MCSN: July 11, 2009

Half off for everyone

Week 5 Recap

Fri, Jul 17, 2009

Battalion's Lindsay Anderson shows perfect "ready" position form vs. the Inferno

122 players, 20 games, 37 home runs and only five weeks left...MSCN softball is really starting to add up. Last week’s four double-header games on top of regular play generated enough stats and great plays to make your head spin as the season reaches the halfway mark.

First up, the Cater Administration started strong against the Smithereens, beating them 5-2. The Carter Administration’s victory train stalled out against the Bombers though, losing 13-17 in the nightcap of their doubleheader.

With both teams short key players, the Bombers picked up a couple Smithereens players as subs on their way off the field to round out their 6-man roster.

“In our 2nd game [vs. the Bombers], our bats came alive, but so did the bats from the [Bombers'] Smithereens players who we had just played in the first game,” said Van Tuinen. “We put up a valiant effort, but being short our top 2 hitters by average hurt us against the Bombers new-look potent lineup. I mean, where was [the Bombers'] David Zuperku when you really need the guy?!”

Bombers manager Anthony Halpin was pleased with the win over the Carter Administration but pointed out a key missing link.

“It was tough to beat the Carter Administration without their fearless leader, [manager] Chris Carter,” said Halpin. “As Chris puts it, it was kind of like beating the Bulls without Jordan. I would say it was kind of like beating the Bulls without Steve Kerr.”

While the Bombers and Carter Administration battled, Battalion and Moody & the Blowfish met on the adjacent field. The Blowfish came up with the win 12-6 despite struggling to find the strike zone.

“We needed three pitchers to get through the game,” said Moody & the Blowfish assistant manager Tyler McElhaney.

Steve Mason started, but after walking the first 3 batters, Mason was replaced by McElhaney. Mason returned to pitch in the 2nd inning, but experienced…well….what some could only describe as a lack of control. As spectators ran screaming from the bleachers, for fear of meeting one of Mason’s wild pitches face-to-face, McElhaney again valiantly stepped in. Finally, the Blowfish called on their closer, Peter Moy to pitch the remainder of the game.

“We really missed [regular pitcher] Phil ‘Pa’ Nelson, and it showed,” said McElhaney. “We struggled to get through this game…but fortunately the Battalion's guns jammed and we were able to pull out the win” concluded McElhaney.

For the second-half of the Bombers' double header, they met the Mt. Sinai Sluggers and handily beat them 19-4.

Of his team's win-win showing Saturday, Halpin said, “The bombers finally showed up in Week 5 and scored 36 runs over 2 games…[and] thanks to some subs [and] our MVP for the day, Ricky Hutton, we were able to field a team and play some good games.”

Hutton went a combined 8-for-8 at the plate, while Halpin hit one over the fence, his first of the year. Once things started going south, the Sluggers took to discussing the art of love instead of the art of the game to keep them occupied.

“Since the game wasn't going well, the discussion in the Sluggers clubhouse revolved around whether [manager Arick Guzman’s ankle injury from falling down the steps at Moody Church] was accidental or obtained in order to gain sympathy from a particular young lady,” confided assistant manager Scott Lilly. “Opinion is divided on the subject.”

The game also featured the season debut of star Mt. Sinai Sluggers outfielder Hutz Hertzberg. Co-manager Scott Lilly is extremely excited about Hertzberg’s arrival, since that means Lilly is no longer the oldest member of the team.

As the Bombers finished up their double-header with another win, Inferno was just getting started. Inferno went up against the Battalion and then the Diamond Kings, and, in true double-take fashion, Inferno kept both opponents to 10 runs and lost both games.

Battalion bats splintered the scorebooks, hammering out a 4-run 6th inning highlighted by Vince Ramirez’s homerun, and Inferno could not get back in the game. In the 2nd game, Inferno led the Diamond Kings through the 4th inning, but in the end the Kings came back to win 10-7.

Of the losses, Inferno player Sam Baturoni kept a positive attitude. “Despite the setback, I am proud of my teammates. Rob McMahon continues to spank the ball like a parent to a disobedient child; Susannah Schwartz came out of her shell with 4 singles and 3 RBI; Ed Freed & Michael Schneider took lumps for the team; and Angie Coughlin (with fetus in tow) continues to faithfully keep score."

Diamond Kings manager Rob Tong pointed also pointed to strong Inferno play for the close score. “Inferno's Marcus Anderson made a sensational diving catch to rob (no pun intended) me of an extra-base hit in the first inning, and Andrew Peterson hit an out-of-the-park home run in the first inning.”

“I heard they were going to see Disney On Ice together. Again.”

- Diamond Kings' Rob Tong on why the Bombers will be missing their manager and assistant manager for Week 6

However, out-of-the-park home run leader Ben Thacker countered with a out-of-the-park homerun of his own, and inspired big hitting from the rest of his Diamond Kings team to secure the win.

Now that the Kings have established themselves as practically unbeatable, other teams are starting to not even show up.

“This week, we play a shorthanded Bombers team that's missing both its manager and assistant manager.
What fun is that?” said Tong. “I heard they were going to see Disney On Ice together. Again. These guys
need to get their priorities in order!”

Saturday’s games will resume regular play without makeups: Bombers at Diamond Kings, Battalion at
Smithereens, Inferno at Mt. Sinai Sluggers and Carter Administration at Moody & the Blowfish.