs in the losers bracket final, after our exhausting, ten-inning win against the Devils. Historically, we play these guys close, including a tie a couple years ago. In that game Lonnie threw out the go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the seventh. This game will probably also be close.

 

A win tonight will go a long way towards keeping us out of the losers bracket in this year’s playoffs. This will be another good test for us. I like our chances at home.

Bad News for the Grizzlies

 

 

Ducks Win. South Oakland 6, BIG OIL 4

2019 South Oakland Ducks, Ducks win, NABA, pittsburgh NABA

Mark Lombardi hit a second inning, 2-run home run to give the Ducks an early lead they wouldn’t relinquish, as South Oakland (3-1) held off the Oilers by a score of 6-4 last night in Spring Hill. Lombardi also threw out a runner at home on a 7-2 double play, and scored on an infield hit later in the game.

Before the game, both teams provided the IDs of all players involved, and after lengthy debate and cross-referencing, all players were deemed legal. However, that piping on Dave Winfield’s pants looks so good it should be outlawed.

Ducks starter, Cody Quinn (W, 1-0) went four inning for the victory, allowing one run on a solo home run by Witer Jimenez in the first. Quinn worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the second and cruised the rest of the way. Ducks reliever, Steve Bielefeld allowed one run in the fifth, and Smiley pitched a perfect sixth. James Fago recorded his second save of the season, entering the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs. Fago struck out some guy, walked someone, then struck Jimenez out. The Oiler’s first baseman grounded out to end the game with the go-ahead run on first.

South Oakland has won three straight to pull within a half game of the first place Oilers (4-1).

  • The Oilers left the bases loaded in the second, fifth and seventh innings.
  • Brandt, Clark, Patton and Lombardi had RBI for South Oakland
  • Pulice and Clark hit doubles
  • Overall, another solid outing from the bullpen
  • The defense was also solid, I think we had an error-free game

The Ducks play next against the Sheraden Jays, Sunday, 3pm at Chartiers Field.

Quack.

Gameday 4: Ducks vs Oilers

2019 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (2-1)

vs

Hebrew Oilers (4-0)

9pm

Springview Field

South Oakland looks to win its third straight tonight when the Ducks take on the defending AA champion Oilers. Reports of the Oilers demise have been greatly exaggerated, apparently. They are returning a good team and have been in first place for the entire rain-drenched, opening month and a half of the season.

The Ducks swept the last regular season series against the Oilers, but lost to them 3-2 in the opening round of last year’s playoffs. It should be a good matchup.

The Brendan Chartier Memorial Scooter Series kicks off with the nominal rivalry trophy on the line. I don’t think anyone really wants to hold onto the actual scooter, which we confiscated from some local kids who threw it at us from the basketball court before a Ducks/Eagles game in 2016. This year the teams will play three times at three different venues (Springview, Mellon, West Field). Winner gets the trophy. The trophy is named after the Ducks former catcher who also moonlighted as an Oiler in a scrimmage game against Kenyon College.

We need to close the gap here so the Oilers don’t put too much distance between them and the rest of the league before everyone has to play four games a week to make up  all the rainouts. This is the start of a tough stretch for us, with the Devils and Grizzlies coming up. If the rain ever stops, this season is going to very competitive.

Oilers games are always fun. They’re a good litmus test. We will have almost a full squad tonight, so we will at least have them outnumbered. I like our chances at home.

Bad news for BIG OIL