JL Sluggers vs. BAE Bombers

The idiom "Dog Days of Summer" originated with the Ancient Romans, signifying the time of year when Sirius - the brightest star in the sky and most prominent in Canis Major (The Big Dog) - rose and set with the sun, leading the Ancient Romans to believe it caused the blistering heat in the summer months. Of course, had you not known that, you may have thought it had something to do with the dozens of canines anxiously watching Tuesday's game, salivating with every tossed softball that floated through the air, begging to be fetched.

All poorly scripted dog jokes aside, Tuesday's first game against BAE was indeed blistering, as temperatures exceeded 90 degrees and the humid air seemed to bring the Sluggers to a slowed pace. Yet, BAE, likely benefiting from some aerospace anti-humidity cloak designed by their Softball Research and Development wing, seemed unaffected by the sultry weather and jumped out to a 9-0 lead early in the first inning.

Yet, the Sluggers did not give up. After a rough first inning, they settled down on defense, holding BAE to only two runs in the top of the second inning. Things turned sour again in the third inning, as BAE tacked on another seven runs, increasing their lead to 18-0. The Bombers would add three more in the fourth, making it a 21-0 game before the unthinkable happened: the Sluggers scored...

Special K singled to reach base for the Sluggers. She was followed by Law Dawg who capitalized on a BAE defensive miscue, and unhesitatingly took second, literally forcing Special K to take third base, where she slipped in safely, just ahead of the tag. With runners at second and third, Greased Lightning stepped to the plate, looking for a two-run base knock. He took a mighty swing, but his bat just got under the ball a little too much, lifting it high into the outfield. The ball was deep enough to allow Special K to score on the sacrifice fly, and the Sluggers were on the board, 21-1. Unfortunately, that would be the end of the rally, as the game was called due to the 20 run slaughter rule after four innings. The painful loss mathematically eliminated the Sluggers from the playoffs, forcing many fans to already begin looking toward next year's campaign.

Perhaps a bit irritated by the gnats that had been swarming up his nose all game, Manager Wicked Hittah reacted a bit emotionally to the news that his team had just been eliminated from playoff contention:

(High-pitched exasperated tone)

"Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game. "

Pictures: (Above) The sun certainly made its presence known on Tuesday. (Bottom Left) Manager Wicked Hittah shows off his torn hamstring for the camera.