Our esteemed colleague from Concord Red insists that the four teams in
the MDSSL need to have nicknames, and the Walnut Creek team is the
Crackers, and the East County team is the Bullies.
But Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care, we came back and beat the Bullies today 30-26.
The game started out in the usual manner (except we got Pete Zakar out his first time up). We took a 7-5 lead through two and were tied 11-11 after four. East County usually teases us this way, and then they pour it on late to wreck us completely. Some of the big hits were a two run double by Randy Kramasz in the first, a run scoring triple over Zakar's head by Mikey Carlo in the second, and a Ray Maradiaga bases loaded, bases clearing double in the fourth.
We made our usual assortment of mistakes in the field too. It was hot and we had road lag from the long trip from Walnut Creek to Antioch (at least that's my story and I am sticking to it). We seemed like we were just going through the motions: another Thursday, another loss to the EC.
But a strange thing happened. Even though we couldn't get the bottom of their order out it seemed all game, we held them to 1, 2, or 3 runs in the middle innings. All of the sudden it was the middle of the seventh and we were in it, up one at 17-16. EC scored their five, but we answered with five in the top of the eighth. I had the big blow in that inning, a bases loaded double in the left center gap. But they duplicated our feat again, and we went into the open inning down four, 26-22.
Usually this is where we fold up the tent, and say let's get the ninth over soon so we can hit the freeway before noon. That long drive and all. But not today. Starting with a Carlo single, seven of the first eight, and 12 of 14 batters got hits. Steve Schwartz had a two run double. Dan Rainwater followed with a shot that split the two middle outfielders, and neither one moved. The Rain Man hobbled to second, and we were tied. Bruce Yow got his pinch runner to third, and I came up and hit a patented blooper over the shortstop's head. As soon as I hit it, I thought I was out but I looked up and it was twisting and turning him around and sometimes you just get lucky. We were ahead. Don Clay followed with a pop up behind second base that EC made a nice play on but the second baseman was off balance and Yow tagged up and scored the first 'insurance' run. Walks to John Banker and Tom Occhiogrosso (he had three for the day - they didn't want to pitch to him) loaded them up, and Carlo stepped up, all insulted that they walked not one but TWO batters to get to him (I don't think Mikey was, and I don't think they walked Banker on purpose, but the pitches were suspiciously not close to Tom). Carlo deposited the ball in the outfield and two more scored, and we had a four run lead going to the bottom of the ninth.
Doesn't seem like much against East County. But today it was. Following a line out to Occhiogrosso and a hit, and another fly out, up strode Devin Hall, who usually abuses us like the rest of them, with the game on the line. He promptly popped up behind me, and I knew I would not get any help from the Rain Man playing second. I stumbled back, tripped a little on an outfield dip, looked up in the sky, and there the ball was. I grabbed it and game over.
Felt good. I hate Bullies. Even if they aren't.
Kramasz was 6-6 with with a double and triple and five RBIs. The late leadoff hitter, batting ninth today as he arrived at 9:32, was also 6-6, with a double and four RBIs. Yow quietly went 5-6 (well quiet except when he hit and did his wild scream), and Maradiaga also had five hits, but they were loud. Everyone had at least two hits, and everyone scored, and all but one player drove in at least one run. A true team game. At least we beat those guys once in 2012.
But Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care, we came back and beat the Bullies today 30-26.
The game started out in the usual manner (except we got Pete Zakar out his first time up). We took a 7-5 lead through two and were tied 11-11 after four. East County usually teases us this way, and then they pour it on late to wreck us completely. Some of the big hits were a two run double by Randy Kramasz in the first, a run scoring triple over Zakar's head by Mikey Carlo in the second, and a Ray Maradiaga bases loaded, bases clearing double in the fourth.
We made our usual assortment of mistakes in the field too. It was hot and we had road lag from the long trip from Walnut Creek to Antioch (at least that's my story and I am sticking to it). We seemed like we were just going through the motions: another Thursday, another loss to the EC.
But a strange thing happened. Even though we couldn't get the bottom of their order out it seemed all game, we held them to 1, 2, or 3 runs in the middle innings. All of the sudden it was the middle of the seventh and we were in it, up one at 17-16. EC scored their five, but we answered with five in the top of the eighth. I had the big blow in that inning, a bases loaded double in the left center gap. But they duplicated our feat again, and we went into the open inning down four, 26-22.
Usually this is where we fold up the tent, and say let's get the ninth over soon so we can hit the freeway before noon. That long drive and all. But not today. Starting with a Carlo single, seven of the first eight, and 12 of 14 batters got hits. Steve Schwartz had a two run double. Dan Rainwater followed with a shot that split the two middle outfielders, and neither one moved. The Rain Man hobbled to second, and we were tied. Bruce Yow got his pinch runner to third, and I came up and hit a patented blooper over the shortstop's head. As soon as I hit it, I thought I was out but I looked up and it was twisting and turning him around and sometimes you just get lucky. We were ahead. Don Clay followed with a pop up behind second base that EC made a nice play on but the second baseman was off balance and Yow tagged up and scored the first 'insurance' run. Walks to John Banker and Tom Occhiogrosso (he had three for the day - they didn't want to pitch to him) loaded them up, and Carlo stepped up, all insulted that they walked not one but TWO batters to get to him (I don't think Mikey was, and I don't think they walked Banker on purpose, but the pitches were suspiciously not close to Tom). Carlo deposited the ball in the outfield and two more scored, and we had a four run lead going to the bottom of the ninth.
Doesn't seem like much against East County. But today it was. Following a line out to Occhiogrosso and a hit, and another fly out, up strode Devin Hall, who usually abuses us like the rest of them, with the game on the line. He promptly popped up behind me, and I knew I would not get any help from the Rain Man playing second. I stumbled back, tripped a little on an outfield dip, looked up in the sky, and there the ball was. I grabbed it and game over.
Felt good. I hate Bullies. Even if they aren't.
Kramasz was 6-6 with with a double and triple and five RBIs. The late leadoff hitter, batting ninth today as he arrived at 9:32, was also 6-6, with a double and four RBIs. Yow quietly went 5-6 (well quiet except when he hit and did his wild scream), and Maradiaga also had five hits, but they were loud. Everyone had at least two hits, and everyone scored, and all but one player drove in at least one run. A true team game. At least we beat those guys once in 2012.
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