MCSN: June 4, 2011

Open season

Week 1 Recap

Thu, Jun 9, 2011

The 2011 season opened under hot conditions and the games were not much different.

The first game of the year saw the Home Invaders take on the Franchise. And after the first inning, it looked like the Home Invaders couldn't invade first base, much less home, when the Franchise's Mat Smith struck out Ethan Sinnema swinging in the season's first at-bat and got the Home Invaders' first three hitters 1-2-3.

"That was the turning point," Home Invaders manager Ovi Tisler explained. "We picked it up after that poor showing."

Did they ever. They invade home in five of the final six innings, winning handily over the Franchise 17-9.

“I was surprised at how many big hitters we have!” Tisler remarked. “How were these guys passed up in the draft? I got 5 guys who could bat 3rd or 4th on any team in the league.”

Even the Invaders' female player, Penny Mesenbrink, went 3-for-4, including a double that Franchise assistant manager Kristen Huntington admitted "took the wind out of our sails a bit." Overall, though, the Franchise had a different perspective on the Invaders' hitters.

“Ovi's team had a lot of impressive batters who really took advantage of some holes in our defense," Huntington said. "They really played well. [But] we had many defensive miscues that we need to clear up for Week 2." Franchise manager Ali Dollard echoed Huntington's sentiment: "We have a good team and I expect us to win games ---- we just need to clean up our defense.”

Don't look now but the league's leading slugger is...the Franchise's Giovanni Medina. In his first at-bat, he blasted a triple deep to right-center over Invaders' rover Tim Kerr and finished a perfect 3-for-3, surprising everyone at the park.

Other than Medina's triple ("Outfield only got burned once"), Tisler was pleased with his team's play. "Hitting and defense both went well," he said. "Infield did a great job, especially David Cho, who dove to snag a line drive then doubled up the baserunner with a throw from his knees."

The trees also played good defense against the Franchise, knocking down a potential Ryan Dollard home run into a ground-rule double.

“I approve of the 'tree-ground-rule-double rule'," said Tisler. "If Dollard wants a HR, he's gotta man up and make sure the ball goes through the tree next time”

“Why should we be afraid of a team that has the Hamburglar on the front of their shirts?”

- Nitros manager Sam Baturoni on facing the Home Invaders for Week 2

The 9:10am game featured the debut of the Minor Prophets and the Usual Suspects. Despite Les Carter's inside-the-park home run to lead off the Minor Prophets' first inning, the Usual Suspects had the lead most of the game despite several defensive miscues and while missing its top player, Bill Van Tuinen. Regardless, the Prophets continued to battle back. And that effort impressed their manager.

“It was truly a team effort,” said Prophets manager Dan Coughlin. "Everyone on our team had a hit and the defense was better than the 15 run score indicated."

Down three runs in the bottom of the 7th, the Prophets scored three times to tie the game, with Jeff Martin
(who crushed one over the fence earlier) driving in two big runs to cut the Prophets' deficit to one, and the Prophets'
assistant manager Dave Zuperku dramatically beating out an infield hit with two outs that allowed the tying run to score.

"We wish we had time for extra innings, but I guess we will have to wait until the rematch on the 18th to see who wins," said Coughlin. "For the first game, I like the effort we gave. If we keep playing as a team I really like our prospects for this season."

Those who like offense should have enjoyed the 30 combined runs being scored in the game, but that didn't matter to the Usual Suspects' Rob Tong.

“Feels like a loss,” he said of the 15-15 tie.

Ties must have become in vogue because that's what happened in the 10:20am matchup between the Nitros and the Friars, the latter being led by the league's only rookie manager, Jerry Hodge. After six lead changes, the game ended in a 10-10 tie.

"[It] was a back and forth battle where both teams failed to capitalize on opportunities that would have won the game," said Nitros manager Sam Baturoni. "Both teams seemed to do well but fell victim to the first game kinks. I'm sure the rematch will be exciting."

What else was exciting was a bang-bang play at home plate that nearly secured the win for the Friars. In the top of the 7th inning, as the ball was rolling towards the catcher, the Friars' Robert Martinez rounded third and dove head-first at home but was tagged out at home on a close play.

So after all that activity on Saturday, only one team lost. "It's kind of crazy that we're the only team with a loss, but we're going to use that as motivation to get a win in Week 2," said the Franchise's Kristen Huntington.

Speaking of Week 2, the Usual Suspects take on the Friars, followed by the Nitros at the Home Invaders, and the Minor Prophets meeting the Franchise. And Nitros manager Sam Baturoni isn't backing down from the potent Home Invaders squad.

"Why should we be afraid of a team that has the Hamburglar on the front of their shirts?" he said. "What are they going to do...throw Chicken McNuggets at us?"

We'll find out Saturday, weather-permitting.