Play Ball!

The B-Team Glasgow Reds christened the season on Sunday in Sidney, splitting a pair of games with the Patriots.

With a dozen new kids in legion this year, there was bound to be some bumps and bruises early, according to Head Coach Jack Sprague, such as losing command of the strike zone for the pitchers. Reds pitchers walked 11 batters in 13 innings of work split between the two contests.

But there were many positives, as well.

“We did a lot of things right, there’s a lot of things to get better at but considering first game with new group of guys, it wasn’t too bad,” said Sprague. “First game, young guys not quite knowing, it reminded me a lot of the beginning of last year.”

If the rest of this season continues to remind Sprague a lot of last year, it’s going to be a successful season. The Reds finished second in the state and moved on to regionals, the furthest the Reds have ever been, before ultimately being ousted.

On Sunday though, the Reds weren’t having success early. They were shut out through four innings, and didn’t earn a hit, an Andrew Fransen single to the left side of the infield, until there were two outs in the fourth. Meanwhile, the Patriots scored six runs in the third to take the 6-0 lead.

The Reds were finally able to push across some runs in the fifth, loading the bases with three walks. With two outs, Jake Page cleared the bases with a three-run double to cut the lead to three.

The Patriots scored three more in the bottom of the fifth but Glasgow scored five times in the sixth, pulling to within one run, 9-8. That was the closest they would get, though, as the Patriots pushed across five more in the sixth, en route to the 15-10 win.

“We had a chance to actually win,” said Sprague. “We didn’t execute some things that we’ll clean up.”

In the second contest, the Reds exacted some revenge, scoring early and often for the 16-4 victory. A four-run fourth, where Chase Fossum drove in a pair of runs with a single, was the driving force behind the win.

The Reds will play two more times on Saturday in Glendive, at 2 and 4, before possibly playing again on Sunday, if Sidney makes a return trip. With Babe Ruth games also scheduled on Sunday, it may not be feasible, according to Sprague.