T-birds hold off Glendale on ‘Fan Appreciation Day’
Jeff Moses
The atmosphere was jovial at Mesa Community College for “Fan Appreciation Day” as the 26-16 Mesa Thunderbirds took the field to take on the 17-25 Glendale Gauchos. Many of the Mesa Thunderbirds families and friends came out including a strong showing by the Mesa “Bees” of the Mesa American Little League.
The fans were given free MCC ball caps, and free hot dogs and soda by George “The Hotdawg Man” at the “Dawghouse,” while the Gauchos were given a steady dose of “Player of the Week” Darien Johnson’s right arm.
Johnson brought his team leading 2.45 ERA, and went almost seven innings, giving up five runs, two walks and striking out an impressive five different Gauchos.
Glendale was able to score three runs within the first two innings, but once Johnson settled down, he was able to manage the game and stay two steps ahead of the batter and base runners. He even pitched his way out of a potential Gaucho rally during the top of the sixth, giving up only two runs.
“It wasn’t my best day; I didn’t have my best stuff. We did enough to make it work,” said Johnson, in regards to his performance.
Whatever Johnson was missing in his game, the Mesa defense more than made up for it by snagging hard hit balls. This included an athletic catch by Mesa’s right fielder during the top of the seventh – which most assuredly saved a run and stopped the Gauchos from coming within one run of the Thunderbirds – followed by another fabulous catch by their second baseman, diving just in the nick of time, to save a run and keep the score 8-6.
Though the Thunderbirds didn’t just come to play defense either, they definitely brought the lumber amassing 14 hits and eight runs against three different Gaucho pitchers.
But the T-Birds strategy wasn’t to just swing for the fences.
Head Coach Tony Cirelli said his team took advantage of the pitcher’s throws.
“With the guy throwing soft, we worked the ball late and went opposite field a lot, and we didn’t panic,” Cirelli said.
The T-Birds began played a brand of small ball using the bunt, the steal and the hitter’s keen eyes to get walks as their method of scoring. This method clearly panned out as the Thunderbirds held off the Gauchos, 8-6.
After the game, to continue with the fan appreciation, the Mesa Thunderbirds stopped to autograph the hats of some of the little leaguers who came out to support the team.
