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Nine sweep season opener double header in Smithtown
When one considers the Roxbury Nine boasts fours sets of brothers, a step father and son, an uncle and two nephews, it’s no doubt the club has been organically grown from a small rural town. However, the competitive edge that our boys of summer exhibit is remarkable considering the roster is developed from a total town population of 2500 people.
This last Saturday in Smithtown was a clear indication that the Nine are chomping at the bit to get their season underway. Game one, in the 1864 style of play, was a nail biter from the get go. With Roxbury winning the toss for home field advantage, the Brooklyn Atlantics tallied two at the top of the first. The Nine came back with one and shut the Atlantics down at the top of the second.
Roxbury tied the game after two, yet they gave up three more runs to put them at a 5-3 deficit by the bottom of the third. The Atlantics continued to hang onto their lead by adding another run in the fourth and shutting down the Nine’s bats that same inning. It was the fifth inning when the Nine began to show their vintage mettle. They would only allow one run for their Brooklyn foes and began to bring their vintage saavy to life.
Shane Hubbard lead off in the bottom of the fifth with a double as Andrew Walker brought him across the plate with a single of his own. Chris Hynes moved Walker across the plate but was left stranded on the bag by the Atlantic’s defense.
Roxbury took the field and shut down the atlantics for the next two innings. Flachs led off the bottom of the sixth with a single yet was stifled as Matt Hubbard took first on a fielders choice that sent Flachs to the bench. Brother Shane advanced Hubbard with a single, followed by a base on balls by Walker, and another single by Greg Funck, bringing the precipitous Hubbards and Walker across the plate.
Chris Hynes would bring Funck home with a single and again be left stranded by the final out of the inning. Roxbury would once again shut down the Atlantics in the seventh and tally three with a single by Keator, followed with another single by Flachs and a home run by Matt Hubbard expanding their efforts to a five run lead.
The Nine struggled defensively in the eighth allowing five Atlantics across the plate to tie the score 12-12. The Nine answered in the bottom of the eighth with both Gred Funck and Chris Hynes crossing the plate for making the score 14-12 in the opening of the final inning. Roxbury was facing the bottom of the Atlantics’ order and ousted the first two batters on caught fly balls. They allowed the last Atlantics batter on the bag and gave up a run with the top of the order advancing him over the plate making the score 14-13.
With two men on, the Atlantics best batter was poised and ready to tie the score and screamed a line drive up the middle only to be thwarted by sure handed second baseman Andrew Walker ending the game with a win for Roxbury 14-13.
Game two, in the Nine’s signature 1898 style of play, appeared it may be their demise as the fell t a 4-2 deficit by the bottom of the 2nd. Then the Nine’s bats exploded as they scored ten runs in the top of the third startning with a double by Shane Hubbard and followed with base hits by Walker, Chris Hynes, brother Mike Hynes, and Greg Funck.
Veteran Catcher Rich Ellsworth would advance them with a base on balls followed with singles by McAfee, Flachs Andrew Walker and a screamer by Chris Hynes. The Nine took the field and their defensive efforts silenced the Atlantics. The Nine would tally two more in the 4th with Hits by Ryan Funck and Lucas Flachs, but the Atlantics would respond with two of their own.
Andrew Walker, Matt Hubbard and Archie Biruk would all cross the plate in the fifth with only one run response from the Atlantics making the score 17-7 at the bottom of the fifth. No one would cross the plate for either club in the sixth and Arhcie Biruk and Ryan Funck would both score for Roxbury in the top of the seventh and final inning. The Atlantics rallied in the bottom of the seventh bringing six runs across the plate, but couldn’t close the gap and handed the Roxbury Nine their second victory of the season with a 19-13 final.
The Nine are off to take n the Elizabeth Athletics on Saturday May 10th in New Jersey and will open their home season in Kirkside Park against the Mountain Athletic Club of Fleischmanns on May 17th. For more information keep checking this site or 607 326 3722.
