BBQ at Jose and Marieke's, September 11, 3pm

Hi Catfish,

 

The end-of-the season bbq will be Saturday, September 11, at Jose and Marieke's place, 3pm. Their address is

 

81 Newfield St

West Roxbury, MA

02132

 

Hope to see you there!

 

 

Catfish 21, Legion of Doom 3

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	total
Catfish	4	0	2	2	6	1	6	21
LoD	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	3

 

 

 

Dearest Catfish and Friends,

 

It was a nearly perfect finish to our 2010 season last night. As the game began, it looked like we were in for a close battle. But our impenetrable Wall of Fish proved to be too impenetrable for the Legion of Doom. We hereby dedicate this game to Katie Helke, on the DL with a nasty cold, and to our Rookie Will Mahoney, on the DL with a nasty gashed wrist (and who's also been traded to the Georgia Puffer Fish).

 

Everyone had a great night: Greg got a couple singles, a triple, and had a very graceful catch out in short field; JC had a couple singles and the usual ho-hum homerun; Jose had singles galore; Butters had TWO homeruns plus a double; Evan had a homerun; Charles's bat was on fire, with a double, a homerun, and a single; Marc had a couple nice singles as well as a particularly sweet play at 3rd base, scooping up a grounder back-handed with the grace of a gazelle; Kate had a single, great pitching, two catches on the mound; Rich had a triple; Erin had at least one single and displayed her usual ferocious determination catching for us behind the plate; yours truly even had a couple singles; Erika was in top form at 2nd base and also had a single; Matt (Abbate the Elder) pitched and batted with flair, and got at lease one single; Lenzie's bat was on fire, she got a single that stretched into a double; and John (Abbate the Younger was in fine form, getting a couple singles and a double.

 

And that's not all, Fish: There was even a pickle!! between 3rd and 2nd base. The first and only pickle of the 2010 season. It took 4 Fish to get that guy out, but we prevailed in the end.

 

To top it all off, we wowed them with our creative cheering skills to send them off: "Va Va Voom! Heart Goes Boom! We All Love! Legion of Doom!"

 

As I say, a near-perfect finish. The only thing that could have improved upon this fine evening would have been if it hadn't been quite such a blow-out. They're a fine team who beat us by a couple runs in our first game of the season, and they didn't deserve to go out like this. If there is justice we'll meet them again next year and they'll be better prepared for a fierce battle of Fish vs. Doom.

 

Thanks to everyone for a terrific season. There's still the Easter Seals game, August 7. We do have a full team of 14, but if anyone else is interested in playing for and donating to this worthy cause, let me know. We'll also keep you posted on the end-of-season bbq, to be held at Jose and Marieke's.

 

Au revoir, Fishies! Til next year!

Shadow Masks 19, Catfish 16

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	total
SMs	9	2	2	0	6	0	0	19
Catfish	0	0	0	9	3	4	0	16

Catfish and Friends:

Believe me when I say, and I'm not sugar-coating this, that this was one of the best games we've ever played!!! The Shadow Masks were quaking in their shadowy masks by the bottom of the 7th!

Granted, we got off to a very rough start. That first inning was lame. At the Muddy afterwards, we tried to remember why exactly, and we couldn't quite recall what happened. Just that nothing seemed to be working for us. The Shadow Masks thought they had it in the bag, of course. But they were wrong. (Oh, they had it all right--just not in the bag. There's a big difference, Fish!) When we held them to zero and then scored back those 9 runs in the 4th--you shoulda seen the looks on their shadowy faces!

Things started to happen in the 4th inning of course, when we finally held them to a big zero and our bats came ALIVE! I believe almost every single one of us got on base. Highlights: singles galore; Jose, Evan, and JC got doubles; Butters got a triple and TWO homeruns; Rookie Will batted a thousand, going 4 for 4. Defensively as well, we got better and better as the game went on. Katie had a fine tag-out at 3rd; marvelous catches in the outfield by Evan and JC; great pitching as always by Kate (getting inside their batters' heads and freaking them OUT!!); and of course, who can forget the inning-ending catch by Lowenthal, with his tongue flapping in the breeze! That was, I believe, the end of the top of the 7th inning, and we only need 3 runs to tie it up. The Fish were determined. But then I made last out, with bases loaded. I did this mainly to spare Greg undue stress, as he would be up after me. So, really, when you look at it this way, the true selfless Catfish spirit shines through as always, as a beacon of goodness and beauty in this Shadowy Masky world.

In sum, great game, Fish. We showed them What For.

Final game of the season is next Tuesday, vs. our pals The Legion of Doom, on field 2. This will be team picture day, so look your best! Until then, keep those fires burning in your fishy bellies, as always.

Catfish 5, Akamites 17

Dear Catfish and Friends,

 

What can I say ... despite some beautiful catches in the outfield by JC, Jose, Evan, Will, a double play in the infield (I believe by Butters and Ryan), two superb catches behind the plate by Erin, great pitching by Kate (she held them 3 runs total in her 4 innings!), plus a lot of getting-on-base going on (by Greg, Katie, Ryan, Evan, Butters, JC, Jose, Kate, Will--and those who didn't get on often had RBIs at least)---it was another difficult loss last night to the Akamites. This is a tough team and I think we held up well and should continue to hold our fishy heads high.

 

We've got two games left, Fish: next week vs. the Shadow Masks, and then on the 27th vs. our friends the Legion of Doom. There's also the Easter Seals game, Saturday, August 7--please let me know if you'll be able to play in that, if you haven't already. There is a donation of $30 per player (you can give more if you like, of course) to participate, as it is for charity. Let me know if you want more info on that.

 

Happy flash flooding,

Judy

 

 

Catfish 3, Koch Blockers 19

 

Dear Catfish and Friends,

 

Brutal loss in the brutal heat last night! Really I'm somewhat at a loss for words. We were missing some of our big bats from the line up: no Costello, Picazio on the DL with the food poisoning, Weininger busy doing some kind of writing thing.... Evan getting pop ups... and to make matters worse, I think those KBs have been practicing.

 

At least Butters got a home run, and a double, and many of us did manage to get on base (even myself, once, though I promptly messed it up again with lame-o base running), and some great fielding out there by Evan, Jose, Kate, Marc, Greg ... just not quite enough offensive power to overcome that 16-run deficit. Maybe my bizarre pitching meltdown in the 6th inning had something to do with it, too.

 

Ah well. Next week we play those Akamites. Til then, let's brood over our most recent loss until it lights a fire in our bellies.

 

 

Catfish 10, Shadow Masks 14

Catfish,

 

It truly was a battle to behold last night. We fought the good fight: such a close game, each of us trading off being ahead by 1 or 2 runs, until that sad bottom of the 6th inning when they scored 5 runs.

 

I think we all managed to get on base, or nearly all of us--a lot of singles last night, except for David W's renewal of his membership in the Home Run Club. We also were on our game defensively, with a nice double play and some fantastic catches, esp. by David W out in short field (game MVP, perhaps?). We had another double play by Butters and Ryan. Also a fine sliding catch by Alexa in the infield! (Her last game of the season with us was last night, until the Easter Seals game--she'll be missed from the line up.) And some aggressive baserunning by Kate Caldwell that set us on fire in the bottom of the 5th.

 

Aggressive baserunning: it's important. I should know. I got the last out of the game in rather dandyish and spectacular fashion, trying to charge home from 2nd when I should have held up at 3rd. But in what sense "should have," Catfish? In what sense? At the Muddy, after the game, I think a Catfish put it well when he said, "The sight of you, running around those bases, charging toward home, against all hope, when you didn't have a single chance of making it--that renewed my faith, reminded me what it means to be a Catfish." Now, of course, there is also a sense in which I "should have" seen that the ball was back in the infield and I "should have" just held up there at 3rd, and then Ryan would have had a fine showing at the plate, and I could have trotted safely home. But then we wouldn't have had the fiery, glorious ending to the game that we in fact had. Which is preferable? I leave the choice to you, Catfish. Please discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Our next game, Fish, is Tuesday, July 6, which happens to be a Catfish's birthday. (Do you know whose? Please discuss.) And it's against our pals the Koch Blockers! Bear in mind that we have off on Monday, July 5, so you'll need to remember to bring your gear in on Tuesday. I'll send a reminder out on Friday, to keep people on their Catfishy toes.

 

Happy sunshiney day, Fish.

 

 

Analysis of the Legion of Doom, (2nd game)

I'll be honest, I don't remember a whole lot of details regarding this game. I was having too much of a good time being goofy, obnoxious, and injury-prone. Still, I did notice a few things, and one of them was that we were as efficient a team as we are ever going to get.

1) I agree in that the Legion of Doom are a good team to face who have the character and ability to keep every game within reach for both sides. One could tell they were having a good time and didn't take things so seriously. Every cheer they gave a teammate for a hit or defensive play sounded like it was a kind way of saying good for you.

2) They still have some solid hitters on that team, though I'm not sure what happened to the 2-3 guys who absolutely launched softballs in our first game against them. Whew. Our mixture of 4 across, 3 & short kept them puzzled all game!

3) The shorter woman who played third base yesterday (who also used to pitch until I psychologically quashed that interest) has a great glove with good reaction skills (usually).

4) Outfield defense was hit or miss on their end. I imagine that if we come out blazing with our bats against them again we should have continued success.

5) Many of their hits were ground balls, so despite our interest in doubling up or making a quick play of it, the main thing one needs to concentrate on is acquisition of that softball. The good thing is that we kept it in front of us all game, so well done.

6) Did you know that if you go on a pub crawl for 4 hours before a softball game, you will gain a perception of superhuman speed and an invulnerability complex? Dude, it's true.

Two general notes for the Fish:

It is sometimes tough to gauge how fast a runner is when he/she is running towards a base in real-time. However, one can usually get an idea of whether someone is going to be very fast, moderate, or slow when they are in the batter's box. Therefore, if one keeps in mind that a batter may not be the quickest on a hit, consider taking an extra second or two to make sure one has a good grip on the softball before throwing. If you don't need to throw it right away, give yourself a moment to make sure your leading foot is aimed correctly towards your throwing point and that your arm momentum will get the ball to the right place.

Also, consider using two hands. We all want that quick scoop or 'get it over with' catch that will allow us to proceed to getting an out. Unfortunately, there's been a few miscues where someone could have made a catch or scoop if they had used their other hand to make sure the ball gets in the glove. This applies to everyone on the field, not just the infield but the outfield as well. Just don't put that second hand IN the glove. (grin)

These are mainly notes for all the games that we have played than just that last one. An accurate throw with an ounce of patience will get that extra out that we will need to be sure we can end an inning quicker. An accurate catch will prevent the other team from thinking they can get away with cheap ones and start a rally. The more routine we make some of these plays the better we'll feel about ourselves and our team's abilities!

C A T F I S H 24, LegionOfDoom 16!!!

Well, well, welllll, Catfish! Nice game last night!

I'm not even sure where to begin. Let me just say first of all that the Legion of Doom is a really great team--friendly and funny, with a sense of humor about things and consisting of more than just a lineup of

b e e e f c a a a k e.

We lost to them in our opening game by just 2 runs, so we knew who we were up against. We went into this feeling well matched--not just win/lose-wise, but in sportspersonlike temperament.

Nevertheless, charming as they may be, they remain the Legion of Doom, and it was incumbent upon us Fish to make the fields safe for, well, non-Doom. And we accomplished that last night.

Our offense was impeccable. We were without JC, who typically provides some punch to our at-bats. But I believe everyone got on base. And if anyone didn't, they waz robbed. For all of our great hits, we were also robbed of a couple stellar smashes. David W in particular I recall being robbed of a line drive by their 3rd baseman. But Butters was a doubles machine; Ryan maintained, and Helke (who scared their pitcher out of his wits, he said so himself) and Jose renewed, their membership in the Homerun Club. Charles had a triple; Kate C, Rich, and Marc also had doubles; Erin got a double on an overthrow, and also another single; Evan forced a double with a smooth slide--actually, a crawl--to 2nd base (in fact his second crawl of the day, having pub-crawled all afternoon with some teacher buddies). Alexa, Greg, Will all had singles. And did I mention I myself got on base, twice? Incroyable!

And our defense--Fish!!! I'm almost speechless. We had not one double play, but two, thanks to Butters's and Ryan's quick thinking at first and shortstop. Catch behind the plate by Erin; great catches in outfield by Evan and Jose; catches by Kate on the mound. Fantastic pitching by Kate; we held them scoreless 4 out of 7 innings! They came back for a bit of a rally in the top of the 7th but they just couldn't quite make it over the Impenetrable Wall of Fish.

Let me close by saying again that this is a truly fun team to play, as well, which makes it all what it should be--happy softball fun.

Regarding our next game: next week is supposed to be a bye week, but it might turn out otherwise. Marc and I have decided that we will in fact reschedule the game with the Shadow Masks. This fits with league policy and we do have enough willing players. It will take place some upcoming Wednesday; we'll keep you posted.

Analysis of the 2010 Akamites

Well this should be a slightly different analysis than usual, for the Akamites showed us something yesterday that we don't often see in the KFC league. Of the nine required players to field a team, they only managed to ~eventually~ cobble 7 of them. By 5:30, the team had a mere 3 players standing around taking batting practice with us. I think that this was the most important fact regarding this season's Akamites. They don't have any heart or enthusiasm for the game.

That said, they did have a few things worth mentioning:

1) The Akamites win with their bats, plain and simple. Like the Shadowmasks and some of the LOD, these guys (and I mean only guys) are able to knock softballs with steady pop all throughout their order. Granted, there were only a few that really hit it lengthily, so expect most softballs to zip through the infield or drop in the short field.

2) Their defense isn't anything to get excited about. Fumbling softballs in the infield, easy pop flies dropped, some fly balls misjudged ... sounds like a Catfish team in our first game of a season! Still, they didn't seem to have it all together defensively. If we just hit well it should work out.

3) There were a few aggressive base runners, so we still need to be smart about what we can actually do to get outs. Keeping a force play on these guys is important. Outfielders should throw to second and infielders should be aware of the force play to avoid errant throws. Note: Last year, with a full team, these guys were nearly all obnoxiously aggressive on the bases.

4) I still like 4 across as a strategy, but this team didn't really utilize the gaps much. Therefore, a short fielder would be most helpful to keep grounders and short drops as singles.

5) Best player on that team is the guy who gave Rich a high five after an opposite field zinger down the line. Anyone who congratulates the other team openly about a great hit deserves recognition, for usually all one sees from these guys is stoic bulldozing.

These guys are beatable as long as we don't beat ourselves. Since they only got 2-3 runs per inning, our offense could have matched that on a good day. If softballs got to the right place more often, we could have made it a closer game or even won that last one. There's a good chance we show them the door next time.

Catfish 12, Akamites 17

Fish,

 

It was a hard-fought battle last night. And really, with scores like these, losing by 5 runs isn't so bad. Right?

 

Our defense was truly something to behold--from Katie H's grabs at 3rd, to Marc's falling on 2nd base to make the out, to Butters's amazing snags at shortstop, to David's fine catch in the outfield. They were scared, Fish, I could see it in their beady little Akamite eyes!!! And our bats were also nothing to sneeze at--Butters got a double, as did Rookie Rich; Greg, Charles, David, JC, Alexa got singles; and JC had a fine homerun during our 7th inning rally. There was also some aggressive baserunning, especially by Butters and Alexa. It was all there, Fish! It just wasn't quite enough to bring us home stomping all over them in victory.  

 

And let it be noted that we fought this good fight even though the Katie-Greg contingent was having a tough time, both of them getting bapped by the ball, Katie on her shin and Greg in his pretty face! Thankfully no serious injuries; but this shall not stand, Fish! We must avenge them!

 

I have big hopes for our next game, next week vs. the Shadow Masks. We need to keep the fires in the bellies burning until then.  And also keep them burning til the next time we meet the Akamites, which is July 13.

levitatin' katie -- it's SPOOKY.
more pix at http://www.flickr.com/photos/capnbatty/collections/72157605887342439/

psyching out the batter

praying to his lord

just 1 of many singles

catchy catchy

bLAMMO!

but i caught the ball!

nice work, Valenti!

smashy smashy!

Analysis of the Koch Blockers

First, there were the WhyBunts. Then, there were the Fowl Swingers. Now, the only team worth playing against are the Koch Blockers. And I don't mean this because we beat them and yeah, we have a pretty good team that could likely trounce them on both spots on the field. No, I say this because their attitude towards a slow pitch, no strikes softball game is perfectly adjusted for a Kentucky Fried team.

The game was over so quickly that there wasn't a whole lot of time to evaluate what the other team had in hand. However, there were a few observations.

1) The lineup clearly was just sort of thrown together. Three or so solid hitters, then batting fifth was a young woman who did not know how to knock anyone in. They proceeded to string together a few women and men who had trouble with level swings, so it seems that their lineup was conceived as a 'first come, first served' basis. Therefore, one never knows what type of hitter will be at bat.

2) Adjust positions based on a batter's first swing. If they swing and connect easily, use typical positioning for their next at bat. If they swing, miss, and don't look comfortable doing so, move in. Short fielders should back up the infield for those annoying bloop shots that tend to appear with such batters.

3) The fielding wasn't too bad at all and the lady manning first base was deft at handling. Right field needed some work, but against this team it would almost be criminal to somehow aim that way. Thankfully J.C. has no such trouble.

4) One of the Koch Blockers was wearing a dress but did not play. Was this some sort of distraction technique? Is this why Will dropped the ball in the right field? We must be careful of these underhanded strategies in the future.

Overall, a fun team that might get their wits together for a future match up. However, as it stands, the Catfish are looking like the more seasoned, mildly ruthless team.

Catfish 11, Koch Blockers 4

Well Fish, give yourselves a big pat on the back! What a great game we had last night! Both our offense and defense were nearly impeccable. We held them to 3 scoreless innings, and 4 innings where they could only eke out a single run. Amazing catches in the outfield (Evan in particular!) and the infield--great plays and throws by Katie at 3rd, Butters at shortstop, Greg at 2nd, and Ryan/Charles at first. Also a beautiful catch by Erin behind the plate! Fantastic pitching by Kate, keeping them on their toes. And 3 homeruns for us, by JC, Evan, and Ryan (who really had 2 homeruns but the first was transformed into a double by a technicality; the same happened to Butters as a matter of fact). Great hitting by most (myself sadly excluded). This was our inaugural Batting Song game, and I have to say I think those fresh beats lit a fire under our butts (especially for Grisha "GaGa" Dokshin)! And Ryan Picazio's bat is truly aflame these days. It is not even a bat really but a bat-shaped weapon of ferocious flame. 

 

To top it all off, though, the Koch Blockers are really a fun team to play against. Their laid-back and cheerful demeanor betrayed a sportsmanship akin to our own sports-fish-ship, and we all hit it off wonderfully. It certainly was refreshing to play a team that included more than 0 or 1 women on its roster. They were also quite charmed by our batting songs. At the Muddy Charles, we bought them a pitcher, which they graciously guzzled, and when I told them "We'll see you again!" they replied "Oh yeah and we will BRING IT!!!" To which I replied "Yeah you BETTER!  BRING!   IT!!" 

 

In sum, a truly great time was had by all. Thanks to everyone for playing.

 

Next week we don't play; our next game is Tuesday, June  8, against the Akamites. If you want to add a batting song, or change the one you've got, feel free to send me an mp3!

 

Pictures soon to be shared on the blog.

 

Judy

 

Analysis of the 2010 Shadowmasks

Alright, who are these guys? Talk about scrapping that year old script about how to take them on! The asian guy wasn't even there and neither were any women. It's a veritable frat house for graduates at the Media Lab there at MIT, eh?

So what's to know:

1) Like looking up at artillery on top of a hill, we were getting bombarded with opposite field bombs that didn't look like accidents. Fact is, these guys knew where they were hitting the ball and they knew they could hit it far. This powerful fact alone is how the runs piled up. Defense had very little to do with it.

2) There was a lefty who spent his first few at bats trying to poke softballs to left field with moderate, single hitting success. When he decided to hit comfortably, it was like an unplanned NASA trip to the moon with a softball. Yikes.

3) Of the two players that one could visibly tell were not used to softball, one of them grounded to first base twice and the other, curly headed one was completely unpredictable (yet non-powerful). And yes, if you do the math, of the 9 people playing 7 of them were quite capable.

4) Defense was pretty good in the outfield and decent in the infield, though the highlight-wishing shortstop let a few get by him rather easily. I don't recall how the range was of the shortstop or third baseman, so hit to the left side if possible.

Strategies:

a) We need to go four across in the outfield to protect any gap that may get taken advantage of. There were rarely any grounders that made it to the outfield.

b) Play deep ... and play deep everywhere. Unless the batter looks like a non-jock, just play deep. Keep them to singles and doubles in left and center, while prepare to back up the right fielder in case the ball goes even farther. Of all the teams we've played in the past (including LOD) these guys had more of a tendency for serious pop.

c) Hang onto the softball. This is not a remark regarding the slippery conditions which can't be helped, but again towards the obnoxious base running baiting that one or two members like to employ. Don't force a throw if the runner would prefer you to do so in order to advance by gambling on an error.

d) Don't play in wet weather. This is not a strategy more than an obvious fact. We probably could have saved a few runs if the conditions were drier. We also probably could have saved a few runs if the left fielder wasn't thinking about beer for seven innings. Yeesh.

Next week, we win!

Catfish 11, Shadow Masks 27

Well, Fish,

It was a tough loss last night to the Shadow Masks, in a playfully light yet verging on water-torture sort of rain.

I did try as usual to keep track of who did what, but the paper got so soaked that I can't really read what I wrote. I do recall something like 4 homeruns for us--by Greg, Weininger, Evan, and I think Ryan--or is Ryan's a flashback from last week? There was also a stunning triple by rookie Alexa. Doubles by JC, as well as Greg and Ryan, and I'm sure others. Good hits too by Katie H, and Marc, and I seem to recall Kate C being robbed of a fine hit. As I say the details got a bit washed out on my clipboard, so if anyone has any details to share themselves, please do so.

At any rate, I felt like I needed a hot toddy after the whole thing. Let's try to focus on the fact that we were beating them at the end of the first inning, 5 - 4, and keep that powerful feeling alive for the next time we meet them, which is Tuesday, June 15.

We do have a game next week, Catfish, because the schedule got shifted around: we play the Koch Blockers Tuesday, May 25, on field 2.

Legion of Doom Analysis

As Judy illustrated in her note, this was probably one of the better first games of the season the Catfish have had in the past few years. Usually it is a squalid scene of fumbling ground balls, overthrows, and miscommunication. Our offense also has historically sputtered in the early games while people find their swings and the batting order is fine-tuned. I think that our game against the LOD proved that the Catfish no longer consider the offseason as a reset button.

The Legion of Doom are a good team. They have a strong beginning of the order and a decent end of the order with very few sure outs. The short, dark haired shortstop who looks like someone out of the mafia/WFC could be their best player as he has a rocket arm, aggressive speed, field smarts, and can blast a softball. It would be best to not risk errant throws next time he gets on base because he will gladly take the next base. Good job by Katie to fend him off this past game.

This guy and the next two guys in the order could hit the ball a long way, sometimes to the opposite field. Essentially, when their first four are up at bat, get ready for some containment maneuvers. All outfield should play deep, infield should play deep and conservative on their throws, and the catcher should be ready for anything. Out of their 3 or so at bats each, (12 total), we may have gotten them out once.

Their secret weapon is the sneaky, unsuspecting asian guy who not only was a ferocious third baseman but could also hit for power in most directions. Oddly placed at the end of the order, he is someone to be prepared for next time we meet.

Their fielding is pretty solid and most of the Catfish success came from legitimate hits instead of errors. We will have to have the same magic next time we meet, for if those hits turn to outs we likely won't be as competitive. I also heard the main woman in the group (the one I pegged with a liner) say that they rotate their fielders every 2 innings, though I'm not sure how that worked.

So, it looks like the Legion of Doom are gonna be one of the top dogs in the league, and with the WhyBunts out of the league as well as that other team we thumped last year, it's going to be a challenge for the Catfish to go 9-1. (grin) The Shadowmasks are next week's opponent and I encourage people to give a quick read over my analysis from last June of our first game against them (which we barely lost):

Shadowmasks 2009, first game

I do recall the second game against them which was part of a doubleheader and we smashed them due to either heat or poor Shadowmasks morale ... that was a strange day of great victory. Granted, the info is a little outdated and the team members have likely changed, but it is still likely they only have one woman and it is almost a lock that the big lefty will be smacking softballs Alexa's way consistently. Still, I think we go 1-1!

Catfish 22, Legion of Doom 24

I think we really set the tone for the rest of the season last night against the Legion of Doom. We may have lost, true, but it was always close and we were always in the running, right up until the top of the 7th! I think almost everyone (yours truly excluded) got on base last night. JC (held together by a bungie cord) got some fantastic doubles, singles by Katie, Kate, Greg, David, Marc, Ryan, Evan, Erin, Johna, Alexa--and HOME RUNS by Ryan and Marc! Ryan's scored 3 runs sometime in the middle of the game (3rd inning? 5th inning?); and Marc's was a fateful run that tied it up for us in the top of the 6th. Defense was also great--Ryan had a couple of really nice snags at first base that bear mentioning, and rookie Johna came oh so close to making a key out at home!

We started off well, getting 5 runs in the first inning to their measley 2. The only inning we didn't score was the 2nd, and they caught up a bit, making it 5 - 4. Then we each had a high scoring 3rd inning to tie it up at 9. Somehow they managed to be leading by 1 run, 16 - 15, at the end of the 5th inning. Then Marc's homer tied it up. Unfortunately then they came back and scored 8 big runs in the bottom of the 6th. (I was pitching; ugh.) So it was 16 - 24. But the Fish valiantly rallied in the top of the 7th, scoring 6 runs, with some clutch hitting by rookie Alexa, Kate C, and Marc.

Our momentum couldn't quite get us to finish off the Legion of the Doom. I think maybe if we had, Laura C. would have seen the error of her ways and come over to our side. But we'll meet this Doomy Legion again, on Tuesday, June 22. Until then, we should remind ourselves that we are fierce, warrior Fish with nothing to be ashamed of. Indeed there is much of which we should be proud!

Next game is Tuesday next week, vs. our old nemesis the Shadow Masks. Stay tuned to this blog for Evan's take on the Legion of Doom.

Thanks to all for playing! And thanks to Ebi for taking pix--can't wait to see what turned out.
Judy