Anchors vs. The Ringers – No Contest --June 16^th Game

You know, I have this say that this wasn’t a very memorable game.  It was a good game, and we played it well, but there wasn’t much outstanding.  It lacked the pre-game stress of a Schnack game, the down-to-the-wire suspense of the CAPC game and home run derby of the Dirt Dawgs.  It was softball though, and that good enough for me.

The B61 Lineup, sponsored by Alma Restaurant

Catcher: “Yo! Yo!” Johanna and “I Fell Down the Stairs” Kate

Pitcher: “Looking for Glove in All the Wrong Places” Jonathan

1^st Base: “You Throw It, I’ll Catch It” Willie

2^nd Base: “BGs” Betsy and “Coppertop” Amy

Shortstop: Jason the “Rookie”

3^rd Base: “It Still Burns When I Pee” Jamie

Left Field: “Hit it Hard, Sweetie!” Steve

Center Field: Papa B Matt

Right Center Field: Big Al Reinert and the “’I go both ways’ is too obvious” Roblums

Short Center Field: “Tam Tam” Tamara and “Ribbi” Alyce

DH: “White Wedding” Whippit and Andrew Raible Rouser

Our Fans: “Teach” Tracey and  Renee-ne

The Game

You know it’s a good sign when an ump that you haven’t seen all season comes onto the field and starts shaking everyone’s hands because he’s glad to see them, especially one who calls a good game and is friends with Willie.  It’s also a good sign when the opposing team only has 1 girl to start, and Blue says they have to start anyway.  Then again, it’s not so good when you see that the opposing pitcher looks like he can smack the ball into tomorrow and he pitches fast, really fast.  Or is it?

Once again, we were the home team.  You know what that means?  One less at bat for B61.  ‘Ooh, he’s cocky today.’  We take the field, and Anchors starts off well.  They get 2 men on base, and sure enough, their big guy batting cleanup hits a long one.  Not long for B61 though.  Steve is able to relay and reach Jamie at 3^rd in time to catch one of the runners who slips off the base at 3^rd.  Sweet play.  Anchors get first blood, but B61 is looking good.

Mattie in the 3 spot gets our first hit as he takes the pitcher’s fast ball out to LF.  I hear grumblings in the dugout about how the pitcher is pitching too fast, and they want to complain.  I remember telling someone, “Let’s wait until after Jamie hits.  You’ll see.”  Sure enough, Jamie takes the first fast pitch and hits a line drive over the left fielder’s head.  It didn’t even have an arc on it.  The fielder didn’t even bother to run after it.  SO, 2-1.  That’s much better.

We take Anchors down 1-2-3, even the girl with a windmill before she swings.  What’s that about, other than trying to throw me off?  Didn’t work.  Then again, our offense didn’t work so well either as they also take us down 1-2-3.  One more inning of purely defensive play.  Who suspected this was going to be a defensive game??

Anchors broke it open with a grounder through Jamie.  According to Tracey, our wonderful reporter, “Jamie looking at his glove as though the ball should be there.”  Tam makes a good grab in short center (I like this formation!), but a line drive brings in 2 runs to make it 2-3.  With the next batter, Johanna makes a heads-up play with a hit dribbled in front of home plate – she tosses it to me so I can throw to 1^st.  Great play, but I’m not fast enough.  Jason the Rookie channels a bit of Willie as he makes an over the head catch to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 4^th, I hit a “leftie chopper” to 2^nd base with plenty of time to make it to 1^st.  Matt follows with a much prettier hit and with the overthrow, I’m able to race home.  Whew!  3-3.  Didn’t want to lose to the Anchors!  The Canadian decides to hit to right field to spice it up and hits another long ball.  Fortunately for the Anchors, one of the little league players on the other field stopped it for them, so Jamie was held to a triple.  4-3.  To add to the excitement, Raible’s tire exploded right next to the dugout.  Ooh, scary!

For the 5^th inning, we bring in our ringers – Kate, Amy, Rob and Alyce.  Amy starts showing what these ringers can do with a Rookie – Amy toss to get the force at second.  She even tagged the runner to be extra out.  Willie saves a wild Jamie curveball and Little Rhino snags the 3^rd out.  And we bounce right back to the plate.  Rookie starts off with a smartly played walk, and Roblums, switches it up to hit lefty and gets a strong base hit between 1^st and 2^nd, bringing the Rookie to 3^rd.  Good ol’ Ribbi in her triumphant return hits a much needed base hit through the shortstop to send Jason home.  We don’t call her Ribbi for nothing!  I love these ringers.  I notice that the Anchors pitcher is trying to pitch like me.  I guess he doesn’t realize how much trouble we were having with the fast ball.  We keep pounding through.  Rhino hits a long pop fly that’s dropped, and our team scrambles.  Rob comes in and Alyce to 3^rd.  I walk, and Matt also hits into a dropped pop fly.  I consider going to home, but they make a great throw to the catcher who holds it.  As Tracey called it, I was “pickled” between 3^rd and home.  I was in a pickle, but no matter. I beat the play back to 3^rd.  Good thing because Jamie hits a single to bring both me and Papa B home.  Ah, 10-3.  That’s a great inning!

The Anchors hang tough and score 1 run in the 6th.  They then load the bases, but we hold strong.  Whew.  We could have blown it there.  For us, Rookie hits a nice blooper into left field, and Alyce hit a long shot into left field for her second hit of the day.  Our last ringer to show her stuff, Shiner Kate, hits a hard ball OVER 1^st base!  Jason turns towards home and scores as the catcher hurts her hand.  We originally thought Jason hit her, but the throw was just too hard.  In B61 style, we made an ice pack for her.  No beer inside though – we’re not that nice!  11-4

It’s the top of the 7^th, and Raible starts to tell everyone how we folded against this team last year, but I quickly cut him off.  It’s good to be able to blackmail people.  I start off by hitting a batter who has an 0-2 count.  The batter looks to the ump for the walk, and blue just laughs and shakes his head.  “You can rush the mound if you want though.”  They rack up some good hits and put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd.  Willie correctly reminds us, “These runs don’t count.  Go for the outs.”  They score 1 run, but Rhino scoops up a blooper to left and rockets it to me at home so I can make the play at the plate with time to spare.  Wow!  What a perfect throw!  Alyce makes the dramatic final catch in short center, and the game is over.  11-5, and we’re 6-2.

Memorable Moments 

·         Kate showing up with a shiner and bruises.  “Think I’m bad?  You should see what that bitch looks like.”

·         Raible’s bike tire exploding with a tremendous bang.  Too much hot air, I guess.

·         Amy making 2 outs at 2^nd base.  Should have been 4 since she tagged the base and the runners both times

·         Willie saving Jamie’s wild throws to 1^st base

·         “C’mon, Pussy!”  I love it when Amy talks dirty.

Player of the Game

Player of the game goes to Alyce.  She came off the DL with a vengeance.  2 for 2 with 1 RBI, and she made the game ending catch in the outfield.  Happy to have her back!

Commentary

You can read the writeups at www.redhooksoftball.com/b61/ or through the B61 softball blog at www.blogger.com.