Tomahawks All-Star Game & AAABA Recaps

Good Evening,

Tonight's post combines two local events all bunched into one, the Tomahawks All-Star game and the AAABA tournament.

Tomahawks All-Star Game Recap, Team Red Def. Team Blue 6-3

Opening day is 48 days away, but a large crowd of Tomahawks fans made their way to Planet Ice in Richland Township for the Johnstown Tomahawks Main Tryout Camp All-Star Game Sunday Afternoon. Fans filled the stands and welcomed the future stars of this year's team onto the ice. The players were split into two teams, Red and Blue. They played three 30 minute periods with a running clock and a short intermission between periods.

The game was physical early on, and the first goal was scored by team red on the power-play at 16:01. Heinz Koster got credit for the goal with the assists to Eric Tien and J.B. Baker. Team Red extended their lead to 2-0 on an Evan Ketner goal, assisted by Joe Drabin and Shane Bernard at 22:45. The two teams exchanged chances early in the second period, but the goaltenders were solid, stopping everything in their paths. With less than seven minutes in the period, team blue got on the board on a Casey Linkenheld goal, assisted by Connor Gilmartin and Forest Donovan. Less than 30 seconds later, Ilya Ignatenko extended the team red lead to 3-1, with the assist provided by Griffin Leach. Early in the third period, the game saw its first fight when Jake Fairchild and Leach dropped the gloves just 1:07 into the period. At 6:25, Vincent Guimond made it a 4-1 game, with the assist going to Baker, his second of the game. Baker would add a goal of his own at 12:27 to give himself three points in the game. Gilmartin and Brandon Reinholz would drop the gloves at 25:09 of the third period, before back-to-back penalties were issued to Marc Guimond and Ketner. With four minutes to go in the game, Fairchild gave team blue their second goal of the game, with the assists going to Jacob Soyka and Tyler Basham. Within the last 90 seconds of the game, the teams exchanged goals with Connor Jonason scoring at 28:30 and Forest Donavan scoring 20 seconds later, to set the final at 6-3.

Overall, both teams played very well, putting it all on the line for today's game. It appeared to me that the coaches will have some tough decisions to make to get the final roster that will take the ice on September 14th when the Port Huron Fighting Falcons for the start of the 2013-14 season. After seeing what I saw today, it appears that this team will be fast, physical, and fun to watch this season.

Delweld Wins 2013 Johnstown AAABA League Title with 15-9 Win

Through the first 6 1/2 innings of Saturday night's game at Point Stadium, it appeared that Martella's Pharmacy was going to extend the best-of-five Johnstown AAABA League championship series to a fourth game. Delweld had other plans, scoring six runs in both the 7th and 8th innings to defeat Martella's 15-9 and sweep the series 3-0. The win gives them the league title and the honor of representing Johnstown in the AAABA National Tournament and playing in the night game each night. Martella's will also make the tournament, but will be known as Flood City and will play in the afternoon at the Point. Click here to see the Martella's GameChanger page from last night's game.

-The Flood City Sports Fan

Delweld Wins Game One, 6-5 in Ten Innings

     After both teams combined for 10 runs in the first five innings, Delweld and Martella's took the first game of the Johnstown AAABA League Championship series to extra innings. In the end, Delweld loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, and Ian Helsel hit the game winner which was bobbled by Jimmy Stenger, leading to a walk-off error, and a 6-5 victory for Delweld.

     Ben Legath and Luke Campbell each homered for Delweld, and Ian Helsel went 3-for-5 with two runs driven in. Tony Strasiser and Dillon Boyer each went 3-for-4 with Strasiser driving in three.

     Martella's opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning after Matt McMillen singled in Dillon Boyer for an early 1-0 lead. Delweld took their first lead of the game in the second, thanks to four runs including a Ben Legath home run over the screen in left field. The teams each knocked in a run in the third, before Martella's tied the game in the top of the fifth inning thanks to RBI from Jesse Cooper and Tony Strasiser. Both teams had their share of opportunities to score, but neither was able to put a run across, leading to extra innings. Delweld got out of the top of the 10th, only giving up a single to Tony Strasiser. In the bottom half of the 10th, Delweld's Ben Legath walked to lead off the inning. It appeared that Devin Pritts would sacrifice to put the winning run on second, but a throwing error by pitcher Andrew Keirn put runners on second and third with nobody out. After intentionally walking Eric Weyant to load the Bases, Helsel reached on an error to give Delweld the 6-5 win and a 1-0 series lead.

     Stone Rice picked up the win for Delweld, throwing two innings, giving up no runs and two hits. He relieved Marcus Shippey, who went eight innings, giving up five runs on eight hits, striking out four. Keirn took the loss, pitching 2.2 innings giving up the lone run in the tenth and two hits. Mike Mulvey started for Martella's, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up five runs and striking out five.

     The teams take the field at the Point again tomorrow night at 7pm for game two. If you can make it out to the Point, try to be there. You will probably see another exciting match-up.

-The Flood City Sports Fan

Johnstown AAABA Playoff Recap: Days 2 & 3

Good Afternoon,

     I didn't have a chance to post Sunday night about the games, so I am combining both nights into this one post.

Martella's Pharmacy 11-12, Berkley Hills Renegades 9-3
     After losing game one in the tenth inning, a game they led by two runs in the 9th inning, the Renegades looked like they were going to tie the series after taking an early 6-1 lead in game two. However, Martella's stormed back scoring nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings, en route to an 11-9 win and a 2-0 series lead. Derek Younker picked the win, despite giving up 17 hits and 8 earned runs. Ryan D'Andrea took the loss, giving up 7 runs (5 ER) in 4.1 innings. Anthony Fanelli, Tony Strasiser, and Jesse Cooper each had multiple RBI for Martella's, while Jake Pribanic and Dan Gray each had multiple RBI.
     In game three, Martella's jumped out to an early 7-1 lead and ended the series with a 12-3 win. Seven different Martella's players had an RBI in the game. Rick Jones led the way for the Renegades with 2 RBI, while John Jones went 4-for-5 in the game with an RBI. Nick Cubarney picked up the win, going seven innings, giving up three runs. Alain Girman took the loss, pitching 2.1 innings giving up 7 runs (5 ER). The Renegades end the 2013 season with a 22-15 record, while Martella's enters the championship series with a 25-12 record.

Delweld 7-12, Laurel Auto Group 4-7
     In game two, Laurel Auto Group and Delweld were tied after five innings, but Delweld scored two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to pick up a 7-4 win. Laurel Auto Group Committed four errors leading to two unearned runs. Delweld pitcher Nate Plummer picked up the win, tossing eight innings. Matt Kochasic took the loss for Laurel Auto Group.
     In the final game of the series, Laurel Auto Group scored first but Delweld scored 12 runs in innings 4-8 to pick up a 12-7 victory and a series sweep. Delweld got multiple RBI from Eric Weyant, Ian Helsel, Matt Martin, and Luke Campbell. Campbell also provided a home run in the victory. Ben Webb and Ryan Bills each had two RBI for Laurel Auto Group and Zach Zimmerman had two stolen bases. Austin Sleek picked up the win for Delweld, while Chris Nolan, who pitched in relief, took the loss. Laurel Auto Group finishes the season with a 21-16 overall record, A significant improvement over their 13-21 record from last season. Delweld enters the championship round with a 28-9 overall record.

Finals Preview: Delweld vs. Martella's
     The finals for the Johnstown AAABA League playoffs are now set for Thursday, as Delweld and Martella's Pharmacy both swept their series Monday night. This guarantees that these two teams will represent Johnstown in the AAABA National Tournament. This will be a tough series, because both these teams want to be the #1 Johnstown team and play in front of the larger crowd in the evening games at the Point.
     In the regular season, Delweld won the season series taking four of the six meetings. The last of those meetings was supposed to be last Thursday, but Delweld forfeited the game. It is not totally clear why, but the fact that they were locked into their seed and that there was a chance that they may have ended up playing Martella's in the first round had they defeated them were probably factors. Taking away the forfeited game, Delweld won four of the five meetings. However with the stakes on the line, and the fact that three of the five meetings that were played were one run games, I feel like this series will go at least four or five games.

Season Series (Delweld wins 4-2)

Delweld 3, Martella's 2 6/5

Delweld 1, Martella's 0 6/6

Delweld 6, Martella's 5 6/7

Delweld 10, Martella's 2 7/8

Martella's 7, Delweld 4 7/9

Martella's 7, Delweld 0 (Delweld Forfeited This Game) 7/18

     According to the Martella's AAABA Website, the two teams will meet in the league championship round for the 7th time in the last 11 years. Martella's has also clinched their first trip to the tournament in the last 12 years and their fifth straight overall. Delweld missed the tournament last year, but prior to 2012, they had made five straight appearances. Below is the schedule for the series, and I encourage everyone to try and attend one or all of these games. These two teams are rich in tradition and are going to put on a heck of a show.

BEST-OF-FIVE FINALS

Thursday, July 25

Martella's Pharmacy vs. Delweld, 7:00 p.m. 

Friday, July 26

Delweld vs. Martella's Pharmacy, 7:00 p.m. 

Saturday, July 27 

Martella's Pharmacy vs. Delweld, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 28

Delweld vs. Martella's Pharmacy, 7:00 p.m. (if necssary)

Monday, July 29 

Martella's Pharmacy vs. Delweld, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

-The Flood City Sports Fan

   

Johnstown AAABA Playoffs Recap: Day 1

After an exciting evening of baseball, I am able to sit down and post a review of the day. I will try to do one of these for each night of action as the top four teams battle for a spot in the AAABA National Tournament and bragging rights as the best team in the Johnstown AAABA League.

Delweld 6, Laurel Auto Group 3 (Delweld leads the Best-of-Five Series 1-0)

In the first game of the night, Delweld, the top team in the regular season, defeated Laurel Auto Group 6-3. Delweld pitcher Marcus Shippey threw a complete game, giving up three runs and six hits over nine innings and Luke Campbell drove in three runs. Laurel Auto Group held an early 2-0 lead, but Delweld battled back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Laurel Auto Group would get within two , but an insurance run by Delweld in the bottom of the 8th set the final score at 6-3. Zach Zimmerman, Joe Fearer, and Ryan Matsko provided the RBI for Laurel Auto Group, while Eric Weyant, Devin Pritts, and Campbell provided the runs for Delweld. Errors were costly to Laurel Auto Group in this game as four errors led to three unearned runs

One of the stranger strategies that I have ever seen was used in this game by Laurel Auto Group. Pitcher Ryan Bills would pitch to the entire lineup, except for OF Josh Staniscia. During his at-bats, left fielder Joe Fearer would come in and pitch, while Bills moved to third base and third baseman Mike Nowicki moved to left field. After Staniscia either reached base or recorded an out, Bills returned to the mound and completed the inning. This strategy worked the first time with Fearer getting a flyout on the first pitch, but he walked Staniscia during the next three at-bats.

Line Score      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9      R  H  E

Laurel Auto      0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0      3   6   4

Delweld            0 0 0 0 4 1 0 1 X     6   9   0

Martella's Pharmacy 7, Berkley Hills Renegades, 10 Innings (Martella's leads the Best-of-Five Series 1-0

In the nightcap, Martella's Pharmacy scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, before Jordan Giannini hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth to lead them to a 7-6 win over the Berkley Hills Renegades. The game was a back and forth affair, with both teams exchanging leads throughout the game. The Renegades got on the board first on a Jake Haubrich home run over the brick wall in left-center field in the top of the third inning. Martella's made it 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Fanelli and a Matt McMillen ground ball that led to an error by Rick Jones.

 It appeared that the Renegades would pick up the victory after Rick Jones homered to left-center in the sixth, but Martella's was able to come back and tie the game in the ninth thanks to RBI singles from Pat Gully and Jimmy Stenger. After a scoreless top of the tenth inning, Martella's lead-off hitter Dillin Boyrer singled and moved to second on a Jesse Cooper sacrifice bunt, before Jordan Giannini ended the game just after midnight with a single to right-center field. Andrew Keirn picked up the win after coming in relief of starter Mike Mulvey in the 7th. Rick Jones, who relieved Nate Spohn in the 8th inning took the loss. Spohn had an impressive outing going 7.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (2 Earned), 9 strikeouts, and two walks.

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10     R   H   E

Renegades  0 0 1 3 0 2 0 0 0  0       6   13   4

Martella's    0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2  1       7   14   1

Today's Schedule: Martella's vs. Renegades 5:30pm/Laurel Auto vs. Delweld, 8:00pm (Point Stadium)

-The Flood City Sports Fan

Down on the Farm

Good Evening,

Today we take a look at the Pirates Minor League Affiliates and how they are doing at this point of the season. As of last night, every Pirates affiliate has played at least one game and some are already in the second half of their seasons.

AAA: Indianapolis Indians
50-26 Overall (1st in International League West Division)
Last Game: Lost 7-5 vs. Charlotte (LP: James McDonald)
Last 10 Games: 6-4

The Indianapolis Indians are currently the top team in the International League. Their 50-26 record is impressive, but the fact that the next closest team in their division, the Louisville Bats, are 12.5 games back shows how dominant they have been this season. Matt Hague leads the team with 44 RBI and 83 hits, including 22 doubles (tied for the league lead) and six home runs. Ivan De Jesus has been impressive this season. In 53 games, De Jesus has a .325 average with 3 home runs and 20 RBI. Felix Pie, who the Pirates picked up in the offseason, is second in the league with 46 stolen bases. He trails only Louisville's Billy Hamilton who has 46 last year and had 155 last year. On the mound, the Indians are led by Andy Oliver who leads the team in strikeouts (86-Leads League) and Innings Pitched (75.2). Kris Johnson leads the starters in wins with six and also has the best ERA for a starter (2.82). When the game reaches the later innings, the Bullpen has been solid with nine different pitchers recording saves, including Vic Black who has a team leading 11 saves. If the Indians are able to keep up their successful season, they should easily match or beat last years 89-55 record. Hopefully they can make it further into the playoffs this year.

AA: Altoona Curve
33-38 (6th in Eastern League Western Division)
Last Game: Lost 7-5 at Bowie (LP: Nick Kingham)
Last 10 Games: 8-2

The Altoona Curve are having the most success they have had all season. Prior to last night's game against Bowie, the Curve had won eight straight. The Curve will need more winning streaks like this one as they currently sit in last place in the Eastern League's Western Division, six games behind the division leading Harrisburg Senators and five games behind the second place Erie SeaWolves. Catcher Charlie Cutler leads the team with a .319 batting average. Andrew Lambo was recently called up by Indianapolis, so the title of offensive leaders now shifts to Jarek Cunningham and Alex Dickerson. Cunningham has a team leafing 14 home runs and his 25 RBI rank second on the team behind Dickerson (28). CF Mel Rojas leads the team with 65 hits, while Adalberto Santos has been quickest on the basepaths with 10 stolen bases. On the pitching side of the roster, Casey Sadler leads the team in wins (7), Innings Pitched (94.0), and Games Started (15). As the game heads into the later innings look for Luis Angel Sanz to come in and shut the door. Sanz was shaky earlier in the season giving up six, four, and three runs in consecutive appearances. In five of his past six appearances, Sanz has given up zero earned runs. It will be interesting to see if he improves as the season rolls on. The injuries that have affected the Pirates this season have impacted the Curve roster. They have made the best of it and if they can string some wins together, this team has a chance to climb the Eastern League leaderboard.

High-A: Bradenton Marauders
26-42 (First Half: 6th in the Florida State League South Division) 1-1 (Second Half)
Last Game: Lost 4-0 vs. Port Charlotte Stone Crabs
Last 10 Games: 3-7
As the second half begins for the Bradenton Marauders, they have to hope for more success than in the first half. The Marauders finished 16 games under .500 in the first half, 19.5 games behind first-half division winner Fort Myers. The Marauders offense is led by Alex Hanson, who leads the team in hits (76), Batting Average (.295) and Runs Scored (38). Left Fielder Willy Garcia leads the team with eight home runs and Second Baseman Dan Gamache leads with 29 RBI. Since Nick Kingham was called up to Altoona, no current Marauders pitcher has more than three wins or three saves this season. Robert Kilcrease has made 21 appearances this season and has a current team best 1.65 ERA. The Marauders have a lot of work to do and will need to improve their 9-26 road record this season. They have a chance to right the ship with an upcoming six game road trip.

Low-A: West Virginia Power
37-33 (First Half: 3rd in the South Atlantic League Northern Division)
1-1 (Second Half)
Last Game: Won 11-7 vs. Lakewood
Last 10 Games: 5-5
The Power have begun the second half of their South Atlantic League season after finishing in third place in the first half. Prior to being called up to Bradenton, Stetson Allie was leading the team in HR (17), RBI (61), and Hits (79). While Allie led the charge, infielders Dilson Herrera and Eric Wood have been effective this season. Keep an eye on Barrett Barnes, who was drafted by the Pirates in 2012. In 20 games this season for the Power, Barnes has 2 HR and 11 RBI. He is currently hitting .330 and has hits in four of his last five games. Orlando Castro leads the Power pitching staff with a 7-4 record and 1.93 ERA. Tyler Glasnow (3-1. 2.83 ERA) and Pat Ludwig (5-0, 2.64 ERA) have also been effective for the Power this season. The Power finished just 3.5 games out of first place in the Northern Division, but it will be challenging in the second half of the season without Allie. If players like Herrera and Wood are able to step up, the Power have a good chance to make a run at the second half title.

Short Season A: Jamestown Jammers
4-1 (Tied for 1st in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division
Last Game: Won 8-3 vs. Williamsport
The Jamestown Jammers are almost a week into the New York-Penn League Season and they currently sit in first place tied with the State College Spikes. This is interesting because the Spikes were the Pirates affiliate until this season when they became the affiliate of the Cardinals. While it is hard to judge the Jammers players with only five games under their belts, there are some players who have been successful so far. Danny Collins and Ji-De Jhang lead the league with three home runs and Jhang leads the league with 7 RBI. None of the Jammers starters have taken a loss this season and Cesar Lopez has the lone save for the Jammers this season. The true colors of this team will begin to show once they get into a few weeks of the season.

I will not be taking a look at the GCL Pirates or the  DSL Pirates 1&2 teams because they are only two games into the season. For information on them and all the teams click here.


- The Flood City Sports Fan

Pittsburgh Pirates...One Year Ago

Good Evening,

The Pirates defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon 6-3 at PNC Park. The win gave them another series win and their 41st win overall. I thought it would be interesting to look at the team at this point in the season, compared to this time last season.

2013 Pirates on June 16th
Defeated the Dodgers 6-3 in Pittsburgh  Box Score
41-28 Overall (3rd place, 3 Games Back in the NL Central)
Record Breakdown: 25-13 (Home) 16-15 (Road)
Runs Scored: 261 Runs Allowed: 243
Pedro Alvarez and Alex Presley each homered in the 6-3 win

2012 Pirates on June 16th
Defeated the Indians 9-2 in Cleveland  Box Score
33-31 Overall (2nd place, 4 Games Back in the NL Central)
Record Breakdown: 19-11 (Home) 14-20 (Road)
Runs Scored: 213 Runs Allowed: 239
Pedro Alvarez and Alex Presley each homered in the 9-2 win

Looking at the numbers and the results of each game and the season overall , there are some striking similarities. The one that was most interesting to me was the fact that Alex Presley and Pedro Alvarez each had a home run in both games. Alvarez's numbers have been better to this point compared to a year ago. He has five more home runs, 13 more runs batted in, and his average in 2013 is .213, compared to .196 in 2012.

There is also a noticeable improvement in the runs scored this season with this years team scoring 48 more runs than the team had at this point last year.

Closer Jason Grilli has 25 saves, including one today against the Dodgers. Last season, closer Joel Hanrahan had 17 saves by this point in the season, but hadn't recorded a save since June 9th.

It's still early and I think all of us who cheer on the black and gold hope that this season ends on a better not. Looking at the numbers this season, there is a nine game improvement from last season and the team does have several different pieces. Let's hope these new pieces along with the returning players can help to Raise the Jolly Roger all summer.

-The Flood City Sports Fan

Pirates Photofest & PNC Park Tour

Good Evening,

I meant to post this last week, but with all the preparations for Memorial Day weekend it never got posted. This is a recap of my experience at Pittsburgh Pirates photofest and a tour of PNC Park.

On May 18th , I attended the Pirates/Astros game with some friends. We went to the game for several reasons, one of which was getting an A.J. Burnett bobblehead (Mission Accomplished). Just a day or two before the game, I found out that the team was holding the annual Photofest before the game, so we figured we would head to Pittsburgh early to see what it was about.

We arrived at the parking garage near the park about 4:15, 15 minutes after the gates opened so fans could begin making their way down onto the field to get a good spot. When we got out of the car we could see that the line was still making its way in and the fans in their Pirates gear stretched all the way down the outside of the stadium on the third base line. We took our time getting over there and by the time we made it to the gate it was 4:30 and there was no line. We got through the turnstiles, got our bobbleheads and made our way up the series of escalators to the main concourse. As we took a few steps off the escalators, we saw the large number of people already on the outfield warning track.

Instead of attempting to wade through the mass of people already out there and get little to no good pics of the players, we decided on a different strategy. We would make our way down to the seating area next to the Pirates dugout so we could see the players and coaches coming onto the field. This was a great option because we got to see all the stars and even say hi to manager Clint Hurdle. Hurdle was a class act and talked to fans and signed autographs as he made his way towards the outfield. Eventually, we made our way out onto the warning track which was cool before taking our seats for the game. Unfortunately, the Pirates lost in extra innings and my detour to stay away from the closed Squirrel Hill tunnel resulted in sitting through construction on Route 28. I was impressed by the Photofest setup and the ability to be up close and personal with all the players and coaches.


Now, onto the tour. I returned to Pittsburgh the following Monday to run some errands, so I decided to take a tour of PNC Park. I have wanted to do this for the past 2-3 years, and I finally decided to head over to the ballpark and take a tour. When I arrived I went to the ticket windows, purchased my ticket, and went inside to meet up with the tour guide. Originally, I was worried that I would have to take the tour with one of the many school groups there that day, but luckily they had a tour guide for walk ups that day. Our tour guide Elaine was very friendly, and her knowledge of the park and the city made it a fun and informational tour.

The PNC Park tour took me all over the park to areas I have visited like the Pittsburgh Baseball Club. The best part of the tour is all the places you visit that you would never get to visit on a typical game day, unless you  were working. You get access to the Press Box, where I took this great picture of the city and the skyline. I was also able to visit the Pirates press conference room, batting cage, the Lexus Club, before heading into the Pirates dugout. While in the batting cage we were able to hold the bats and gloves of some of the Pirates players. Does this bat look familiar?

The final stop on the tour was the dugout and access to the area behind home plate. As we left the batting cage and headed down the stairs to the field, we were able to see and touch the sign with the famous Roberto Clemente quote pictured to the right. A short hallway took us inside the Pirates dugout and then onto the field. As a Pirates fan, I sat back for a minute in the dugout and thought of all the players I have watched  and admired over the years who may have sat in this same spot. McCutchen, Bay, Giles, etc.


We then exited the field and made our way out to the gate where our tour began. It was a great experience and again, I have to thank our tour guide Elaine who made the whole group feel welcome and allowed us to take pictures and even took pictures for us. One thing I will have to go back and take the tour on a non-game day when tours have access to the clubhouse. I recommend taking the tour if you are a Pirates fan or a fan of baseball. You will learn things you have never heard about the team and the park and its a great way to spend an afternoon.

Click here to visit the information page about PNC Park Tours and pricing.

- The Flood City Sports Fan

McDonald rough in rehab start for Curve

Good evening,

Today I attended the Altoona Curve game and as I was preparing to leave for the game, I found out that James McDonald was the starting pitcher for today for the Curve against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. McDonald was pitching for the Curve on a rehab start and has been on the DL since May 1st with shoulder stiffness. Here is the story on the injury from ESPN.

McDonald started the noon game in front of a crowd of 3,114 at Peoples Natural Gas Field and quickly got off on a rough start walking the leadoff hitter Jarrett Parker on four pitches. This might have been a good thing, since Parker has been on fire in the past five games hitting 5 home runs and driving in 11 runs. He then got behind 2-0 to the #2 hitter Joe Panik before throwing his first strike of the game. He walked Panik, before Adam Duvall drove a pitch into the front row of seats in left field to give Richmond an early 3-0 lead. After getting two outs in the inning, McDonald walked Javier Herrera and Andrew Susac before being pulled  in the first inning.McDonald threw 33 pitches before being pulled for Nate Baker, with 14 of those pitches being strikes.

The early exit was just a beginning for the Curve who fell to the Flying Squirrels 13-2. In the four game series against Richmond, Altoona went 1-3 and losing the last three games of the series. They were outscored in the series 49-30. With the loss the Curve drop to 20-23 while Richmond improved to 26-23.

The outing raises some questions about McDonald. There was no reference to what the pitch count was in this start, so he might have simply met it and the team and Pirates officials did not want to push the envelope. Hopefully the injury was not acting up and McDonald just had a rough outing. It will be interesting to see if McDonald stays in Altoona for another start which would be scheduled for Saturday night in Portland, ME as the Curve take on the Sea Dogs.

Click Here to see the box score from today's game.

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Top 10 Sports Moments from "The Office"

Good Afternoon,

Tomorrow night is the final episode of "The Office" and it is a bummer for me because I am a huge fan of the show. Last summer, while I was working @ Pocono Raceway during a race weekend, I made a visit to Scranton to check out some places mentioned on the show. Below is a pic of me with the famous Welcome to Scranton Sign.

For today's post, I thought I would have some fun and look at ten of the best sports moments from the show. This list is strictly my opinion and I encourage you to mention your favorites in the comments section below.

10. Jim playing Ping Pong (Season 4, Episode 12, The Deposition)
 In this episode Jim plays ping pong with Darryl, who is much better at the game. This leads Kelly, Darryl's girlfriend, to taunt Pam about Jim's poor play. Pam then forces Jim to train against various office workers on a makeshift conference room table. He takes on Kevin, Creed, and Dwight before playing and losing a closer match to Darryl. This was a funny episode with Jim playing several office workers and telling Dwight to play him because he has to play a client for a big account.

9. Andy & Michael at the Baseball Game (Season 6, Episode 25, The Chump)
This is an interesting episode because Michael has found out he is with a married woman (Donna), but he still wants to be with her. To show him what he is doing is wrong, Andy takes him to see Donna's husband coaching a local high school baseball team. This episode is funny because Andy is very akward at the game, acting like an announcer at one point and talking with the coach during the game.

8. Soccer in the Parking Lot (Season 5, Episode 22, Dream Team)
In this episode, Michael has been fired from his job as manager and Charles Miner takes over. Jim, who didn't make a good first impression on the new boss, finds out that Charles is a soccer fan, and suddenly Jim is also a fan. Dwight catches on to his scheme and suggests everyone play soccer after work, an idea that Charles loves. Jim makes things worse during the game by ducking to avoid the ball instead of heading it, allowing it to strike Phyllis in the face and putting him into a bad light with Charles.

7. Michael The Hockey Player (Season 2, Episode 19, Michael's Birthday)
In the episode Michael's birthday, Michael is ready for the employees at Dunder Mifflin to celebrate his birthday. The problem is, Kevin finds out he might have skin cancer, leaving the employees worried about Kevin and caring less about Michael's birthday. This leads to everyone heading to the skating rink where Michael's party was originally to take place. One of the best scenes in this episode is Michael skating around in full hockey gear and a stick before checking Toby into the boards. He then explains that he could have been an NHL player but he really wants a wife and kids. The episode ends with Kevin and Michael opening gifts, the best (not for Michael) being a jersey for Michael with From Dwight on the back instead of a name.

6. Office Olympics (Season 2, Episode 3, Office Olympics)
While Michael and Dwight are out closing the deal on Michael's condo, Jim and Pam organize the Office Olympics featuring games like a coffee cup race, who can eat the most M&M's (Kevin was the only competitor), and Flonkerton or Icelandic Paperbox Snowshoeing. After Michael and Dwight return, the office holds Closing Ceremonies featuring a medal stand made of paper boxes and paper doves.

5. Threat Level Midnight Hockey (Season 7, Episode 17)
Threat Level Midnight was one of the more interesting episodes which featured Agent Michael Scarn (Michael Scott) attempting to save the NHL All Star Game. Some of the best scenes are on the ice with Scarn working hard to make the NHL All Star team to save the day. His training montage in this episode is hilarious, especially with Creed's character as his teacher. This episode gets bonus points for the dance move known as "The Scarn"

4. Karate Kid, the Hillary Swank Version (Season 2, Episode 6, The Fight)
A "The Office" Sports Moments list would not be complete without adding the epic Karate match between Michael and Dwight. In this episode, Michael questions Dwight's abilities, leading Dwight to punch Michael to show how tough he is. This leads to a battle in the studio where Dwight takes Karate. The best scene in this episode is when Michael attacks Dwight, gets him on the ground and tries to "spit in his mouth" as a sign of defeat. This is the episode when Dwight officially becomes Assistant to the Regional Manager.

3. Volleyball (Season 5, Episode 28, Company Picnic)
Company Picnic is a fun episode that brings back familiar faces and gives us a major storyline for the rest of the show. The Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch attends the annual company picnic where they take part in a volleyball tournament. The team is bad at first, before Pam steps in with her serving skills, later explaining her experience with the sport. As the finals begin, Pam gets hurt, heading to the hospital where she and Jim find out she is pregnant with their first child, CeCe (Or PePe as Dwight calls her). This episode features the first return of Holly, along with the return of Charles Miner, who criticizes Jim during their game. We also meet Dwight's friend Rolf who coaches the team while criticizing Angela for her treatment of Dwight.

2. Michael Scott Charity Run for Rabies (Season 4, Episode 12)
After hitting Meredith with his car and finding out she had Rabies, Michael organizes a charity fun run to find a "cure" for the rabid. Michael attempts to prepare for the run by eating Fettuccine Alfredo (carbo loading) just moments before the run begins, leading to him getting sick at the end and going to the hospital for dehydration (Michael would not drink water because the rabid have a fear of water.We see familiar faces in this episode including Bob Vance, Billy the building manager, and "Elizabeth the Stripper", who comes to receive the giant check in the name of science. This episode is also the first where Jim and Pam officially announce that they are a couple.

1. Michael Scott: Basketball Star (Season 1, Episode 5, Basketball & Season 7, Episode 22, Goodbye Michael )
For my #1 pick I had to choose Michael's basketball moments. The first came in the first season when Michael takes a group of employees to the Warehouse to take on the Warehouse guys (Darryl, Roy, Ronnie, etc.). Michael, who thinks he is a great basketball player picks players he thinks are athletic or are secret weapons (Stanley must be good to him, because he is black) instead of people like Kevin and Phyllis who can play better than Stanley & Dwight. Michaels team wins the game after he is "fouled" and calls the game off. In his final day, he plays basketball in the warehouse once again, trying to make a shot over his shoulder while saying "Catch you on the flippity-flip." He makes the shot after several attempts in his last visit to the Warehouse.

Honorable Mentions: Michael playing pool (Season 6, Episode 21, Happy Hour), Jim & Robert playing raquetball (Season 8, Episode 6, Doomsday)

Leave your comments below if your list is different or if I missed a moment you think should be added. Tune into The Office finale this Thursday night.

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Penguins Playoff History on Long Island

Photo Source

Good Evening,

Tomorrow, the Penguins will travel to Uniondale, NY to take on the New York Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. I figured I would take a look at the Penguins playoff history on the road against the Islanders. Consider this a mix of a regular post and a shorter "Looking at the Numbers" post.

1974-75 Season: After two seasons where they failed to make the playoffs, the Penguins finished 3rd in the Norris division and qualified for the postseason. After defeating the St. Louis Blues 2-0 in the preliminary round, the Penguins took on the New York Islanders in the Quarter Finals. The Penguins won their first game on Long Island 6-4 to take a 3-0 series lead. In game four, the Islanders got their first win of the series 3-1. The final game played on Long Island was won by the Islanders 4-1 to tie the series 3-3. They would return to Pittsburgh, where the Islanders would take the series, before falling to the Flyers in the semi-finals.

4/17/75: Won 6-4 in Game 3 (Lead series 3-0)
4/20/75: Lost 3-1 in Game 4 (Lead series 3-1)
4/24/75: Lost 4-1 in Game 6 ( Series Tied 3-3)

1981-82 Season: The Penguins and Islanders met in 1982 during the postseason and the Penguins lost games one and two on Long Island 8-1 and 7-2 respectively. After winning the next two games in Pittsburgh, the Penguins and Islanders returned to the Coliseum where the Penguins lost a heartbreaker 4-3 in OT to end their season.

4/7/82: Lost 8-1 (Trailed 0-1 in Series)
4/8/82: Lost 7-2 (Trailed 0-2 in Series)
4/13/82: Lost 4-3 in OT (Lost Series 3-2)

1992-1993 Season: The final meeting between the two teams came in the 1992-93 playoffs. The Penguins were coming off two straight Stanley Cup titles and they were looking for a third. They had won the Patrick division and finished with a record of 56-21-7 (119 Pts.) which earned them the Presidents Trophy. In the first round the Penguins defeated the Devils four games to one to advance to the division finals against the Islanders. The Penguins and Islanders split the first two games in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins took the first game in New York 3-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. The Islanders tied the series back up in game four with a 6-5 win. The Penguins won the next game, before returining to Long Island and dropping a 7-5 decision to tie the series 3-3. The teams returned to Pittsburgh where the Islanders stunned the Penguins and took the series 4-3, preventing a possible Penguins three-peat.

5/6/93: Won 3-1 (Led series 2-1)
5/8/93: Lost 6-5 (Series Tied 2-2)
5/12/93: Lost 7-5 (Series Tied 3-3)

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Penguins this season. Will they break the cycle of misfortunes the franchise has had on Long Island in the playoffs, or will they come out of Long Island with the series lead. Only time will tell.

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Looking at the Numbers: Pirates Edition (Part 3)

Today concludes the three part series, the first of a new feature of this blog called "Looking at the Numbers". Click Here to see part one and Click Here to see part two. Thanks for checking this out and look for more "Looking at the Numbers" in the future.

For part three, we look at the earliest parks in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Photo Source

Recreation Park: Used from 1885-1890

All Time Record at Recreation Park: 204-163 (.556) in 6 seasons

Best Season: 37-19 (.661) (1885)

Worst Season: 14-25 (.359) (1890)

Recreation Park was used by the Pirates for six seasons. According to a plaque outside of Heinz Field the site of Recreation Park was located NW of the field. The Pirates had three winning and three losing home records at Recreation Park. In their final season there, they went 14-25 at home while finishing 9-88 on the road for a final record of 23-113. Their best season at the park was in 1885 when they finished 18 games over.500.

Photo Source

Exposition Park I: Used from 1882-84
All Time Record at Recreation Park: 53-88 in 3 seasons
Best Season: 17-20 (.459) (1882)
Worst Season: 18-37 (.327) (1884)

The Alleghenys, who later became the Pirates played at Exposition Park I for three seasons. While there is not much information available on the team, I was able to find that the team had losing records at home during all three seasons.

That concludes "Looking at the Numbers: Pirates Edition". Thanks for looking at this series and look for future editions of "Looking at the Numbers" in the future. A special thanks to www.baseball-reference.com for providing the tools to find the information used in this feature."

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Looking at the Numbers: Pirates Edition (Part 2)

Good Afternoon,

This is part two of the first "Looking at the Numbers" series. For the first installment I am looking at the Pirates All-Time Records at each of their home parks. Click Here to see part one, which features PNC Park and Three Rivers Stadium.

Today's post will look at Forbes Field & Exposition Park III. Tomorrow the series will conclude with a look at Recreation Park, Island Grounds, Mahaffey Park, and Exposition Parks 1&2.

Photo Source

Forbes Field: June 30, 1909-June 28, 1970

All-Time Record at Forbes Field (Regular Season): 2599-2118 (.551) in 62 Seasons

Best Season (Percentage): 26-8 (.765.) (1970)

Best Season (Wins): 52-25 (1925 & 1960) (.675)

Worst Season: 23-54 (.299) (1952)

The Pirates won almost 2600 games in their 62 seasons at Forbes Field. In 46 of the 62 seasons, the Pirates were above .500 in wins at their home park. In nine of the 42 seasons the team was 20+ wins over .500 at home and were 10 or more games over .500 in 36 of the 46 seasons. The team did have some down years with seasons where they finished 31, 28, and 25 games under .500 at home. The team won the 1925 and 1960 World Series at Forbes Field and had success throughout their time at the field. In their final season at the stadium, the Pirates went 26-8, winning their last nine games at Forbes Field before moving to Three Rivers Stadium on July 16th.

Photo Source

Exposition Park III: 1891-1909

All Time Record at Exposition Park III: 834-508 (.621) in 19 seasons

Best Season: 56-15 (.789) (1902)

Worst Season: 32-34 (.485) (1891)

The Pirates only played 19 seasons at Exposition Park III, but they had success there almost every year. They had a losing season once in 19 seasons at the park, and that was 1891 when they went 32-34. They had double digit wins over .500 in 15 of the 19 seasons at the park. The 1909 season was split between Exposition Park III and Forbes Field. The Pirates played 24 games at the park before moving to Forbes Field, going 19-5.

Tomorrow we will conclude the final part of this series looking at the earliest parks of the Pirates.

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Looking at the Numbers: Pirates Edition

Hi everyone,

Today I premere a new feature here on the blog known as "Looking at the Numbers". For the first edition of this new feature, I figured I would look at the Pirates all-time record at home. In my last post, I talked about the Pirates record in Philadelphia and Milwaukee so I thought this would be a good place to go to. This first post will include PNC Park and Three Rivers Stadium

PNC Park: March 31, 2001-Present

All-Time Record at PNC Park (As of 4/28/13): 476-505 (.485) in 13 Seasons

2013 Record (As of 4/28/13): 8-4

Best Season: 45-36 (.555) (2012)

Worst Season: 34-47 (.420) (2001)

The Pirates currently play at one of the best parks in America, and while the team has continued their consecutive losing season streak, the team has seen an increase in wins and attendance in the past few years. The Pirates had their best season in the history of PNC Park in 2012 terms of wins and losses and their second best attended season since the inagural season of 2001. Over two million fans made their way through the turnstiles in 2012 with an average attendance of 25,826. This is second only to the inaugural season where the average attendance was over 30,000.

Source: http://www.mcmas.net/fod/three2.jpg

Three Rivers Stadium: July 16, 1970-October 1, 2000

All-Time Record at Three Rivers Stadium (Regular Season): 1324-1081 (.551) in 31 Seasons

Best Season: 58-23 (.716) (1977)

Worst Season: 31-50 (.383) (1986)

The Pirates had success in Three Rivers Stadium, going 240 games over 500 in their 31 seasons there. The Pirates averaged 42 wins in their time at Three Rivers Stadium. They also participated in nine postseasons at the stadium, including two World Series runs. From 1970-1981 the team never finished below .500 at home and won at least 10 more games than they lost in all but two of those seasons. 1981-1990 was not as successful at Three Rivers as the team had seasons where they went 6,10, and 19 games under .500 at home. In their final five seasons at the stadium, the Pirates went 201-202.

Tomorrow's post will include Forbes Field & Exhibition Park III.

Sources: http://www.baseball-reference.com (Year-By-Year Records)

-The Flood City Sports Fan

Pirates Best the Braves

Raise the Jolly Roger!!!

I am in a posting mood this afternoon and that is thanks to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who just finished a successful homestand going 7-2, including a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. The most impressive part of the homestand might have been the Pirates taking three of four games from the Atlanta Braves who came into the series with a 12-2 record. The Pirates are now two games over .500 at 10-8.While the overall series was impressive here were some interesting stats from the series.

After giving up six runs in the first game of the series, a 6-4 loss, the Pirates gave up only three runs in the three wins, while scoring 13 runs. The Braves also lost their first games on the road this season, going 7-0 before Friday's 6-0 loss.

Another impressive stat was the fact that former Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm was the only starting pitcher in the Major Leagues that had not given up a run this season. That changed on Saturday as the Pirates scored three runs on Maholm in the sixth inning giving him his first runs allowed of the season and his first loss of the season.

The bats came alive for the Bucs, hitting four home runs during the series, including Pedro Alvarez getting his first two of the season.

The Pirates now head on the road for a ten game road trip with stops in Philadelphia (4), St. Louis (3), and Milwaukee (3) before returning home to take on the Nationals and Mariners. It will be interesting to see how the Pirates perform on the road trip, specifically at Citizens Bank Park and Miller Park, where the Pirates have not fared well. Overall, the Pirates were 4-11 against the Brewers and 4-3 against the Phillies. On the road they were 2-2 in Philadelphia and  3-6 in Milwaukee last season.

But for now, lets enjoy this great homestand and once again... Raise the Jolly Roger!!!

Photo Source

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Night with the Panthers Recap

Good Afternoon,

It's been a pretty good Sunday after watching the Pirates take three of four from the Braves, but I will get to that in the next post.

For this post I want to recap the Night with the Panthers event that was held this past Thursday at Sunnehanna Country Club. This year was the sixth that the University of Pittsburgh and the Johnstown chapter of the Panther club have held this event, inviting fans for a night of good food and the chance to meet some of Pitt's coaches and athletic office staff.

I had the opportunity to speak with several Pitt athletic officials along with head football coach Paul Chryst. He was very friendly and open to taking pictures, signing autographs, and talking about the upcoming season.  I also had the chance to meet Pat Bostick, former Pitt QB and current analyst for the Pitt Football broadcasts.

Everyone is excited about the upcoming football schedule along with the much anticipated move to the ACC. One thing that Executive Associate Athletic Director Donna Sanft and Chryst said during their speeches was the fact that season ticket sales are on pace to sell out Heinz Field for the first time since 2003.

Johnstown native Marco Pecora spoke during the event and explained how all the players from the Johnstown area who played at Pitt were like a family even though they came from different schools.

Overall, the event was a great opportunity to get together with other Pitt fans while meeting Pitt staff and getting ready for July 1st when Pitt officially becomes a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

-The Flood City Sports Fan

Frozen Four Recap

Good Evening,

This past week, I had the privilege of attending the Frozen Four games at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The Frozen Four featured Yale, Quinnipiac, St. Cloud State University, and UMass-Lowell, who traveled to the steel city on their quest to win the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship. The three games played during the two day Frozen Four were exciting and included an overtime winner, A goal by a hometown player in the championship game, and two goals in 13 seconds. Before getting into the three games, I wanted to take a minute to focus on the other event that surrounded the three games, Frozen Fest along with the arena itself.

Frozen Fest: Frozen fest featured some great giveaways including a freezer mug given to everyone by Allstate. There were also activities like skill shooting, speed shooting, and games featuring some of the NCAA spring sports. There was live music both days and the participating teams held pep rallies to pump up not only their fans, but all in attendance for the games. It was a great way to prepare to head into the arena.

Consol Energy Center: The arena was decked out in Frozen Four Logos and banners  in the concourses, lobbies, and the seating bowl. As the photos will show below they did a great job incorporating the bridges of Pittsburgh into the logos. The atmosphere inside during every game was impressive as the arena did a good job mixing the live music from team bands with the regular music they play. They also had in-game interviews with some big names like Ray Shearo, Billy Guerin, and Derek Schooley being featured in interviews. One touch I enjoyed was the use of Mike Lange saying "A Great Day for Hockey" prior to each game on Thursday and "It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh" on Saturday.

Now Onto the Games...

Semifinals: Both semifinal games were exciting but I will start with the 3-2 overtime win by Yale over UMass-Lowell in the first game. It appeared that Yale was looking at a trip to the National Championship game with two first period goals by Mitch Witek and Antoine Laganiere, but UMass-Lowell was not going down without a fight. At 14:38 of the second period, they got on the board thanks to Riley Wetmore and just 14 seconds later, Joseph Pendenza tied the game, exciting their contingency.

In the second game, Quinnipiac used three first-period goals to defeat St. Cloud State University 4-1. The first period goals came from Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Ben Arnt, and Jeremy Langlois. Samuels-Thomas ended up with two points in the period, getting the assist on the Arnt goal. St. Cloud State got their lone goal from Joey Benik in the second period, before Kellen Jones set the final score later in the period. Despite losing by three goals, St. Cloud State outshot the Bobcats 34-28. Ryan Faragher took the loss stopping 24 of 28 shots, while Eric Hartzell stopped 33 of 34 shots in the win.

Recaps for both games:

http://www.ncaa.com/game/icehockey-men/d1/2013/04/11/yale-mass-lowell

http://www.ncaa.com/game/icehockey-men/d1/2013/04/11/st-cloud-st-quinnipiac

Finals: For fans of Yale and Quinnipiac, their National Championship meeting on Saturday night was their fourth meeting this season. Yale had been unable to pick up a victory in the previous three meetings, but the fourth time was the charm for the Bulldogs, as they shutout Qunnipiac 4-0, winning their first National Title the history of their program, while winning the first NCAA National Championship for a team sport since 1953. It appeared that neither team would get on the board as the second period would down, but Clinton Bourbonais got the Bulldogs on the board, as his shot from the left faceoff circle cleared the pads of Eric Hartzell with four seconds left in the period. Yale pick up goals from Charles Orzetti and Andrew Miller in the first ten minutes of the third period, before Pittsburgh's own Jesse Root set the final score with an empty net goal at 13:02. 

Game Recap:

http://www.ncaa.com/game/icehockey-men/d1/2013/04/13/yale-quinnipiac

Final Thoughts: This was another great event brought into the city of Pittsburgh. The fans from all four schools were noticable, along with fans from other schools and people like me who attended the games to see some exciting hockey, which we received. Fans packed local bars, restaurants, and hotels providing a boost to the local economy along with the other events going on in town this past weekend. The state of Pennsylvania will benefit from the Frozen Four again next year as Philadelphia takes the reigns and hosts the event in 2014.

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Frozen Four Preview

Today is practice day before tomorrow begins the Frozen Four at Consol Energy Center. The four teams participating are Quinnipiac University, Yale University, UMASS-Lowell, and St. Cloud State University. Here is a quick preview of each team along with links to stories about them. I will be visiting Consol to watch part of the practice for Yale this morning so I will try to post some pics later this afternoon along with detained previews.

#1 Quinnipiac University: (29-7-5)
How they got here: Def. Canisus 4-3, Def. Union (NY) 5-1

http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/sports/mice/2012-13/releases/20130331yk0qiy

#3 UMASS-Lowell: (28-10-2)
How they got here: Def.  Wisconsin 6-1, Def. New Hampshire 2-0

http://www.ncaa.com/news/icehockey-men/article/2013-04-08/business-usual-umass-lowell-prepares-take-yale-frozen-four

Yale University: (20-12-3)
How they got here: Def. #2 Minnesota 3-2, Def. North Dakota 4-1

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/04/09/not-trendy-pick-yale-hockey-team-marches/JCH8SqMcfuGqcvukFaOIMJ/story.html


St. Cloud State University: (25-15-1)
How they got here: Def. #4 Notre Dame 5-1, Def. Miami (Ohio) 4-1

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22986353/shooter-now-twins-exec-works-spring-training-timberwolves

Additional Links:
http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/icehockey-men/d1 (Bracket)
http://www.ncaa.com/championships/icehockey-men/d1#!championship_br_home (Championship Page)

Penguins clinch the Atlantic Division

Good Morning,

Last night the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-3, but this win was more than their x win of the season. The win clinched the team's first division title since the 2007-08 season and their 7th overall. They are also the first team to clinch their division this season, but Chicago should be able to clinch in the next game or two.

Last night's game was a back and fourth affair and at times the Penguins had some moments where they appeared sloppy. Carolina took advantage of two of these moments and lit the lamp, but were unable to pick up the win. Justin Peters took the loss for the Hurricanes, stopping 2Endgame: Penguins 5, Hurricanes 3 - Pittsburgh Penguins - Features8 of 32 shots, being added to the starting lineup at the last minute. He looked flustered, which made sense after being pulled just 7:58 into the game the previous night. There were 4-5 times where he lost the puck after making a block or save, leaving him scrambling to locate the puck.

The fourth line was the key to the 5-3 win last night, as they added three points, including the game tying goal in the third period, before Malkin and Dupuis set the final score with goals at 10:02 and and empty net goal at 19:58.

Additional Links:
Official Boxscore
Penguins Game Recap

Arena Review: Jamestown Savings Bank Arena

On the Saturday before Easter, I visited the Jamestown Savings Bank arena, home of the NAHL's Jamestown Ironmen. They were taking on the Johnstown Tomahawks in the regular-season finale so my dad, cousin, and I made the roughly 3.5 hour trip from Johnstown to Jamestown, NY for the game. Upon arriving at the arena, one thing I noticed was the abundance of street parking within walking distance of the arena. We parked right next to the arena and since it was Saturday, we parked for free. As we entered the arena you immediately see the ticket windows to the left and to the right is the DFT Communications Arena, where the Ironmen and Tomahawks would do battle that night. The arena actually features two arenas with a smaller rink on the other side of the snack bar. 

The main arena seats 2,100 people in two levels of seating. There is a nice walking track around the lower seating bowl which is open to the public during non-game days. There is also a snack bar with reasonable prices and a wide selection, along with Sully's Irish Pub behind the lower seating bowl. The upper level is where I sat during my visit, which had a great view, though there is not a bad seat in the house.

Tickets prices were reasonable for the game with the most expensive ticket being $17, which included access to the Legends Club which featured food throughout the game included in the price of the tickets. The spread that night featured hot dogs, roast beef sandwiches, penne pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce, and assorted cookies. The food was served in a room that featured comfy couches and televisions, making it a great value for the price.

The area around the arena does not offer much, but there is a hotel across the street, the Best Western Jamestown for easy access. There is a museum honoring Jamestown resident Lucille Ball just two blocks from the arena, for fans of her work. The museum has a gift shop featuring some unique items. Click Here for more information on the museum.

Overall, the arena was very nice and I imagine that when a crowd of 2,100 fills the place, it would be rocking. Unfortunately, Jamestown draws about 600 fans per game and on this particular night, the crowd was about 1/4 Johnstown fans.

Click Here to visit the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena Website

Safe Travels...

- The Flood City Sports Fan

Raise the Jolly Roger, Baseball's Back!!!

As you can see from today's post, baseball is back and I could not be happier. Last night I braved the chilly April air (Felt more like a January day), and made my first of many visits to PNC Park this season to see the Pirates take on the Chicago Cubs in their second game of the season. The chill in the air definitely kept many fans from the ballpark, but one of the perks of last night's game was the fact that it was Buc Night. For those who are unfamiliar with Buc night, once a year the Pirates offer $1 tickets, hot dogs, and popcorn along with $1 off fountain drinks. Usually, the tickets we receive seats in the upper deck for the $1, but last night the seats we got for $1 were located in right field above the Clemente wall, my favorite section of the park to sit in.

After settling in with some hot dogs, I was lucky to see a great outing by both the Pirates hitters, but also Wandy Rodriguez who had an impressive outing going 6.2 innings, giving up only two hits while striking out six. The bullpen performed well, especially Tony Watson coming in and getting the Pirates out of the jam in the 7th. Jason Grilli struck out two in the 9th to pick up his first career save. Seeing win #1 and being in one of my favorite sports venues was worth freezing my @$$ off.

While at PNC park, I noticed some interesting changes this season. The AYCE seats have been moved to the upper deck, being replaced by a new riverwalk-themed stand. I will have to check this one out on a future visit. Another change I will check out on one of my future visits is the rebranding of the Hall of Fame Club, which is now sponsored by Rivertowne.

In other baseball news, the Altoona Curve open their 2013 campaign tonight in Erie, PA. For a nice preview of their season and tonight's game, click here for a blog post from their broadcaster.

Until next time, keep swinging for the fences

-The Flood City Sports Fan