First of all, sorry for the delay in getting the game summary up - both Sal and I had very busy weekends and very busy Mondays, so I didn't get the box score until noon Tuesday, and wouldn't have started on the write-up if I'd gotten it earlier anyway.
Saturday morning's New York Media Softball League match-up against three-time defending NYMSL champion Wall St. Journal didn't go as well as the DC Bullets hoped. Despite several big run-scoring opportunities early in the game, DC couldn't get the big hit, and WSJ just kept adding on runs, aided on occasional by some sloppy DC defense (though to be fair, most of the errors were over-throws, allowing runners to take extra bases, and likely would not have resulted in any extra WSJ outs), finally icing the game with a six-run fifth inning en route to a 14-4 victory over the comic book makers.
Under a scorching 11am sun on North Meadow #7, the Bullets put pressure on early, but couldn't capitalize, and then wilted as the game wore on. Neil Hiremath lined out to lead off the game, but Pat Brohsew, Mike Lorah and Andrew Arnold singled in sequence to load the bases. Nel Yomtov's fielder's choice scored Pat, but the Pressman, Joel Press, lined out to third, leaving two runners stranded. Wall St. Journal seized on DC's shortfall, tallying four runs in the bottom of the frame.
After Christine Napolitano's fly out to left, the Bullets again loaded the bases - singles by Sal Cipriano, Dan Bertoldi and, after Emily Winter's pop up, Neil created a big opportunity. Pat lined an RBI single to center, but Mike drilled an easy one-hopper to shortstop to let another big chance slip away. WSJ scored twice more in their turn at-bat, taking a 6-2 advantage.
Andrew led off the third with a bomb to left field, beating the relay home for DC's third run. But after Nel's base hit, Joel, CNap and Sal went down in order and DC settled for a single run for the third time in the game. Wall St. Journal's defense, however, consistently hit their cut off men and handled the routine chances, preventing the Bullet baserunners from taking any extra bases. Two more Journal runs scored in the third. 8-3.
Both teams put up scoreless efforts in the fourth, with the comic book makers managed only Neil's two-out single. In the fifth, with one down, Andrew collected a line-drive base hit and then sprinted around to third on Nel's single into shallow left. Joel lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Andrew. But CNap's groundout to third wrapped the inning, and WSJ put an emphatic exclamation point on the game with their six-run outburst.
Neither team scored in the sixth - Sal, Dan and Emily went down in order for DC - and the Bullets' last gasp in the seventh (Mike beat out an infield single with two down, and Andrew doubled into shallow left - they were playing him deep after his earlier home run) couldn't manage a single run, much less the ten required to extend the game.
Despite their overall 9-5 record, the Bullets now stand at 2-3 in the New York Media Softball League, in fourth place, holding the last playoff spot. We're going to have to step it up, gang. The next game, a non-league affair, is Thursday on North Meadow #2 against ProPublica.
Also, a Bullet "Thank You" to Emily Winter for coming out and playing with us.
Bullet Box
CF Neil Hiremath - 2-4
SCF Pat Brosseau - 2-4, R, RBI
3B Mike Lorah - 2-4
LF Andrew Arnold - 4-4, 2 R, RBI, double, home run
SS Nel Yomtov - 2-4, RBI
P Joel Press - 0-2, RBI, sac fly
RF Christine Napolitano - 0-3
1B Sal Cipriano - 1-3
C Dan Bertoldi - 1-3
2B Emily Winter - 0-3
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