When Summer Turns To Fall:

Happy 50th Anniversary, Teddy F. Ballgame:

On this day, 50 years ago at Fenway Park, Ted Williams made a dramatic exit from baseball by hitting a home run in his last time at bat. The moment was immortalized in the late John Updike’s essay, “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu” which was later published in the New Yorker. Ted left us a few years ago but left a lifetime of memories for his legion of fans. He was a true American original and his final at bat remains one of baseball’s unforgettable moments.

Dem Birds:

The Red Sox entered their final two weeks of the season with a three-game set at home with Baltimore before heading to New York. In the opener, Daisuke (9-5, 4.82) got the call against lefty Brian Matusz (8-12, 4.68). Daisuke ran into trouble right away as Roberts singled and Markakis walked. Wigginton hit a long fly to center and Roberts moved to third. Scott followed with a sacrifice fly to left and Roberts came in with the first run of the game. Wieters then hit a long fly to right that McDonald chased down at the warning track. Scutaro walked leading off the bottom of the first and McDonald followed with a pop single to center, putting runners on the corners. VMart bounced a single to right and Scutaro came in with the tying run. In the third, Roberts tried to score from second on Scott’s single to the plate but was cut down on Hall’s perfect throw to the plate. Roberts is a speedy runner but was out by at least three steps. In the fourth, McDonald made another terrific running catch in the rightfield corner off of Adam Jones’ blast. The O’s picked up a run after two singles and a throwing error by Martinez. He was trying to execute a 3-6-3 twin killing, but threw the ball into left field. Wieters scored, but Pie was thrown out at third trying to advance on another nice throw by Hall. In the bottom of the sixth Matusz was relieved by David Hernandez, and the Sox made things miserable for him right away. With one out, Lowell walked and Lowrie was hit by a pitch. Bill Hall followed with a base hit to right that scored Lowell with the tying run and put Lowrie on third. Lowrie then tried to steal home but was thrown out as Varitek swung at strike three. What a dumb move, knucklehead! With one out in the seventh, Roberts walked and Markakis doubled. At that point, Daisuke was lifted in favor of Bard. Wigginton drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center, and then Scott knocked in Markakis with a base hit to make it 4-2, O’s. Okajima retired the side in order in the eighth, and he’s been on quite a roll since returning from the DL. Koji Uehara entered in the bottom of the ninth and shut down the Sox hitters in order, striking out Drew and Varitek to end with a flourish.

It was a very nice night for baseball at Fenway on Tuesday (9/21) as the Sox looked to rebound from Monday’s tough loss. Clay Buchholz (16-7, 2.48) started against Brad Bergesen (7-10, 5.03). By 7:00, it was already dark and a near full moon brightened the sky. Buchholz threw a ton of pitches in the first two innings and stranded a runner on third but didn’t allow any runs. The Sox went ahead in the bottom of the second when Lowrie doubled and scored on Nava’s line drive single to left. The O’s put runners on first and third with two outs in the third when Roberts walked and Wigginton smacked a line-drive single off the wall, but Scott grounded out to second and Buchholz escaped danger once more. With two outs in the fourth, Felix Pie hit a long triple off the wall into the deepest part of the ballpark in center, but Andino struck out looking. That’s three runners the O’s have stranded on third so far. With two outs in the sixth and Adam Jones on first, Pie hit a routine pop to second that Scutaro dropped. Jones (already going with the pitch) raced around to score the tying run. Buchholz was well over 100 pitches at that point and appeared completely flummoxed by Scutaro’s error. In the bottom of the sixth, Lowrie walked and, with two outs, Kalish hit a long ground-rule double into the triangle that hopped into the bullpen but Nava struck out…The Sox paid big time for leaving those runners in scoring position as Oh No Atchison relieved Buchholz in the seventh and gave up singles to Izturis and Markakis before Wigginton hit a three-run homer that wrapped around Pesky’s Pole and it was 4-1. Atchison was yanked at that point in favor of Okajima. The O’s picked up another run in the eighth as Jones doubled and later scored on Andino’s sacrifice fly to left. Papelbon came on to pitch the ninth and was dreadful, allowing first-pitch singles to Roberts and Markakis. Wigginton followed with a scorcher down the third base line but Beltre’s throw ended up in the Sox’ dugout, and Roberts scored. Scott followed with a base hit to left and Markakis scored. Wigginton then came in from third on a wild pitch and it was 8-1, O’s. With one out, Jones singled putting runners on the corners. By this time, the stands had basically emptied as no one wanted to stick around for this. Pie grounded out 1-3 and Scott came in to make it 9-1. Good night.

Wednesday night’s finale featured John Lackey (12-11, 4.63) against Kevin Millwood (3-15, 5.14). Things were quiet until the fourth when Wigginton doubled in Markakis to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Kalish and Martinez singled and everyone came home on Ortiz’ 31st homer of the year, a bomb that landed in the bullpen. Josh Reddick made it 4-1 in the fifth with a solo shot and the Sox broke it open in the sixth, scoring two more runs. Drew and Martinez singled and Drew came in on Ortiz’ base hit. After Hernandez relieved Millwood, Beltre doubled off the wall and VMart came in with the Sox’ sixth run. Lackey was finished after seven and had a very good night (7 IP, 5H, 1ER, 0 BB, 4 K), giving the fans the sort of outing they wished they’d seen on a more consistent basis. Bard pitched a clean eighth and Papelbon rebounded from last night’s horrid outing and the Sox sent everyone home happy with a 6-1 lead. However, it was a lousy homestand as the Sox went 2-4. They now hit the road for the final time with three in Yankee Stadium and four in Chicago.

On to The Bronx:

On Friday night, the Sox started their final road trip of the year with three games in Yankee Stadium. When everyone looked at the schedule last spring, people figured that six games with the Yanks in the final 10 days of the season were going to be meaningful. It didn’t turn out that way for the Red Sox. Now, the best they can hope for is to put a dent in the Yanks’ chances for winning the AL East. Right now, they’re a half-game up on the Rays, who have an easy schedule the rest of the way. In the opener, Josh Beckett (5-5, 5.71) started against Andy Pettitte (11-2, 2.81). Pettitte has missed most of the second half with a groin injury, so it was interesting to see how long Girardi would let him pitch. The Yanks are a little beat up heading into the playoffs and the Rays gave their bullpen quite a workout in the last two nights. With one out in the second, Ortiz rocked a double off the wall in left-center, and after Lowell singled to right, Jed Lowrie hit a three-run shot to right to give the Sox an early lead. Curtis Granderson made it 3-1 in the bottom of the third with a long homer to right. Ortiz and Lowell opened the fourth with back-to-back singles and Lowrie followed with a long pop fly single to right. With one out, McDonald ripped a double down the left field line that scored two runs. Scutaro then lined a base hit up the middle, scoring Lowrie and McDonald, making it 7-1 Sox. Drew then singled, and Girardi came out looking for the baseball. This is one of the rare times the Sox had gotten to Pettitte so early. Billy Hall hit a three-run homer to left with two outs in the fifth to make it 10-1, Sox. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Granderson ripped a hard grounder to first that took a bad hop and struck Lowell in the head. Lowell went down in a lot of pain but recovered and stayed in the game. After Anderson replaced Lowell in the sixth, Teixeira made it 10-2 with a solo shot to right, and then A-Rod crushed a fastball down the heart of the plate to make it 10-3. With two outs in the seventh, Swisher whacked a two-run homer to right and Beckett’s night came to an end. Atchison entered ostensibly to record the final out, but he walked Teixeira and served up a meatball to A-Rod, who mashed it over the wall, 10-7. Josh Bard allowed only one hit in the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, Papelbon entered and recorded two quick outs before Teixeira took him deep to make it 10-8. Papelbon then walked A-Rod, who took second on defensive interference before striking out Cano to put this wretched game out of its misery.

Saturday afternoon’s game was the national Fox telecast. Prior to the game, the Sox signed veteran infielder Felipe Lopez in a move that may signal that Marco Scutaro needs a break. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was also shut down for the year with a torn ligament in his thumb. Jon Lester (18-8, 3.06) started against promising right hander Ivan Nova (1-0, 4.11). Tampa Bay won last night, taking a half-game over the Yanks in the AL East. It appears as if the Yanks don’t care whether they finish first or take the Wild Card. They wisely elected to stretch out their starters for the playoffs. The Sox put a three-spot in the third as Kalish was hit by a pitch, Nava walked and Lars Anderson singled. Scutaro followed with a base hit, scoring Kalish. Drew then hit into a 4-6-3 double play and Nava came in the back door. Ortiz later drove in Anderson with a single to right. In the fifth, the Sox picked up another run as Drew doubled with two outs, and after Martinez walked, Ortiz ripped a base hit up the middle and Drew scored. Through the first five, Lester was perfect, but A-Rod walked. In the bottom of the sixth, Kearns walked leading off, and with one out, Cervelli broke up the no-hitter with a pop fly that Nava raced in to catch but the ball popped out of his glove. Jeter then singled to left and Kearns tried for the plate, but Nava’s throw home one-hopped into VMart’s glove and Kearns was a dead duck at home. With runners on second and third, Swisher hit a short fly to right and Lester was out of the inning. The Sox made it 6-0 in the seventh on a pair of solo homers by Drew and Martinez. Lester was finished after seven and had an outstanding day, allowing only two hits while striking out eight. The Yanks finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth when Granderson hit a two-run homer off of Bard, but the Sox came back to pick up another run in the ninth when Lowrie and Kalish hit back-to-back doubles off of Joba Chamberlain. Okajima entered in the bottom of the ninth and allowed a solo homer to A-Rod with one out, but the Yanks got no further in this one. Lester picked up his 19th win of the year and has a decent shot to hit 20 next weekend. With their 86th win of the year, they’re closer to reaching the goal of 90, which under the circumstances this team faced, would be quite an accomplishment.

Sunday night’s finale pitted Daisuke (9-6, 4.86) against Phil Hughes (17-8, 4.31). Hughes was originally scheduled for a rest, but since the Yanks have lost several in a row and their wild card lead is down to 5 ½, Girardi decided to switch things up and throw him out there in his regular turn. Bill Hall led off the third with a double to right that Swisher dove to catch but the ball bounced in front of him and rolled past. Lars Anderson followed with a long drive to center that enabled Hall to tag and move to third. With two outs, Drew walked and Martinez singled to right, scoring Hall. In the seventh, Beltre and Lowrie walked to start things off and Kalish moved both runners along with a sacrifice. After Hughes was relieved by David Robertson, Hall grounded out and Anderson struck out, leaving two runners in scoring position to rot on the vine. As so often happens in the inning following runners stranded on base, it came back to haunt the Sox as A-Rod hit a two-run homer to right with one out. Kalish then made a spectacular diving catch off off Cano’s twisting drive to center, but the damage had been done as the Yanks took a 2-1 lead. Kerry Wood came on to pitch in the top of the eighth and he’s been virtually unhittable since joining the Yanks at the trade deadline. The Sox ended up putting runners on first and second with two outs before Girardi signaled for Rivera, who got Beltre to bounce out to second. By the top of the ninth, a light rain started to fall and the winds were whipping in toward the plate. Lowrie hit a long fly to right but it died in the wind and Swisher hauled it in on the warning track. Kalish followed with a base hit up the middle and stole second. Hall then lined a base hit under A-Rod’s glove and Kalish came in with the tying run. Hall then stole second. Mike Lowell came up to pinch hit and Hall stole third. Lowell hit a sacrifice fly to center and Hall came in with the go-ahead run. Papelbon entered in the bottom of the ninth and allowed a one-out single to Swisher and then Teixeira hit a line-drive rope single to right. Nunez pinch ran for Swisher and stole third. Ramiro Pena then came on to pinch run for Teixeira and A-Rod walked to load the bases. Cano lined a base hit to right scoring Nunez to make it 3-3. Papelbon then struck out Posada and Berkman flied out to right, so it was on to extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Okajima came on to pitch and Granderson singled to right. Gardner then bunted down the first base line but Martinez’ throw was just inside of the line and Gardner was safe. On the play, Granderson took third and Martinez was shaken up. Jeter was then intentionally walked to load the bases but Thames grounded into a 5-2 force. Okajima then took Juan Miranda to a full count before walking him and Gardner came in with the winning run. And that’s how that cookie crumbled.

Off To The Pitch:

Wrexham Match 10 v Southport (9/21/10):

Dragons returned home on Tuesday evening for a match with Southport and came away with a nice 2-1 victory. Maxwell Christie started in goal as Scott Shearer took a breather. This match was played much more close to the vest than Saturday’s draw at Kettering Town. Wrexham went on top in the 27th as Gareth Taylor took a beautiful feed from Jay Harris from left corner of the penalty area and banged the ball past Anthony McMillan in the Southport goal. Two minutes later, Wrexham’s Jamie Tolley almost made it 2-nil, but his shot from directly out front hit the bar. Dragons did pick up that second goal in the 41st when he took the ball from Christie’s goal kick in the left edge of the penalty area and tucked the ball low left corner to make it 2-0.

Moving into the second half, Marvin Andrews had a nice shot n the 61st coming off of Keates’ corner that was caught by McMillan. Two minutes later, Southport got on the board as Steve Daly’s header from Paul Barratt’s left wing cross beat Christie. Wrexham came right back as Keates’ curling corner was snared by McMillan. In the 78th, Adrian Cieslewicz came on for Andrew Mangan at midfield. In the 84th, Southport had a chance to equalize, but Ashley Winn’s shot went over the bar. Keates had another corner that really tested McMillan, but he made a great save. From there, Wrexham buckled down on the back end and came away with the three points.

Wrexham Match 11 v. Histon (9/25/10):

Wrexham (3-2-5-14) had their finest day of the young season, downing Histon (2-6-2-8) 4-0 at the Racecourse on Saturday afternoon. It was such a dominant performance that they limited Histon to only two shots, with none on frame. Maxwell Christie started in goal for the Dragons and the offense went right to work as Jamie Tolley took a pass from Chris Blackburn in the 11th and banged the ball past Joe Welch in Histon’s goal to give Dragons a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Seven minutes later, Histon’s Oluwafemi Ilesanmi fouled Gareth Taylor, resulting in a free kick by Dean Keates from 25 yards out that beat Welch in the upper right corner. In the 38th, Dragons scored again as Gareth Taylor picked Andy Mangan’s cross in the penalty area and tucked the ball low left corner behind Welch.

Moving into the second half, Mangan’s shot in the 49th tested Welch, who made a nice catch. In the 64th, Wrexham replaced Andrew Morrell with Adrian Cieslewicz at midfield, and five minutes later, Nathaniel Knight-Percival came on for Gareth Taylor. Dragons capped off the scoring in the 79th when Knight-Percival grabbed a right wing cross from Mangan directly in front of Welch and banged the ball into the lower left corner. By the end of the match, tempers on both sides became frayed and the referee handed out a couple of tickets, but this was Wrexham’s day throughout. The lads are steadily making their way up the table…

New England Revolution Match 25 at FC Dallas (9/22/10):

How does a team blow a lead with six seconds remaining in stoppage time? How does something like this even happen? Well, it did. A very good effort by the Revs (7-14-3-24) went down the drain as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas on the final stop in their three-game road trip at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. FCD had been unbeaten in their last 15 matches and perhaps underestimated the Revs’ determination to come away from this trip with some points. Things started off great for the Revs, as Shalrie Joseph took a ball from Chris Tierney in the 5th at the right corner of the penalty area and fired it past Dario Sala in the FCD goal. Cory Gibbs was booked in the 17th for a rough tackle on David Arturo Ferreira, who falls over as if he’s been mugged every time a defender breathes near him. Darrius Barnes was booked in the 33rd for tackling Ferreira breaking into the box and FCD was awarded a penalty. Ferreira was given the honors and his kick completely missed the frame! FCD continued to pepper Reis and had the better of possession but the Revs’ 1-0 lead held up at the end of the half.

Moving into the second half, Revs went up 2-0 in the 61st as Ilija Stolica took a ball from Marko Perovic directy out in front of Sala and banged it home. Everything was looking great, right? In the 79th, FCD got back into the match as Barnes tackled Ferreira once more breaking into the box and once more, the referee awarded a penalty. The Revs angrily confronted the referee over the call, but it stood. This time, Ferreira did not miss as he roofed it over a defenseless Reis. In the final ten minutes, FCD mounted a furious effort to equalize but Revs were up to the challenge. Three minutes of extra time were added and it looked as if Revs would pull out the victory when FCD made one final charge into the Revs’ end. At 2:54 of extra time, Jeff Cunningham took a ball from Ferreira directly out in front of Reis and knocked in the equalizer. How does something like this happen? The Revs were screaming that Cunningham was off sides, but the assistant referee’s flag was down as Cunningham broke toward the goal. Even though they gained a point, they lost.

New England Revolution Match 26 v. Columbus Crew (9/25/10):

On a beautiful night for soccer at Gillette, Revs (7-14-4-25) greeted first-place Columbus Crew (13-7-5-44). After the disastrous ending the other night against FC Dallas, Revs are playing out the string. The football stripes are on the field and that makes it somewhat difficult to follow the action. Revs scored in the second minute as Phelan perfectly timed his slide from Perovic’s free kick in the left corner and deflected the ball into the goal. Columbus, the much more talented side, then proceeded to turn up the heat in the Revs’ end with four shots in the next 15 minutes. In the 17th, Guillermo Barros Schelotto broke down the left flank and fed Eddie Gaven coming down the middle. Gaven drove a left-footed strike that Reis had to scramble to cover. Mansally then went down with a leg injury but was able to recover. Schelotto had a great chance in the 31st but his shot went over the bar. In the 34th, Emanuel Osei entered for Alston, who suffered a hamstring injury. Marko Perovic was booked in the 37th for carping at the referee. In the 41st, Reis made a brilliant stop, tipping the rebound of Schelotto’s free kick over the bar. In the final minute of stoppage time, Phelan took a tough head knock while going up for a ball.

Revs had a set piece as the second half opened, but Perovic’s free kick went over the bar. In the 55th, Revs were awarded a penalty, as Stolica was tackled while trying to bring the ball into the box. Shalrie Joseph was given the honors and banged the ball past Hesmer in the upper left corner. The play started when Stolica broke up the middle with the ball. He flipped the ball to Mansally, breaking alone down the left flank. Mansally then passed to Stolica, who fought to regain possession and was tripped. Columbus got on the board in the 62nd on an own goal by the Revs’ Cory Gibbs, who inadvertently headed the ball behind Reis. Columbus then jacked up the pressure looking for the equalizer. In the 70th, Khano Smith came on for Stolica, as Nicol was looking to replace finesse with physicality. In the 78th, Shalrie Joseph was nailed for a hand ball in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Schelotto stepped up and…equalized (ugh). In the 89th, Gaven fouled Perovic, setting up a free kick from about 25 yards out, but Perovic’s blast sailed over the bar. And so, the Revs find a new way of snatching a draw from the jaws of victory.

Piacenza Match 5 vs. Siena (9/24/10):

On Friday, Piacenza hosted Siena and once more fell to defeat 1-0 on a goal by Alessio Sestu in the 68th minute. It appears from the match report that the goal was vigorously protested by the home side as the referee booked three players in rapid succession. So, Piacenza sits in dead last in Serie B at 0-4-1-1. There’s nowhere to go but up…

Gridiron Time:

UFL Hartford Colonials Game 2 at Omaha Nighthawks (9/24/10):

The Colonials’ second game took place at a sold-out Rosenblatt Stadium (home of the College World Series) in Omaha. Coming off of a big victory last week, the Colonials faced a tough challenge in the Nighthawks, who are led by former NFL standouts Jeff Garcia and Ahman Green. The Nighthawks are coached by former BC Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who was fired by BC after interviewing for an NFL job. The Nighthawks also feature former Ohio State star, Maurice Clarett, who had a great freshman year and ultimately fell afoul of the law, doing a few years of hard time. He did his time, and is looking for a fresh start in football and in life.

The Colonials won the toss and elected to receive and Jason Chery returned the ball to the 18. From there, they were able to move the ball deep into Omaha’s territory. From the 14, Josh McCown connected with former Patriot Tyson DeVree in the right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. With the point after, Hartford went up, 7-0. Omaha started out at midfield, as a personal foul on the kick return added an additional 15 yards. Between Garcia and a couple of runs by Ahman Green, the Nighthawks moved the ball inside the 20 on three plays. From the 10, Garcia found Rendrick Taylor on the left flat and the Nighthawks tied the score. Once again, Omaha had great kick coverage and the Colonials started out inside their 20. After moving the ball out to the 45, Andre Dixon was nailed for a loss, and the Colonials had to punt away. The Nighthawks moved the ball to their 39, when they decided to go for it on fourth down. Lawrence tackled Green in the backfield and the Colonials took over on downs. Ryan Perriloux took over at quarterback for Hartford as the quarter came to a close.

The Colonials picked up a first down at the 29 when Dixon carried off right tackle on fourth-and-1. On first down at the 17, Perriloux slipped on the slick field and was sacked by former Indy LB Cato June. On third and 12, Perriloux hit Booker on the screen and Booker rolled right to the 7. On third-and-goal, Perriloux hit Johnson, who leaped in the left corner of the end zone and came down with the ball. It was a really nice throw and catch. With the point after, Hartford went up 14-7. On Omaha’s next possession, they made it down to the 30 before their drive stalled and their field goal try went wide left. McCown then fumbled on first down and Omaha took over at the 28. By the two-minute warning, the Nighthawks moved the ball to the 9, where they settled for a field goal to make it 14-10. In the final minute, the Colonials successfully moved the ball well into Omaha’s territory where McCown hit Patrick Carter on a long touchdown pass, but Melhoff’s point after was hooked and no good.

Moving into the second half, McCown was able to bring the Colonials’ offense inside Omaha’s 30 on their opening possession. On third-and-2 from the 19, McCown’s pass was broken up and they settled for a Melhoff field goal to go up 23-10. The Nighthawks completed a third down for the first time all night. Late in the quarter, Garcia brought the Nighthawks’ offense inside Hartford’s 20. As time expired, they had the ball at the 5 and first down.

After three unsuccessful shots from the 5, Omaha settled for a chip shot field goal from Wolfert to make it 23-13. On the Nighthawks’ next possession, Hartford’s Lansanah was hit with a personal foul penalty for what was a dirty hit on Robert Ferguson, who angrily responded by getting into a shoving match. The penalty reinvigorated the Nighthawks’ attack, as they were able to move the ball inside Hartford’s 15. At the 6, Garcia’s pass was intercepted at the goal line but a roughing the passer call gave Omaha possession at the 3. On second down, Garcia connected with Devard Darling to make it 23-20. On the Colonials’ next try, McCown moved the offense to Omaha’s 15. On third and 9, a reverse left fell a yard shy of the first down, so they had to settle for a Melhaff field goal to make it 26-23 with 2:43 left on the clock. Ricardo Coclaugh (formerly of the Steelers) returned Melhaff’s kickoff to the 45. Inside of two minutes, Garcia moved the offense inside the 10. On first down, Garcia was nearly intercepted by Franz Joseph at the goal line. On fourth and 4, Garcia hit Ferguson in the left corner of the end zone with six seconds left on the clock. Wolfert’s point after put Omaha on top, 27-26. Ferguson, the old Packer, did the patented Lambeau Leap in celebration. So, the Omaha Nighthawks’ first game was a memorable and exciting victory. Clarett also had a decent pro debut. He returned a kick, nearly blocked a punt and delivered a devastating block on special teams. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t played a game in six years. The sell-out crowd was loud and raucous, and whether this League survives or not, the team gave their fans a very happy memory. Congratulations.

Saskatchewan Roughriders Game 12 at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9/25/10):

The 7-4 Riders made their first stop on their eastern swing to Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton to face the surprising 6-6 Ti-Cats. Lining up against the Riders was their former sack-master Stevie Baggs, who signed with Hamilton right after having been let go by the Arizona Cardinals on cutdown day. The weather was a big factor heading in as windy conditions and rain showers greeted the teams at kickoff. The Ti-Cats won the toss and, after a great return, started out at midfield. On the first play, Kerry Glenn hit Stala over the middle for 41 yards to the 9. On the following play, Glenn found Matt Carter in the end zone and Hamilton grabbed a quick 7-0 lead. The Riders started out their opening drive at the 23. Durant was able to move the ball to midfield on two passes to Getzlaf and Fantuz. From there, Durant found Dressler over the middle and into Hamilton territory, but the drive stalled and Johnson punted away. Starting out at their 31, DeAndra’ Cobb ripped up the middle for 51 yards. Glenn then hit Carter over the middle to the Riders’ 16. The Riders’ Deron Mitchell was hit with a pass interference call in the end zone, putting the ball on the 1. The Ti-Cats punched it in on a quarterback rush by Quentin Porter to go up 14-0. Durant nearly fumbled away the ball on the Riders’ next possession and they punted away once more. Glenn easily moved Hamilton’s offense into Riders’ territory on passes to Bruce and Stala and a rush by Cobb. Sandro DeAngelis’ missed a field goal attempt but the Ti-Cats picked up a single to make it 15-0. Late in the quarter, Wes Cates carried off left tackle for 20 putting the ball at midfield, but the Riders were completely outmatched over the first 15 minutes of play.

Durant hooked up with Getzlaf at the 30 to open the second quarter. Cates then rumbled right for 23 yards setting up first and goal. Durant then took it up the middle on the draw to the 1. The Riders had two cracks at the end zone before Cates leaped over left tackle and in to make it 15-7, Hamilton. McDaniel’s kick return gave the Ti-Cats great field position at the 49 but they were set back by a couple of penalties and fell short of picking up a first down. The Riders’ McKenzie was flagged for pass interference on Hamilton’s next possession, but Cobb carried up the middle to the 7, where he fumbled and the Riders recovered. A roughing the passer call against the Ti-Cats pushed the ball out to the 22. From there, Durant was able to move the ball out to the 46 on a pass completion to Getzlaf. Durant then hit Rob Bagg on the left sideline and Bagg streaked in for a 70-yard touchdown to make it 15-14. On Hamilton’s next possession, the Riders were hit with a “too many men” penalty that gave the Ti-Cats another chance. Glenn hit Stala at the Riders’ 37, but Stala appeared to have suffered a shoulder injury on the play. By the three-minute warning, the Ti-Cats were sitting at the Riders’ 26, but the two subsequent plays went nowhere, so they settled for a DeAngelis field goal to make it 18-14. Ryan Grice-Mullen returned DeAngelis’ kick to the 41. Durant then scrambled up the middle for 15 and then connected with Bagg down to Hamilton’s 40. On the play, Bagg suffered a knee injury but was able to make it to the sideline under his own steam. From the 35, Durant’s pass intended for Dressler was overthrown and intercepted by Barker inside the 10. The Riders got the ball back with less than 30 seconds and Durant connected with Dressler on a 40-yard touchdown pass with one second left. Dressler made a spectacular diving catch, rolling over a couple of times then getting up and falling untouched into the end zone. Hamilton challenged the ruling on the field, but it was upheld. With the point after, the teams went into locker room with the Riders up 21-18.

The Riders went two n’ out in their opening possession of the second half and the Ti-Cats started out their 41. Jerrell Freeman sacked Glenn on second down and the Ti-Cats punted away. Grice-Mullen returned the punt to the 51 where the Riders’ offense set up shop. They were able to move the ball to Hamilton’s 40, but Congi’s field goal attempt went wide right. On Hamilton’s next possession, Glenn connected with McDaniel on a long gain and then Cobb carried up the middle inside the 30. After Glenn hit Mann at the 10, he followed with a touchdown pass to McDaniel and the Ti-Cats went back on top at 25-21. On the Riders’ next drive, Durant connected with Fantuz on a 26-yard completion putting the ball at the Ti-Cats’ 39. Durant was then sacked by Bolden and the Riders punted away. Glenn was then intercepted by Lance Frazier, who returned the ball to the 50. From there, Durant hit Dressler on the right sideline at the 32. As the quarter came to a close, Congi knocked in a field goal to tie the score at 25.

The Ti-Cats went two n’ out to start the fourth quarter and the Riders took over after the punt at their 40. On first down, Stevie Baggs sacked Durant and he fumbled. Hamilton moved the ball to the Riders’ 1 on a pass from Glenn to Cobb. The Riders challenged the ruling that Cobb was down by contact, and the ruling was overturned as the call was that Cobb fumbled the ball into the end zone and a touchback was ruled. The Riders quickly moved the ball into Hamilton’s end, where Durant connected with Fantuz down to the Ti-Cats’ 19. From there, Durant found Bagg in the middle of the end zone (after Hamilton’s Tisdale fell down) for the score to make it 32-25, Riders with seven minutes left on the clock. On the Ti-Cats’ next possession, they were able to move the ball to the Riders’ 29 where they faced a critical third-and-1, where a rush up the middle failed by less than six inches and the Riders took over on downs. On second down, Durant found Getzlaf for 14 yards, to move the chains with three minutes left. Inside of the final two minutes, the Riders stuck to the ground, where Cates picked up a key first down to maintain possession. On second-and-7 with less than a minute remaining, Durant fumbled while trying to run up the middle and the Ti-Cats recovered. A booth review was called to determine whether Durant’s knee hit the ground prior to fumbling, but the ruling on the field stood. Glenn connected with Bruce at midfield but the clock continued to roll. The Ti-Cats moved the ball to the Riders’ 38, where Glenn threw two incompletions. On third down, Glenn connected with Stala at the 24. With one second left, the Ti-Cats had the ball at the 13 when Glenn threw into the end zone, where he was intercepted by James Patrick to end the game. In two straight weeks, the Riders have given their fans two stirring comeback victories. The story of this game was points off of turnovers, where the Riders picked up 17 to Hamilton’s 0.

Harvard Crimson Game 2 at Brown (9/18/10):

10 Saturdays
10,000 Men
1 Team

The Crimson opened the Ivy League portion of their schedule with a trip to Providence to face the Brown Bears. Brown generally gives Harvard a tough time and this year’s renewal proved no different as the Bears capitalized on three Harvard turnovers and won going away, 29-14. After Brown went out to a 23-0 lead in the first half, the Crimson finally got on the board with seven seconds left on the clock when Andrew Hatch hit Marco Ianuzzi on a 21-yard touchdown strike.

Ianuzzi then ran back the opening kickoff of the second half 95 yards to make it 23-14. But the Crimson would get no closer as Brown’s Alexan Norocea kicked two of his five field goals on the day in the third quarter and Harvard went down to a rough defeat. Brown dominated the Crimson in virtually every statistical aspect, especially in time of possession at 2:1. Brown’s Mark Kachmer had a big afternoon with 89 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. Next up for Harvard is a trip to Lafayette, which ought to be another tough test.

Illegitimum Non Carborundum.