A FINAL TRIBUTE TO 2009

Turn up your speakers!

2009 Season Statistics

Home Run Leaders

1. Fragile (3)

2. Fluffy (2)

Top 10 Batting Average Leaders (Min. 25 at bats)

1. Fragile (.712) 37/52

2. Zuko (.654) 17/26

3. Fluffy (.608) 31/51

4. LawDawg (.565) 26/46

5. Liability (.563) 27/48

6. Downtown (.524) 22/42

7. Bruiser (.500) 13/26

8. G-Man (.440) 11/25

9. Newbie (.421) 16/38

10. Squirt (.333) 11/33

RBI Totals

1. Fluffy (25)

2. Fragile (21)

3. Liability (12)

4. Zuko (11)

4. LawDawg (11)

6. Downtown (9)

6. G-Man (9)

8. Slapshot (8)

9. Hot Shot: Part Deux (5)

10. Mendoza Line (4)

10. iNoble (4)

12. Bruiser (3)

12. Squirt (3)

12. Noodle (3)

15. Newbie (2)

16. Hot Shot (2)

17. Legally Blonde (1)

17. Nebraska (1)

Run Totals

1. Fluffy (18)

1. Fragile (18)

3. LawDawg (13)

4. Downtown (11)

4. Liability (11)

6. Zuko (9)

7. Squirt (7)

8. Newbie (6)

9. Bruiser (5)

9. Noodle (5)

11. G-Man (4)

11. Legally Blonde (4)

11. iNoble (4)

11. Hot Shot (4)

11. Hot Shot: Part Deux (4)

11. Slapshot (4)

11. Nebraska (4)

18. Mendoza Line (2)

Strikeouts Pitched

1. LawDawg (21)

2. Zuko (5)

*No stats from Week 1 were recorded

Second Season Finished

It was a rough ending to the second season of JL Sluggers Softball. The game was so awful that this blogger would just assume forget about it. To be fair, there were a few things that are blog worthy:

-Legally Blonde made a great catch of a line drive shot up the middle, after which she shouted, "That better make the blog!"

-Fragile ran approximately 3.6 miles during the course of the game, chasing down fly balls to left field

-The Curse of Mr. Pepperoni is for real

-What do you get when you take a balding Jane Fonda in aerobic gear, wearing a headband and camouflaged ladies' neck scarf? The answer is a disturbing image. Now make take that same description but apply it to a 50-year old man and stick a towel in his crack. More disturbing? Well that's what the Sluggers faced on Tuesday night. No wonder they couldn't hit the ball.

A few notes:

-Final season statistics are posted above

-A season slide show will replace the team picture later this evening

-It's been a pleasure blogging these past couple of years, but starting in 2010, the blog will be taken over by iNoble and/or Fluffy.

-Best of luck everyone!

Sluggers Energized By Fans!

Tuesday marked an emotional end to the inaugural era of JL Sluggers softball. In what could only be described as a fairy tale evening, the Sluggers swept the double-header in front a record crowd of 12 fans. In a fitting conclusion, manager/shortstop Fragile recorded the final out of the night and in doing so, officially passed the torch on to his managerial successor, Fluffy. An emotional Fragile was not available to the media following the games, however he asked his publicist to release the following statement:

"To all of my teammates and the Slugger faithful, tonight was a special night for me. For the past two years, I have tried to create an atmosphere where players play hard but have fun; an atmosphere where teammates encourage one another no matter the end result; and an atmosphere where friends and co-workers can be proud to support their team and together interact as one. Tonight, all of the peices finally fell into place. I couldn't have asked for a better way to step down as manager. Thank you."

Game One (W 18-2)

For a moment, the Sluggers were on the brink of disaster in the opening inning on Tuesday. Having surrendered back-to-back-to-back hits to open the game, the Sluggers finally managed to get an out, but quickly loaded the bases again on a walk. How quickly things changed. Perhaps it was the electricity from the "immigration wave" being started in the bleachers that sparked the Sluggers defense, but regardless of the source, the gloves came alive. A quick line drive was snared by Legally Blonde to record the second out of the inning and prevented the runners from advancing. One pitch later, Liabilitiy settled under a pop-fly to third base, and the inning was over with only minimal damage suffered.

Trailing 1-0, the Sluggers wasted no time in getting on the board. After a leadoff pop-out by Liability, 11 consecutive sluggers would reach base, before the inning ended the same way that it started, a Liability out. Some of the key hits in the innings were 3-RBI double by G-Man and a 2-RBI single by iNoble. When the inning finally ended, the Sluggers had an 8-1 lead as chants of "We're #1!" began from the Sluggers' bleachers.

It was a quiet 2nd inning in which no runs were scored and the only excitement came when Slapshot managed to stay on his feet while making a catch. The 3rd inning followed with more of the same, although the Sluggers did surrender a home run, which made the score 8-2, but that would be it for the opponents. LawDawg would record back-to-back strikouts in to end the top of the 4th inning and would finish out the game by retiring the final eight batters consecutively.

Offensively, the Sluggers were far from done. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Fragile, Fluffy, Slapshot, Bruiser, LawDawg, G-Man, Newbie, and Mendoza Line all recorded base hits, ballooning the lead to 18-2 before the umpire stepped in and called the game on account of the "Slaughter Rule." Not wanting to rub in their victory, and trying to be as kosher as possible when slaughtering their opponent, the Sluggers offered to share their cooler of Marvel Hero Popsicles as a gesture of kindness.

Sluggers Stats

HR: None

RBI: G-Man (5), Fluffy (2), Liability (2), LawDawg (2), Slapshot (2), MendozaLine (2), iNoble (2), Bruiser (1)

Runs: Fluffy (2), Fragile (2), LawDawg (2), Newbie (2), Bruiser (2), Slapshot (2), Liability (1), Squirt (1), G-Man (1), Legally Blonde (1), iNoble (1), MendozaLine (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: LawDawg (3)

Casualties: Bruiser (Leg)

Video: Pam and Victor start the "immigration wave" from the bleachers

Photos: Slapshot manages to stay on his feet while making a catch; Fragile makes the throw from his knees; Newbie looks exhausted after hustling to second base; the Sluggers join their fans in between games.

Game Two (W 7-5)

Quite possibly rejuvenated and empowered by the popsicles, the second game was a much better contest from both sides, including some phenomenal plays. After an RBI single from Slapshot put the Sluggers on the board first in the top of the first inning, the defense once again showed it came ready to play, recording three consecutive outs in the bottom of the inning. After only Squirt reached base for the Sluggers in the second inning, the game was quickly tied by the opponent in the bottom-half. It appeared that the Sluggers might be in trouble until the play of the year by Bruiser shut the door on the opponent and left them scratching their heads. With a runner on first, a sharp line drive was hit to right field where Newbie chased it down. After a clean throw to the cutoff Fragile, he turned around to see that the runner was rounding third base and heading home. Instinctively, he whipped around and fired a strike to home plate. Perfectly positioned, Bruiser caught the ball on the fly, braced herself for a collision, and then tagged the runner out. It was a play for the ages, but more importantly, it prevented a crucial run from coming across the plate. The inning would end with runners left on base after a pop-fly was reeled in by Squirt at second base.

The third inning proved to be a big inning offensively for the Sluggers. After iNoble and Liability reached base safely, Fragile smacked a 3-run HR to right field to put the Sluggers on top 4-1.

In the fourth inning, with the score too close for comfort, LawDawg decided to take things into his own hands. After reaching base safely on a single, LawDawg hustled out a play at second base, narrowly beating the throw. Without hesitation, he saw that the ball had gotten about three feet away from the fielder and sprinted toward third base. The opponents quickly threw the ball over to third, but the ball was booted as LawDawg was approaching third base, so he headed for home. With no play at the plate, LawDawg had managed to hustle his way around the bases, scoring all the way from first base on a ground ball and putting another important run on the board. The score was 5-3 Sluggers.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, it was defense once again that saved the da

y. After the first two runners of the inning reached on singles, the Sluggers caught a break as Fragile fielded a sharply hit ground ball at short. He turned and tagged runners advancing from second and first base, and nearly had a delayed triple play except that the umpire refused to grant the third out after the runner vacated first base. That play gave the Sluggers room to breathe, but back-to-back hits once again put the Sluggers in a tough spot. With just a one-run lead and runners on second and third base, the opponent's clean-up hitter walloped a ball up the middle and over the head of LawDawg. It looked to be a sure hit up the middle, but Squirt snatched the ball out of the air, ending the inning, saving two runs from scoring, and protecting the Sluggers' lead. The crowd went wild!

After extending their lead with a 2-RBI double from Fluffy in the sixth inning, the Sluggers held a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th. Three runs would mean extra innings, and four runs would mean a loss. With run already across the plate, and the bases loaded, LawDawg stood on the mound. A base hit would likely mean a tie game. An out would mean a win. A walk would result in two runs and the bases still being loaded. The pressure was immense. The tension was growing. The pitch was in the air...

Ping! The ball was hit in the air between the shortstop and the outfield. Would anyone get to it? Fragile got a good jump on the ball but it was hit directly over his head, making it awkward to position himself under it. The ball floated...

Okay, so it wasn't quite as dramatic as that. Fragile sprinted back, got under the ball and made the catch. The bases were left loaded to end the game, and the Sluggers had won again. It was the perfect ending to a memorable evening.

The game officially ended the managing career of Wicked Hittah/Fragile, who started his career without recording an official non-forfeited win until his 10th game, finished his two seasons with a respectable combined record of 17-17. The interim manager, Fluffy, whose career record is 0-2, will lead the team into their final week of the season in hopes of securing a .500 record and ending the season on a high note. Although Fragile will not be coaching in the finale, he has left the door open for a return depending on how his law school plans unfold over the next week. Fragile could not comment on whether Fluffy would remain manager for the 2010 season, or whether there would even be a 2010 season, but he had nothing but praise for his teammate and potential successor: "Fluffy will do fine as manager. Anyone who can hit triples and home runs after stuffing his stomach full of taco bell is iconic in my mind. Now if only he could keep

from striking out so much, then you'd have hall of fame material."

Sluggers Stats

HR: Fragile (1)

RBI: Fragile (3), Fluffy (2), Slapshot (1), G-Man (1)

Runs: Liability (2), Fragile (2), LawDawg (1), iNoble (1), Nebraska (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: None

Casualties: Liability (Leg)

Photos: G-Man shows his flexibility at first base; Fragile hits his third home run of the season; Newbie throws the ball back to LawDawg; Legally Blonde shows off her cannon as she fires the ball back in from the outfield; the Sluggers present Fragile with a going away present.

Sluggers Split Pair of Games

In a shocking announcement made earlier this week, it was revealed by Fairfax County authorities that the entire JL Sluggers roster had tested positive for steroids during the 2008 season. The performance enhancing drugs had led to an incredible surge in run production during the second half of the season resulting in the Sluggers closing out their schedule with wins in 9 of their final 12 games. Unconfirmed at this time are rumors that the steroids were supplied by a mid-season acquisition during the 2008 season; a player who had a great deal of experience in avoiding hazardous situations. Whispers of misconduct began to surface as a barrage of freakish injuries affected Sluggers who seemingly otherwise appeared to be perfectly healthy. Fairfax County authorities confirmed that the Sluggers had been under close surveillance in recent weeks, and found it to be no surprise that the 7-game losing streak coincided with the "alleged" steroid provider's disappearance from all Sluggers activities. While authorities did not release the name of the steroid provider, they did issue the following caution:

"We are advising all citizens to immediately contact the local authorities if you see a man with syringes in his pocket and waving a terrible towel. Anyone who identifies a man fitting this description should immediately put on sunglasses or avoid looking at the suspect's head, as the sun glare can be extremely dangerous and blinding. We believe he intentionally does not wear a hat in order to maintain a sense of power over those in his presence."

GAME ONE (W 10-7)

As gametime approached, manager Fragile began to wonder if he needed to contact G-Man and his boy scout troop to conduct a search and rescue mission for any Sluggers that might have gotten lost in the endless miles of park trails leading up to playing field. Fortunately, all of the Sluggers arrived safely and in plenty of time, thanks to the marathon final inning of the preceding game which delayed the Sluggers first pitch by more than 20 minutes.

After a slow defensive start for the Sluggers, in which they gave up three runs to the first three batters, Zuko decided to take matters into his own hands and show that the Sluggers were not going to be pushed around again. With the opponent sending a runner home, Zuko stood his ground and prepared for the collision. As the ball game in, the runner crashed into Zuko with all her might, but Zuko applied the tag for the out and took the opponent took ground. Upon further review, Zuko may have received a 15-yard penalty for tripping in the NFL, but this wasn't the NFL, it was Corporate Coed Softball - where only real warriors play.

Sparked by the physical play of their pitcher, the rest of the Sluggers decided to deliver their own beat down on the offensive side of the ball, as they quickly responded with 5 runs including a 2-run Home Run by Fragile. The Sluggers would take a 7-5 lead after three innings. After a lead-off home run to start the top of the 4th inning closed the gap to 7-6, the Sluggers dug in and showed that they could play defense. The opponents sent the heart of their lineup to the plate, but no matter how hard they hit the ball, they could not get a hit past the stellar Sluggers defense.

The defensive magic would continue for the Sluggers as unquestionably the play of the game occurred in the top of the 5th inning. After a triple, the opponent was threatening to tie the game with a runner on third base and only one out. After a vicious swing, a line drive to center field was sinking quickly and looked for certain to be a hit. However, left-centerfielder Downtown got a great read on the ball and was charging at an alarming rate. In a perfect visual demonstration of a shoe-string catch, Downtown snared the line for the second out of the inning, but more importantly quickly threw the ball into the pitcher, keeping the runner at third base. The Sluggers would retire the next batter on a sharp ground ball to first base and escape the inning unscathed.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, LawDawg would single home Zuko to make the game 8-6. In the top of the 6th inning, the Sluggers would give one run back, but a nice defensive play by Bruiser at second base prevented the opponent from completing the comeback. The Sluggers would claim the victory after a 2-RBI single from Fragile sealed the deal, scoring the duo of Squirt and Nebraska as time ran out. Overall it was a very impressive victory for the Sluggers, who had dropped two games earlier in the season to the opponent by a combined 17 runs.

Sluggers Stats

HR: Fragile (1)

RBI: Fragile (5), LawDawg (2), Slapshot (2), Fluffy (1)

Runs: Zuko (2), Liability (2), Downtown (1), Fragile (1), LawDawg (1), Squirt (1), Nebraska (1), Legally Blonde (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: None

Casualties: None

Photos: Zuko takes challenger to the ground; Fragile fields the final defensive out of Game One.

GAME TWO (L 7-13)

Exhausted from four games in two nights, the blogger fell asleep while writing the Game Two recap. Here's a quick summary followed by a bunch of pictures:

• Sluggers give up 2 runs in top of the 1st inning
• Fluffy hits home run, almost loses dinner rounding 3rd base
• Sluggers trail 6-3 after two innings
• Slapshot makes catch then falls down
• Sluggers trail 11-4 after three innings
• LawDawg "Fluffies" for first time in career
• Slapshot falls down then makes catch
• Lights turn out
• Sluggers lose 13-7

Downtown crosses home plate

Legally Blonde (eyes closed?)

Liability wishes he didn't chug a beer at 3rd base

LawDawg trots home

Slapshot makes the diving catch (again...)

Sluggers Stats

HR: Fluffy (1)

RBI: Fluffy (2), Fragile (2), Zuko (2), Slapshot (1)

Runs: Fluffy (2), Downtown (1), Fragile (1), LawDawg (1), Liability (1), Nebraska (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: LawDawg (1)

Casualties: None

Sluggers Stymied by Nine Person Team

It was a tough night for the Sluggers. After a promising 5-2 start to the season, the Sluggers dropped their 6th and 7th games in a row Tuesday, bring their season record to 5-9. According to experts at The Elias Sports Bureau, the two losses have now mathematically eliminated the Sluggers from any chance at capturing the first place pennant.

Game One

As Superfan pulled into the parking lot just before 6:30pm and took her seat in the bleachers, she glanced at her watch and then back at the Sluggers dugout. "Had the game already started?" she thought to herself. It was easy to see why Superfan was confused. The game had yet to start but already the Sluggers were dripping with sweat from their heads to their toes.

In what can only be described as a catastrophic 1st inning, the Sluggers failed to record an out until their opponents had already posted 5 runs on the board. When Zuko finally did record the first out of the game on a strikeout, the momentum began to shift and the Sluggers would start to come alive.

According to an unnamed clubhouse attendant, in the early morning hours of gameday, Fluffy was visited in his sleep by the spirit known as El Gran Taco. El Gran Taco spoke to Fluffy, insisting that the only way to break his hititng slump was to return to the place most dear to his stomach; a place where with an aura (or aroma) so powerful, that all of the negative energy in his body would simply melt away into mountains of shredded

cheese, hot sauce, and USDA Grade 5 beef: Taco Bell. After his first at-bat, it appeared that Fluffy might owe El Gran Taco un mucho agradecimiento. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Fluffy tripled to score Liability and Fragile. Fluffy would score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Zuko.

Over the next three innings, behind stellar defense from outfielder Slapshot, and middle infield defense from Liability and Bruiser, the Sluggers steadily climbed out of the hole they had dug in the 1st inning, and roared back to take a 10-9 lead heading into the 6th inning.

"WHAAAT!! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!" Zuko roared the loudest, but all of the Sluggers were thinking it. For the second time in as many innings, the umpire had made an egregious error in failing to call an out

at 2nd base. This particular missed call really hurt. Instead of recording the final out of the inning, the Sluggers were left to face the heart of their opponents lineup, with a runner in scoring position. Any base hit and the game could be lost. Sure enough, the next batter doubled, scoring two runs and giving the opponent the lead. After Fluffy was stranded at 3rd base following his second triple of the game, it appeared the game was over. But it wasn't...

"One minute" announced the umpire. Did he feel guilty about blowing the earlier call? Was he really going to let the Sluggers play another inning with only one minute left in the game? Like gazelles fleeing a hungry lion, the Sluggers swiftly took their positions, moving faster than

many had ever moved before.

After surrendering one more run in the 7th, the Sluggers trailed 13-10 heading into their final at-bats. LawDawg led off the inning with a seeing eye single, and would close the gap on a Slapshot RBI single two batters later. Unfortunately the rally would end there.

After the game, Superfan booed and hissed from the bleachers: "Are you blind ump? How could you miss that call? Can you see me? You can? Oh, then I guess you just suck!" Superfan had seen more than she could bear. A sixth straight loss for the Sluggers had her heading for her car, as parents in the vicinity whispered "earmuffs!" and hastily covered their little ones' ears as an irate Superfan cursed the umpire under her breath in passing.

Sluggers Stats

HR: None

RBI: Fluffy (4), Liability (3), Downtown (1), Fragile (1), Slapshot (1), Zuko (1)

Runs: Downtown (2), Fragile (2), Liability (2), Newbie (2), LawDawg (1), Fluffy (1), Slapshot (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: Zuko (3)

Casualties: Sir Aries (Legs)

Photos: Fluffy swings for the fences and collects one of his four hits in the game, as Fragile watches from 1st; Bruiser tallies one of her three hits in the game

Game Two

After an emotionally draining loss in Game One, the Sluggers came out flat on offense, but played easily their best defensive game of the season. On the mound, LawDawg was perfect for 1 2/3 innings before finally allowing a single. Overall, the defense played exceptionally well behind him, retiring eight of the first nine batters, with standout play from Newbie at the catcher position. Newbie grabbed multiple foul ball outs on the night, perhaps none more impressive than the small arcing bloop that she quickly spun around and snared before the ball touched the ground. After the game, Newbie commented on her gold glove play:

"Shut up! That play was sooo cray cray, right? I mean, I've gotta give mad props to Fragile for that one. Seriously. At practice, we worked on this drill that was so exactly like that! Whaddup Fragile! Woot-woot! How'd you like that D!? Suh-weet!"

Newbie wasn't the only one flashing some leather on the diamond. Liability played exceptionally well at shortstop, including turning a double at a crucial time when the Sluggers really needed an out. Slapshot continued to making diving catches in the outfield, and Bruiser made multiple plays at 2nd base. Not to be forgotten was the play of LawDawg who like Zuko before him, showed the importance of having a pitcher who could field the position, making multiple stops on comeback shots to the mound.

After trailing 1-0 after the three innings, the Sluggers rallied to tie the game in the 4th when Fragile resorted to aggressive base running techniques, likely learned from a Tom Emanski video, to more or less steal a run. The game remained deadlocked until the 6th inning when a couple of extra base hits led to two runs for the opponent. Perhaps caught off guard that the game had already reached the 7th inning, the Sluggers frantically tried to put together one last comeback, but the closest they came was a single by LawDawg.

Two grueling contests under the sun really took a toll on the Sluggers, but unfortunately they'll have little time to recover as they are back at it again on Wednesday night. With many absentees planning to attend, the Sluggers have high hopes of ending their losing streak and going after a winning record for the season.

Sluggers Stats

HR: None

RBI: Zuko (1)

Runs: Fragile (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: None

Casualties: Liability (Leg)

Photos: Squirt gets ahold of one; Slapshot singles into left field.

Sluggers Show Grit in Double-Defeat

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

The Sluggers took the field Tuesday in front of a record crowd, including friends, co-workers, family, and dozens of sniff-happy canines. The team would like to send a big thank you to all those who came out to support them.

Game One (L 5-17)

For the eighth game in a row, the Sluggers were without their star outfielder Noodle, who was a late scratch after once again citing a contract dispute with the front office. When asked how he would be compensated for his brilliance on the field, a teammate mentioned that the Sluggers play for peanuts. Noodle, the softball prima donna that he is, insisted that peanuts weren't enough and that he needed to be compensated with Ramen instead - emphatically proclaiming that he refused to put on a Sluggers uniform until he was paid. Unwilling to negotiate with terrorists, manager Fragile was once again left without his chatterbox outfielder.

When it was time for the first pitch and only nine Sluggers were out in the field, Bruiser was quickly alerted that she was needed to fill in the vacant outfield position. Things appeared to be fine until Bruiser notified the other outfielders that she would need to be instructed on whether to move in or back up as she had no sense of depth perception.

Frankly there wasn't much action in the game. Downtown had a 2-RBI double in the 1st inning, followed by an RBI single by Legally Blonde. Downtown had another RBI in the 3rd inning and Fragile knocked in a run in the 5th. Unfortunately the opponent scored 17 runs during that same span to the Sluggers' 5.

Game One

HR: None

RBI: Downtown (3), Fragile (1)

Runs: LawDawg (2), Fragile (1), Fluffy (1), Newbie (1)

Strikeouts Pitched: None

Photo: Fluffy singles in his first at-bat

Game Two (L 0-15)

It isn't easy to get shutout in a slow-pitch softball league, but that's what happened to the Sluggers on Tuesday night. The Sluggers sent 27 batters to the plate, mustering only 5 hits and "Fluffying" 3 times. Yet for as awful as a 15 run shutout could have been, the Sluggers showed a lot of heart on the field, making a number of exciting plays.

As things started to take a turn for the worse, hot-headed shortstop Fragile, lost his cool and started throwing heat-seeking missiles which seemed to have a specific target in mind. That target was aggressive baserunners attempting to run up the score. When asked for comment, Fragile apologized, stating "I don't know what I was thinking. Those throws were all arm. If I got my legs into the throws I could have had greater velocity and accuracy. I let my team down." For the record, we will assume that Fragile meant

better accuracy would have led to throws closer to his teammates and not his opponents.

Not to be overlooked was the stunning defensive play of Newbie behind the plate. Newbie's quick-like-a-cat reflexes, allowed her to catch not only one, but two short pop-ups to record outs. In both cases she jumped up from her crouch like a jack-in-the-box to snare the foul balls. Newbie was so quick that she had to be reminded by her teammates to stay down in the crouch, as she kept standing up and blocking the shorter umpire's view. Newbie also made two tag outs at home plate, the second of which left teammates wondering if she would get back up. After having her legs taken out from under her, Newbie fell awkwardly with her shoulder and neck making first contact with the ground. As oooohs rang out from the crowd, and teammates looked on with concern, Newbie yelled from the ground, "Did I at least get the out?" She did.

Unquestionably the most memorable play of the night actually resulted in two outs for the Sluggers. After back-to-back doubles by Hot Shot and Fragile, the Sluggers had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and Fluffy coming to bat. Trailing 15-0, it was the perfect time for a rally. As Fluffy sailed a fly ball into left field, and with one of the Sluggers' fastest runners on 3rd base, it looked for certain that the Sluggers would avoid the shutout. The left center-fielder settled under the ball with his momentum going toward home plate. As he made the catch, Hot Shot darted for home plate. That's when the unexpected happened.

In one of the rarest occurences in corporate coed softball, the outfielder threw a perfect strike to home plate. The catcher caught the throw but Hot Shot was coming fast and determined to score. A child shouted from the playground, "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's super...Hot Shot?" In a tremendous display of effort, Hot Shot had soared head-first into home plate. When the cloud of dust settled, the umpire made the out call, but my money is on the umpire couldn't see the play because he had dirt in his eyes. Anyone who slides head first into home plate trailing 15-0 in the final inning, on a sacrifice fly nonetheless, deserves to be safe in my book. Although Hot Shot was

called out, she earned a lot of respect from her teammates on that play. Needless to say, Fragile was stranded on 3rd base to end the game, and the Sluggers had dropped their fifth game in a row.

The outcome may not have been what they had hoped, but when pressed by a team that clearly had no reservations about running the score, the Sluggers continued to play hard and not concede to their opponent.

Game Two

HR: None

RBI: None

Runs: None

Strikeouts Pitched: LawDawg (2)

Photos: Legally Blonde swings with all her might (...and misses),

Hot Shot dives into home plate, Hot Shot post-dust storm.