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.

Injury Report: VXC Lost For Season

The Sluggers were recently dealt a devastating blow, when the team learned that star player "VXC," known by his fans as the "I.C.E. Man," would spend the remainder of the season on the Disabled List. Thanks to TMZ, we are able to provide you with his final moments on the softball diamond. If you look closely, you'll be able to see his right calf tearing. The Sluggers wish him a speedy and full recovery.

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