Sluggers Take Gametime Siesta

Game One (L 4-13)

Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the strenuous work day. Maybe someone put NyQuil in the Gatorade. Whatever the reason, the Sluggers came zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Sorry about that, I was just recalling the game.

Whatever the reason, the Sluggers showed up without any fuel in their tanks - some literally. Earlier in the day, speculation has it that Sluggers Fragile, LawDawg, Fluffy, iNoble, and Legally Blonde visited Mr. Pepperoni for Pizza and Wings. It was rumored that the arduousness of digestion, rendered the players nearly incapicitated by gametime. Although Fluffy could not be reached for comment, the manager at the Wiehle Taco Bell did indeed confirm that the bag of tacos he habitually prepares for Fluffy every Tuesday game night was left unclaimed this week. Was that the answer? Were the Sluggers stricken by the curse of Mr. Pepperoni?

After spotting their opponents two runs in the top of the 1st inning, the Sluggers appeared to be methodically moving through the batting order. The first seven batters of the inning reached base safely, but the Sluggers would leave them loaded as only two runners crossed home plate. From there, the bats went silent, at least for the Sluggers. Two runs, three runs, four runs, two runs. A slow but steady attack took out the Sluggers, who managed to scatter 8 hits in the final four innings.

Although the game was painful, there were still a few bright spots. In her return to the field, Hot Shot went 3-3 and scored 3 of the 4 Sluggers runs. Liability had a team high 3 RBI and also went 3-3. Fragile also went 3-3 and kept his defensive double-play streak alive at 3 consecutive weeks.

SLUGGERS STATS

HR: None

RBI: Liability (3), LawDawg (1)

RUNS: Hot Shot (3), Fluffy (1)

STRIKEOUTS PITCHED: LawDawg (2)

CASUALTIES: Downtown (Adductor)

Photos: Top - Hot Shot collects one of her 6 hits on the night; Bottom - Newbie gets a hold one

Game Two (L 7-15)

Unfortunately for the Sluggers, Game Two was a five inning game. Had it been a two inning game the Sluggers would have won. In fact, the Sluggers sent all ten batters to the plate in the 2nd inning, with 6 of them scoring. Aside from that inning, however, the only excitement came from Fragile v. Umpire/Manager. After being advised by Legally Blonde that the opponent had too many males in the game, Fragile took the argument to the umpire, who had never heard of the male/female ratio put in place by the league office. Finally, when Fragile had to recite the rule from the umpire's own rule book to the umpire, the umpire apologized for not knowing the rules.

Although the Sluggers won the argument, they lost the game. Frankly it wasn't all that close. After the beating handed down in Game One, it became apparent that the Sluggers were looking forward to the post-game festivities at Jimmy's Old Town Tavern, rather than seeking another thrilling comeback. Visions of Fluffy rocking out to ABBA with Dancing Grannies ran through many Sluggers' minds, while others just wanted a drink, badly.

Statistically, the lone bright spot for the Sluggers in Game Two was once again Hot Shot. After going 3-3 in Game One, Hot Shot went 3-3 in Game Two as well, including an RBI double in the 2nd inning.

SLUGGERS STATS

HR: None

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

RUNS: Hot Shot (1), Liability (1), LawDawg (1), Bruiser (1), G-Man (1), Slapshot (1), Hot Shot: Part Deux (1)

STRIKEOUTS PITCHED: LawDawg (1)

CASUALTIES: None

Photo: Downtown looks for a gap shot to left field

Sluggers win in Thriller!

Game One (W 14-13)

Wow! Game one starting pitcher Zuko had to have been wondering what else could possibly go wrong. After 6 infield errors in the first inning led to 9 EITS Freedom runs, shortstop Fragile had to double-check his uniform to make sure that it hadn't been changed to Chico's Bail Bonds. Despite the nine run deficit, this game was far from over. Rather than give up, the Sluggers slowly began chipping away at the lead. They put up 2 runs in the bottom of the first when Downtown scored on a Fluffy RBI triple, followed by an RBI single by Zuko to bring Fluffy across the plate. After Zuko pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd, the Sluggers tacked on another run when Bruiser singled in Law Dawg to bring the score to 9-3.

After another 1-2-3 defensive inning in the 3rd, the Sluggers rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning, making the score 9-8. Squirt, Mendoza Line, Legally Blonde, Fluffy,

and Zuko all contributed runs in the inning. In the top of the 4th, it appeared that the Sluggers had finally run out of luck. After four EITS Freedom players crossed home plate, the Sluggers faced trailed 13-8 heading into their final at-bats.

Hot Shot: Part Deux led off the inning with a walk. G-Man also tested the pitcher's accuracy, as he followed up with a second walk of the inning. After Bruiser reached 1st base, team rookie iNoble suddenly found himself at the plate with the bases loaded. As the ball floated in, scenes from Office Space and the paper-jammed fax machine flooded iNoble's mind. He dug his heels into the dirt, and took a mighty whack at the ball. When the dust settled, iNoble was standing on first base and a run had crossed the plate. iNoble turned to the dugout and stated, "Damn it feels good to be a gangsta!" 13-9. Showing patience, Squirt stepped to the plate and drew yet another walk, allowing another run to cross the plate. 13-10. Trailing by 3 runs with nobody out, the Sluggers found the tying run coming to plate in Mendoza Line. Tensions rose and the Sluggers dugout grew louder and louder. Thwack...2 runs crossed the plate. 13-12.

With Squirt on base, Downtown stepped into the batter's box. A base hit could tie the game. Downtown didn't disappoint. An RBI single later, and the Sluggers had come all the way back to tie the game 13-13. With two runners on base, and the heart of the order coming up, it looked like nothing short of a disaster could stop the Sluggers. That disaster nearly occurred. The infield fly rule is one of the more confusing rules in softball. It's a rule that is never taught in gym class, and even still raises eyebrows when properly called by the umpire. After Legally Blonde hit an infield fly to 3rd base, she had made the first out of the inning. However, when the third basemen dropped the ball, Mendoza Line who would have been the game winning run, darted to 3rd base. With confusion surrounding what had actually been called, Mendoza Line started to head back toward 2nd base at which point he was tagged out by the EITS Freedome 3rd basemen. The Sluggers had gone from 2 men on and nobody out, to one man on and two outs. Wisely, Downtown had taken second base on the play and found himself in scoring position.

Two outs, tie game, runner on 2nd. It's what every paralegal dreams about. Spotting a perceived weakness on the right field side of the EITS Freedom defense, Fragile once again poked the ball to the right side. The strategy hadn't worked out too well in his first two at-bats, but this time was different. The ball skipped past the 2nd basewoman and into the outfield. Alertly, Downtown rounded third base and dashed for home. The game was over. Downtown scored the winning run from 2nd base. 14-13. They had done it! The Sluggers had come from 9 runs down to win the game in their final at-bat. 11 Sluggers touched home plate in the victory, making the victory a total team effort. It was a game for the ages - one that will go down in Corporate Coed Softball lore.

SLUGGERS STATS

HR: None

RBI: Fluffy (3), Zuko (2), Mendoza Line (2), Fragile (2), Squirt (1), Downtown (1), Liability (1), Bruiser (1), iNoble (1)

RUNS: Downtown (2), Fluffy (2), Squirt (2), Legally Blonde (1), Zuko (1), LawDawg (1), Hot Shot: Part Deux (1), G-Man (1), Bruiser (1), iNoble (1), Mendoza Line (1)

STRIKEOUTS PITCHED: Zuko (1)

CASUALTIES: Bruiser (Hip), Fragile (Quad), Legally Blonde (Shins)

Game Two ( L 5-8)

After such a stunning victory in Game 1, it would have been easy for the Sluggers to give in and have a letdown in the night cap - but that's not how the Sluggers play ball. Perhaps still riding the high from the game before, the Sluggers came out of the gates swinging, putting up 4 runs in the top of the first inning. EITS Freedom showed no signs of depression from their early loss as they rallied for 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st, but stranding the bases loaded. The Sluggers found themselves in a similar situation in the 2nd inning when they too left the bases loaded. Neither team would score again until the bottom of the 3rd inning when EITS Freedom

took a two-run lead.

After realizing that EITS Freedom was not pitching the Sluggers their preferred "Yellow" softballs, instead replacing them with harder to see "White" softballs, the Sluggers protested to the umpire. What ensued was five minutes of bickering back and forth, which ultimately led to the correct softballs being pitched. That five minutes would prove costly....

The strong pitching performances and defensive showings from both teams, resulted in a quickly-paced game that advanced into the 6th inning with the Sluggers trailing 8-5. After a franticly sending up batter after batter, the Sluggers found themselves at the mercy of the suddenly sluggish EITS Freedom. Pausing between plays and taking their time, EITS Freedom managed to stall the game just long enough....

After reaching base on a single, Fragile scored from 1st base on a triple by Fluffy. 8-6. The Sluggers inched closer after Fluffy scored on an RBI single by Zuko and it was an 8-7 ball game. After LawDawg tied the game up with an RBI single, it looked like once again the Sluggers would pull off a miraculous comeback. With a runner on third base, Hot Shot: Part Deux stepped

up to the plate.

DARKNESS...

It was 10:30 and the field lights had automatically shut off. With the go ahead run standing at 3rd base, the game came to an end. To make matters worse, the predetermined league rules stated that any game in progress at the time the lights turn off, shall be reverted to the end of the previous complete inning. The comeback had been for naught. In what had the makings to be the most memorable night in JL Sluggers history, in what proved to be two very competitive games, time simply ran out.

SLUGGERS STATS

HR: None

RBI: LawDawg (3), Fluffy (2), , Zuko (2), Liability (1)

RUNS: Zuko (3), Fluffy (2), Liability (1), Downtown (1), Fragile (1)

STRIKEOUTS PITCHED: None

CASUALTIES: VXC (Calf)

Photo: iNoble prepares for combat; G-Man rips a ball into left field

Sluggers Back on Track

Game One (W 16-5)

The great Crash Davis once said, "Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic." Apparently, LawDawg wasn't listening. In a masterful pitching performance, LawDawg managed to strike out the final batter of each inning during the Sluggers' 16-5 victory in the first game of the doubleheader. No disrespect to the IRI Mariners, but 5 strikeouts in slow-pitch softball? C'mon!

After a rocky start in which the Sluggers gave up

3 runs in the top of the 1st, many onlookers and one worried manager began wondering where the Sluggers' confidence had gone. Was the public humiliation suffered at the hands of the OD Bombers so esteem crippling that they had simply forgotten how to play?

The Sluggers' concerns quickly vacated, sparked by the momentum of LawDawg's inning-ending strikeout, and once at bat, the swagger returned.

Downtown led off the bottom of the 1st with a single. After a less than stellar pop-out by Noodle, Fragile and Fluffy hit back-to-back inside the park home runs to tie the game 3-3. The game really broke open in the 2nd inning.

After holding the Mariners scoreless, the Sluggers took the lead for good after 9 consecutive batters reached base safely, resulting in 7 runs. The Sluggers would add 5 more runs in the 3rd inning, and weathered a late rally by the Mariners in the 5th to take the game 16-5.

SLUGGERS STATS:

Home Runs: Fragile (1), Fluffy (1)

RBI: Fragile (4), Fluffy (4), Noodle (2), Downtown, Hot Shot: Part Deux, Zuko, Newbie, LawDawg, and G-Man each had 1.

Runs: Downtown (3), Noodle (3), Fluffy (3), Fragile (2), Hot Shot: Part Deux, Zuko, LawDawg, G-Man, and Squirt each had 1.

Strikeouts Pitched: LawDawg (5)

Casualties: Liability (Quad), G-Man (Quad), LawDawg (Hip)

Photo: LawDawg examines a pitch as it floats by

Game Two (W 17-11)

The second game of the night may be remember more for its humor than its contest. In a clear violation of the Softball Gender Discrimination Act of 1975, Noodle decided to play a shallow outfield upon spotting a pink-shirted female approaching the plate. After a powerful swing of the bat, Noodle found himself watching the ball sail over his head and quickly scrambled to retrieve the ball. Unfortunately for Noodle, his failure to equip himself with cleats in a wet outfield proved to be a safety violation. It not only endangered Noodle, but the rest of the Sluggers who struggled not to strain their rib cages as they laughed at Noodle's Slip 'n Slide demonstration in the outfield. Noodle was quick to point out his "incredible" throw to the cutoff man from his knees, however no one else seemed to notice.

With spirits lifted all around from witnessing Noodle's antics, the Sluggers went on to play an otherwise impressive defensive game. Beginning with a sliding catch in the outfield from Fluffy, the Sluggers went on to turn two double-plays, and make some fine infield plays highlighted by a sharp charging putout from 3rd base by LawDawg, and a nice stab and throw from Bruiser to throw out a runner from 2nd base. Solid pitching from Zuko kept the Mariners at bay. Newbie also made some nice foul ball catches from the catcher position.

Offensively, after playing an even 1st inning at 2-2, the Sluggers took over the game in 2nd inning with 9 runs crossing the plate. They would go on to add 6 more runs over the next two innings to take a 17-6 lead heading into the Mariners' final at-bats. Once again, the Mariners did not go down easily, as they rallied for 5 runs in the bottom of the 5th to close the gap to 17-11. That's as close as they would come, however, as the Sluggers finished to game off on a force play at 3rd base.

SLUGGERS STATS:

Home Runs: None

RBI: Hot Shot: Part Deux (4), Zuko (2), LawDawg (2), Downtown (2), Fluffy, Fragile, Noodle, Squirt, Newbie, Bruiser, and Liability each had 1.

Runs: Fluffy (3), Zuko (2), Squirt (2), Noodle (2), Fragile (2), Downtown, Hot Shot: Part Deux, Newbie, LawDawg, Bruiser and Nebraska (running for Liability) each had 1.

Strikeouts Pitched: Zuko (1)

Casualties: Bruiser (Quad, Tibia), Squirt (Stomach), Fragile (Thumb)

Photo: Zuko lobs a pitch in toward home plate