In a bittersweet win for me
personally, Thursday the Walnut Crackers outlasted the Concord Blue Meanies
in a marathon MDSSL game, 28-26.
It was my last game for some time, as I am starting a new job in a couple of weeks. I will miss this team, we have had some good times, and some bad times, but the attitude has always been great on this team. It is a collection of players without egos, and reflects the even personality of our coach John Banker. I hope I am missed for my small contributions, but I am sure others will pick up the slack, and the team will continue to have fun and even win a few games here and there.
Before I get maudlin, perhaps I should get to the game itself.
It was a typical hot August morning in Concord, and Blue was short players and we were too, as there ws a senior tournament going on somewhere.
Tom Occhiogrosso was once again pressed into action on the mound. Despite the score, he pitched really well, and if it weren't for some pretty spotty defense behind him, we would have won handily.
Concord gave themselves the Curse. After we were retired in the first without a run they put up a five spot. They probably should have just forfeited then; we all know about the 'curse of the first'.
So it was no surprise that we dominated for the next four innings, building a 14-7 and then a 19-8 lead. No great big hits, just a lot of singles and doubles, and clutch two out hits. In the second we scored all five with two outs, highlighted by run scoring hits from Banker, Kravin and Carlo. In the third we scored two by the time we had one out, and then John Husokowski hit our only home run of the day, a three run blast.
But as the heat built up in the mid morning, so the Meanies kept the heat up even more. They kept chirping about being all tuckered out, and on the sly kept chipping away at our lead. Nice strategy. It almost worked.
After six innings, our lead was down to 19-14, but after seven we increased it to 23-16, and after the top of the eighth it was 28-16. Blue started a rally and it seemed like we couldn't get anyone out. Carlo kept joking that we wanted to let them back in the game so we wouldn't have to flip flop the ninth inning. Well we sure took care of that. By the time they finally made a third out, it was 28-24.
And then of course, we went one-two-three in the top of the open ninth. I was beginning to wonder if I shouldn't have returned to work today, and skipped this disaster.
But destiny smiled along with the sun on Thursday at noon, and the seemingly inevitable loss didn't materialize. After a couple of hits and runs, Occhiogrosso induced a couple of easy fly outs, and the game mercifully ended for all concerned.
Hitting stars included Occhiogrosso, who hit four doubles, and Carlo who knocked in six runs to lead the team. Coach Banker had a perfect day, 4-4 plus a walk and five runs scored and four RBIs. Bruce Yow was only 2-3 but walked twice and also scored five runs. Kravin got four hits and a walk and four RBIs in his perhaps penultimate appearance. Husokowski had four RBIs including his home run, and in his return from the DL, Ken Hensley was 4-5.
We are only 7 1/2 games out of first! And to think, I will miss this torrid pennant race. East County WHO??? Take 'em down boys!!!
It was my last game for some time, as I am starting a new job in a couple of weeks. I will miss this team, we have had some good times, and some bad times, but the attitude has always been great on this team. It is a collection of players without egos, and reflects the even personality of our coach John Banker. I hope I am missed for my small contributions, but I am sure others will pick up the slack, and the team will continue to have fun and even win a few games here and there.
Before I get maudlin, perhaps I should get to the game itself.
It was a typical hot August morning in Concord, and Blue was short players and we were too, as there ws a senior tournament going on somewhere.
Tom Occhiogrosso was once again pressed into action on the mound. Despite the score, he pitched really well, and if it weren't for some pretty spotty defense behind him, we would have won handily.
Concord gave themselves the Curse. After we were retired in the first without a run they put up a five spot. They probably should have just forfeited then; we all know about the 'curse of the first'.
So it was no surprise that we dominated for the next four innings, building a 14-7 and then a 19-8 lead. No great big hits, just a lot of singles and doubles, and clutch two out hits. In the second we scored all five with two outs, highlighted by run scoring hits from Banker, Kravin and Carlo. In the third we scored two by the time we had one out, and then John Husokowski hit our only home run of the day, a three run blast.
But as the heat built up in the mid morning, so the Meanies kept the heat up even more. They kept chirping about being all tuckered out, and on the sly kept chipping away at our lead. Nice strategy. It almost worked.
After six innings, our lead was down to 19-14, but after seven we increased it to 23-16, and after the top of the eighth it was 28-16. Blue started a rally and it seemed like we couldn't get anyone out. Carlo kept joking that we wanted to let them back in the game so we wouldn't have to flip flop the ninth inning. Well we sure took care of that. By the time they finally made a third out, it was 28-24.
And then of course, we went one-two-three in the top of the open ninth. I was beginning to wonder if I shouldn't have returned to work today, and skipped this disaster.
But destiny smiled along with the sun on Thursday at noon, and the seemingly inevitable loss didn't materialize. After a couple of hits and runs, Occhiogrosso induced a couple of easy fly outs, and the game mercifully ended for all concerned.
Hitting stars included Occhiogrosso, who hit four doubles, and Carlo who knocked in six runs to lead the team. Coach Banker had a perfect day, 4-4 plus a walk and five runs scored and four RBIs. Bruce Yow was only 2-3 but walked twice and also scored five runs. Kravin got four hits and a walk and four RBIs in his perhaps penultimate appearance. Husokowski had four RBIs including his home run, and in his return from the DL, Ken Hensley was 4-5.
We are only 7 1/2 games out of first! And to think, I will miss this torrid pennant race. East County WHO??? Take 'em down boys!!!
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