The Devil Made the Diablos Route the Oaks, 25-19

Despite practically everyone moaning about the condition of the Pleasant Hill Park field, there was a lively TriCity game there today between the PH Diablos and the PH Oaks, that ended 25-19 in favor of the Diablos.

The Devils scored three in the first to avoid the Curse, and the Oaks answered with four to do likewise. But five of the lower six in the Diablos' order came through with singles in the second - Bob Carver, Don Devencenzi, Bobby Vitro, Steve Shapiro, and Bill Hoffman - and the top of the lineup (Dan Roach, Ed Hendrickson, and Jim Krochka) finished the job and we had our first five run inning. It set the tone for the rest of the game and the Oaks had to play catchup the rest of the way.

Krochka (5-5, double, 4 RBIs) and Bobby V (4-4) led the way, and Roach, Hendrickson, Mark Childress, Jim Wilcox, Greg Lagomarsino, Shapiro, and Hoffman contributed three knocks each. Devencenzi was 2-3 plus a sac fly, and had a booming double in the eighth that added on a couple runs to make it 24-12 and leave no doubt as to the outcome, despite the Oaks making a late run.

There were several defensive plays of note. Devencenzi made a nice stop at 3B and touched the base and threw home for a double play in the first with bases loaded and no one out that temporarily gave us hope we would hold them that inning. The next inning Howard Davis took over at the hot corner and stabbed a hot shot line drive. Wilcox and Childress and Jeff Mertens made some fine running catches in the middle innings. Lagomarsino started a line drive, throw to second double play when the runner on second lost his mind and took off for third. First baseman Jeff Kravin used his gut (literally) to chase down a pop up toward the dugout in the seventh, and SS Krochka followed suit on a pop up near the mound with a juggling catch. In the eighth, we turned a more normal Short to Rover to First double play with Bob Carver bending low to corral the low throw. Finally, on the penultimate play of the game, Vitro put the Oaks to bed by snaring a hot shot up the middle with a couple of runners on for and easy out at second to end the game.

This is the way the Diablos should play every week, everyone contributing and taking it to the opposition.