Ooooh, the knee . . .
So I played softball last night. I'm playing in the DC league with our DC office. We went in at 3-0 and tied for 1st place. The team we played, the Mighty Grasshoppers, gave us fits last year and it proved to be about the same last night.
Here is the write-up from our coach, Tom Wheeler, who is a partner in the DC office:
AP, June 15, 2005, Early Edition
Piper Terminators 18
Mighty Grasshoppers 17
One of the worst things a professional sports team can do is "fancy themselves" after a strong start. Last night at gorgeous Guy Mason Park, Piper's DC/NoVa Terminators indeed left the blocks strong, opening a 7-0 lead in the first inning. Missing some key regulars due to conflicting legal business (when will we ever put the law aside on softball nights), the Terminators nevertheless felt good about themselves with the early lead -- perhaps a little too good. The formidable "Mighty Grasshoppers" had other ideas, and with the mighty bats to go with a ferocious name, they came storming back. In barely the blink of an eye, the Grasshoppers had an 8-7 lead, and the game turned into a tussle for the duration. In their last at-bat, the Grasshoppers had the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third base, with two outs, and their clean-up hitter at the plate. On a sharp grounder to short, Dave Fletcher made a backhand stop and fired to Don Prather at first to record the final out.
Boy, Howdy, it doesn't get much closer than that. Breaking into the lineup for the first time were some promising newcomers, Cristina Antelo and Shani Dilloff. Both displayed some serious wheels that should serve the team well in coming weeks. Antelo was 2-3 at the plate, and motored around the base paths in record time to score two runs. Julie Pichurko rejoined the squad and showed the potent bat we all remember. Julie went 2-4, and played a steady second base. Eliza Nagle returned to her usual spot in right field, and while the Grasshoppers stayed away from her renowned defense, Nagle went 2-4 offensively and scored three runs. Third baseman Regina Amolsch, with plenty of speed herself, also crossed the plate three times.
The outfield adventures of Cameron MacKenzie continued true to form, but this time with positive results. In the first inning, on a short fly to left field, Fletcher yelled "All yours, Cameron," but MacKenzie replied "No, it isn't." Nevertheless, MacKenzie laid out for a diving catch of a ball that this time stuck firmly in his glove. As we approach mid-season, MacKenzie at least is in mid-season form. He was aided by center fielder Tom McGinn, who made a couple of fine catches himself on a busy night. The Mighty Grasshoppers launched an endless stream of rockets right up the middle, and were perhaps the top offensive squad the Terminators have faced this year.
Finally, in any one-run game, the person with two key RBIs could be said to have pulled out the victory. Reston Terminator Ron Precup came to the plate in the next-to-last inning with one out and the bases loaded. Although eager to swing away, the patient Precup nursed a walk, which in co-ed softball yields two runs. (Men get two bases on walks to prevent teams from pitching only to the women.) Those two runs were the difference in this heart-stopping contest.
TERMINATOR OF THE WEEK: Our top Terminator this week has to be the big first sacker, Don Prather. Sporting the most potent bat of the evening, Prather went 3-3 at the plate, with a single and two doubles, and 5 RBIs. In the field, Prather made some nifty picks at first base to anchor a somewhat make-shift infield lineup. With the game on the line, Prather confidently corralled shortstop Dave Fletcher's throw from deep in the hole to nail down the victory.
NEXT GAME (THE BIG ONE): The Terminators will face American University next Tuesday, June 21, at 9:30 PM. This game will match the only remaining unbeaten teams in the Guy Mason League. It will be a battle of Titans, and the biggest game of the regular season. Please come out and show your support.
What Tom fails to mention is that in the 3rd inning I was rounding 3rd and heading home and mis-stepped and lost my balance about 2/3 of the way down the line. I almost recovered, but then came that "hole" that is the right handed batters box. This hole is the result of amateur league play on a nightly basis with no budget for field maintainance. So picture numerous folks just digging in each night getting ready for that perfect pitch to belt somewhere and you will also see that a sort of trough forms in that box. But I digress. When my off-balance, arm-flailing body, stepped into the batters box/hole, I did a sort of half-pirouette, half belly flop onto home plate. My left knee got banged pretty hard on the ground and it's pretty sore today . . . .BUT I WAS SAFE!!!