JL Sluggers @ IRI Mariners

On a beautiful sunny evening for baseball, one word can summarize the game's events: Fluffymania! In potentially his final game before temporarily leaving the team for the bar exam, Fluffy fell only a single shy of the cycle. In the first inning he walked, followed by a triple, then a double off the wall, and capped off the night with a Grand Slam home run. Yet, despite Fluffy's brilliance on the diamond, he was far from being the only star for the Sluggers. A tremendous team effort lifted the Sluggers to their third consecutive win, bringing their record to 4-5 on the season, and placing them in a tie for fourth place in the division.

After getting two quick outs to start the game, some shaky defense by the Sluggers let IRI load the bases in the first inning. However, Law Dawg calmly struck out IRI's number six hitter, to get the Sluggers out of the first inning jam unscathed. In the bottom-half of the inning, Greased Lightning led off for the sluggers, poking a single to start things off. Patiently, Special K, Wicked Hittah, Fluffy and Law Dawg walked consecutively as IRI began to unravel. Anxious to impress his new teammates and his family in attendance, New Guy unloaded the bases as he ripped a double into the outfield, bringing home even more Sluggers. The Sluggers sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning, resulting in a 7-0 lead.

The bottom of the order proved dangerous for IRI as in the second inning, the 8-9-10 hitters in the lineup all came to the plate and scored, followed by another run by their leadoff hitter. After 1 1/2 innings, the Sluggers' lead had been cut to three, 7-4. That would be as close as IRI would get, as the Sluggers shut down their scoring for the remainder of the game, including a 1-2-3 third inning, followed by a two strikeout fourth inning for Law Dawg.

Despite two quick outs, the Sluggers continued to pour it on bottom of the third inning. Greased Lightning led off with a single, followed by a powerful rip by Special K, unquestionably her hardest hit ball of the season. Wicked Hittah stepped up to the plate and hit a ball over the left fielder's head. Despite scoring both base runners, the play proved costly as he felt a pop in his hamstring as he prepared to round third. After the inning, Wicked Hittah was quick to point out that it would have been an inside-the-park home run had he not been slowed by the injury. Team scorekeeper and photographer, Mrs. Wicked Hittah, was just as quick to roll her eyes, calling her husband the youngest old man that she knew, after yet another injury.

With the runner still at third, Fluffy, came to the plate and tripled deep to the outfield, putting the Sluggers up 10-4. Law Dawg, New Guy, and Walk Me would each single to load the bases, but the Sluggers couldn't bring them home and left them loaded.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, after a leadoff walk by Squirt, a single by Greased Lightning, and a walk by Special K, Fluffy once again came to the plate in what could probably be described as the at-bat of the season thus far. Wasting no time, Fluffy stroked the ball into deep right center field and had no aspirations of slowing down, despite what the Taco Bell dinner in his stomach may have been telling him. Instead, Fluffy rounded second base with his eyes already on the plate, kicking up dirt as he went. By the time he rounded third, there was no question that the Fluffy train was rumbling home and IRI couldn't even attempt to stop it. The end result was a bases clearing Grand Slam to finish off IRI and put the Sluggers up 16-4.

It was an impressive win for the Sluggers as only hours before, they weren't sure that they would have enough players to field a team. Fortunately enough players came through, and in a big way. Twenty-four times, Sluggers reached base safely in the game, including five extra base hits. It was a truly a night for the ages.

For those wondering about the injury which caused Wicked Hittah to leave the game, he decided to seek medical care immediately following the game, but urgent care was closed. His playing prognosis for playing next week is currently questionable. Regardless, if the Sluggers show another strong team effort like they did all this week, they should be just fine.

Pictured: (Top left) Greased Lightning pokes one of his three singles on the night. (Middle Right) Special K connects on a blazing single, which is amazing considering that if you look closely, she did it with her eyes closed. (Bottom left) Ringer awaits the pitch as shadows creep over Bready Park.