The Lantern Shines Bright, Green 22 - Royal 16

The Green Lantern took Royal out of the land of the undefeated with a convincing 22-16 win on Heather Farm One today.

As usual Green trailed early, going out with a double play and then a groundout in the top of the first, and giving up the curse of the first five in the home half.

So be it, seemingly that's our MO this season. We trailed 6-1 after two, and then our bats woke up. We scored 4, 5, 5, and 5 in the third through the sixth. At one point, seventeen out of eighteen batters reached safely; in the fourth we scored five without making an out. There weren't a lot of long balls either, yet we had multiple extra base hits, with a total of seven doubles and a triple.

But once again it was our defense and pitching that carried us to victory. Stellar plays were made all over the place. Mike Nagy snagged a line drive shot to his left at third base. Likewise Chris Nielsen (who also got one batter on a strikeout) at the mound in the fifth. And he stormed in on a dribbler with the bases loaded in the sixth and scooped and threw home in one motion, the only place he could get an out.

We threw out two runners (actually I believe it was the same runner twice) at home for the third out - in the second it was David Partridge (LC) to Phil Tucker (R) to Matt Meredith (C), and then it was Kevin Fisher (RC) to Lamont Thompson (R) to Partridge (who scooped the one hop throw) in the fourth to prevent the fifth run scoring that inning.

Tim Orr and Fisher made an assortment of running catches in the middle outfield. And speaking of scooping, Heffe scooped not one not two but three low throws at 1B. One of them came on a game ending double play from Rover Tucker to first.

But the play of the game was in the eighth. After we had taken a commanding 20-10 lead, Green's offense slowed down and Royal's strong lineup mounted a comeback. It was 22-16 when one of their hitters stroked one of those frustrating pop flies into no man's land in shallow left center. Rover Tony Gorgone twisted and turned and kept after it until he turned at the last second and snatched the ball out of the sky. I don't think any of us is going to see a better play this season. It shut down the Royalty in the eighth and they couldn't score in the ninth after that either.

Oh, and by the way Green hit .704 as a team. Fisher was 4-4, Nagy 3-3 + a walk, Heffe 3-3, Mark Narciso and Greg Wilson 3-3 + a SF. Others with three hits included Orr, Darren Bobrosky, Angie Rizzato, and Paul Lisi. Meredith pounded one over Yaz' head down the left field line for our only triple.

For the record, we hate byes! because we are on a hot roll , and next week it is our turn to sit out.

The Lantern Glows!