Lights! Cameras! Return to Action!
Week 2 Recap
By Bill Van Tuinen
Thu, Jul 18, 2013
In the day's opening game, Cross The Bases edged Orange Crush in a game played under "a-peel" due to a discrepancy with the timekeeping. The return of league veteran and perennial all-star Jacob Dodds helped stabilize the Bases offense, while clutch hitting from Michael Schneider (four RBIs) proved just enough to squeeze out a victory. While Orange Crush fell to 0-3, its not like they've been beaten to a pulp, having been outscored by only four runs in the three losses.
In game two, Cross The Bases established themselves as a legitimate contender with their second victory of the day. Jacob Dodds did his best Michael Schneider impersonation with four RBIs and Terron Wright had an inside-the-park home-run. And Master pitcher Lockwood turned the mound over to his young protege' Matt Terry, who baffled the Roosters lineup with deft placement and some macho headgames.
It looks like Lockwood has a tiger by the tail with spritely youngster Terry, but it's a long season and the league will be watching this one-two pitching dynamo in the weeks ahead.
"We're in the mix", said Bases' manager Gary Lockwood. "I'm pleased with what I saw and I'm proud of the way everyone is coming together as a team".
The Roosters (0-2) were a few eggs short of a dozen with only eight players fielded.
Game 3 featured a matchup of unbeatens: 3:16 Mafia and the Killer Beehs.
The Mafia jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and looked to be cruising to victory, but Beeh pitcher Nick Ploegstra maintained his composure and silenced the hot bats of 3:16. Both teams only fielded nine players, causing some to wonder if the teams were trying to thwart the other's ability to get a full read of what may be championship contenders. Orange Crush manager Tim Kurtz was seen in the stands with a clipboard and stop-watch, but most doubt he actually knows how to use either implement.
Back to the action, Mafia boss Bill Van Tuinen admitted that the loss stung.
"We had our chances," he said. "But we just couldn't get the final out in some of their big innings and our bats went cold late in the game."
The Mafia wasted 4-for-4 plate appearances from David Fowler and Keshia Richardson, while Nathan Maddela and Juan Cruz powered Beehs production. League impresario Jeremy Huntington crushed a ball over the left field fence which sparked the Beehs' comeback. Noticeably absent from the Beehs' sweet victory, and therefore unavailable for comment, was manager Bryan Beeh.
Game 4 was another Witness victory and had manager Rob Tong crowing, "We fried up the Chickens 17-7 in the heat of the last game of the morning, thanks to them being short-handed. This is the second straight week we've played a short-handed team. Much like Jesus, whose crowds became smaller as He spoke, our team has this strange effect of making the other team smaller. I guess that's what happens when you Witness".
Witness also benefited from the stellar defense of Dennis Diaz, who robbed punster Isac Malmgren of an extra-base hit.
The game featured 42 hits and, in what may be a league-first, every player on both teams got at least one hit. Robert Martinez and Scott Whitaker (perhaps channeling his inner "Sweet Lou" Whitaker) led the Witness attack with a combined nine RBIs.
Looking ahead to next week, Tong's group remains focused.
"If we think our next game will be easy, fuhgedaboudit," Tong said. "Loaded with big hit men, the 3:16 Mafia will be sizing us up for concrete shoes. Rumor has it they have a protection racket going on at Clarendon but since we have two Anthonys on our team, maybe they won't be so heavy-handed with us."
“Since we have two Anthonys on our team, maybe they won't be so heavy-handed with us.”- Witness' Rob Tong on the 3:16 Mafia
It's true that there are few things more agitating to the Mafia than a Witness, so it will be an interesting clash of styles in the early-morning matchup.
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