Starting pitcher Bob Bauer will look to continue his seven-inning scoreless streak tonight — July 7 — as the Johnny Mac Red Thunder will face the Stallions at the Affton Athletic Association.
Bauer’s last start was a 4-0 win over Fort Wayne DOX in the Hoosier Classic Wood Bat Tournament in Fort Wayne, Ind. He currently is 4-1 overall with a 3.64 earned run average.
“Bob’s coming off a shutout win in the Hoosier Wood Bat Tournament and if he can maintain control of the strike zone, he will do just fine,” Johnny Mac Red Thunder head coach Nick Beckmann told the Call.
The Red Thunder (21-5, 6-1 St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association South) and the Stallions previously met on June 4 and Johnny Mac hammered out a 10-0 win.
Beckmann knows that the Stallions have won seven of their last nine games and could pose some problems for the Red Thunder.
“I know that they’ve been playing well lately,” Beckmann said. “They have one stud pitcher who’s pretty legit and can shut down anybody.”
Johnny Mac is coming off a 7-0 win last Friday evening over the Hillsboro Barn-stormers. Red Thunder starting pitcher Tom Belgeri hurled a no-hitter over seven innings against the Barnstormers. He currently is 3-1 overall with a 3.98 earned run average and has kept his opponents to a cool .218 batting average.
“Tom was throwing hard (against Hills-boro),” Beckmann explained. “I told him to throw his fast ball through the first inning, but didn’t know he’d do it the whole game against them.”
Beckmann also noted the play of third baseman Joe Leake and right fielder Greg Davenport.
Leake played the 2005 high school season at Vianney, manning the shortstop position. But Beckmann moved him to second base at the beginning of the season before moving Leake to third base after Jason Brown was moved to first base due to an injury.
The Red Thunder’s third baseman boasts a .432 batting average and has driven in 15 runs on 32 hits. He also leads Johnny Mac in walks this season with 15.
“Joe’s a player that started at shortstop for Vianney, but I told him that I had him slated at second this season,” Beckmann explained. “Jason Brown got injured and I moved him (Leake) to third and it looks like he’s played there his whole life.”
Davenport also has been solid at the plate with a .439 batting average, driving in 10 runs on 29 hits.
The right fielder’s 29 hits rank him second on the team as do his nine doubles this season.
“Greg’s a kid that works hard with whatever God gave him,” Beckmann said. “He’s really been hitting the snot out of the ball lately.”
The Red Thunder will face the Stallions at 8:15 p.m.
