Sherrill & Utica split

It's a gorgeous day here at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium for today's Sherrill-Utica double header. The brand new scoreboard here at Murnane looks great. It's showing the temperature to be 86 degrees - and it feels hotter! We could use some a/c in the press box!

Anyway - as sweat drips down my back - the coaches are meeting with the umpires right now to go over the ground rules. Once they're done, the first game - a continuation of a suspended game from earlier in the season - will begin. That game will start in the top of the ninth with the score 7-7. Sherrill is the home team.

The second game will start right after the first is over. I'll keep you guys posted on the outcome of this first game and then blog with play-by-play for the entire second game.

Coming in, Sherrill (8-4) and Utica (9-5) are tied for first place in the Gold Division.

Game One
Top 9th: Ryan Dungey is on the hill for Sherrill. After giving up a single to right to Mike Obernesser, Dungey threw out Obenesser at second on a bunt fielder's choice by Joe Mazzara. Devin Warmack bunted Mazzara over to second, but was tagged out by the first baseman for the second out. Mike Scotellaro ripped an RBI triple to the gap in right-center field to put Utica up by one. Utica 8, Sherrill 7. Ryan Donovan grounded out to the second baseman to end the inning, stranding Scotellaro at third.

*Sherrill must score at least one to extend the game, and two to win.

Bottom 9th: Joe Perrotta is pitching for Utica. Mitch Iseneker led off with a groundball single up the middle, but was picked off by Perrotta for the first out. Mark Dixon drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch to give Sherrill a one-out baserunner. Matt Sayles singled to left-center, starting a crazy play. Dixon went all the way to third and the throw from the center fielder Warmack went to short, then to second, then to first in an attempt to get Sayles who was caught off of first. Scotellaro (first baseman) ran Sayles down and tagged him near second base, but by that time Dixon had taken off for home and Scotellaro's throw was late, allowing Sherrill to tie the game. Utica 8, Sherrill 8. Robert Sweet then reached on an infield single to give Sherrill a two-out baserunner. Mike Blair struck out to end the inning, but not before Sherrill tied it up to force another extra inning.

Utica 8, Sherrill 8

Top 10th: Mark VanDreason struck out looking for the first out. Perrotta grounded out to second for the second out. Nick Mishlanie was beaned in the foot to give Utica a two-out baserunner, but Vin Gaetano struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 10th: A Kevin Sayles strike out to lead off was followed by a Jamie Cielinski walk. Jermy Roden gave himself up, bunting Cielinski to second, but Dungey flew out deep to center to end the inning.

Utica 8, Sherrill 8

Top 11th: Justin Hall walked to lead off the inning and then went to second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt from Dungey. Mazzara laid down a nice bunt to move Hall to third, but Dungey made another error - throwing the ball into right field - allowing Hall to score and Mazzara to get to second. Utica 9, Sherrill 8. Warmack struck out swinging for the first out. Scotellaro then singled home Mazzara and went to second on the throw from the left fielder to the cut off. Utica 10, Sherrill 8. Donovan flew out to right, but Scotellaro tagged and went to third. VanDreason hit an RBI triple to left-center to give Utica a three-run advantage. Utica 11, Sherrill 8. Perrotta lined out to first on a nice diving grab by Sweet to end the inning.

*Sherrill must score at least three to extend the game, and four to win.

Bottom 11th: Iseneker tripled down the right field line to lead off. Dixon brought Iseneker home with an RBI single. Utica 11, Sherrill 9. Matt Sayles walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Sweet grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the first out (runners on first and third, one out). Perrotta threw a wild pitch over the head of the catcher to allow Dixon to score from third. Utica 11, Sherrill 10. Another wild pitch from Perrotta allowed Sweet to get to third, putting the tying run just 90 feet away. Blair flew out to left for the second out. Lucas Pitman came in to pinch hit for Sherrill. Pitman grounded out to the shortstop on the first pitch he saw to end the game.

FINAL: Sherrill 11, Utica 10

Game Two
Starting lineups:
Utica (10-5)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, 3B
5. Joe Perrotta, P
6. Mike King, LF
7. Joe Mazzara, RF
8. Justin Hall, SS
9. Nick Mishlanie, C
Pitcher: Joe Perrotta, RHP

Sherrill (8-5)
1. Ryan Dungey, CF
2. Jermy Roden, SS
3. Mitch Iseneker, LF
4. Mark Dixon, 3B
5. Matt Sayles, C
6. Robert Sweet, 1B
7. Mike Blair, 2B
8. Lucas Pitman, DH
9. Tyler Maunter, RF
Pitcher: Jason Dalton, RHP

Top 1st: Perrotta struck out Dungey swinging, Roden looking and Iseneker swinging to put down the side in order.

Bottom 1st: Warmack grounded out to second for the first out. Scotellaro popped out in foul territory on a nice diving catch by the catcher for the second out. VanDreason flew out to Dungey in center to end the inning.

Utica 0, Sherrill 0

Top 2nd: Dixon led off with a deep triple to left-center field. Sayles' knocked Dixon in with a 4-3 groundout. Sherrill 1, Utica 0. Sweet grounded out to Perrotta for the second out. Blair chopped a weak grounder to Perrotta for a 1-3 groundout for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Donovan popped out to second for the first out followed by a Perrotta groundout to third for the second out. King drew a two-out walk and then moved to second on a single by Mazzara. Hall popped out to Sweet in foul territory to end the inning.

Sherrill 1, Utica 0

Top 3rd: Pitman struck out swinging for the first out. Maunter walked and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dungey. Roden flew out to left for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Mishlanie reached first on an error by the shortstop. Warmack grounded into a 4-3 double play - Blair scooped up the groundered, touched second himself, and then made a good throw to first to finish the play. Scotellaro poked a two-out single up the middle. VanDreason flew out to center to end the inning.

Sherrill 1, Utica 0

Top 4th: Iseneker lined out to third for the first out. Dixon reached on a full-count walk and then advanced to second on an error by Scotellaro when he missed a pickoff throw from Perrotta. Sayles flew out to center and Dixon tagged and headed to third. Warmack's throw to third was wild and got past Donovan, allowing Dixon to score. Sherrill 2, Utica 0. Sweet reached when Scotellaro made his second error of the inning, allowing a groundball to skid through his legs. Blair put runners on first and second with a single to left. Pitman flew out to Mazzara in right for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Donovan struck out swinging for the first out. Perrotta struck out swinging on a nasty curve from Dalton. King grounded out to first to end the inning.

Sherrill 2, Utica 0

Top 5th: Maunter flew out to right for the first out. Dungey grounded out to second for the second out. Roden went down swinging for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Mazzara walked to lead off. Hall got beaned to put runners on first and second with no outs. Steve Davis came in to relieve Dalton. Utica played small ball as Mishlanie gave himself up, moving Mazzara to third and Hall to second - putting the tying run at second. Warmack stuck out looking for the second out. Scotellaro grounded out to Blair at second to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Sherrill 2, Utica 0

Top 6th: Iseneker singled to left to lead off. Dixon flew out to right for the first out. Iseneker was caught stealing by Mishlanie for the second out. Sayles then struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 6th: VanDreason grounded out 3-1 for the first out. Donovan drew a one-out walk to give Utica a baserunner. Perrotta grounded out to Sweet at first for the second out. Donovan beat Sweet's throw to second for the double play, giving Utica a runner at second with two down. Donovan advanced to third on a wild pitch from Davis. King struck out swinging to end the inning, stranding Donovan at third.

Sherrill 2, Utica 0

*Some changes for Utica: Donovan came in to pitch for Perrotta who went to shortstop. Hall came out of the game and Tom Reilly entered in left field in Hall's spot in the order. King moved from left field to third base.

Top 7th: Sweet led off with a bloop single to right. Blair picked up his second hit of the night, ripping a double to left-center to put runners on second and third with no outs. A passed ball (Mishlanie tried to backhand a ball in the dirt) allowed Sweet to score from third and Blair to move up to third. Sherrill 3, Utica 0. Davis walked to put runners on the corners with no outs. Maunter hit a line-drive single to right, bringing home Blair and putting runners on first and second with no outs. Sherrill 4, Utica 0. Dungey bunted the third strike foul for the first out. Roden popped out to Scotellaro at first for the second out. Iseneker walked to load the bases with two outs. Dixon walked, picking up an RBI and bringing in another run for Sherrill. Sherrill 5, Utica 0. Sayles drew a third straight walk to bring home another run. Sherrill 6, Utica 0. King came in to relieve Donovan on the hill. Donovan went back to third base. Sweet greeted King with a bomb of a double over the head of Warmack in center, clearing the bases for three RBIs. Sherrill 9, Utica 0. Sweet was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

Bottom 7th: Mazzara flew out to right for the first out. Reilly struck out swinging for the second out. Mishlanie popped out to second to end the game.

FINAL: Sherrill 9, Utica 0