Scores

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 Another nail biter, this time at beautiful Calavera 2 on a toasty Tuesday morning. Through four innings it was a defensive (sounds better than "light hitting"😉) contest with PG opening up a 4-2 lead. TPP bats came alive in the 5th and 6th for 8 runs to take a 10-4 lead. PG fought back with 8 of their own in the 7th and 8th and took the lead at 12-11, and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the 9th, 13-11. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, after a key hit and BB by Margo Jacobo and  Donna Engleman, TPP pushed a run across thanks to Pat Steele's 5th hit in 5 at bats (2 RBIs), followed by Coach Dan Smith's game winning blast to center. 

PG's hitting stars were Joe Uribe (4/4, 6 RBIs), Keith Richards (4/4, RBI), Pat Driscoll (3/4), Robert Kroger (3/4), Jerry Nuanez 3/3!, and Jeff Jacobs (2/3). 

In addition to Pat Steele, TPP was led by Brian Turner (4/5), Dan Smith (3/5, 4 RBIs), Oscar Delgado (3/4), and Oscar Lara (3/4, RBI), and Bob Porter (2/3, 2 RBIs).

Both teams express their appreciation to Al Cabacungan for umpiring. 

“Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” Joe Theismann

With two outs and trailing Village Pie Shoppe by three runs, 13-10, in the bottom of the ninth, things looked grim for Worden Williams. Then a Robert Tahimic single sparked a rally, followed by four successive singles by the two Bobs, Tom and Dario tying the game with the winning run on second. But although victory was in the Dubs’ grasp, it was not to be. The third out was recorded and the game ended in a tie.  From the start, neither team was able to open up a lead of more than three runs, and from the fourth inning on, neither team was able to mount enough of an offense to pull away. VPS scored ten of its thirteen runs in two innings, while WW spread its offense over all nine. WW was blanked in five out of nine innings while VPS failed to score in four innings.

WW was led by Ken Auerbach who knocked in four runs, two by way of a solid home run and he scored twice. The top half of WW’s order also showed its hitting chops, by knocking in seven runs led by a home run by Bob Loperena and a 4 for 4 performance by Bob Buscher.

VPS was led by Rick Shaw who hit a home run and went 3/4 . Contributing to its hitting output was David Ward, 4/4, and 3/4 outings for Rich Keefer, Kirsten Mildbrandt and sub, Mark Riserbato. Notably, VPS was the first team to score more than 10 runs against WW’s stingy defense.

A special thanks to Leigh Peterson for umpiring and Mark R for filling in as a sub.

A total team victory. The Hens played like eagles in all facets of the game today in their 18-9 victory over The Draft. Each member of the Henhouse made significant and timely contributions at the plate and in the field.

The Hens jumped out to a five-run lead in the home half of the first inning as the ball flew off their bats. The Draft countered with single runs in the top of the second and third innings. Andy Balas launched a moonshot homerun to right centerfield in the second inning to get the Draft’s scoring started in the second. The Hens countered with a three spot in the bottom of the third inning to take an 8-2 lead. Things settled down in the middle innings as Hen pitcher Johnnie Martinez and Draftee ace Rod Johnson took control. But the Draft exploded for five in the top of the sixth as Johnnie Brand and Roney Lewis provided timely offense by picking up key RBIs. With the lead trimmed to 8-7, the Hen’s mounted their own rally by picking up four runs in their half of the sixth inning and after the Draft added two more in the top of the seventh, the Hens added four more in the bottom of the seventh to take a commanding 16-9 lead. The Draft was held scoreless in their half of the eighth and ninth innings, while Hennessey’s added two more in the home half of the eighth to round out the scoring.

Multiple offensive stars for the Hens. Bill Codner was 4 for 4 and scored four times. Craig Wheatcroft was also 4 for 4 with a long homerun as part of his afternoon. Sub Dan Hacker was also 4 for 4. Thanks Dan. Carlos Cevallos and Steve Berry went 3 for 4, while Dennis O’Hern and Rich Lavacot each supplied two hits apiece. There was more than one-star defensive play by the Hens, but the play of John Symanski in left field is very noteworthy for the degree of difficulty and timeliness in helping thwart Draft rallies.

The big guns for the Draft were Andy Balas with a long home run, and two hits apiece from Johnnie Brand, Paul Thomas, and Elizabeth Bailey.

Thanks to Dan Hacker (third base) for subbing for the Hens (I really thought he could run really fast) and to Mary Ann O’Brien (second base) as well as Rod Johnson (pitcher) who helped the Draft.

Thanks also to Skip Moyer for taking time out of his schedule to make the calls for both teams.

Carlsbad Inn and Nucci’s played a competitive game at Pine today. CBI took an early 2-0 lead after one and never trailed the rest of the way, with the largest lead at 9-4 after five. NU stayed close with excellent outfield defense, including numerous catches of long fly balls by Frank Weishaar, Laurie Mills and Kathy O’Neil. Nucci’s narrowed the lead to 11-9 in the top of the seventh, but CBI rallied for two more in the bottom of the seventh to increase the lead to 13-9, which was the final score.

Larry Wadalavage led the CBI hitting, going 4 for 4, with two triples, a double and five RBIs. The rest of the hitting was fairly balanced, with Randy Agadoni, Ken Thompson, Jack Karson and Lloyd Thorne all going 2 for 4 and Rick Skidmore and Steve Wagner going 2 for 3.

Ken Thompson pitched a fine game today and the infield defense was superb. Randy Agadoni started two double plays at rover, and Ron Silverman picked up one grounder after another at second to get the runners out at first with his side arm throws to Rick Skidmore, who made several long stretches to secure outs at first.

Gene LaChimia led all NU hitters, going 4 for 4. Robert Cairo went 3 for 3 and Steve Sexton was 3 for 4, with a triple and Kathy O'Neal was 2 for 3 .

Thanks to Russ  Roopenian for a fine job of umpiring.

Bye: Pizza Port Brewery

        Gaspar