The SF Forty Niners appear to be by far the most talented team in the NFL this year. Even after a midseason slump when they lost three in a row, they have taken their rightful spot atop the conference standings for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are currently considered the team with the best chance to win it all this year.
Likewise Team BS sits atop the non-existent standings in the Creaker Winter League. It could be argued that we have the most talented team in the league. It could also be argued that our talent is no better than some or all of the other teams, but we have players that show up, which has been a problem for at least a couple of the other teams. Plus personally I think we have better chemistry. My new mantra - better softball through chemistry.
We were shut out in the first but roared back with 14 runs in the second through fourth, and the outcome was never in doubt, despite giving up a nine run seventh to temporarily allow Team Gray back into the game at 21-16. The final tally was 25-16.
It didn't help that Gray's second and third pitchers walked five in those three innings. Even though it is slow pitch softball, good teams take advantage of the free pass - it is called being unselfish, let the next man or woman be the hero with an additional baserunner to try to get home and runners moved up. Case in point, in the third, Darren Bobrosky took a bases loaded walk and Art Miner followed with a bases clearing triple.
David Peterson was the hero in those innings with two two run doubles, and Leo Kay closed out the second with a two run single, as we scored five with no outs. In the seventh we again plated five, this time with seven straight hits with one out, the big blow again delivered by who else, Miner with a two run triple. It was a good thing too, as Gray followed with their nine run inning which drew them temporarily close.
We salted away the game with four runs added on in the eighth, featuring clutch two run hits by Kay and Captain Dave Rose.
There were several defensive plays of note. Miner fired a bullet to rover Gerry Dasey to nail a runner at second on a clean 'hit' in the second. 2B Curt Wade got dirty to corral a grounder and flipped to second for the third out in the fourth. Dave DeWitt stopped a rocket off the bat of the new Creaker Glen Shipley and fired to first in the fifth, and his partner in crime 2B Sandy Camp followed with a nice stop for the subsequent out. In the sixth, Dasey made a nice stop on a ball up the middle, and Camp caught a liner in right field to keep Gray scoreless that inning.
The other theme of the game was that Gray's baserunning and third base coaching kept gifting us outs. The game highlight play occurred when a runner ill advisedly tested 2B and cutoff Wade's arm on a hit to right. Curt fired to third to get the guy by two steps. And of course followed that up by snaring a line drive to his right for the last out.
Miner of course led us with six RBIs on three hits, but Kay was right behind with five also on three hits. Peterson was a perfect 4-4 and leadoff batter Brian Black also had four hits. Dan May was welcomed back (even though he nearly suffered the same hand injury on an identical ball hit his way at 3b) with his three hits, and Camp broke out of her slump with three hits as well.
One more to go to close out the 2023 part of the schedule undefeated!
No comments:
Post a Comment