Thursday, May 21: Away vs. Allen Township

Outlaws  8    Allen Township  7

  In their first game of the 2009 season, the Outlaws rallied for an 8-7 come-from-behind victory.  Jon Mandile pitched the final 3 innings of scoreless relief for the victory.

  The Outlaws jumped ahead in the 2nd inning.  After a Cody Knecht strikeout leading off the inning, Rick Orengo hit a single to left.  He went to 3rd when Randy Lloyd reached on an error.  Orengo scored after the pickoff attempt of Lloyd was thrown out of play for a 1-0 Outlaws lead.

  Following a Bryan Boesenberg strikeout, Joe Abuiso hit a roller to 3rd which was thrown away allowing Lloyd to score for a 2-0 Outlaws lead.

  Starting pitcher Cody Knecht was cruising along until the bottom of the 3rd when Allen Township scored 5 runs for a 5-2 lead.  Two errors by the Outlaws contributed to the deficit.  This would be the end of Knecht's day on the mound.  He gave up 5 runs, 4 earned with 6 strikeouts and 1 walk.

   Matt Suter relieved in the 4th but Allen Township added 2 more runs for a commanding 5 run lead.  Two more errors led to the 2 unearned runs. 

  The Outlaws chipped away at the lead by scoring a single run in the 5th.  With one out, Dylan Denninger (who finished the game 2-4 with 2 runs scored) singled and scored on a Cody Knecht single to cut the deficit to 7-3.

  The Outlaws added 3 in the top of the 6th.  Scott Price singled to lead off the inning; reaching 2nd on a passed ball.  Justin Slager followed by striking out but reached first when the catcher dropped the third strike.  The catcher threw the ball away allowing Price to score from 2nd and putting Slager on 2nd.  After consecutive outs by Jon Mandile and Abuiso, Donnie Pietrafesa hit a hard grounder to the 3rd baseman who threw the ball away allowing Slager to score and putting Pietrafesa on 2nd.  Justin Rodriguez smacked a single into right-center scoring Pietrafesa but was out trying to stretch the single into a double.  However, the Outlaws had cut the score to 7-6.

  Mandile, who had relieved in the bottom of the 5th, worked out of jams in the 5th and 6th to keep the score close.

  With daylight fading, Denninger led off the top of the 7th with a hard grounder between short and third which the shortstop could not come up with.  He promptly stole 2nd putting the tying run on.  However, Jim Redington struck out for the first out and Knecht ripped a sharp grounder to the first basemen who snared the ball and stepped on first for the 2nd out.

  Down to their last out, Price lifted a high fly ball to left which the left fielder miraculously dropped allowing the tying run to score.  Price ended up on 2nd base and scored when pinch hitter Chris Newhook's slow roller to the left side of the mound was thrown past the first baseman allowing Price to score for an 8-7 Outlaws lead.

  However, the bottom of the 7th also had its share of drama.  Brandon Cowitch led off with a single putting the tying Allen run on first.  A past ball and a wild pitch put him on 3rd with nobody out.  With the infield in, Matt Gunkle hit a sharp grounder to Knecht at short who picked up the ball and fired home in-time to gun down Cowitch at the plate for the first out.

  Mandile walked Mondschein and induced a game ending double play started by Justin Rodriguez.  First Baseman Jim Redington made a dazzling scoop of a ball in the dirt for the final out and an 8-7 opening game thrilling win for the Outlaws. 

The Outlaws are 1-0.

PM: 020 013 2 -- 8

AT:  005 200 0 -- 7

Pitchers:  Knecht, Suter (4), Mandile (5) and Abuiso.

WP: Mandile (1-0)

Hitting leaders: 

Dylan Denninger: 2-4, 2 runs scored, 3 stolen bases.

Rick Orengo:  2-2, 1 run scored.

Scott Price:  1-2, 2 runs scored

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