Pirates mount comeback, fall 15-8

Just when a team figures they are down for the count, anything can change.
After spotting the Fort Worth Cats an 8-run first inning, it appeared that the Pittsburg Pirates were looking at a possible long game.
However, the Pirates were able to put five run up in the fourth inning and make an interesting game out of it despite falling, 15-8 in the fourth day of the Premier Baseball Incoming Freshman tournament at JayCee Ballpark Saturday afternoon.
The Cats were able to get on to Pirates’ starting pitcher Brett Macary early as they picked up eight runs on 10 hits in the first inning.
“Brett got the ball up and they were a good-hitting team,” said Pittsburg coach Gary Grimaldi. “It was not like we were out there kicking the ball around.”
Pittsburg was able to get a run back in the top of the second after Matt Standlee scored from third on a wild pitch.
However, the Cats were able to hold Pittsburg at bay with some defensive help.
In each of the first three innings, Fort Worth turned a pair of double plays and a triple play in the second inning.
“When we had Reeb [Cochran] come in and throw three pitches and get a triple play, we were very happy with that,” said Cats coach Jay Meadows.
That seemed to deflate the Pirates.
“They played really good defense,” Grimaldi said. “If we had one or two of those find holes, we could have scored 13 or 14 runs.”
Then, Pittsburg dug into a deeper hole after the Cats scored four more runs in the bottom of the third, getting RBIs from Aye Jay Oyerbides, Tanner Vanderford and Preston Templer.
“The bats were pretty silent for us in the first half of the tournament,” Meadows said. “I think they were just starting to get settled.”
In the fourth inning, it was the Pirates’ turn to get settled as they were able to score five runs in the top of the inning to cut the Fort Worth lead to 12-6.
The Pirates got an RBI double from Standlee with one out then Christian Cedeno and Avery Coronado each came up with RBI singles. Bryan Wade was able to score a run on a fielder’s choice to give Pittsburg their five runs in the inning.
“I was really proud of the kids,” Grimaldi said. “We had a couple of games when we got down and did not come back.”
Pittsburg was able to come back and add two more runs in the top of the fifth after Piccini hit an RBI single to right field to score Macary and Standlee came around to score his third run of the game on a sacrifice grounder from Cedeno.
The Pirates also started to help themselves defensively with three successful pickoff plays at first and second base.
“They had those three pickoffs and that will really take the wind out of your sails,” Meadows said. “It will really change things.”
The Fort Worth bats also fell silent after their early-game spurt as they only managed three hits in the final three innings of the game.
“I think the guys got a little too loose after an eight-run inning and that may have contributed to us not being able to hit the ball,” Meadows said. “But, you also have to take your hats off to their pitching because they really settled and threw us off.”
But, despite the loss, Grimaldi said that it was encouraging to see the Pirates battle back from a large deficit.
“To the kids credit, they really came back and made a good game of it,” Grimaldi said.
The Pirates will play their final game of the tournament at 3:45 p.m. today against the Joplin Miners at JayCee Ballpark.