JL Sluggers vs. IRI Mariners

With Game 1 in the books, the Sluggers turned the page to the final chapter in their inaugural season. By this time the sun was setting and gnats swarmed 'round the sweaty bodies of the Sluggers players. It was anything but glamorous, yet the Sluggers knew that they could not be distracted in their quest for a .500 record and the third place division finish.

Trotting out the same lineup as Game 1, the Sluggers once again got out to a fast start. After Law Dawg was called out on a controversial (blown) call at first base, Wicked Hittah, Plan B, and Fluffy all reached base safely and scored to get the game started. More stellar defense in the bottom half of the inning, left the Mariners scoreless once again, giving the Sluggers a 3-0 lead after one inning.

The second inning was more of the same as Law Dawg, Wicked Hittah, and Fluffy added three more runs to put the Sluggers up 6-0. Law Dawg would score once more in the top of the third inning, before finally surrendering a run to the Mariners in the bottom of the third. After three it was 7-1 in favor of the Sluggers.

There was a momentary delay in the top of the fourth inning as Fluffy reached base, but the on-deck batter was nowhere to be found. It turns out the missing player was Walk Me, who was discovered seconds later, attached to her cell phone in the dugout. Despite ending her phone call abruptly to take her turn at bat, Walk Me proved that she is definitely capable of multitasking (as if we didn't know that already) as she casually stepped up to the plate and recorded another hit. Fluffy, Walk Me, and New Guy would all come around to score in the inning, making it 10-1 Sluggers.

The Sluggers would add seven more runs before the game was called due to time restrictions, including two runs scored by Law Dawg, his third and fourth of the game, and runs scored by Wicked Hittah, Plan B, Fluffy, Walk Me, and New Guy. The final score: Sluggers 17 - Mariners 2.

Some memorable plays occurred in the second game as well. After shifting Fluffy to left field for a pull hitter, the IRI player hit the ball to deep center where Fluffy was forced to run a good 25 yards to track the ball down, which he eventually did, albeit gasping for air afterward. New Guy and G-Man combined on some nice infield plays, as did Wicked Hittah and Plan B. Stellar on defense as always, Law Dawg snared multiple line drives with his catlike reflexes, triggering a chorus of oohs and aahs from the fans in attendance. Law Dawg and Fluffy were the players of the night as each scored a total of seven runs between the two games. Both players will certainly be hot commodities on the free agent market this winter.

The victory moved the Sluggers to 9-9 on the season, which is quite the feat considering that their firm is only a small fraction of the size of most in their division.

On behalf of the Sluggers, I want to thank Jackson Lewis, Greased Lightning, and Walk Me, for helping fund, support and start up the softball team. I would like to thank those who participated, making the JL Sluggers a reality, especially Walk Me and Squirt, the only players to participate in every single game even through injuries. I would also like to thank all of the fans who attended games and supported us through reading the blog. It has been a fun ride, and we hope to do it again next year!

Go Sluggers!
-Coach

Pictured: (Top Left) New Guy rips a line drive into centerfield. (Right) The Sluggers newest fans, Pam Mak and her husband Marc, pose for a picture from the Sluggers dugout. (Bottom Left) G-Man connects on one of his six hits on the night.

JL Sluggers @ IRI Mariners

With the sun setting on the 2008 softball season, the Sluggers were looking to go out with a bang. While the playoffs were out of reach, a couple of wins would give them a chance at a .500 record on the season, as well as 3rd place in the division. Two feats that seemed a pipe dream just a month or two ago.

With key team members Downtown in San Francisco, Greased Lightning on vacation, and Special K on the DL (she assumed scorekeeping and photography duties), the Sluggers knew it would take a total team effort on Tuesday night. Not only did that mean strong participation, but it also meant a number of players playing unfamiliar positions. Wicked Hittah made his first start at third base, while Ringer made his first start in left field. New Guy and Plan B found themselves protecting the middle of the infield, while Sturgis and Squirt anchored the right side of the outfield. The game also marked the return of Fluffy to the lineup, although noticeably absent was the beard he sported in the home run derby. Law Dawg took the mound for the Sluggers with Walk Me behind the plate. The reliable G-Man once again provided steady defense at first base.

After holding the Mariners scoreless in the top of the first, the Sluggers wasted no time getting out to the early lead. Law Dawg, Wicked Hittah, and Fluffy all crossed the plate in the inning, putting the Sluggers ahead 3-0 in the early going. Carrying the momentum over from another scoreless defensive inning in the second, the Sluggers found themselves sending eleven batters to the plate as they added six more runs to their lead, including a nice RBI single by Walk Me. Squirt, Law Dawg, Wicked Hittah, Fluffy, Walk Me, and Ringer all scored for the Sluggers, extending their lead to 9-0 after two.

The Sluggers produced a third consecutive scoreless defensive inning, as the Mariners managed to send only four runners to the plate. The inning probably would have ended after just three batters, but Plan B nearly missed turning a double play. In the bottom of the inning, Law Dawg tallied the only run for the Sluggers who now had a commanding 10-0 lead after three.

The Sluggers finally gave up a run in the top of the fourth, but by then the game was well in control. When all was said and done, the Sluggers stayed on top with a 13-6 victory. Some plays of note in the game included a double play by New Guy, RBI singles by Walk Me and Squirt, a triple by Fluffy, and an RBI double by G-Man.

Pictured: (Top Left) Fluffy swings for the fences in his return to the Sluggers' Lineup. (Right) Wicked Hittah takes a cut at an offspeed pitch. (Bottom Left) Plan B muscles into another line drive screamer past the mound.

FAS Home Run Derby

Fearing no one, Fluffy jumped at the chance to be a participant in the 2008 FAS Home Run Derby. The derby was held at Braddock Park in Clifton, Virginia. The outfield fences were measured at 300 feet to all fields, and the weather was decent. Team manager, Wicked Hittah, served as Fluffy's pitcher in the contest. Fluffy's entire competition can be found in this exclusive video:




As you can see, things didn't go exactly to plan. However, it wasn't just Fluffy that struggled in the competition. No home runs were hit at all in the first 40 minutes of the competition. It wasn't until over a dozen players had tried, before someone finally hit one out. Fluffy wasn't feeling too bad, seeing how everyone else was doing. Then came Jessica...

Jessica was the only woman in the competition, but boy did she ever put on a show. With her very first swing, she hit a home run. She would go on to hit three more. Jessica's four home runs were too much for Fluffy, who decided it was time to drown his sorrows away.

Fluffy, Wicked Hittah, Plan B, Nebraska, and Squirt, decided to hit up Glory Days Grill for some Wings, Nachos, and Beers. Sadly, on this night, even the mildly spicy wings had more pop in them than Fluffy's bat. That being said, it does appear that he deserved two more swings, as the video above shows he clearly only took eight swings. Of course, it goes without saying that those final two swings would have resulted in mammoth home runs, yet Fluffy was robbed. Indeed, Fluffy was robbed.

Pictured: Squirt and Nebraska cheer on Fluffy while enjoying some ice cold smoothies under the hot summer sun.