LEOPARDS GET CLOSE – FALL TO TIDEHAVEN -  FIELDING MISCUES, MEAGER HIT TOTAL

Sophomore outfielders DJ Vargas and Travis Koliba, accounted for 67% of the Van Vleck Leopards’ offensive attack versus the Tidehaven Tigers, Tuesday night. Both sophomores went 2 for 3 at the plate…equaling 4 hits…the rest of the Leopards lineup amassed 4 hits over 7 innings. Adding to the scanty hit total was senior Jeremiah Smith with a single to left, senior Colton Carrion with a double, RBI to left. Sophomore, Cade Noster, pitched a tremendous game for the Leopards…61 out of 96 pitches were for strikes…Noster gave up 11 hits…and 4 earned runs…Noster spread out the Tiger hits which limited the damage early in the game – the Leopard defense played great for 5 ½ innings but continue to “shoot themselves in the foot” - Van Vleck committed 5 errors Tuesday night – most of them – late in the game with the game on the line…With the game tied 3 to 3 in the 7th inning, fielding and throwing errors by the Leopard’s pitching staff, middle infield, and outfield opened the flood gates on 6 Tiger runs in the 7th inning…stretching the lead to 9 – 3 in favor of the Tigers…Tidehaven’s Bryce Galvan took over in relief in the 6th inning…and retired the Leopards with 6 straight outs…to the end the game…Tidehaven out hit Van Vleck 15 to 6…Tidehaven made 1 error while Van Vleck committed 5 errors…Again, with that kind of hit / error combination, wins will be hard to come by in a very competitive baseball district…Van Vleck will have a chance to get into the win column this Friday – vs. the Industrial Cobras …in Industrial at 7pm.