Playing Catch-Up

A quick recap of the last few games:

5/31 v. FAIRMOUNT GRIFFINS 

Longtime followers of the blog will know how much I hated to miss this game. But toddlers don't feed and put themselves to bed, and the CCSL doesn't pay well enough to justify a sitter. So it goes. Apparently, I missed the latest installment in what continues to be an enthralling rivalry.

Source Material.

For once, the Honey Badgers didn't suck in the first inning. We gave up just a single run and went to the bottom half with a moral victory already accomplished and the game still within reach. In the bottom half we put five straight batters on base with one out, scoring two. We may have benefitted from some sloppy defense on the part of the Griffons' 3B, if my reading of the tea leaves/score book is correct. However, we failed to push any further runs home despite having the bases loaded with only one out. This would haunt us later in the game.  

The Badgers and Gryphons traded one-run and scoreless innings over the next two frames. Bill knocked in a run in the bottom of the 2nd to put us up 3-1, but we gave it back in the top of the 3rd. The metaphorical gloves came off. They put up a four-spot in the 4th inning to go up 6-3. We struck back in the 5th, scoring 3 to tie the game; T-Barr had the big blow with a two-run HR. The tension was palpable, the air was thick with nervous excitement. Or so I assume, reconstructing this narrative from the score book as best I can. 

The Grumps again scratched out a run in the 6th. The Badgers would mount a two-out comeback in the 7th to tie the game at 7-all and send the game to extra innings. Alas, after giving up the lead in the top of the 8th, the game ended on a Badger groundout to shortstop with the tying run stranded at second base, as I read "Goodnight Moon" for the second time.

So, we lost to the Grinches, in yet another hard fought, back-and-forth affair that will be talked about for literally days. Unfortunately we don't have another regular season game with them due to the unbalanced schedule, but there is always the chance of a postseason matchup...

FINAL SCORE: L, 8 - 7 (8 innings)

6/7 @ BISHOP'S COLLAR

I missed this one, too, but have less material to discuss. We were short some players at the start of the game, but ultimately put up a not-completely-embarrassing score against one of the better teams in the league this year.  The question I have for the Badgers who played was whether or not CCSL softball phenom-turned-legend Dick Mahoney suited up for the Collar. If so, I hope you all enjoyed your brush with greatness. Now that the story has blown up in the national press and Mr. Mahoney himself has allegedly moved on to pursue a movie career instead of sticking around for Philly slow-pitch softball stardom, it's unlikely that we'll see him again in the league. 

His flame burned bright, but brief.

With or without Dick's help, the Collar crushed us.

FINAL SCORE: L, 21 - 11

6/13 v. SOUTH PHILLY NOMADS

Megan already covered this game in her recap. I just want to double down on two things:

• It is of course a little hard to tell exactly how well the defensive shift worked as we didn'ts start using it until the second inning when we had already given up 12 runs. But the Nomads aren't a team that likes to ease up, regardless of score, so I'm inclined to say that it had a real and positive impact. The execution is still a little rough around the edges but with some polish I think it might help slow down some of the better-hitting teams in the league.
• There was a minor kerfluffle when a Nomad complained from the bench about being interfered with in the top of the 7th after he was thrown out at second base on a single to right-center. It is my understanding that no contact was made between the runner and the 1B, but it seems that after making a move to cover the bag, our fielder may have remained somewhat in the basebath watching the play develop. Since the rules say nothing about this situation (I checked), common sense must prevail. The only reasonable truth about this is that if you are thrown out trying to take a meaningless extra base in the final inning with a 10 run lead, you've got nobody to blame but yourself. 

FINAL SCORE: L, 21 - 13

A reminder to send me photos if you take 'em at any of the games. Otherwise I have to scrounge for content, and Dick Mahoney doesn't happen every week. 

Fin.