In reply to: and that's the final * posted by ShermanOaksND
after that disastrous series at ASU, with losses of 1-10, 7-20, and 5-16. Since then, ND has allowed double-digit scores "only" twice, although those were against the likes of Incarnate Word (7-15) and Western Carolina (9-16). The pitching has been a lot better in the ACC games. We're now 5-4 in conference, 4-8 OOC.
The FSU pitcher was clearly rattled having walked the first two batters on 9 pitches and then going 3-0 on the next. Even though the ND batter purposely took the 3-0 pitch for a strike, the better strategy at that point would have been to take again and then swing away on 3-2. Laying down the bunt to move both runners over took away a far more valuable out for marginal benefit and settled the pitcher down as well.
I agree with you, by the way. You were down 2, not 1. Getting the runner to 2nd is not worth giving up the out there.
But, that was not the first time Aoki bunted at a time I found strange this weekend. He was rewarded with a run in the 2nd game, but he bunted when it was 0-0 and the first 2 guys had gotten on in the inning. I just scratched my head.
I can only think he knows his team isn't going to hit much.