Brown's blast lifts Vianney over Eureka
May 25, 2011
By Mike Rosenbaum
Two of Missouri?s hottest offenses clashed on Tuesday, when Vianney (24-8) took on Eureka in a Class 4 Sectional Game. Coming off dominant wins over highly touted Parkway South and Lafayette, Eureka (17-11) had outscored their opponents 60-13 in their five previous victories. Similarly, the Vianney offense mashed their way through district play, posting 36 runs in their three wins. But in a game rich with hard-hit balls, the Golden Griffins erupted for six runs in the sixth inning and ultimately out-slugged Eureka, 9-3.
Eureka wasted no time putting runs on the board, as Matt Hassenbeck launched a two-out, two-run home run to right-center to give the Wildcats an early 2-0 lead.
Facing the tough left-hander Aaron Schnurbush, the Griffins? offense responded immediately. After leadoff man Clayton Pfieffer singled, an outfield error on a line-drive by Jake Walters put runners on second and third with nobody out. And just as they have all season, Vianney?s three and four hitters delivered, as Ryan Barnes plated a run with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Ryan Snyder tied the game, 2-2.
The Wildcats picked up right where they left off in the second, as they scored another run and reclaimed the lead. Spencer Stien roped a one-out double and subsequently advanced to third on a ground out. Schnurbush then helped his own cause, beating out an RBI, infield single to put Eureka back on top.
Both Schnurbush and Vianney?s Tim Agne would settle down, though, as the score held at 3-2 headed into the bottom of the fifth.
The inning began on the right note for the Griffins, with Jack Klages singling back up the middle and advancing to second on Nick Ulrich?s sacrifice bunt. Pfieffer followed with an RBI single to right-center to even the score, 3-3.
Agne capitalized on the momentum shift by striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth, and, following his queue, the offense took over from there. The Griffins exploded for six runs on five hits, highlighted by a towering home run by standout sophomore, Matt Brown.
After Ryan Snyder singled and was sacrificed to second, Brown (right) stepped to the plate with the chance to give his team the lead and possibly the win. The third baseman launched a hanging breaking ball out of the park to left-centerfield to give Vianney the lead, 5-3.But the Griffins weren?t done quite yet. After Petey Spradlin reached on an error and Klages picked up another single, Pfeiffer drove in a run with single, the leadoff man?s third hit of the game. A walk to Jake Walters loaded the bases ahead of Barnes, who blew the game open with a three-run double to right and extend the lead to 9-3.
Although the Wildcats would go on to load the bases in their final at-bat, closer Teddy Rule was brought in to record the game?s final out and secure the win for Vianney.
After struggling with his command in the first two innings, Agne bounced back and picked up the win after throwing 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander allowed three earned runs on six hits, stuck out four and walked two batters. After Vianney tied the game, 3-3, the junior fired his best inning of the afternoon when it was needed the most, fanning Eureka?s three, four and five hitters in the top of the sixth.
Tim Agne did a very good job and was down in the zone today,? Scott Brown said of his starter. ?We preached all week that we needed to be down in the zone against this team and make good, quality pitches.?
For Brown, the home run was his sixth of the season and the first surrendered by Schnurbusch this season. After suffering a concussion while playing third base and missing nearly a month of the season, the two-strike, two-run shot couldn?t have been more timely and may be a step in the right direction for the sophomore.
?I?m starting to find my swing again,? said Brown, who was a state champion as a member of the CBC Cadets last season.
?He really has been struggling lately,? said Scott about his son?s season. ?After missing four weeks with the concussion, he?s been trying so hard to show people what he can do. Hopefully that relaxes him and gets him going again.?
?I was getting in the groove and then went down with a concussion,? mentioned Matt. ?I haven?t been as relaxed as I was last year, and putting too much pressure on myself to get that one pitch. But I know you can?t do that; you have to be ready to hit everything up there.?
Barnes finished the game 1-for-4 with four RBI, while clean-up hitter Ryan Snyder finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Table-setters Pfeiffer and Walters both turned in solid performances on Tuesday, as Pfeiffer was 3-for-4 two runs scored and two RBI and Walters 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Sophomore Jack Klages was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Schnurbusch pitched well for the Wildcats in the loss, but was handed his second loss of the season after surrendering five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked one.
At the plate, Schnurbusch was 3-for-3 with a run and two RBI out of the leadoff spot, while Hassenbeck?s home run was his fourth of the season.
Vianney will Cape Central on Thursday, May 26.
?We?ve played 32 games this season and the next one will be no different,? said Brown confidently. ?We?ve played a really tough schedule to get ready these games and we have to go out there and play like we did today.?