Fall Ball Week 3: Dodging Nor'easters

The Batmen 6 - Millers 5

After scrambling for players (and an umpire), the Millers and The Batmen managers were able to rally both for a Saturday game amidst a historic weekend-long coastal nor’easter. The pregame outlook was pretty bad with sheets of rain blowing for 15 minutes leading up to game time and the Millers down a player. However only minutes before the start, the rain stopped, the sky lightened and that was the last of the foul weather for the game. The breeze continued to dry the field, and what was thought another lost weekend turned into 2 complete games for the league. And to complete the Millers’ lineup card, Super Sub Scott Dunaisky was nearby and able to don his cape and glove and parachute onto the field.

The Batmen™️ started TNB veteran Greg "G-Bomb" Elbaum, who after allowing a leadoff hit to Steve Malachite, managed to escape the top five of the Millers’ potent batting order without allowing any runs. In the bottom half of the 1st facing Millers’ opener Mo “The Commissioner” Partee, The Batmen™️ tallied three runs starting with a leadoff hit by Don Edwards followed by a FC by Greg Elbaum, a single by Batmen skipper Andy Klepacki and the red hot Chad Walker knocked in the first run with a standup double. Jerold Duquette put it in play and got an E5 RBI. The third run was scored off a FC from Steve Wall. The score after one was Batmen 3, Millers 0.

The second inning saw both teams sending 4 batters to the plate without scoring.

The top of the third was considered by some a “baseball inning” when the Millers put up 5 on the hapless Batmen by dropping balls in behind defenders, between defenders, and prompting an errant throw or two. Malachite led off with another single into short left, followed by an E5 induced by Diego Ortiz. Jeff Whitehead drew a BB, Partee then flared one over second, Matt Boulanger singled behind the mound, and the Miller’s manager Chris Scanlon reached on a FC, advanced to second on another Dunaisky single and third on a passed ball; and after a strikeout, the Millers added the fifth run off Lundy Bancroft’s RBI single. In the bottom of the third, the Millers put in long reliever and ace Jeff Whitehead on the mound, allowing only one Batmen to reach first base. After the dust settled from the inning, it was Millers 5-3 over the Batmen.

In the 4th, both teams sent 5 batters to the plate without scoring, adding singles from the Millers’ Whitehead and one each from Batmen Steve Wall and Steve “Squeeza” Gargone.

The 5th saw the Millers’ Terry Randall single, followed by Scott “Man on Fire” Dunaisky smacking his third base hit of the game. Batmen and TNB veteran Paul “Kap” Kaplan also dinged his first of two singles of the day.

In the top of the 6th, Whitehead reached but was left stranded on first. In the bottom of the frame, Elbaum reached on a single, advanced on a WP, and scored on a single by Duquette, closing the scoring gap to one run, Millers leading 5-4.

In the top of the 7th, the Millers launched a scoring threat against a tiring Elbaum’s extended session by loading the bases with two outs. Elbaum rose to the challenge and got Whitehead to hit into a close 6-4 FC that 2B Tony Maspo caught in his shoestrings to end the inning.

With the Batmen now chasing one, reliever Duquette came out from behind the dish to take the mound and promptly sat the Millers down in 4 batters, stranding Boulanger after an opposite field single to right.

In the bottom of the 8th and time running out on the Batmen, the Millers put in the fresh and experienced arm of Bancroft for relief. However leadoff hitter Kaplan greeted him by punching a single over the shortstop. Batmen Rookie Sean Hurley was plunked in the seat, putting runners at first and second. After a fly out, Elbaum walked to load the bases. Klepacki also walked, plating the tying run. With the bases still loaded, Walker boomed another shot to left that was hauled in, but Hurley tagged and scampered home on the sacrifice for the go ahead (and eventual winning) run.

In the top of the ninth, Reliever Duquette retook the hill and quickly retired the first two Millers. With two outs, the red hot Malachite hit a soft grounder to short and while Walker’s throw was high and down the line, 1B Klepacki left the bag to catch the ball. Malachite beat him to the bag for the infield hit, though unfortunately the effort caused Malachite to stumble in fair territory and he was tagged out while on the ground and off the base, ending the game.  

Hitters of the Game:

Millers:

Jeff Whitehead (3-4 BB, R); Steve Malachite (3-6, R); Sub S. Dunaisky (3-5)

Batmen:

Andy Klepacki (2-3, BB, R, RBI); Miguel Ringler (2-3); Paul Kaplan (2-3)

WP: Duquette

LP: Bancroft

Spears 16 - Diamond Dawgs 3

In what was nothing short of a miraculous event, the Spears and Diamond Dawgs switched their Sunday game to Saturday @3 and even though rain threatened for the entire afternoon, not one drop fell on Mitchell and the teams completed 9 innings, with the Spears prevailing 16-3.

The Dawgs, who were missing 6 players, including their ace, John Wills, brought in a few subs and sent Mike Dietlin to the mound, while the Spears also started the game with 9 (they eventually had 11), but had their top arm, Bill Evans.

The visiting Spears took a quick 2-0 lead, when Mike Martindell started the game with a single, followed by a perfect bunt single from Evans. Eli Pacheco walked to load the bases and then runs scored on RBI FCs by John Malikowski and Matt Witek. The Dawgs answered with a run of their own when John Sullivan reached on an IF error, Emilio Chaverri singled and then a run scored on a missed fly ball error off the bat of Scott Dunaisky, who was then cut down at 2B on a nice relay from CF Martindell to SS Micah Winston to 2B Nolan Anaya.

The Spears pushed their lead to 5-1 in the 2nd. With 1 out, Martindell and Evans walked and Pacheco smashed an RBI single. Chaverri was called in to relieve Dietlin and walked Malikowski to load the bases. Runs then scored on an IF error and another RBI groundout by Witek. In their half, the Dawgs didn't score, due to 2B Anaya, who had a hand in all 3 outs.

The Spears tacked on 4 more off new pitcher Ron Totten in the 3rd for a seemingly insurmountable 9-1 lead. Anaya was plunked leading off the inning, Mitch Gaslin reached on E8 and with 1 out, Martindell walked. Evans followed with an RBI single, Pacheco drove in a run with a groundout and then Malikowski smacked a 2-run single. The Dawgs went down quietly in their half, with only 1 baserunner.

Totten righted the ship, pitching scoreless innings in the 4th & 5th, allowing only 2 singles, and benefiting from nice defense at 2B from sub player Aram Rubinstein-Gillis who braved the windy conditions to haul in 2 pop flies in short RF and beat the runner to 1B on a grounder between 1B & 2B that the 1Bman went for, leaving him out of position. Evans put up 2 more goose eggs, also allowing 2 hits.

In the 6th, the Spears scored another run when Pacheco singled and after an FC, Winston lined a sure single to LF but Marin Goldstein grabbed the ball on 1 hop and fired it to 3B Dunaisky who tagged the runner out for a FC. Witek followed with a single and then Tom Salvini brought Winston in with an RBI single for a 10-1 lead. The bottom of the 6th featured the defensive play of the game. Salvini relieved Evans and lead-off hitter Sebastyn reached base on an E5 and was forced at 2B on Dunaisky's FC. He advanced to 3B on a pair of wild pitches and Goldstein then lofted a fly ball to CF Stevie LaCroix who fired a laser 1-hop throw home to C Witek who applied the tag to Dunaisky.

Totten pitched a 1-2-3 7th, while Salvini extricated himself from a jam after a walk and an error when SS Evans ranged up the middle to grab a ball and flip to Gaslin at 2B for the out.

The Spears scored 1 run in the 8th off of reliever Dunaisky when Pacheco led off with his 3rd hit of the day and scored when Winston's FC to 3B was thrown into RF. The Dawgs offense finally perked up in the 8th, when they plated a pair. Tom Sebastyn reached on an E5, Dunaisky singled him to 3rd and then runs scored on Dietlin's groundout and Goldstein's SF to LF.

The Spears scored another 5 in the 9th. Gaslin reached on an error, Jack Eisenstadt walked, and LaCroix smashed an RBI single to RF. Martindell walked to load the bases, and Evans lined a 2-run single. After an F8, Malikowski singled and Winston brought in 2 more with a single. Winston strolled to the bump for the 9th and got 2 quick outs before allowing a single to Chaverri and hitting Totten with a pitch but then induced a grounder to SS Evans for the game-ending force-out to 2B Anaya.

Top hitters:

Spears - Mike Martindell (2-3, 3BBs, 4R), Bill Evans (3-5, BB, 4R, 3RBI), Eli Pacheco (3-5, BB, 2R, 2RBI), Matt Witek (3-5, BB, 2RBI)

Diamond Dawgs - Emilio Chaverri (3-4, BB), Mike Dietlin (1-3, BB, RBI)

WP: Bill Evans

LP: Mike Dietlin