Cletus Van Damme (cletus_van_damme@hotmail.com)TUESDAY MORNING CATCHER
- Sunday May 29th, 2011 -
HUCK FIELD, St. John’s, NL
The sun was gleaming with a slight breeze in the warm spring air, trumpets were played, kids were running around with cotton candy in their hands, smiling and laughing, so jovial, with a total zest for life (you know, just doing their thing) but most importantly, on this Sunday afternoon, the excitement was finally back in da Bride because softball was being played once again...just another typical opening day at the Huck.
The opening festivities began with a beautiful rendition of O' Canada by The Hazelwood Elementary string quartet. Absolutely breathtaking. Who needs vocals when you can have that? Those kids really got something going on. Afterwards, Japper, who didn't hide his annoyance at being passed over for the national anthem, threw out the first pitch in total disgust. A little high and wide but he got the job done under the difficult situation.
Now on to the games...
- 4:00 p.m NT -
15 
10In the season's opening game, Pike's Store took their, what I'd call, softball hiatus frustrations out on Stanley's Irving, winning by a score of 15-10.
Pike's jumped out to an early lead when team captain Billy Gorman smashed the first home run (majorly wind-aided) of the season into right center, with two outs, for a 3-1 lead. The lead quickly vanished in the 2nd inning when Irving rallied for five runs, all with two outs, to jump ahead 6-3. RBI's were provided from the like's of Robert Smith, Aoo Condon, and Jonny Murphy.
Irving extended their lead in the 4th, when Steve Brown (making his KSSL debut) smacked a grand slam HR into left field, making the score 10-4. That was the end of line for Irving because, you could say, they basically shit the bed the rest of the day.
In the bottom half, Jason Whelan surprised everyone hitting his first home run in years. Pike's took advantage of this momentum swing by rallying around for three additional runs, edging the score to 10-8. In the 6th, they took their first lead since the 1st inning (one they would not relinquish), with an array of hits off starting pitcher Steve Kenny, scoring five runs and making it 13-10.
Pike's Store started the season off with an all around solid effort, with basically everybody contributing to the victory. You can't really say the same thing for Stanley's Irving outside the tremendous debut of Brown. Basically a lot of average to poor performances by them.
- POGs -
Jimmy Rodden (4-6, 2 R) Steve Brown (4-5, HR, 4 RBI)
- NOTABLES -
Gord Payne (5-5, 3RBI) Adam Smith (3-5, 4RBI) Billy Gorman (3-5, HR, 4 RBI, HR-Out)
Jason Hedges (3-4) Robert Smith (2-5, 3 R, 2 RBI)
- 5:30 p.m NT -
9 
8Game 2 brought us the defending champion Ron's Roofing against Lester's Farm. It was an impressive showing by both teams but in the end the Roofer's, without team captain Ched Whelan, prevailed in the end 9-8.
The Roofers got out to a quick start when former Holy Cross Crusader Blair Connelly (another player making his KSSL debut) hit a two-run jack in the bottom of the second giving the team a 3-1 lead. Connelly now makes it the third former Holy Cross player to play in the league (along with JJ Dray and Jimmy Rodden). Boy I'll tell you that Bren Kenny can really bring us some top notch talent. Along with these three players his own flesh and blood, KSSL "ace" Steve "Splinter" Kenny has been wooing us with his God given arm. A league that has brought us a gene pool featuring mini Bas Whelan's may have been finally trumped over by the "Fat Boy". A Bas Whelan vs Bren Kenny Death Match may be in order.
Lester's Farm bounced back in the bottom half due in large part to a blunder by spare Jeff Cook (who only two weeks ago impressed everybody by hitting three home runs at Sharky's stag) dropped a routine ball with two outs in the inning. It would cost his team two runs. After scoring three more runs in innings four through seven (RBI's from Luke Stoyles, Danny Mercer and Koo Condon) the score was 6-3 heading into the 8th inning. Now the funs begins...
In the top of the 8th, Lester's Farm exploded for five runs when JJ, Tommy "Superstar" Harris, and Moe Smith all began the inning with hits. Mike Brock, one of the KSSL's top power hitters, then did what he does best and that's by hitting a moonshot into left center for a three-run HR, giving Lester's their only lead of the afternoon. Jimmy Fitz added an RBI single later in the inning, for an 8-6 lead. Michael "Mental" Murphy hit a solo HR in the bottom half, making it 8-7 heading into the final inning.
Controversy was the theme in the top of the 9th. With two outs and a runner on first, Harris hit a single but Derek Fleming was thrown out at third base on the play, where one of the umpires called him safe. The Bleacher Creatures clearly agreed with the call only to hear home ump Billy Gorman overrule the play, calling Fleming out and ending the inning. Harris later posted a vulgar war of words to Gorman after the game. If this was the MLB, a suspension or fine could be warranted.
In the bottom of the 9th, POG Connelly ripped a double setting the stage for something bigger. With two outs and the game on the line Ross Courtney came through in the clutch with a game tying RBI single. Replacement captain Koo Condon then moved Courtney over to third with a single of his own. Then in a coaching move to be debated for a long time, team captain Moe Smith decided to pitch to last season's breakout hitter Luke Stoyles (2nd in the league in hitting in 2010) instead of walking him, with a base open, to face Mental Murphy. The move proved costly as Stoyles drove in the winning run with a single.
- POGs -
Blair Connelly (3-4, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI) Mike Brock (3-4, HR, 4 RBI)
- NOTABLES -
Ross Courtney (4-5, RBI) Ryan Foley (3-4) Skinny Whitten (3-4, RBI)
Jimmy Fitz (3-4, RBI) JJ Dray (3-5, 2B) 2B
- NEXT WEEK -
4:00 p.m vs
vs
5:30 p.m vs
vs - MAILBAG -
Hit us up at cletus_van_damme@hotmail.com, send us love, hate, I'll answer all your questions!
- FINAL NOTE -
Congratulations are in order for Ched Whelan and Karyn "Bossy" Murphy. Ched after many, many years of courtship asked Karyn to marry him during their trip in Florida. Good job Whale!
Congrats also goes out Sharky and Jenn on their recent marriage!
