Braving the Elements: Macomb @ B-PC/A Baseball

Macomb @ B-PC/A (Baseball)
(4/8/10)

With a pair of teams I formerly covered on radio stations WKAI (Macomb) and WLMD (B-PC), and the fact that I would be on the same field the very next day covering the United Red Storm's baseball game in Bushnell, I decided to take this game in.

As I was walking up to the field, the Bombers leadoff hitter smacked a double into deep centerfield. I headed over to the B-PC/A Spartans dugout with head coach Dave Arnold and assistant coach Craig Burns. Macomb found a myriad of ways to reach base, and score. The final line of the Macomb first inning was 7 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 1 error, 1 wild pitch, and 1 balk.

The Bombers carried over the potent offense with some stout defense, turning a 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the first inning. Macomb starter Ryan Kimler got the Spartans #3 hitter, Matt Bartlett to pop out for a 1-2-3 inning.

Two more Macomb runs were tacked on in the 2nd inning, to make the score 9-0. It was another 1-2-3 inning for B-PC/A in the bottom frame. The first three batters for Macomb would score in the third inning, giving the visiting Bombers a 12-0 lead.

No runs would score in the 4th, but Macomb took advantage of more Spartan errors in the 5th inning, scoring 5 more runs. The Spartans defense committed three errors in the inning. Macomb finished off B-PC/A and would win 17-0 to improve to (6-4) on the season.

During the game, I made my away around the Bushnell baseball facilities, talking with Ron Promisson, snapping some shots. Also talked with Macomb coach Danny Watson along the third base line before he the 3rd inning of his 3rd base coaching. He was asking about fellow Olympic Conference teams, Monmouth-Roseville and Rockridge.

I also had a long discussion with B-PC Athletic Director Stan Prentice. Among our topics of discussion was the future revamped Prairieland Conference, with Farmington, Rushville-Industry, and Beardstown entering the fray next school year. Apparently at the latest Prairieland Conference meeting, some talk was made about breaking up the conference into divisions, and how feasible that could be for teams, while others could suffer. We also talked briefly about the consolidation talks between B-PC, Avon, and Abingdon schools. The Committee of 10 is being formed this month. The current plans would have B-PC host all high school students, while Abingdon would host the junior high.

Ran into Chris Vogt from the McDonough Voice. Both him and I were braving the windy and chilly conditions with red faces and wind beaten, blood shot eyes. Fortunately, I was dressed a little better for the conditions than Chris was.

After the game, had a talk with Macomb High School Principal Ed Fulkerson. His son, Reid, plays for the Bombers. We revisited the basketball season, and how the attendance at the boy's basketball state finals was so down.

My first postgame video interview was on the Macomb side, taking visitors first. Danny Watson and I talked about the Bombers baseball season, and how youthful and varsity inexperienced the team was. He said his team is much different than in season's past, when the Macomb lineup featured some big boppers at the plate. After our interview, Watson told me to just email him stuff, "don't send me stuff I have to mail back." This was in reference to the baseball questionaires that I sent out via fax. Apparently, Danny doesn't know how to work the fax machine, LOL.

The next video interview was on the other side, featuring B-PC/A Spartans head coach Dave Arnold. There wasn't much to talk about following the lopsided loss, so we did a team update. The Spartans are also very inexperienced, with several players not playing the game in a couple years. There is some progress being made by the Spartans, despite this loss.