Cancel knocks in 4 with opposite field strokes

By Graham Goodman

The Valley Blue Sox (11-14-1) have hit an offensive stride in its past three games, and finally capitalized on it in a 7-6 win over the Keene Swampbats on July 11 at Alumni Field in Keene, NH. Throughout the three games, the same face has been the center of it all.

Blue Sox’s catcher Chris Cancel (UConn) does not normally see the letters “DH” written next to his name in the starting lineup. According to head coach John Raiola, the decision to keep Cancel in the lineup on a usual off-day came down to his swing path.

Raiola would know. He previously served on the SwampBats coaching staff in 2011, making him closely familiar with Alumni Field’s dimensions.The right-field foul pole is 354 feet from home plate and the center field fence is 352 feet from home plate. This creates an abnormally short right-center field gap.

“It's the first time in the DH all year, because all he's got to do was take his normal swing and hit a ball well to the right center, and it's got a shot,” Raiola said.

That’s exactly what Cancel did,going three for four with four RBI. His biggest swing of the night was a second inning two-run home run to right-center field that cleared the wall with ease and put the Blue Sox up 2-0.

“My main approach is let the ball get deep, hit it backside,” Cancel said. “I honestly have a lot more juice that way. My swing does play very well for this field, that right center, short porch.
And I think we saw that today.”

Cancel’s two other hits were singles. The first was a line drive to left field that scored one to tie the game at four in the sixth inning, the next a line drive off of the centerfield wall that extended Valley’s lead to 6-4 in the seventh inning. 

Cancel’s three-hit day against Keene was the latest offensive success, and he's currently riding a four-game hit streak and three-game RBI streak. His RBI streak began July 8 when he had a three hit game in a 12-9 loss to the Newport Gulls. 

Cancel recorded one RBI in that game, a solo home run to the opposite field in the right-center field gap. After that game, Cancel said the reason for his tendency to hit the ball to the opposite field is rooted in his swing.

“I pretty much try and just be on time for the fastball,” Cancel said. “And then adjust to the off-speed, catch that more out in front. But yeah, work the middle of the field with the fastball.”

One of Cancel’s other two hits in the game was a double to the opposite field. 

“They are all paying attention to who’s making the lineup,” Raiola said. “You got to be swinging it well in order to get yourself in there. … There's a couple really good swings today. A lot to do with the park, and how he's been swinging it rewarded that decision.”