It was a challenging day on Field 2, with only 10 players on each roster. That meant both teams had to supply an extra player just to get the games underway! Looking ahead, the plan is to play with only four teams as long as we have 44 players available.
EZ Roofing, managed by Hill, faced Ingram Financial, managed by Ouding, in a game that started quietly but certainly didn't stay that way!
Carlos Makes a Statement!
Carlos wasted no time announcing EZ Roofing's arrival at the plate. The first batter of the game sent a HOME RUN over the fence! Hill got on base, Anderson tripled, and Gonzales and Marino followed with singles as three runs crossed the plate.
Ingram Financial answered right back. Reagan singled, followed by singles from Toro and Gilbert. Terri tripled, and Vandenberg added another single as Ingram pushed four runs across to take the early lead.
The defenses took charge in the second inning, with neither team scoring. EZ Roofing managed just one run in the third, with Jamie crossing the plate. Ingram matched them with one run of its own, courtesy of Zelazny. EZ Roofing added another run in the fourth while Ingram was held scoreless.
At that point, this looked like it might be a low-scoring affair. Well, that prediction didn't age very well!
The Bats Wake Up!
EZ Roofing broke things open in the fifth. Anderson and Hudson got on base, Gonzales singled, and Marino and Bioto reached safely. Lopicllo added a single, and five runs came home.
Ingram answered with two runs of its own. Capozzi singled, Reagan doubled, and Zelazny and Gilbert followed with singles.
EZ Roofing added three more in the sixth as Anderson, Hudson, and Gonzales crossed the plate, with Marino and Bioto contributing to the rally. The EZ Roofing defense backed up the offense by keeping Ingram off the scoreboard in the bottom half.
Then came the seventh, when EZ Roofing's first five batters all crossed the plate! Ingram kept fighting, manufacturing two runs on hits by Zelazny, Gilbert, Terri, and Vandenberg.
Playing short-handed didn't seem to bother these teams too much. Unlike the Field 1 teams, they elected to keep going for a full nine innings!
Nine Innings, Plenty of Heat—and Some Missing Details!
The scorekeeping got a little lax as the game went on. The notes show Hill, Jamie, Anderson, and Bioto all crossed the plate for EZ Roofing in the eighth, but exactly how they got there remains a mystery. We'll give the runners credit for getting home, even if the scoresheet left us wondering how!
Meanwhile, Ingram Financial kept chipping away at the deficit. Capozzi singled, Zelazny doubled, Toro reached base, Gilbert singled, Terri doubled, and Vandenberg singled. Four runs scored, keeping the pressure on EZ Roofing.
By the ninth inning, perhaps the Florida heat had finally caught up with everyone. EZ Roofing went three up, three down in its final at-bat.
But Ingram wasn't finished! Reagan singled, Zelazny launched a HOME RUN, Toro doubled, Gilbert singled, and Terri reached base. Five runs crossed the plate as Ingram made one final push. They scored 18 runs on the day—one more than the original final tally showed—but EZ Roofing had done enough to hold on.
Final Score: EZ Roofing 22, Ingram Financial 18
A Day to Remember for Gilbert!
A huge shout-out to Gilbert, who went a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate! Six hits in six at-bats is quite a day—and deserves its own round of applause!
Ingram Financial fought hard to close the gap, including a five-run rally in the ninth, but EZ Roofing had built enough of a lead to hold on for the win. Both teams showed plenty of fight through nine innings, extra-player challenges, and a Florida day that was bound to test everyone's stamina.
See you on the field!