May Your Bat Be Ever Busy
We had a donnybrook of a game in the American league. There were runs a plenty, but the winning margin was a wee, small number. The two teams took out their shillelaghs (Irish walking sticks) and beat the ball all over the clover. When it was all over, one team found the pot o’ gold, whilst the other team was left behind on the road to Dublin. The WHSS, Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, game took place in Auburndale for the first time. I’ll start the team introductions with an Irish toast: Here's to a long life and a merry one. A quick death and an easy one. A pretty girl and an honest one. A cold pint and another one!
Visitors, Team Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale: Coffman, Wiltshire, Duff, Doerbaum, Davis, Brock, Smith, Burns, Vandenburg, Schapeler, Wells and Kallister. Coached by Squire Smith!
Home, Team Guinness: Dampier, Pepin, Drouilard, Held, Seguin, Stier, Reagan, Matta, Shaffer, Denny, Ayers and Zelazny. Coached by the Earl of Zelazny!
Team Kilkenny were the first one’s to strike up the bagpipes. They played a tune that netted them a pair of runs in the first. Chuck Duff hit a deep fly ball over the right fielders head to hit a home run, with a runner on base, to account for the two runs. The Guinness team was not going to just sit back and drink a pint, even though some may have thought about doing just that, hoisting a mug. There was a game to be won. They were mindful of the old, Irish saying: “You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.” The Home team put their hand to the plow and scored three runs, to take a one run lead. Seguin hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Dampier. Stier then hit a single that scored Drouilard and Held. This next Irish proverb would come back to haunt the Visiting team, “Lose an hour in the morning, and you’ll be looking for it all day.” (A more accurate softball translation, “lose by a run in the early innings and it may come back to hurt you”). After one inning the score was Kilkenny: 2 - Guinness: 3.
Team Kilkenny looked for shamrocks in the 2nd inning, but could not find any. They were shut out in the inning. Meanwhile, Team Guinness danced a jig, they scored 5 runs. Shaffer, Ayers, Zelazny, Dampier, Pepin, Drouilard and Held made the other team pay the piper while Team Guinness danced. After two innings: Kilkenny: 2- Guinness: 8.
Kilkenny had a whale of a time in the 3rd inning. They scored 6 runs. Kallister, Coffman, Wiltshire, Duff and Doerbaum all scored, Brock and Smith also had hits in the inning. Team Guinness answered right back, with five runs of their own in the 3rd. Seguin, Stier and Matta all hit doubles to get things going. Shaffer, Denny, Ayers and Zelazny finished the inning by adding singles. After 3 innings: Kilkenny: 8- Guinness: 13. It looked like team Guinness had the Irish blessing upon them: “May there always be work for your hands to do, May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”
Team Kilkenny found some four leaf clovers in the 4th inning and crossed the plate a few times. The truth is they made their own luck, when they scored five runs off of home runs by Duff and Doerbaum, to tie the game. After 4 innings: Kilkenny: 13- Guinness: 13. The score stayed close and the lead exchanged hands, throughout the rest of the game. After 8 innings the score was Kilkenny: 20- Guinness: 23.The Visitors needed four runs to take the lead. Doerbaum started the 9th inning off by hitting a shot over the rainbow, for a homerun. Brock, Smith and Burns added hits and all scored, to give Kilkenny the lead, 24-23. Vandenburg had knocked in the go ahead run with a single, before the last two batters were retired to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Team Guinness was in want of a run to tie the game, and two runs, to win the game. That brings to mind an Irish blessing, “may you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.” Team Guinness wants were satisfied quickly, with three straight hits. Held started the inning with a double, Seguin singled in Held with the tying run. Then Stier had the game winning hit, a double, to knock in Seguin. The pot of gold belonged to the Home team. Final score: Kilkenny: 24- Guinness: 25. By only taking a one run lead into the bottom of the ninth, you might say Team Kilkenny was guilty of ironing a four leaf clover, they pressed their luck.
These players kissed the blarney stone for Team Kilkenny:
Coffman: 2/ 4 and a walk.
Wiltshire: 4/5 with two doubles.
Duff: 3/ 5 with two HRs.
Doerbaum: 5/5 with two HRs.
Davis: 3/ 5.
Brock: 4/4 with a walk and two doubles.
Smith: 3/5.
Vandenburg: 3/5.
Schapler: 3/5.
These players hit the jackpot for Team Guinness:
Dampier: 2/ 4 and a walk.
Pepin: 3/5.
Held: 4/4, with three doubles and a walk.
Seguin: 4/4 with a double and a SF.
Stier: 3/5 with a double.
Shaffer: 4/4 with a HR.
Denny: 3/4.
Ayers: 3 / 4 with a triple.
Zelazny: 3 / 4.
Defensive Play Of The Game: Jeff Stier, SS, for an over the shoulder catch in shallow center field.
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
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