Baseball: ‘Vegas’ sweeps intrasquad World Series

In the final game of its intrasquad Navy-Vegas World Series, the Pitt baseball team split up into two teams and posted offensive-heavy performances in an 11-6 win for the Vegas team. The Vegas side also won Friday’s game, 5-3, to sweep the series.

Saturday’s ballgame wasn’t everything the scoreboard might suggest. It lasted 10 innings and saw a grand total of seven errors, including several passed balls and several pickoff attempts in which the ball ended up in right field.

Some of Pitt’s coaching consistencies were made clear during the game, which, on the positive side for the Panthers, featured three home runs, a suicide squeeze, hit-and-run attempts and more bunting.

Assistant coach Bryan Peters said that Saturday, Pitt batters read the defense well before stepping up to the plate, something they’ve always preached.

“We want to have a versatile offense,” said Peters. “Part of what makes a versatile offense is to exploit the defense’s weaknesses. If they’re giving us the bunt, we’ll take it. If they’re allowing us to steal, we’ll steal.”

Pitt batters took advantage of pitches left hanging over the plate on Saturday. Combined, the teams sent three balls sailing over the blue padded walls of Charles L. Cost Field that now sport the ACC emblem in two places.

Junior outfielder Boo Vazquez was responsible for two of the home runs. Not known as a traditional home-run hitter, Vazquez thinks the reputation could see a change in the spring.

“I’m cutting loose a little bit more,” said Vazquez. “I just think I’ve learned a little bit more about how my swing works, and I’ve grown into my body a little bit.”

The two-year starter is just coming off a year of summer ball in the Cape Cod League, where he was recognized as an All-Star. In the Cape Cod League, players use wooden bats, as opposed to the aluminum bats used in NCAA Baseball.

Still, Vazquez is by no means fazed by the midsummer switch from aluminum to wood and the switch back to aluminum, as well.

“I think it’s more natural to swing with wood. I don’t think it messes anything up,” Vazquez said.

Vazquez also contributed in the field with the defensive play of the day in the top of the seventh: Sprinting after a line drive off the bat of Nick Yarnall, the 6-foot-4 right fielder made an impressive over-the-shoulder grab on the warning track with his shoulders parallel to the wall.

The game’s other home run was hit off the bat of Casey Roche. It was a two-run shot that snuck itself inside the left foul pole to put the Vegas team up 6-2, which scored Frank Maldonado after he reached on a bunt single.  

“If they’re falling behind in the count, we’ll drive balls and hit home runs. We have to hit the long ball on occasion, which we’ve shown,” Peters said.

Vazquez’ first home run came against the team’s confirmed ace, Matt Wotherspoon. The coaching staff stretched Wotherspoon out for four full innings, and the senior allowed four earned runs to plate on six hits.

Wotherspoon reflected on plenty of mistakes in his no-decision.

“My fastball location wasn’t great today,” said Wotherspoon, “I need to get ahead in the count a little more. I was behind too many hitters.”

Peters explained the reasons for extending Wotherspoon’s inning count. One reason in particular points to his role as a leader: He leads by example.

“I think Wotherspoon is our clear number one. He’s the Friday-night guy,” Peters said. “We wanted him to establish himself in that role, work himself out of some jams if necessary, which is something he’ll have to do as the Friday-night guy.”

While Wotherspoon’s performance on the mound wasn’t up to the standard he set last season, in which Wotherspoon went 9-3 with a 3.70 ERA and struck out 85 batters during 107 innings, the coaching staff allowed him to pitch through the four-run outing to exhibit what an ace looks like.

“He’s the ace of the staff. He has the most experience as a starter,” Peters said. “We have a lot of newcomers and we wanted them to watch what a real ace does, what a Friday-night guy is going to do. So we extended him and we wanted him to throw the most innings this weekend.”