My dirty co-manager-HOF announcer Chuck Howlett, subject of this article's title, dubbed our team Cuervo Gold at the beginning of the season. Around the sixth inning, our team realized we did not know the meaning of "Cuervo." Of course as good consumers of the liquor of Calisco, we all know the alcohol brand. But what does it mean?
Charlie Uhlman looked it up when we were in the dugout. As it turns out, it means large black bird, i.e. raven or crow (do NOT start with the Ravin Kravin jokes). We are the Golden Ravens as it turns out, which does not make much sense but there you have it (Note: According to the Internet, which never lies, ravens are known as extremely smart birds, on a par with chimpanzees and dolphins in the brains department. So you can think of us a smart as chimps).
There was a game in between looking up interesting facts on the internet. After blasting out of the gate with a five run first, we spent the rest of the game fending off the curse of the first. We had leads of 7-3, 12-7, 14-8, 17-13. We kept adding on, but B-Y refused to give in, and just kept coming back. After a scoreless sixth, they answered our three with five in the seventh, and it was 20-18. By this time, it was 11:34 and the eighth had to be the open inning.
As often happens, the game came down to the bottom of the order. In the fourth, for example our bottom started with three straight hits. Sadly, in that case the top did not capitalize and we only scored two. But both teams had the bottom half coming up in the open eighth.
B-Y second baseman Bob Vitro picked that time to keep up with our Dale Browne. Browne had made all three outs in the bottom of the sixth. Now Vitro returned the favor snagging three straight ground balls.
We were facing the very bottom of the B-Y lineup. Looming large was Greg Mathers, who by virtue of arriving late was batting last, or fourth that inning. If he came up with runner(s) on, we were in world of hurt. But Steve Bedrick, our bedrock, bore down and induced a pop fly to third, an easy grounder and a second pop fly to set them down in order and the 20-18 score stuck,
As noted, Howlett got dirty a few times. He grabbed a couple of grounders that no one else gets to. He corralled a smash to third, but couldn't quite get a speedy runner one inning. He also leapt high to get a line drive out in his inning subbing for Helen Kostoff at SS in the fourth. He made a brilliant play in the first - Kostoff took a grounder to SS and flipped to him at second and he fired a throw to nail a runner trying to come home from third. Catcher Jay Edwards made a nice pickup of the one hopper.
On offense it was the middle of the order that carried us. Jim Alexander completed his coming out as a force to be reckoned with. He hit three bombs - a triple in the first, a double in the second. The third time up as soon as I saw the hit, I realized he needed to be urged on to go all the way. I started yelling "Run, Jim, Run" and he hustled all the way around the diamond. Dick Stanley (who had his usual 4-4 day) was running in front of him. "Run, Dick, Run! Run, Jim, Run! See Dick Run! See Jim Run." it was like a first grade reader.
Alexander had six RBis all told. Not to be outdone, Uhlman was also 4-4, with two doubles and a triple, and managed to get three RBIs despite the fact that Alexander mostly cleared the bases in front of him. Of course, Charlie leads the league in 'stolen' bases, as he took extra bases on three of his hits. The coach could not scold him this game because he got away with it every time. You can't coach speed, and daring.
Edwards went 3-4, and Donn King, Bedrock, and Howlett were a combined 6-8, proving my mantra, the bottom of the order hits, we win.
It was a fun competitive game, even though they say the the ND is not about competition. Two evenly matched teams, in a close game. There's nothing better in softball than that.
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