Yup, another error and 3 unearned runs. We won't go far unless we get better fielding and pitching.
Playing two games in the cold is a big disadvantage when the other team gets one game and it's warmer. But we had our chances and played sloppy. Coastal only scored in one inning and got so many runs since Hall is slow to pull pitchers. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I figured we'd go 2 for 3 this weekend. So just need to beat Albany tomorrow.
I agree COMPLETELY with everything you said above. What drives me nuts is NOT that we gave up 2 HR's that inning, sometimes you are going to get beat. What drives me nuts is how that inning got started...a walk, an error and a hit batsman. That's 3 right there we GAVE them, and giving someone runs is a sure way to get beat. Frankly, if I were Howell and/or Hall, I would be more inclined to pull pitchers or demote them from their starting roles for walks and hit batsmen than anything else. NB-I am NOT saying we should demote Parr because of this....yet. I am saying if he can't get it straightened out, then we should but he certainly deserves a couple or three more starts to see if he can get turned around. Parr yesterday walked 6 and hit 1, while giving up only 4 hits. You can't do that and stay on the mound, imho.
But overall, we cannot continue to give up 8 runs a game to competition the likes of Coastal and FIU (both decent but neither likely candidates for Omaha) and expect to go very far. The defense was very solid last year, so I expect that to come around. Same kid who made that error yesterday was near flawless in the 2nd half of the season last year, so we will be OK there I believe. But boy it drives me nuts that Danny Hall does not seem to be able to either recruit the top pitching talent, or develop it (take your pick, I am not sure which it is) compared to other top programs. When is the last time GT had a pitcher good enough to make it far in the pros? //end rant