6:03 PM
jcroz13
The
Whiteford Wicked Aces jumped out to a strong start to the season on Sunday,
sweeping both the Donkeys and King Friday. The Aces, a first-year expansion
team, demonstrated their depth at pitching by utilizing four different pitchers
to combine for 22 innings of shutout ball. More amazingly, the team had two
perfect games (by the #3 and #4 pitchers in its rotation) and a no-hitter while
allowing only six runners. The most well-known WWA player, Austin Bischoff,
opened the day with a 7-inning no-hitter, Joel Crozier came in relief to work
out of a no-out, bases loaded jam in the first and allowed one hit over 5
innings of work, and Justin Hughes and Evan Bischoff both tossed perfectos
against fellow expansion team King Friday. Rookie Zach Perry added an offensive
spark and played flawless defense for the 4-0 Aces.
In the
opening game, Austin, a potential Clown Shu candidate, looked sharp on the
mound, commanding several different pitches effectively to prevent the Donkeys
from earning a hit. While he walked two batters, Austin avoided any major
threats on his way to the win. On the offensive side, the Aces had trouble
driving hits into the face of a strong breeze, but managed to squeak in the
eventual winning run in the top of the seventh on Perry’s RBI single. The
game-winning hit capped off an excellent first game for Perry, who went
4-for-7.
The
scariest moment of the second game came in the bottom of the first inning
against the Donkeys. Evan could not locate the strike zone, walking the bases
loaded and prompting Austin, the Ace captain, to bring in Joel Crozier in
relief. Crozier managed to work out of the jam with three straight strikeouts
and cruised through four more shutout innings. WWA plated two runs on RBI’s by
Evan and Hughes to secure the win.
Justin
Hughes, whose only previous wiffle experience came in the 2011 WSEM Beat It
Tournament, showed remarkable control throughout his domination of King Friday.
His only 4-ball count came with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, when the
count ran to 4-0. Hughes responded by
drilling the outer half of the board twice in a row, preserving the perfect
game; he went on to clinch it in the fifth and finished with 13 strikeouts.
KF’s pitching staff did a great job, but allowed one run in the second; Hughes
ensured that it was enough.
A
no-hitter and a perfect game would have made for a good day, but Evan decided
that one perfect game deserves another, tossing his own gem against King
Friday. Although both perfect games came against a first-time team, the mere
fact that the Aces’ #3 and #4 pitchers were able to avoid walks is impressive
nevertheless. The WWA finally broke out their bats for the final game, pounding
out 6 runs in the first two innings to provide Evan with a cushion.
The
season’s early, and the Aces are having fun and looking forward to their first
home game on Saturday, May 5.
