USCG Use Last Out to Extinguish Bombers
BY SPARKY CHALMERS
Park Ridge, NJ - Should fans have expected any different? When USCG and B&T play you shouldn’t leave your seats, don’t arrive late, and don’t leave early. Get to the concession stand and plant yourself before the first pitch because you might be in for a classic.
Tuesday night in Park Ridge rewarded those brave enough to taunt the freshly parched skies and take in the action. Both teams, that own the last three Pearson Championships, brought the game to the last out in the 7th, with USCG singling home the winning run in an 11-10 victory over B&T.
The two teams moved to the 7th and final inning with a 10-10 tie. The Bombers uncharacteristically went 1-2-3, and left the door wide open for USCG to plate one measly run and move on to the Championship. USCG led off the inning when their left-fielder hit a double down the left field line. A great play by catcher Janine Lucas to knock a foul ball into fair territory and pitcher Ian Gold to collect and keep the runner at second while getting the out at first gave the Bombers life. The next USCG batter, one of the best in the league, would strike out, and leave USCG with one lifeline to win the game.
“I thought we had them,” Captain Patrice Jones said. “I thought when we got two outs that we would get one more, score a bunch of runs, and put them away. Have to tip your cap to them, they played a great game.”
A semi-intentional walk to a dangerous lefty brought up a manageable batter, who in typical clutch fashion, hit a ball that dodged second-baseman Marta Karell’s glove by inches. The winning run would easily come home from second and USCG was moving on.
The Bombers had won both regular season games against USCG, one with ridiculous defense, another with ridiculous firepower. Tuesday night, USCG did their part in keeping the Bombers defused.
“Most of the time in softball the team that makes less mistakes wins,” pitcher Ian Gold said. “Not that we made many errors, but USCG doesn’t make any. When we score only 10 runs it’s not one or the other, it’s both, we didn’t play our best and the other team did.”
For a layman, B&T is a Ferrari, shiny, sexy, and fast—with the ability to just awe their opponents into a quick fatality. USCG is a Ford Crown Victoria, reliable, generic, and law enforcements car of choice—they don’t make mistakes, they come at you in waves and basically Chinese water torture their opponent.
Without feeling guilty or restricted, a person could say the Pearson softball rivalry between B&T and USCG hasn’t always been sunshine and flowers. It’s natural to play up to the moment and target your main competition wearing a different color jersey. But on a humid day in Park Ridge the game itself brought both teams together in respect to their tightly contested spirit. We may not be sharing a lunch table, but maybe B&T will dodge some auditing that a third straight Championship would have guaranteed.
Once again, it’s been a pleasure covering the team for a fourth straight season. Thank you to the team and its fans—and of course, thank you to Sparky’s loyal readers.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Bombers Advance to Semifinals with 14-10 Victory
BY SPARKY CHALMERS
MONSEY, NY - For the fourth straight year the B&T Bombers will advance to the Final Four. Even with yearly attrition, the squad continues to overcome their opponents, and last night’s 14-10 victory over AE&S was a typical survive and advance performance.
The Bombers jumped on their opponents with a seven-run 2nd inning and limited AE&S in the five innings that followed. The scarlet and grey defense frustrated AE&S who continually attempted to remind each other, “Just chip away, keep chipping away.” In the inclement weather, and the wet conditions, and with Bomber players dressing up as silly mud monsters to protect the lead (Ashlee Bradbury), a comeback became an even tougher climb.
“We’ve had big offensive innings in the playoffs before,” Boombox award recipient and catcher Janine Lucas said. “Psychologically, when we jump out to a big lead, the other team kind of concedes. They’ve seen that script before, at this point, they’ve all seen it.”
Jon Bryant opened the big 2nd inning with a hard hit through the infield and stayed on his feet long enough to come through with the innings first run, opening the flood gates for the Bomber inning. The next six batters would all reach base, and eventually score. The most emphatic hit was a moon-shot from Patrice Jones that Elena Picinic claims landed in her backyard, and unlike the friendly gentlemen that caught Jeter’s 3000th hit, Picinic is not returning the ball.
“I wouldn’t expect her to,” third baseman Brian Mickelson said. “I don’t have anything against Elena, I think she is great, but that’s a monumental homerun hit by a Pearson legend. Ebay is calling.”
While attempting to “chip away” the Bomber offense sputtered and allowed AE&S to get a glimmer of hope. A handful of shaky plays in the field allowed the green team to get as close as 10-8 in the 5th inning. A titanic blast by pitcher Ian Gold in the bottom of the inning didn’t put AE&S on ice, but did change the momentum and put the Bomber defense back on track. Pop fly outs and a rangy play from second basewoman Marta Karell protected a three-run lead.
“I don’t think we took our lead for granted, but we certainly lost a little focus as well as ease at the plate,” Karell said. “For the last inning Patrice and Steve brought us all in, told us to chill out, and reminded us that it was slo-pitch, the ball goes really slow. Just hit it. After that it was all gravy.”
Michael Barbara took the hitting advice to heart and started the inning with a double to right field, and was driven in a batter later by Steve Sartori. B&T would score an additional three insurance runs, an essential skill to practice moving forward in the playoffs.
The win moves the Bombers into the semifinals against USCG. Anyone that is a regular reader of this column knows the history between these two teams, if you are new to this company or planet, here is a brief synopsis. USCG ruined the Bombers perfect 2008 season and won the Championship, and then they proceeded to take the next three games from B&T. A reversal of fortune occurred last year, when B&T smoked Corporate Accounting in the Championship, and swept the 2011 season two-game series, providing USCG with their only losses of the year.
If you like softball, or your co-workers, a short trip to Suffern/Monsey should be in your afternoon plans. And pray for sunshine.
MONSEY, NY - For the fourth straight year the B&T Bombers will advance to the Final Four. Even with yearly attrition, the squad continues to overcome their opponents, and last night’s 14-10 victory over AE&S was a typical survive and advance performance.
The Bombers jumped on their opponents with a seven-run 2nd inning and limited AE&S in the five innings that followed. The scarlet and grey defense frustrated AE&S who continually attempted to remind each other, “Just chip away, keep chipping away.” In the inclement weather, and the wet conditions, and with Bomber players dressing up as silly mud monsters to protect the lead (Ashlee Bradbury), a comeback became an even tougher climb.
“We’ve had big offensive innings in the playoffs before,” Boombox award recipient and catcher Janine Lucas said. “Psychologically, when we jump out to a big lead, the other team kind of concedes. They’ve seen that script before, at this point, they’ve all seen it.”
Jon Bryant opened the big 2nd inning with a hard hit through the infield and stayed on his feet long enough to come through with the innings first run, opening the flood gates for the Bomber inning. The next six batters would all reach base, and eventually score. The most emphatic hit was a moon-shot from Patrice Jones that Elena Picinic claims landed in her backyard, and unlike the friendly gentlemen that caught Jeter’s 3000th hit, Picinic is not returning the ball.
“I wouldn’t expect her to,” third baseman Brian Mickelson said. “I don’t have anything against Elena, I think she is great, but that’s a monumental homerun hit by a Pearson legend. Ebay is calling.”
While attempting to “chip away” the Bomber offense sputtered and allowed AE&S to get a glimmer of hope. A handful of shaky plays in the field allowed the green team to get as close as 10-8 in the 5th inning. A titanic blast by pitcher Ian Gold in the bottom of the inning didn’t put AE&S on ice, but did change the momentum and put the Bomber defense back on track. Pop fly outs and a rangy play from second basewoman Marta Karell protected a three-run lead.
“I don’t think we took our lead for granted, but we certainly lost a little focus as well as ease at the plate,” Karell said. “For the last inning Patrice and Steve brought us all in, told us to chill out, and reminded us that it was slo-pitch, the ball goes really slow. Just hit it. After that it was all gravy.”
Michael Barbara took the hitting advice to heart and started the inning with a double to right field, and was driven in a batter later by Steve Sartori. B&T would score an additional three insurance runs, an essential skill to practice moving forward in the playoffs.
The win moves the Bombers into the semifinals against USCG. Anyone that is a regular reader of this column knows the history between these two teams, if you are new to this company or planet, here is a brief synopsis. USCG ruined the Bombers perfect 2008 season and won the Championship, and then they proceeded to take the next three games from B&T. A reversal of fortune occurred last year, when B&T smoked Corporate Accounting in the Championship, and swept the 2011 season two-game series, providing USCG with their only losses of the year.
If you like softball, or your co-workers, a short trip to Suffern/Monsey should be in your afternoon plans. And pray for sunshine.
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