by Ethan Marshall
Todd Segarra on his team’s victory this afternoon @EcybTournaments pic.twitter.com/FGcShzzFCM
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 7, 2019
The Oil City Bandits defeated the RVC Royals 10-4 in the first game of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader. Aggressive baserunning and a strong outing by starting pitcher Todd Segarra played a big role in the Bandits’ victory.
Four walks, four stolen bases and four wild pitches allowed the Bandits to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the first without recording a hit. Segarra credits head coach Tommy Beirne for encouraging them to be aggressive on the basepaths. “Coach [Beirne] always tries to get us to be aggressive, and it always works out for us,” Segarra said. “The more risks we take, the better we do.”
Head Coach Tommy Beirne speaks about the 10-4 victory pic.twitter.com/2dkGuNg1r6
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 7, 2019
Coach Beirne emphasized the importance of his team playing a fast-paced game. “If you can play a fast-paced game, it’s hard for the other teams to catch up,” Beirne said. “We practice fast and we play fast.”
The Royals did their best to keep pace with the Bandits early in the game, scoring twice in the bottom of the first on a RBI groundout by Matt Bolton and a wild pitch, and starting the second with a triple by Kyle Hyland and RBI double by Trevor Marigliano, putting the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. After a groundout pushed the tying run to third with one out, Segarra got a key strikeout. However, back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs. A baserunning mistake by the runner at first, who tried to steal second, thinking it was unoccupied, led to the runner at third being tagged out trying to score.
Segarra and starting third baseman Ivan Epps, the two and three hitters in the lineup, were at the center of rallies in the third and fourth innings. After escaping the second with a lead, Segarra drew a leadoff walk in the third and stole second before scoring on a RBI single by Epps, who took second base on an airmailed throw home. Back-to-back groundouts allowed Epps to score. Segarra and Epps hit back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth inning, making it 8-3 Bandits.
The Royals again tried to fight back in the bottom of the fourth, starting the inning with a triple from Matt Bolton and RBI single by Adam Parker, making it 8-4. Later in the inning, with runners on first and second with one out, the Royals’ Trevor Marigliano hit a bullet up the middle that glanced off Segarra’s glove and bounced right to second baseman Nick Alverez. Alverez flipped the ball to shortstop Dylan Beirne, whose throw to first beat the runner, ending the Royals’ threat on a nifty double play.
The Bandits tacked on two more insurance runs in the fifth inning, thanks to back-to-back walks by Dan Pignataro and Carson Fessler to start the inning. Dylan Beirne, who pinch-ran for the catcher Pignataro, beat the throw to third on a double-steal before scoring on a wild pitch. Fessler scored the Bandits’ 10th and final run on groundball to the shortstop by Chase Haffey, who ended up being safe at first on a throwing error.
