Memorial Day Friday

Gold's Gym Field

Team Gonzalez, (Hitting): Gonzalez, S. Hill, Butler, Finnegen, Brennaman, Chamlee, Marino, Matta, Osterreid, Moots, Sesnick and G. Baker.

Vs.

Team Lopez, (Sitting): Mundy, Alumbaugh, Bess, Jacobs, Zelazny, Lopez, Holder, Sullivan, Reagan, Borowicz and Mills.

Vs.

Team Rivera, (Fielding): Coffman, Witmer, Scarbrough, Edwards, Rivera, D. Hill, Wells, Byrd, Thompson, Simon and L. Baker.

Players arrived at the ball fields today to find standing water on 3 of the 4 fields. Strange, because it did not rain in to many surrounding areas on Thursday, or Friday morning, but apparently the ball fields saw a storm. There was so much water on Gator Land Field; I thought we were really at Gator Land. I am not certain, but I think there was a 14 foot gator hiding in the water, at the mound. My suggestion was to send Regis out, to check and see if a reptile were present. If one were there, my money would be on Finnegen, no gator is as tough as that ole Irishman.

The one dry field was the Gold’s Gym Field, so we gathered there to play ball. It was either that, or put away the Mikens and get out the Zebco rods and reels. The Gold’s Gym slogan, listed on the dugout sign reads, “change your body, change your life.” Well, judging by the way teams were hitting. The slogan should have read, “change your bats, change your swing.” Something needed to change; runs were hard to come by. Team Gonzalez only scored 6 runs the whole game, that’s a good inning, most days. Perhaps it was not the hitting that sank Freddy’s ship; perhaps it was the base running. Three runners were thrown out trying for an extra base, for team Freddy, one at 2^nd base and two at the plate. Credit the players on team Rivera for making the right throws and credit the catcher, Lee Baker, for making the plays at the plate.

The other teams had hitting problems too, apparently their bats were on a Memorial weekend, holiday break. The winning team only scored 10 runs, the 2^nd place team, otherwise known as the other losing team, only scored 9 runs. Team Rivera also suffered a few base running errors. One runner was thrown out at 1^st base, by outfielder Brent Alumbaugh, after hitting what should have been a single.  Another runner was gunned down at 2^nd base, by left fielder, Frank Jacobs, while trying to stretch a single into a double. Maybe Sammy Lopez, JD Davis and Nick Matta will hold a running clinic before the start of next season. Our motto, “we have plenty of gas in the tank; we just don’t have the tread on the tires.”

The game did have a classic finish. As we went into the 7^th inning the score was Team Gonzalez: 6, Team Lopez: 7 and Team Rivera: 8. Close enough that each team could feel the breath of the team behind them, on their neck, yuck. Team Gonzalez managed to place runners on the corners, in the top of the 7^th.  But that was “all she wrote”, they could not buy another hit and finished with a meager 6 runs.  As a side bar, the saying, “that is all she wrote” is attributed as a saying from WWII, it had to do with the proverbial "Dear John" letters that many servicemen received from sweethearts back home, ending their relationships. "And that's all she wrote" meant it's over - and that's all she wrote me!

Team Lopez came up and had a little bit to shout about, they scored two runs in the middle of the 7^th inning. Dennis Borowicz started out the inning by smashing the green apple down the left field line, for a triple. He then scored on Ray Mills' single, to tie the game, against team Rivera, 8-8.  Mills was then erased on a double play. With two outs, Brent Alumbaugh doubled and then scored the go ahead run on a hit by Bess. The next batter hit a fly out and team Lopez took the field with a one run lead.

Score: Hitting team: 6, Sitting team: 9, Fielding team: 8.

Team Rivera came to bat in the bottom of the 7^th, needing two runs to win the game. Kirk Coffman started the inning with a sharply hit single, to left. He was then forced out at 2^nd base, when Don Witmer hit a ground ball to the second baseman, Bess.  Donny Scarbrough then grabbed a base hit, to put runners at 1^st and second, with one out. Clutch hitter, Roger Edwards, strolled to the plate, Roger had already grabbed base hits with his last two at bats. This time he drew a walk, to load the bases. It was all up to Jose Rivera, team manager, to make the difference. Flash back to Tuesday’s action, Jose won that game with a 2 run, inside the park HR. In this game, Rivera already had a HR, triple and a single. In other words, he came to bat hotter than a holiday burger on a smoky grill. Jose lined the ball into left field, for a single, that scored Witmer and Scarbrough, to win the game. Jose Rivera knows how to take a round bat and hit a round ball, squarely. Happy Memorial Day!

Final Score: Team Gonzalez: 6 - Team Lopez: 9 – Team Rivera: 10

Leading Hitters:

Hitting team:

Doug Chamlee: 3 / 3.

Sitting team:

Brent Alumbaugh, 3 / 4, with a double.

Bess: 3 / 4.

Fielding team:

Kirk Coffman, 3 / 4.

Donny Scarbrough, 3 / 4.

Roger Edwards, 3 / 3 with a sac.

Jose Rivera, 4 / 4 with a triple, HR and game winning hit.