Game 11 Co-MVP: Justin Leone

Centerfielder, Justin Leone outdid himself with his terrific defensive play in Sunday's game against the Red Sox. At a time when we needed it most, Justin came up with a game-saving catch that secured the Pirates 10-9 vistory over the Red Sox. Thank you Justin for contributing to another win.

Game 11 Co-MVP: Matthew Hamilton

Our shortstop and co-captain comes up big again. In a game that ended up close, it was great to have Matthew put up big numbers. Matthew had 2 triples along with four RBI's. He led an offensive charge that saw the Pirates put up 10 runs on the Red Sox. Congratulations Matthew.

Game 11 Recap: Pirates get their swagger back

In a game that could possible launch us back into the playoff hunt, the Pirates wasted no time getting on the board against the Red Sox. The Pirates jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Behind the "lights out" pitching of Garrison Thornton, the Pirates staved off the Red Sox for three innings until they finally got into the game. With a new batting lineup, the Pirates showed discipline at the plate and made the Red Sox use four pitchers as we dismantled their rotation behind the heavy hitting of slugger Matthew Hamilton who had 2 triples. Other key hits came from Brandon Chatman, Jack Lockhart and Ryan "A1" Aubrey. As the game wore on, the Pirates became somewhat complacent and let the Red Sox back in the game and even threatened to tie in the last inning. However, their rally was shut down when Justin Leone made a game-saving catch to end the game in the final inning. This was a total team effort that saw everyone make a contribution either on offense or defense.

Game 10 Recap: Pirates become own worst enemy

In a game that was to test the teams consistency, the Pirates fumbled at an attempt to prove to the league we were serious contenders. Game 10 started with the Pirates holding the mighty first place Tigers in check, limiting them to only 3 runs in the first three innings. This was attributed to a solid debut start for pitcher Ryan "Row" Wimsatt. His performance was highlighted by 6 strikeouts, 4 runs allowed on 5 hits. The Pirates struggled on offense all day and only mustered 2 hits (singles by Garrison Thornton and Matthew Hamilton). In the fourth inning the Tigers blew the game wide open as Brandon Chatman struggled with his control in relief of "Row". However, picthing could not be to blame as the Pirates made several errors on routine plays in the field. Overall, it was a step back for the Pirates in the first game of the competitive second half.

Final Scor: Tigers 19, Pirates 2

Midseason Leaders: Batting Average

1. Matthew Hamilton .411



2. Ryan "A1" Aubrey .400



3. Justin Leone .333

Midseason Leaders: On Base Percentage

1. Jordan Lee .615




2. Justin Leone .600




3. Cole McNeill .588

Midseason Leaders: Walks

1. Brandon Chatman 10


2. Cole McNeill 10


3. Jordan Lee 8

Midseason Leaders: Stolen Bases

1. Brandon Chatman 11


2. Cole McNeill 7


3. Ryan "A1" Aubrey 6

Midseason Leaders: Total RBI's

1. Matthew Hamilton 8


2. Garrison Thornton 5


3. Brandon Chatman 3


4. Justin Leone 3


5. Miles Nosike 3

Midseason Leaders: Total Hits

1. Matthew Hamilton 7


2. Justin Leone 3


3. Miles Nosike 3


4. Garrison Thornton 3

2009 Midseason Leaders to be posted soon...

We're all set to post the midseason leaders for vaious categories (hits, walks, stolen bases, etc.). Stay tuned...

Game 9 MVP: "GT" takes Top Honors

First baseman and co-captain, Garrison Thornton, secured the MVP honors with an outstanding offensive performance highlighted by three hits (a single, double and a triple). He also pitched a solid game and had multiple put outs at first base.

Big Milestone for Cropper

Righfielder Kyle Cropper got his first hit today and reached base safely three times, while scoring one run. His aggressive base running and overall hustle was a key factor in our success as a team today. Kyle is a vital part of our lineup and we would life to recognize him for this achievement.

Game 9 Recap: Pirates Knock Cardinals from Perch

With Game 9 marking the halfway point in the season, the Pirates wasted no time sending a message to the division leading Cardinals. The Pirates displayed an effort today we had not seen to this point. We jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. Although the Cardinals responded in the bottom half of the first, the Pirates followed up with a "mercy" inning in the second. Every time the Cardinals threatened, the Pirates stumped their rally and responded at the plate. Sound pitching performances by Garrison Thornton and Matthew Hamilton limited the potent Cardinals to 5 hits. In the final inning with the game tied, Jordan Lee's aggressive base running puit the Pirates up by 1. However, the Cardinals escaped a loss by tying the game in the bottom of the last inning. The Pirates ultimately play spoiler, because the tie knocks the Cardinals from their first place tie with the Tigers.

Final Score: Pirates 8, Cardinals 8

Show Me The Money!!!

Our shortstop, Martthew Hamilton, won the challenge and the MVP honors in Game 8. I offered $5 to any player who got the first hit in the game. Not only did Matthew get the first hit, he played a brilliant game which included 2 hits along with 4 strikeouts in his game saving pitching performance. This was a total team effort, but we would like to honor Matthew for his standout performance. Congratulations!

Game 8 Recap: Pirates win a thriller!

Game 8 against the Giants started like any other, but ended with our heads held high in victory. Brandon Chatman started on the mound and after giving up 5 runs in the first, he settled down and found his groove in the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Pirates approached the plate in this game with an agressive discipline seen only in one other game. We made the opposing pitchers work hard and when they threw strikes, we jumped on the pitches. Many batters reached base as we tied our season high run total with 10. On defense, even though we made a couple of errors, we shut the Giants when we needed to. With the game on the line, relief pitcher Matthew Hamilton shut down 6 of the 7 batters he faced. All in all , it was once again a team effort and every player deserved credit in this win.

Final score: Pirates 10, giants 9

Player Profile (4 of 13): Jack Lockhart

Name: Jack Lockhart

Nickname: Jake

Age: 8

D.O.B: April 1, 2000

Place of Birth: Montrose, Colorado

Uniform #: 7

Position: 2nd Base

Height: 4 ft. 5in.

Weight: 70 lbs.

Interest/Hobbies: Jack's favorite baseball positions are pitcher and catcher. Jack is a black diamond skier and has been skiing since he was 3. He also loves to snowboard and since moving to California, is now a great surfer, too.

Favorite Book/Movie: Jack's favorite book and movie is Treasure Island.

Favorite Baseball Player: Babe Ruth, Ryan Howard, Manny Ramirez and Matt Holliday

Special Talent: Jack has been playing baseball since age 2.

Game 7 Recap: Pirates shoot themselves in foot

Oneca again the Pirates faced their greatest opponent...themselves. Game 7 against the A's proved to be another heartbreaker. However, this game started different with the Pirates drawing first blood as they showed discipline at the plate in the first inning. We took the pitcher out of his comfort zone and forced him to walk the bases loaded and susequently walk in the only 2 runs we scored. After our initial at bat it was downhill from there. The Pirates couldn't do anything right on defense. We let a masterful pitching performance by Garrison Thornton go wasted as we made error after error (of the 14 runs allowed, 8 were due to error on our part). It was also a disapointing day at the plate. While several Pirates batters did manage to reach base, no one could muster a single hit. At this point in the season the Pirates need to get something going if they plan to contend for the 4th place slot and enter tournament play.

Final Score: A's 14, Pirates 2

Mini Camp Update

I want to personally thank all of the players and parents who have been attending our mini camp this week. We have had a lot of fun and will continue to do so. For those of you that haven't attended, it's not too late. Camp will continue through this Friday from 2-5 up at the field. The intention of this camp is to create more confidence in our players by working on individual drills and breaking into scrimmages. This allows each player to get more reps in a game-like setting. Most of the players are getting more comfortable hitting live pitching and some players are getting some work at pitching.

Camp Attendees:
Ryan "A1" Aubrey
Kyle Cropper
Brandon Chatman
Matthew Hamilton
Jack Lockhart
Cole McNeill
Jordan Lee
Garrison Thornton
Mile Nosike
Ryan Mitchell

Game 6 Recap: Pirates fail to follow up on big win

As with most youg athletes, the hardest thing to do is play consistently. Game 6 started with a reminder that you can't hold onto the past. While many Pirates players were still reeling from the win over the Red Sox, we didn't realize that the game at hand must be played. The Pirates were flat from the beginning. After giving up 5 runs to the Dodgers in the first inning, the second inning followed as more of the same. In fact, we only recorded four outs in the game on defense. The Dodgers are a veteran team with agressive play and it was just too much for our young team. However, we learned a valuable lesson in that every game must be played with ferocity and the desire to win. The Pirates are a proud bunch and will no doubt bounce back from this dissapointing loss.

Fianl Score: Dodgers 13, Pirates 0

Pirates Conduct Mini Camp

Since most of our players will be out of school for Spring Break the week of April 6-10, the Pirates will be conducting mini camp every day next week to help our players specifically improve on weak areas they may have. I will personally be at the field every day next week from 2-5. Any player who desires to get one-on-one instruction is encouraged to attend. If enough players attend, we will do team drills. However, this camp will be designed to address individual development in the following areas:

Hitting & Bunting
Fielding
Baserunning
Throwing
Catching
Pitching

Game 5 MVP: The Entire Pirates Team

The Pirates first win took a total team effort and in rcognition of everyone's contribution, the entire team was named MVP!

Game 5 Recap: Pirates Capture First Win!!!

For the first time this season, the Pirates displayed confidence in their victory over the Red Sox. Even though they got down early in the game, their resilience and determination helped them pull out a close game in the end. The difference for the Pirates in this game was their aggressiveness and discipline at the plate coupled with minimal errors in the field. Every Pirates player reached base safely at least once. This allowed us to advance runners on the base path and ultimately score our highest run total this season (10). In the field, the Pirates were ready for everything the Red Sox threw at them. Several outs were recorded in the field and relieved the burden on our pitchers. It must also be noted that Brandon Chatman and Ryan "Row" Wimsatt pitched an outstanding game and were instrumental in helping us put the Red Sox away. Other notable highlights were multiple put outs by Matthew Hamilton at shortstop; aggressive play by our catcher Ryan Mitchell; a 2 RBI double by Justin Leone; and gutsy baserunning by Jack Lockhart. All in all, it was a team effort that decided the game.

Final Score: Pirates 10, Red Sox 9

Picture Day Set for Saturday!

The Pirates are scheduled to take our team & individual photos this Saturday, April 4th at 1:20 p.m. Please arrive promptly at 1:00 p.m. in order to prepare for the shoot. Late arrivals are subject to not be included in the team photo.

Player Profile (3 of 13): Kyle Cropper

Name: Kyle Cropper

Age: 9

Date of Birth: 12/16/99

Place of Birth: Los Angeles

Uniform #: 12

Position: Right Field

Height: 4ft. 8in.

Weight: 69 lbs.

Interests/Hobbies: Building Legos, Chess, drawing, great math student and enjoys playing outside with friends.

Favorite Book/Movie: Star Wars: Clone Wars Movie, Star Wars Movie

Favorite Baseball Player: Jackie Robinson

Utility player turns 9!

The Pirates want to send a Happy Birthday shoutout to Jack Lockhart. Jack plays many positions with our team and allows us great flexibility in our roster. Thanks Jack!