The forecast today, Tuesday December 30, stated a 50% chance of rain. As we took the field a
few drops were already falling on our heads. However, the real storm took place
on the field, it was these two teams that provided the thunder and lightning.
Team Thunder: Gazarek, Wiltshire, DeRidder, Smith, JD, Coffman, Deano, M.
Gonzalez, S. Hill and Capozzi.
Vs.
Team Lightning: Zelazny, Laffoon, Busch, Keller, Matta, Andrews, Hite,
Poke, Kallister and Ayers.
Both teams started out like Gene Kelly, staring in "Singing in the Rain",
while scoring 3 runs in the first inning. Gazarek, Wiltshire, DeRidder, Coffman
and Deano delivered the lyrics for the Thunder boys, “I'm singing in the rain,
Just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again." Team
Thunder was deliriously happy circling the bases.
Team Lightning could also croon, “Let the stormy clouds chase, Everyone
from the place, Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face, I'll walk down
the lane, With a happy refrain, Just singing in the rain.” We chased the stormy
clouds away with our bats. Zelazny, Laffoon and Keller put a smile on the Home
teams face, with 3 big hits in the inning. It was Keller who delivered the
lightning bolt, with a HR, hit deep over the right fielders head. The ball hit
the base of the fence on a fly. After 1 inning the score was Thunder: 3 Lightning:
3.
The visiting team’s bats cooled a bit over the next 3 innings, not so for
the home team. There is an old saying, “when chairs squeak, of rain they speak.”
Team Lightning made the chairs squeal. They knocked the visiting team off their
rocker. With big hits from everyone in the lineup, Team Lightning scored 12 runs
in those three innings. Poke had the big hit with his first triple of the game.
“When it rains, it pours” and Team Lightning soaked em. After 4 innings the
score was Team Thunder: 5- Team Lightning: 15.
In the 5th inning Team Thunder had a tempest of their own.
They scored 6 runs, to storm back into the game. JD, Coffman, M. Gonzalez,
Capozzi, Gazarek, Wiltshire, DeRidder and Smith hit the ball like a Nor’easter
hitting the east coast. There was an unfortunate accident that occurred in the
inning. Mike Wiltshire hit a shot over the leftcenter fielders head. As he was
streaking around the bases, Mike slipped and fell hard, hurting himself. Players
from both teams attended to him, as we stopped the game action. As a precaution,
Mike sat out the rest of the game. Hope you feel better soon, Mike! After 5
innings the score was Team Thunder: 11- Team Lightning:
17.
In the 6th inning, Team Lightning hit like a hurricane hitting
the shore, we scored 5 more runs. Poke started things off with his second triple
of the game, hit over the leftcenter fielders head. Ayers, Zelazny, Laffoon,
Busch, Keller and Matta brought the rest of the assault. After 6 innings the
score was Team Thunder: 11- Team Lightning 22.
Some
rain storms will reward you with a rainbow. Team Thunder weathered the storm and
in the last three innings they not only saw the rainbow, they rode on it. Team
thunder scored 14 runs over the 7th, 8th and
9th innings to tie the game. With the score tied 25-25, team
Lightning came up to bat in the bottom of the 9th inning. Poke had
already proved that lightning can strike twice in a game, as he had already hit
two triples in the game. Poke was the first batter up in the ninth, could he
deliver another firebolt? Let me say it this way, boom, blast, roar, and rumble.
Poke slammed the ball deep into the right field corner and rounded the bases for
a walk off homerun, to win the game. After he crossed home plate, his teammates
lifted him up on their shoulders and congratulated him. Final
Score: Thunder 25- Lightning 26.
Leading hitters for the Thunder:
Gazarek: 5/6 and a walk.
DeRidder: 5/7
Smith: 4/6 and a SF.
Coffman: 4/6
M. Gonzalez: 4/6 with a double and a HR.
Capozzi: 4/6 with a double.
Leading hitters for the Lightning:
Zelazny: 4/6.
Laffoon: 5/6 with two doubles.
Busch: 4/6 with two doubles.
Keller: 5/6 with a HR and 3 doubles.
Matta: 5/6 with a double.
Poke: 4/6 with 2 triples and a HR.
Ayers: 4/5.
WP: Kallister.
Write up by Nick Matta
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