By DJ Dave Hoffenberg
A good way to sum up your winless season is getting caught in a double pickle. A pickle is when a runner is caught between two bases. One is rare but two at the same time? Not good for First Stop Board Barn who is fighting for their first win.
Their game versus Karrtel started off okay, getting two runs but stranding the bases loaded. They played solid defense in the bottom of the first, shutting Karrtel down 1-2-3. The second was bad for the Barn. They went scoreless and Karrtel hit through their order, scoring six runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead. The third was more of the same for FSBB and Karrtel added two to stretch their lead 8-2. The Barn finally woke up their bats in the fourth with six runs to tie it 8-8. Karrtel regained the lead in the bottom, 10-8. Collin “Hungry Like The” Wolf scored in the fifth to cut the deficit to one and then his team solidified their “D” again shutting Karrtel down 1-2-3. FSBB had a chance for the lead in the sixth with two on but they could not get them home. Karrtel was able to get three men home and take a 13-9 lead into the seventh inning. This is where the game got unbelievable. FSBB put runners on first and second with nobody out. Wolf drove in Captain Johnny Sharpe to make it 13-10 and then they got double pickled, blowing multiple scoring chances. With a runner still on base, catcher and captain Nate Gilman made a bare handed catch to end the game and put FSBB at 0-9.
Karrtel did not fare so well in the nightcap against Rock Warriors but did start off hot with three in the first. Rock brushed that off, practically hitting through their order while scoring 5 with three off a homer by Tommy “Big Dog” Bowen. Karrtel went down 1-2-3 in the second but the Big Dog was at it again, this time with a two run shot and Rock took an 8-3 lead. They say, “Three is a magic number.” There was some good magic but also some bad in the third for Karrtel. They scored three but also stranded three with the bases loaded. Karrtel kept Rock from scoring in the bottom of the third but then stranded the bases loaded again in the fourth. Rock fired up their bats with a two-out rally. Captain Josh “Little Rock” Stevens blasted a three run shot to stretch his team’s lead to 11-6 and then they scored another to double them up 12-6. Karrtel got one in the fifth but Rock got four to take a big 16-6 lead. That would be your final because Karrtel could only manage two hits the rest of the game.
The defending champs (Defend Title Fantastically) are on a bit of a losing streak and facing the best team, Chinese Gourmet, was an uphill battle. CG put on a hitting clinic in the first, scoring five runs. DTF matched that plus one in the bottom. Judd Washburn jacked a three run shot and Joey Massores hit a two run bomb. Ronzoni Hacker got his first RBI of the season, scoring Hunter Pike to give his team a 6-5 lead. They had a chance for more but Mikey Pelland went down swinging for a “Cold Beer K” That would be their only lead of the game. CG jumped out to a commanding 11-6 lead with another hitting clinic in the second. Ronzoni was able to deliver two “Cold Beer K’s” to big hitters Jordan “Little T” Tolar and Matt Lorman. DTF went down 1-2-3 in the bottom and had nothing to add in the third. CG went big again in the fourth with five to get close to a mercy, 15-6. Lorman rebounded with a speedy two run inside-the-park home run and Nick “Hebrew Hammer” Davis got a two run triple and then scored. Pike scored in the fourth to try and stave off the mercy 15-7 but CG scored three in the fifth to take a 18-7 mercy win.
Someone was getting to 10 in this next game. FSBB was trying to eliminate an 0-10 start and CG was trying for their first ten win season. The game started out slow for both squads. CG had a 2-0 lead after two innings but then fired up the hitting machine, scoring seven with only one homer by Mike Doherty. FSBB got on the board with two but CG put up another six with one homer again, this one by Captain Bailey Peters. FSBB chipped away with two to cut the deficit 15-4. Wolf blasted a three run shot to stave off the mercy 15-7. They each got three runs in the sixth to make it 18-10. FSBB got two in the seventh but stranded three to fall 18-12 and remain winless with two games to go.
Standings
1) Chinese Gourmet 10-1
2) Rock Warriors 7-3
3) Karrtel 5-6
4) Defend Title Fantastically 4-6
5) First Stop Board Barn 0-10
Schedule
(All games played at Barstow School lower field)
Wednesday, Aug. 12:
Playoffs begin with games at 5:50 and 7 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 17:
Playoffs resume with games at 5:50 and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19:
Playoffs resume with games at 5:50 and 7 p.m.
