Reunited outfield stout in KRC loss
Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2008
ROGERS - Tony Anderson beamed with every long ball the Tahlequah, Okla., Bandits sailed into Rogers Kent Riley Chevy's outfield here Monday in their American Legion baseball home finale, a 5-3 loss.
That's because Matt Hamilton made his return to right field, center fielder Trey McKenzie kept up his "Golden Glove "season and Austin Reid continued to turn heads in left.
Among the three of them, they saved five runs from scoring, each with a spectacular catch in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader at Northwest Park.
"I'll tell you," Anderson said, three days before Rogers enters play in the Zone 1 District tourney," I feel good with those guys out there."
He said of McKenzie: "He's has been having a great season. He's been working hard, very consistent every ball game. He's just running everything down in the outfield, gives 110 percent all the time."
McKenzie scaled the fence to shag a boomer by hefty pinch hitter Josh Linn to the center-field wall, saving a run in the sixth.
"I think he thrives on the hard catches," Anderson said. "He really does. He always comes up with it. He gets a bead on it and he's like a Golden Glove out there."
Hamilton, idled since fracturing a leg at a July 4 tournament at Bartlesville, Okla., made a lunging catch in right to save two runs in the second inning. He had another circus catch in the fifth inning.
"He's been playing steady ball all season for us," Anderson said. "This is the first day he's been able to come back. I was real happy the way he played out in right tonight."
Reid came up with an over-theshoulder snow-cone catch with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
"Real solid," Anderson said of his left fielder. "He's playing good, too."
Rogers (12-11 ) sent some inexperienced pitchers to the mound and three of them combined to issue nine walks in seven innings. Two were with the bases loaded.
The Bandits (26-11 ) also scored on Rogers' only error of the game, a two-out, too-easy dribbler to second in the seventh inning.
"We gave up way too many walks, too many freebies," Anderson said. "Granted, young pitchers getting some work in are going to give up some walks.
"But they started getting some confidence, started competing there at the end. I'm happy about that."
The Chevy Boys pulled within 4-3 in the fifth inning, putting six straight batters on base. Seth White, Charlie Skinner and Harrison Stanfill all had singles.
"We gave them three runs and didn't start hitting the ball until late in the ball game," Anderson said.
Skinner beat out two infield hits for the game.
The Zone 1 District Tournament begins Thursday at Fayetteville. Rogers is 4-4 in league play.
"We feel pretty good about where we stand going in," the coach said. "I think we're seated third. Hopefully, we'll get the bats going. We need to start hitting the ball again."
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