Against teams who aren’t especially good don’t really grab attention, but they’re terribly important—more because we didn’t lose than because we won. Still, ULM isn’t a terrible team. I haven’t checked their RPI, but their 15-14 record following their 2 losses to us isn’t bad. The Sun Belt isn’t the SEC, but it’s a pretty fair baseball conference.
As for the 2 games: last night’s win was awful as wins go. Four errors, 2 in the 9th that allowed them to tie it up with 4 runs in T9 couldn’t have been uglier. Then allowing them to get the lead in the 10th was worse. But we responded about as well as any team could in B10. After tying it up we loaded the bases with 0 outs. I had no doubt we’d win at that point. I’m sure everyone watching knew the same thing.
Today’s game, however, was a thing of beauty. No errors & no runs allowed. Even while it was only 2-0, one had to feel we were in total control. HK’s HR was awesome. The 4-0 win didn’t feature lots of offense, but was a nice clean win.
Now the important games resume Friday. It’d sure be sweep to continue our Friday night winning streak, especially against Mize. If we win Friday, I kinda like our chances to sweep.
Today’s game, however, was a thing of beauty. No errors & no runs allowed. Even while it was only 2-0, one had to feel we were in total control. HK’s HR was awesome. The 4-0 win didn’t feature lots of offense, but was a nice clean win.
[/quote]I recognize that most here felt the problems of the last week and a half have been the errors, but the absence of bases on balls over Bolden’s 7 innings was sweet.
Very impressed with Bolden. I cut Kjerstadt’s picture of him hitting his home run out of the paper. It’s a teaching opportunity for my grandson.
However, for the first five innings it appeared that the Hogs were dialed in to an elevated launch angle. I don’t know but I suspect that, being coefficients of launch angle, the exit speeds were down and the spin rates were higher. The sixth inning was interesting. Fletcher lowered his launch angle and blistered a single into the hole on the right side. McFarland lowered his launch angle and hit the ball where it was pitched resulting in a line drive to right field. Evan Lee, who these days seems to always have the right launch angle, drilled a single into the hole on the right side. Grant Koch came to the plate dialed up a really elevated launch angle and hit a high, high fly ball that died before it reached the warning track.
The Hogs got two runs in the sixth by good old fashioned hitting.
Wind should and does change the launch angles. If it’s blowing in, you need to flatten your swing. It normally blows in at Baum. But when it’s blowing out with that north wind, you should try to elevate. It was blowing out both games this week, although to a lesser degree Wednesday.