Will Robertson took it deep early for the Bluejays (Spomer / WBR) CLICK TO BUY
It only took an inning for Will Robertson to remind the dozens in attendance why he’s an All-American. On a 1-2 offering from Omaha starter Tyler Daugherty, Robertson mashed a fastball and sent a laser shot into the right field berm, the ball burying itself in the turf as it made its way halfway to the earth’s core. The exit velo off of Robertson’s bat was likely in the triple digits, but because the technology wasn’t set up, let’s just assume it left his bat at over 9,000 miles per hour.
It counted for two runs since Parker Upton was shimmying through rain drops on second base after he hit a one out double.
In the second inning, it was Garrett Gilbert who sent a high flying dongshot into left field, bashing it into the set of bleachers next to the tunnel where the players and grounds crew enter the field. It was a towering shot, a moonshot, a thunderous display of pure might. There was no doubt off his aluminum pipe; this thing was destined for the heavens the moment he took the bat off of his shoulder.
And just like Robertson’s lasershot, Gilbert’s counted for two, as Jason Allbery swatted a seeing-eye double that bounced just right off the infield dirt down the left field line, bounding off of the third baseman’s leather, and smacking the wall in left with such force that the ball caromed directly at the left fielder. Allbery’s descent into second was met with a bullet throw from left and a tag that was a bit too premature; had the ball been in the defender’s mitt, Allbery would’ve been out by a mile.
Instead, he got a free trip home thanks to Garrett Gilbert, and the Jays had a 4-0 lead just six outs into the ballgame, assuring the maybe eighteen people that they were in for a blowout or a monumental comeback.
They were treated to a bit of the former with a real opportunity for the latter.
Ben Dotzler pitched superb against Omaha (Spomer / WBR) CLICK TO BUY
After newbies Dylan Tebrake and Ben Dotzler tossed 7.1 innings of 2 run, 4 hit ball, other newbie Paul Bergstrom entered the ballgame with one goal: acquire two outs.
In the previous inning, Parker Upton decided to join the Hangin’ Dong Club and pulverized a full count offering down the line in right, the wind doing its damnedest to try to push the ball foul. Instead, the ball hooked around the foul pole for a solo dongshot, and after a cheap Maverick run in the bottom half of the seventh, the Jays had a 5-2 lead.
All Bergstrom had to do is get two outs. That’s it. Ed Servais lamented after the game that he really wanted to use more pitchers in the game, but when Bergstrom loaded the bases – putting the go-ahead run at the plate – he had to pluck crafty vet John Sakowski from the bullpen to finish off the Mavs to assure a win.
Bergstrom’s inability to get an out burned one of the Bluejays’ finest arms, giving a bit of discomfort to the skipper for this weekend’s gigantic showdown against Georgetown.
Alas, Sakowski was nails, and he managed to strike out Krumwiede and former Bluejay Jack Lombardi.
Yeah.
A kid that signed with Creighton, who got to campus and realized that there was no real playing future for him, who bailed and went to cross-town rival UNO, had an opportunity to stick it to his former team. Instead, he grounded out to Isaac Collins at second, and ended any semblance of a threat from the Mavs.
Servais noted after the game that his players weren’t thinking about the rematch against Georgetown this weekend. The rematch against the team that ended their post-season dreams. The rematch against the team who refused to play a deciding third game at the end of the season. The rematch against the team that… yep, still has me blocked on twitter.
Parker Upton, however, put it differently. “I think we’re going to go in there with a pretty big chip on our shoulder… I’m eager to get out there.”
First pitch on Friday night is at 6pm.