What's One run Between Frenemies?

A beautiful day despite the usual fall weatherman reports that wanted us to believe a downpour was imminent. Batten down the hatches! Get the sandbags ready!!

Both teams were down a few players, including some key ones, so it made for a close match. It didn't start out well for the good guys, as we went down one-two-three on three routine ground balls, and Team Green nearly batted around, scoring four in the first. But we clawed back with a five run third started by the bottom of the order, in which we did not record an out (that's consecutive singles by Jeff Kravin, Helen Kostoff, Tim Orr, Dan May, Art Miner, Darren Bobrosky, and Johnny Gutierrez), and after five it was knotted at ten.

You got the sense that we might wish we were the home team because it looked like it would come down to the ninth. And there it was, we tied it for the last time in the top half, highlighted by a big bomb triple to right by Robert Douza. Sadly, though, for the fourth time, we left the bases loaded, and could not take a lead. In the bottom half a ball lost in the brutal sun leading off essentially sealed our fate by a follow up walk off hit.

There were several defensive highlights, some in unexpected ways. The play of the game was on a no out infield pop up beyond the pitcher's mound. Kostoff came charging in and the first baseman ducked out of the way after briefly entertaining the thought he might catch it. She was on a mission. She got there so fast that the runner on first had no chance to get back in time, and she beat him to the bag by plenty. "Get out of the way!" she yelled at the suddenly useless first baseman (I am just curious, I am sure Kostoff is so good it has happened before, but when was the last time she turned an unassisted double play?)

Dave Rose made a great catch behind home plate on a foul tip that was barely high enough to be called an out. There would have been a riot if the umpire did not give it to him. Frank Coppa stopped a couple of hot shots at the hot corner as well. We turned another double play, also started by Kostoff. She fired low to Steve Rousso at 2B, and in turn he threw low awkwardly to first and both made good catches to complete the DP. And finally, Johnny G made a fine catch in right field in the sixth for the last out after Kostoff's special double play.

Manager Rose led the way, going 5-5. Nice start! Bobrosky, Gutierrez, Dousa and Rousso all had four hits, Bobrosky also working a walk. Miner, Orr, and Kravin chipped in three each, Miner sharing the RBI lead with Bobrosky with four. Miner had a double and a homer and Gutierrez had a double and a triple for the mini-cycle.

Better clutch hitting and we could have gotten the job done, but let's just say that when I left a few Greens had come to our side to party, and at that time we still had a few players remaining, but the teams on field four were long gone. We win the fun prize.