Beaver Times 2009 Edition 11

It's fallball time, right in the heart of summer. The second season started this week and the Beavers found themselves playing at a new venue, Fenton City Park. After being shut out of the Webster Blackburn league on Wed and Thur nights, the Beavers broadened their search for a league and found Fenton.

The first game was delayed slightly due to a tractor trailer jackknifed and a professional women's soccer game getting out just before game time. Both teams had late arriving players - few were able to warm up before the Beavers took the field for game 1. Jake was a last minute scratch, so the lineup and fielding had to be juggled to find a second baseman.

Our opposition was the Gap Finders and they came up first and started shooting liners to the outfield. Maybe they knew something about our team, maybe they knew something we didn't, they were abusing our outfielders. Sonoma was tested early and often. A few getting down in rightfield around him. Dupper was tested in left with a deep fly that he gave up on early, but it stayed in the park. We are playing with 300ft fences, so there is some serious room out there. When it was all done, we were down 3-0 early.

The Beavers came up with Belle leading things off. He continued his hot hitting and lined a double to center. Rake tried to do to them what they did to us by lifting a fly ball to right. It was caught easily, but Belle was able to tag and get to third. Mobilly hit a sac fly and the Beavers were on the board.

In the second, Keith was able to limit the Gap Finders hits and allowed only 1 run. This time the infield was tested a little and Sabo, playing out of position at short, could not come up with a ball cleanly to lead to a run. The Beavers threatened in the 2nd. Santo, back on the team for the first time in a few years, led off with a single, Sabo singled, Keith walked - bases loaded, no one out. Gee, back for his first game of 2009, pulled a grounder to 3rd (actually if you have see Gee hit, that was like going to the opposite field for him). The third baseman stepped on third for first out, then threw home to get Santo tagged out at the plate. A smart, huge, play for them. A rally killer for the Beavs.

The Beavers defense locked down in the 3rd with Keith throwing 3 harmless flyballs. The score was 4-1 badguys going into the bottom of the third. Belle singled, Rake singled, Mobilly tripled to right center scoring two. Dupper lifted a fly ball to score Mobill (another sac). Beavers had tied the game up at 4.

That was short lived as the Gap Finders started abusing our OF again. Liners shot past them, fly balls got over their head and when throwing the ball in nary a one hit the cut off. The Gap Finders were able to score 3 more times. The Beavers were flat, the OF was having a rough game, the sun was setting and it was going to get harder to see balls in the air.

The Beavers flatness carried over to the plate as the Beavers could not move Keith around the bases after his leadoff single. 7-4 Gap Finders

About this time Kid showed up and something changed. The defense looked better, players seemed to awaken. Not sure if it was Kid catching for an inning or just the players having shook the cobwebs. Either way, another scoreless frame for the Gap Finders. Kid was inserted into the lineup in the 11 spot and led off the 5th. He lined a triple to right. Belle singled him in, Rake singled, Mobilly singled then Dupper lifted a high fly ball to left center. It kept carrying, and carrying and carrying just out of the reach of the outfielder and over the wall for the first HR of the fall for the Beavers. A three run shot, the Beavers had taken the lead with a 5 run inning. To cap off the inning both Keith and Gee were called out looking at strike 3. A rare feat in slow pitch softball. But due to the rules at Fenton where a 3' high pitch is legal, they were frozen at the plate.

Gap Finders were able to score one in the 6th and the Beavers went quietly in their half as well. Low lights of the 6th included a DP hit into by Jimmy-D and Kid striking out. What was going on?

It was all that was needed though as the Gap Finders were not able to score their runner from second in the 7th and the Beavers pulled off the come from behind victory 9-8.

Beaver of the game has to go to Dupper with his clutch 3-run HR. But honorable mention to Belle with a 3-3 and Mobilly with a 2-2 with 4 RBI, a triple and a double.

Game two started about 5 minutes later. This time with the Beavers playing the role of visitor. The lone run in the 1st was a shot to right center by Mobilly for his first HR in the fall. Kid posted to the team before the season that if anyone hits a solo HR that they should be charged with beer duty for the following week. There are only 3 over-the-fence HR allowed per team/per game, so we want to maximize the effectiveness of each. While asking them to pony up for bee the next week may get a little expensive for the HR hitters, I liked the idea and have implemented a version of the penalty. Once everyone on the team has had their week of beer duty there will be two weeks of the season left. One of those games, the responsibility of bringing beer will go to the player with the most solo shots. The other game the responsibility will go to the player with the most Ks (includes foul outs). Back to the game.

The Beavers looked solid in the first inning in the field in game two. A lone hit, but no runs scored. Only problem was that the Beavers went down 1-2-3 in the 2nd so it was a slim 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the second.

Open the Beaver Dams here.

Remember the statement above about our OF being a little "off" on this night. It continued. Now with the sun setting, it was hard to pick up the flight of the ball, and the Gap Finders took advantage. Again, balls shooting past outfielders, outfielders taking bad routes to try to catch fly balls, balls going over their heads, missing cut offs. It all happened again, this time to the tune of 7 runs. I wouldn't say that we have the best defensive OF in the league, but this was an uncharacteristically poor night. It happens.

But wait, the Beavers found out how to play the changing sky as well and started roaring back. Sonoma launched a solo HR. And when I say launched, I mean destroyed. I believe there was even a Monica Seles type grunt to punctuate it. Mobilly was both proud and jealous. Kid walked with two outs and then came four straight hits; Belle a triple, Rake a single, Mobilly a single, Dupper a double then rounded the bases on a series of errors. The inning ended with another K - this time by Santo - looking. But the score was tied 7-7.

Kid was fed up with the outfield play and asked to be moved from SS to OF. The switch was made and Santo went back to 3rd, Sabo to short, Kid to LC Belle to RC, Mobilly to RF. I would like to say that those moves changed things. But they didn't. One ball got under Kid's glove along with more balls to the OF eluding our fielders. 3 more runs - and a pissed off Kid.

Belle, who has nothing if he doesn't have bad timing, decided to get on Kid about his "cure" for the OF. The first mini-fight almost broke out in the dugout. Something was obviously eating at Kid, more than just the shotty defense. But, Belle about pushed him over the edge. Was the edge that the Beavers needed to take over the game?

Not exactly. Beavers threw up a goose egg in the 4th and allowed another 3 runs in the home half. Now down 6 it was catch up time. Kid walked again in the 5th (with no Big John at the game, someone had to take multiple walks), Belle singled him to 2nd, Rake hit into another force out - replacing Belle on the bases, but beating out the throw to first. Mobilly continued his hot hitting with a single driving in Kid. Then Dupper lined one to the wall. Rake scored and Mobilly was right behind him. Only problem is that Dupper got tagged out at third before Mobilly could touch home plate. No run, three outs. Beavers cut the deficit to 4.

That was temporary though. The Gap Finders started crushing the ball even more. Now launching some over the fence. Another 5-spot for the bad guys. This one was getting out of hand. Beavers kept trying for the second straight comeback in the 6th. Santo singled, Sabo walked, Sonoma hit his second HR of the game to score three. It was not enough though. The game was called due to time at the end of the 6th. Final score Gap Finders 20, Beavers 12.

We sat around and drank the two remaining beers and watched as Belle and Kid tried to find a middle ground. Beaver of the game goes to Sonoma for his two bombs. This time he just edged out Mobilly's perfect 3-3 and Dupper's 2 doubles.

Next games are Aug 26 at 8:30 & 9:30. Same field. The keyboard will be handed off to another Beaver for the next two weeks as Rake will be missing the games. The show will go on...