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Zelaznycoast@aol.com wrote:
Blue skies and dry fields were the order of the day as 34 ball players dusted off their bats and oiled up their gloves and were ready to go after a long hiatus caused by mother nature. The folks in the stands saw a great three team game with the outcome in doubt until the last swing of the bat.
The hit team was ably managed by Juan Toro. The lineup consisted of Riviera, Munday, Zelazny, Toro, Constantine, Scarbrough, Diaz, Schapeler, Thompson, Best, and Bowley. They got off to a fast start as Jose Rivera lead off with a home run. I guess we started counting potential runs and when we looked up we were four and out. Freddie Gonzales sitting team was next up. The team of of Gonz.alez, Chrest, Witmer, King, Miller, Simon, Wise, Reagen, Powell, Leggett, Merritt, and Baker failed to score in their third of the inning as their rally was cut short by a great double play to end the inning. After showing a strong defense, Ron Butlers team came up and showed they were clearly the team to beat. The team of Dampier, Coffman, Laffoon, Jacobs, Butler, Davis, Barnes, Byrd,Hill, Wells, and Moots batted ten batters and scored five runs to take the early lead. The second inning saw Team Butler score three more runs to take a commanding lead as neither the hitting or sitting team managed to score a run.
The third inning saw Juan's hitting team put up three runs to cut into Ron's fiieding team lead. Solid defense kept the other teams from crossing the plate. Juans hitting team went four and out in the fourth. Freddie's team finally put some runs on the board as their first two batters scored. Obviously worried about the other teams run production, Team Butler felt they needed to reestablish themselves as the team to beat as so the went out and scored three runs. The fifth inning saw Juan's team score six runs to tie up the game( or so we thought). It turned out that they could have scored seven as there was an error on the scoreboard. This run proved crucial in the end. Team Gonzales again was shut out after Team Toro pulled off their third double play of the game. Johnny Byrd lead off and scored the only run for Team Butler giving them a two run lead. The sixth inning was scoreless.
It was anyone's game going into the seventh. Team Toro scored three runs off Juan's double to take the lead for the first time. Team Gonzeles was not going to go down easy. Russ King lead off and scored. The next batter reached base but was erased as Team Toro turned their fourth double play. The inning ended with one on and Bobby Reagen hitting a hard line drive to left field which was run down by Don Scarbrough. It is truly a game of inches. So behind by one Team Butler came to bat needing two for the win. JD Davis lead off with a solid single. Kirk Coffman came in as a substitute runner and the substitution paid dividends as he was able to score from second on a short fly ball to left. A double play helped to curtail the rally and with a runner on base were unable to score again resulting in a tie between Team Toro and Team Butler. Remember that run (or no run) in the fifth. I guess it pays to check the score with the official scorekeeper.
The game was interesting in that there were six double plays and only three extra base hits by the three teams. Guess good defense and good pitching by Diaz, Powell, Wells, and Leggett kept the bats in check.
Key performances include:
Wayne Mundy 3 for 4 with a double
Juan Toro 3 for 4 with a double
Ron Thompson 3 for 4
Vassir Bess 3 for 4
Larry Chrest 2 for 3
Don Witmer 2 for 3
Russ King 2 for 3 with a triple
Tom Wise 2 for 3
Jimmy Laffoon 4 for 4
Frank Jacobs 3 for 4 with a triple
Ron Butler 3 for 4
Johnny Byrd 3 for 4
Duff Hill 3 for 4
Special thanks go out to Nick Matt's girls for cooking up the best patch of Chocolate chip cookies this side of Grandmas. They were so good that we couldn't get folks to stay in the dugout as everyone was hanging around the cookies. Thanks again.
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