Winter Haven Senior Softball

Expos and Cubs – Field D  Tuesday March 8^th 2016

In a game last Friday these two teams battled to the end with the Expos winning a game played with excellent fielding and hitting by both teams.  Today was not different as manager Elmer Black posted this line up:  Herb O., Spitaleri, Rutan, Lopez, Ridley, Hawbaker, Mohan, Barnes, LaPointe, Kriger, Ayer, and Black.  LaMay’s team was lined up in this order:  Andrews, Thompson, Laffoon, Shaffer, Kline, Miller, Jones, Leggett, Moots, L. Baker and G. Baker. 

First inning Herb O. lead off with a base rap, Spitaleri singles, Rutan reaches first and singles by Ridley and Mohan bring two runs across the plate for the Expos. With a strong wind blowing for the game and both pitchers were having trouble getting the ball over the plate.  For the Cubs Andrews leads off with a walk, Thompson lines a single to right, than two more walks and a liner to left center off the bat of Jones brings the 3^rd run of the inning for the Cubs.  Score after one was Expos 2 Cubs 3.

Singles by LaPointe and Ayer and Herb O. produced a run for the Expos and the Cubs were zeroed out in the second.  In the third the pitchers started to master the wind.  But, so did the hitters.  After two walks, singles from Hawbaker, Mohan and a triple off the bat of LaPointe drove in the 5^th run of the inning for the Expos.  Cubs came back with a single from Thompson a triple from Shaffer a triple from Kline and singles from Miller, Jones and Leggett tallied 3 runs for the Cubs.  After three Expos 8 Cubs 6.  Expos added 4 more to the scoreboard in the 4^th the big hit of this at bat was a home run off the bat of Manager Black.  The Cubs followed with 3.  Expos held scoreless in the 5^th while the Cubs managed to push across 2 to close the gap to 12 – 11.  In the 6^th the Expos tried to put the game away by scoring 5 runs in their half of the inning.  The Cubs not wanting to give the Expos the game came back and rallied for 6 in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 17 each.  During the sixth the Cubs Shaffer injured his ankle going into second base and was taken out of the game and sat with ice bags for the rest of the game.  No further detail available at this time.

Cubs fielding held the Expos scoreless in the 7^th and came back to take the lead on a two run homer off the bat of Thompson after Andrews had led off with a single.

Both team scored 4 runs each in the 8^th inning.  Score Expos 21 Cubs 23.  Expos rallied for 4 more runs in the top of the ninth to take a 25 to 23 lead over the Cubs.  Cubs come back rally in the bottom of the inning with a Laffoon single followed by singles from Kline and Miller and Leggett bringing in the tying the game at 25 each.  Unable to get another run across the plate the game with two exhausted team plus at least one scorekeeper left the field and a 25 25 tie game.

Leading hitters for Expos:  Herb O. 3 for 6, Spitaleri 3 for 6 HR,  Rutan 3 for 6, Lopez 3 for 4 with 2 walks, Ridley 5 for 5 with W, Kriger 3 for 5, Ayer 4 for 5 and Black HR

Leading hitter for Cubs:  Andrews 3 for 5, Thompson 5 for 6 HR, Laffoon 3 for 5 HR and w, Shaffer 3 for 3 w/ 2 dbls before being injured.  Kline 4 for 6 2B and 3B, Miller 3 for 6, Jones 4 for 6, Leggett 5 for 6 2B 3B, Moots 3 for 6.

Submitted by Don LaMay