108 Stitches with Bill Pierce

Recapping the 4-22-11 game

Hit Parade In Lake Elsinore.....

Coming into last nights game the Storm were looking to build on the 5-10 record and their eyes were set on the 7-8 Mavericks.

Lake Elsinore sent Matt Lollis out to face-off against High Deserts Yoervis Medina. Both pitchers are coming into the game win-less with Lollis posting a high 6.06 ERA and Medina being only slightly better at 4.60. Im sure Lollis is hoping for a better defensive effort from the boys behind him who the previous night put up a ridiculous 6 errors.

Well by the time the fireworks erupted over the diamond the sizable Friday night crowd was treated to a 12-1 trouncing of High Desert. The Storm won handily not looking at all like a 5-10 club.
Aside from one 3rd inning pitch that found the bleachers (HDM,s James Jones) Lollis sparkled allowing only 2 hits over 5innings of work while putting up 8 k's in the process. Never getting too cute with his pitches he relied on his hard stuff reaching 94 on the gun several times. The relief core finished of the game handily going the final four innings scoreless and putting up 7 more K's.

Now, here is where the "hit parade" part starts. the Storm put on a display at the plate. With nearly all hitters contributing, here are a few standouts in this writers mind. Gyorko continued to rake going 3-4 with a walk and remains an anchor in the line-up. Nathan Freiman who looked silly in his first AB and looked off balance two pitches into his second turned it around quickly hitting 2 consecutive bombs and continued with very hard outs driving in 5 runs. Edinson Rincon had a great night at the plate in DH role. He went 4-5 hitting the ball on the screws at every AB. Rincon still remains a bit of a mystery though as he shows no progression defensively. While he is still young he may be destined to be stuck in that DH position until they figure out a way to remove that iron skillet from his glove hand.

- Bill Pierce -

Planet Padres beat writer

Play Ball !!!