State game 2

cacreb2000 · Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:29 pm

Rebs get a 2 run shot by Orviss and then a sac fly in the 10th and now lead 5-2. Let's get it done boys!

cacreb2000 · Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:46 pm

State has tied the game. Just can't get it done. Winning run on second with 2 down.

rebelbear · Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:47 pm

Errors in the 10th inning are never good. Game should've been over.

cacreb2000 · Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:53 pm

That's one we never should have lost

Titles 'R Us · Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:55 pm

How many doubles does State have to hit before Bianco thinks of pulling Laxer? Another choke job by Bianco. All on him. Sickening.

rebelbear · Sat Apr 12, 2014 7:20 pm

Titles 'R Us wrote:How many doubles does State have to hit before Bianco thinks of pulling Laxer? Another choke job by Bianco. All on him. Sickening.

If Overby makes that routine throw it doesn't matter. Laxer had been solid and the bullpen is short this weekend without Greenwood.

Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:23 pm

rebelbear wrote:
Titles 'R Us wrote:How many doubles does State have to hit before Bianco thinks of pulling Laxer? Another choke job by Bianco. All on him. Sickening.
If Overby makes that routine throw it doesn't matter. Laxer had been solid and the bullpen is short this weekend without Greenwood.

You don't save pitchers for game three when you have a 3 run lead in the bottom of the tenth and a chance to win the series. You win the d*** series...period. You start that inning with every spare you have warming up in the bull pen. Unless you are Mike Bianco.

We lost the lead, the game, the momentum and possibly (probably) the series. Now, I admit some pretty stupid defensive play didn't help.

lewindha · Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:30 am

If there was ever a single loss that would turn me against Bianco. That was it. There was a timely error, but you just CANNOT lose a game like that against your in-state, conference, bitter rival. On the road or not.

This reminds a lot of last year. We won the series against them last year and seemed to have the sweep in hand, then let them come back and win the 3rd game. Seemed to be a turning point for their season. State fans acted like they had just won the CWS after that game.

I hope that's not the case this time. He's been preaching toughness all year. We're about to find out how tough they are. If they can win today after a crushing loss like that, then I'll feel good about the rest of the season. If they come out flat and lose, I won't hold my breath.

jrebel87 · Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:11 am

I agree, but like you said, we've seen this before . We know what's probably going to happen today . We will come out flat and state won't . I hope our guys realize how much they need to win and come out fighting .

Titles 'R Us · Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:57 am

lewindha wrote:If there was ever a single loss that would turn me against Bianco. That was it. There was a timely error, but you just CANNOT lose a game like that against your in-state, conference, bitter rival. On the road or not.

This reminds a lot of last year. We won the series against them last year and seemed to have the sweep in hand, then let them come back and win the 3rd game. Seemed to be a turning point for their season. State fans acted like they had just won the CWS after that game.

I hope that's not the case this time. He's been preaching toughness all year. We're about to find out how tough they are. If they can win today after a crushing loss like that, then I'll feel good about the rest of the season. If they come out flat and lose, I won't hold my breath.

Eric, we are on the same page here. Same paragraph. Same sentence. I try every year to hold out hope that a Bianco-coached team won't somehow find a way to lose in a critical situation when something high-profile is at stake. That's been the pattern for every game where something fantastic was on the line. Think back to the Virginia Super when we had that second game won, and one of our players crow-hopped a routine ball for a sure out at first base that would have sent us to Omaha. Virginia stole that second game because of that error, then went on to take the series and rob of us an Omaha outing. Last night, Overby inexplicably aims a game-ending ball to first, and then our outfield plays at the wrong depth to let State steal that game from us on their Cowbellpalooza Weekend. Disgusting to think we made their day. They didn't win that game. We gave it away.

I believe that every sports team takes on the personality of their head coach. Particularly in critical, crunch-time moments. After observing Mike Bianco for fifteen years, I believe he has a bad case of the 'puckers' and the 'zigs and zags,' and his teams get it, too, when it counts. Their inability to finish important games is uncanny. That second South Carolina game back in March is another example. We couldn't close it out.

Are these players mentally tough enough to bounce back from booting last night's game? They didn't bounce back in the Carolina series. And guess who's coming to town for a Thursday-Saturday series? Yep. LSU. A team that usually gets better as the season progresses. That rarely gives away games. That game last night could be the turning point of the season in a negative way. If we had finished it and taken the series, the implications for a host spot (even a national host spot) would have been enormous.

I know about all the good things Bianco has done for this program. But he may have a fatal flaw that prevents his teams from getting over the hump and going to the next level. We'll get a great read on that in this afternoon's third game.

pilotreb · Sun Apr 13, 2014 12:48 pm

... Think back to the Virginia Super when we had that second game won, and one of our players crow-hopped a routine ball for a sure out at first base that would have sent us to Omaha. Virginia stole that second game because of that error, then went on to take the series and rob of us an Omaha outing.

EXACTLY - I saw the Virginia SR all over again ... sad but that overwhelming gut wrenching fore knowledge of here we go again is just sooo hard to watch but out of some sort of morbid curiosity I watched it unfold again albeit knowing the outcome in advance.

In the end we played as nervous as a virgin at a prison rodeo

Titles 'R Us · Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:24 pm

pilotreb wrote:
... Think back to the Virginia Super when we had that second game won, and one of our players crow-hopped a routine ball for a sure out at first base that would have sent us to Omaha. Virginia stole that second game because of that error, then went on to take the series and rob of us an Omaha outing.
EXACTLY - I saw the Virginia SR all over again ... sad but that overwhelming gut wrenching fore knowledge of here we go again is just sooo hard to watch but out of some sort of morbid curiosity I watched it unfold again albeit knowing the outcome in advance.

In the end we played as nervous as a virgin at a prison rodeo

That last line made my day, dude. Gotta keep a sense of humor about sports, ya know!