MCSN: July 14, 2012

Buzz Killed: Killer Beehs' Upset Bid Falls Short

Week 4 Recap

Thu, Jul 12, 2012

The Transformers' John Fraats is off to the races Following a three-week holiday-induced layoff, MCSN was back in action on Saturday. Unfortunately, following the massive heatwave during the layoff, the outfield grass had the yellowed look of an old man's teeth.

The day's first game looked like a mismatch on paper as the once-beaten Pass the Plate faced the still-winless Killer Beehs.

Both teams were a bit short on person-power, but the Beehs jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead after 2.5 innings as Pass the Plate was still shaking off three weeks of cobwebs.

However, in the next three innings, Pass the Plate scored 10 runs, fueled in large part by Dan Coughlin's six RBIs. The recent second-time dad is believed to have accidentally consumed a cocktail of Nyquil and Enfamil meant for one of his children.

Every Pass the Plate player scored at least one run.

The Killer Beehs (0-4-1) once again ended up on the short end of a game where they outhit their opponents (16-12), but they just couldn't get the key hits when they needed them.

Pass the Plate (5-1) also made two putouts at home plate, which proved to be the difference in the 10-8 game.

The two teams will tangle again this Saturday in the nightcap and Pass the Plate manager Jeremy Huntington will be guarding against a letdown as the game follows the much-anticipated matchup with the Transformers in the 10am game.

The 9am game featured a rematch of the only remaining winless teams in the league: Cannon and the Killer Beehs, who had tied in their previous meeting.

The Beehs were buzzing early and often, scoring the limit of five runs in each of the first three innings and seven runs in the unlimited-run 4th inning en route to a 22-8 victory. The 22 runs were the most in four consecutive innings in league history.

The Killer Beehs' Tim Kerr led the assault, going 4-for-4 with eight RBIs, leaving clean-up hitter Bill Van Tuinen grumbling there was nothing left to clean up.

Cannon was able to fire back a few shots of their own early on with eight runs in three innings. However, they were missing a few of their sparks, including Erik Summers and Patrick Halpin (who were both on overseas assignments) along with Juan "Cruise", who may have been attending to cousin Tom in Hollywood.

An ebullient Killer Beehs manager, Bryan Beeh, was overhead after the game saying "I love you, Honey", but it is still unclear if he was talking to wife-cum-assistant-manager Katie or the sweet snack he had packed in his bag.

In the next game at 10am, Cannon had to regroup quickly to try and slow down the Transformers, but appeared shell-shocked as they again gave up the maximum allowable five runs in each of the first three innings.

The Transformers' Robert Martinez was optimum offensively with eight RBIs, while teammate Ovi Tisler hit yet another ball out of the park, leading an offense where every Transformer was able to turn in a hit during the game.

Rebekah Myers led Cannon's counter-attack with four RBIs, with teammate Eric Bartl chipping in three, but it just couldn't put a dent in the Transformers' unblemished record as the Transformers won 16-8.

The Transformers had the fortune of playing an also-short-handed Believas team in the final game of the day and pounded out 22 runs on a week-high 24 hits en route to a 22-9 victory.

Ovi Tisler continued to "Go Ceausescu" on opposing pitchers with at least two more out-of-the-park homers and became the third player on the day to accumulate eight RBIs in one game, the first time three players notched eight or more RBIs in the same weekend in league history.

Tisler was also the first player in league history to hit three home runs over the fence on the same day.

The Believas' long-time pitching stalwart Gary Lockwood has rarely been so roughly handled, but the Believas had nothing else to throw at the potent Transformers lineup. The Transformers now begin to look forward to next week's marquee matchup against Pass the Plate, although the Transformers will be without the marauding Tisler in the fold.

This coming weekend will see one Dark Knight rising and perhaps another dark night setting on those teams with hopes of MCSN glory.

Can the Believas bounce back with manger Tim Kurtz back in the fold?

“I love you, honey.”

- An excited Bryan Beeh said after his team's first win, presumably directed at his wife

Can Cannon get its first victory?

Will anyone ever beat the Transformers?

Is Robert Martinez, still hitting a perfect 1.000, human or simply a hitting machine?

Is Pass the Plate primed to upset the Transformers?

Or will they fall in the rematch to the newly-revived Killer Beehs?

This weekend's games will provide plenty of answers.