Woodlands Strykers fall to Victoria Generals

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Woodlands Strykers lost 6-5 in a hard fought battle against the Victoria Generals on Tuesday night.

The game started off with Lozano, Miles, Hope, Perales, Dike, Richardson, Cascadden, Bowles, Kobernick and Foley on the field for the Strykers. The Strykers put up an excellent defense allowing no runners on base for the top of the first.

With Lazano up to bat at the bottom of the first, the pitcher for the Generals threw four consecutive balls allowing the batter to walk. Miles came up to bat where he popped a ball to right field, allowing him to take first and Lozano to take second. Hope hit to left field allowing a RBI from Lazano, Miles to move to third and Hope to take first base. When Perales stepped up to the plate he hit a pop fly to left field. While the ball was caught resulting in an out for Perales, it allowed for Miles to run home ending the first inning 2-0, Strykers.

In the top of the second the Strykers allowed two men on base before Romeo Cortina of the Generals hit a ball to left field resulting in an RBI. Foley then proceeded to walk the next batter, with players on first and third. When Darien Simms stepped up to the plate, Foley hit him with his pitch allowing Simms to take first base and the man on third to run home. The bases were loaded when Adam Goss goes up to bat, but Foley managed to strike him out.

The tables had turned in the bottom of the second when the Strykers fought through a tough defense put up by the Generals where no men made it to base, ending the second inning in a 2-2 tie.

Pedro Barrios of the Generals stepped up to the plate at the top of the third where Foley proceeded to walk him. After an out caught by a Stryker’s outfielder, Dakota Phillips stepped up to the plate. A few balls were thrown before Barrios managed to steal second base, and Philips walked to first. After a hit to center field by Caden Williams, which resulted in an out, it allowed for Barrios to move to third. Jacob Spring stepped up to bat where he hit a ground ball to center field resulting in a RBI.

The Strykers continued to fight a tough defense during the bottom of the third when Ian Kobernick stepped to the plate and hit a ball to shortstop, but was caught and resulted in an out for the Strykers. When Lozano came up to bat, he hit a ball to center field where he proceeded to take first base. During Hopes time at the plate, Lozano managed to steal second base, but after a ball was caught in right field the third inning came to an end with a score of 4-2 Generals.

In the top of the fourth, a center fielder for the Strykers caught a fly ball in center filed resulting in an out for the Generals. But when Simms came to the plate he managed to hit a ball to center field and make it to first base. During Goss’s at bat Simms attempted to steal second base but decided other wise. A few pitches later and Simms proceeded to steal second base after an attempted catch by shortstop Lance Miles. Foley proceed to walk Simms resulting in a time out for the Strykers. After the time out, #17 of the Strkyers, Mark Doerries, stepped up to the pitcher's mound. During Doerries’ first two pitches a General on first stole second base, and the Generals now occupy second and third base. While a ball was hit to center filed and caught resulting in an out for the Generals, the man on third ran home. With a man on third and Philips up to bat, the man on first stole second base. During Phillips’ at bat, the man on third ran home and after a strike out by Doerries, the Strykers are now up to bat.

Justin Perales of the Strykers stepped up to the plate at the bottom of the fourth where he hit a ball to left filed but was thrown out at first base. The pitcher for the Generals proceeded to walk Nate Van Dyke, and there is now a man on first. Following an out, Tucker Cascadden came up to bat where he was hit with the pitch allowing a walk to first and Van dyke to take second base. During Trent Bowles at bat, Van Dyke managed to steal third, but after a ball was hit to second resulting in an out, the fourth inning came to a close with a score of 6-2, Generals.

During the top of the fifth, Caden Williams of the Generals hit a ball to out field and took first base, and after Doerries walked Romeo Cortina, there are now men on both first and second base. After a time out taken by the Stryker, Travis Jones steps up to bat where he hits a ball to left field, but is caught by a Strykers’ outfielder. While Jonathan Reyes was at bat, Williams stole third base before being caught in a slight pickle with Strykers’ shortstop Lance Miles. With players now on third and first, Reyes hit a ball to second base where Miles caught it and threw it to home plate resulting in an out for the Generals. The man on first base attempted to steal second while Darren Simms was at bat, but Miles caught the ball at second base.

Garrett Lozano was hit with a pitch at the bottom of the fifth and preceded to take first base. While on base, Lozano attempted to steal second, but decided against it and ran back to first. Garrett Hope steps up to the plate, and after the catcher dropped a ball, Lozano took second base. Hope then hit a ball to left field where he took first base and Lozano ran home for a RBI. Following the homerun, the Generals brought in a new pitcher who striked out Justin Perales. The inning ended with a score of 6-3, Generals.

Yet again, the Strykers put up an outstanding defense during the sixth and seventh inning where they were able to keep the Generals off base. But while the Strykers were able to hold the Generals, they had a difficult time getting on base themself during the two innings.

At the start of the eighth inning, the Generals got a man on first after a ground ball was missed by a Strykers’ shortstop. Following the missed catch, Jonathan Reyes of the Generals hit a pop fly to left filed and preceded to take first. With men on first and second, Darien Simms steps to the plate and bunts a ball near the pitcher who throws the ball to first getting Simms out. During the bottom of the eighth the Generals brought in a new pitcher, Brett Burrington, who striked out all three Strykers players who stepped up to the plate. The inning ended with a score of 6-3, Generals.

The Strykers continued to put up an outstanding defense during the start of the ninth inning with no men making it to base, and Doerries striking out a player for the Generals. At the bottom of the ninth Nat Van Dyke hit a pop fly to shortstop and took first base. Following an out, Tucker Cascadden got a walk to first and there are now men on both first and second base. While Trent Bowles was at bat he hit a pop fly, which was caught, but allowed for Van Dyke to take third base. Mitch Henshaw steps up to bat and hit a ground ball to the pitcher but hits the pitchers foot instead of hit glove causing confusing for the Generals and allows enough time for Van Dyke and Cascadden to run home.