Green Folds up the Tent, Loses 22-16 to Gray

Dark Green led the league in a couple of categories. One was games missed, one was always being the last team off the field, that's how much we enjoyed each other's company.

Today, as usual, we were the last team to leave Pleasant Oaks. Of course, we didn't have a Gerry Dasey to take us out for a victorious lunch. But then you have to win first, don't ya, and we went down 22-16 to a very good Gray team.

It started with errors by two of our solid defenders. And in the second, Leo Kay makes a valiant effort to snag a ball in the RC gap, and it's off his glove right into his nose. Not a good sign. And so, we found ourselves down 5-0 in the first and then 9-5 in the second.

In the third we once again came roaring back, scoring five with just one out. Frank Coppa got the last hit in both five run innings, including hustling all the way to third in the latter on his bomb to left, even though the runner in front of him was the fifth run.

And so, we were neck and neck through six, actually leading 13-12 going into the sixth. Then the floodgates opened. Gray plated two straight five run innings, and we just couldn't string together enough hits to counter.

Kudos to Kay for coming back into the game with tissue stuffed up his nose - he's a real gamer. He even went out to his usual RC position in the ninth, and started our play of the game (see below). Jeff Olsen was perfect 4-4 with a triple, and even in addition had a bases loaded walk for an RBI. Coppa was 4-4 with the triple. Michael Callahan went 4-5 with a double. Helen Kostoff and Robert Dousa were each 3-4 with a double. Shel Perham was 3-5 and Heffe and JD Dills had a couple of knocks.

There was one inning that featured three outstanding plays. First Olsen made a great running catch in LC, then Kostoff snagged a high line drive headed to left center, and then the first baseman ran in toward the enemy dugout to outrace a pop up and juggle but hold for out number three. Kostoff was involved on our play of the game when she took a throw from Kay and fired to third to Coppa to nail an errant runner who dared test Kostoff's strong arm. And Perham made a great catch in deepest RC in the eighth. We also turned a double play when Perham grabbed a grounder, stepped on second and threw in the dirt but the first baseman held it against his leg to turn it.

We had one of the most fun teams I have had the honor to coach. With a little luck and more skill we could have competed with the big boys and girls, but we won a few spectacular games, and still had fun when we lost. Now we are rooting for Gray, so we can say we were barely nosed out by the champs!