Recap
May 28, 2014
The Harmony Sea Kittens (0-4) came one out short of securing its first win of the 2014 Pittsburgh League season, but a clutch 3-run homer by the Bowl-a-vard Gutterballs’ (1-3) clean-up hitter and a subsequent Kitten meltdown that could only be familiar to those who endure watching Cub games left the Kits on a the short end of a 13-11 score when the 7th-inning dust settled.
Let it be known that Los Gators del Mar battled valiantly this night, thrice rallying from deficits to gain the lead. Even after allowing 7 runs in the top of the 7th to fall behind 13-8, the Cats fought back within 2 and had the tying run at the plate before the Gutterballs finally secured the game’s final out.
Tommy Tom Tom Seahorse Cichosz paced the Kittens offense, rapping 4 hits in 4 plate appearances and fell only a home run short of the cycle, and Kristen Xena Johnson had the first 3-hit game of her career.
The Gutterballs applied early pressure but could not rattle the Sea Kittens. After stranding 2 Bowl-a-vard runners on base in the first inning, the Cats found themselves in a precarious situation in the second inning, as Bowl-a-vard loaded the bases with nobody out, but pitcher Dave Rowe and catcher Meghan Williams combined on a brilliant flip-and-catch force out at home on a slow roller up the 3rd-base line, Rowe got a huge strikeout, and the Sea kittens escaped the inning undamaged. Three straight hits to start the second and a sharp RBI single from Joe Hennessy gave the Kittens a short-lived 2-1 lead.
Bowl-a-vard broke through in the 4th with 3 runs to move ahead 5-4, but a clutch hit from Kiersten Iovinella in the bottom of the frame evened the score at 5. Bowl-a-vard again answered, scoring one in the 5th to regain a 6-5 advantage, and carried that into the bottom of the 6th.
Down a run late, Jonny Jon Jon Hansen led off the 6th with a triple, and one out later Hennessy started 4-batter hit parade, capped by a 2-run single from Rowe to give the Kittens an 8-6 edge.
The Gutterballs got to work in the 7th, putting runners on first and second, but the Kittens made their plays as well, with 2 outs, Hennessy said something along the lines of “lots of pressure on the batter,” a moment before said pressured batter launched the ball over the left-field fence. A soft liner off the bat of the next hitter squirted through Hennessy’s glove, and a bewildering series of events followed that led to 4 more Bowl-a-vard runs.
The Cats still fought back, Cichosz, Johnson, and Hansen clipping consecutive hits in the bottom of the 7th and Hennessy making small atonement with a 2-out run-scoring triple, but the rally was squelched and the team found itself assured of relegation to the Buffalo League in two weeks’ time.
Game Notes
- The Sea Kittens have lost 10 consecutive games, dating to 2013.
Salmon snacks
• Kristen, for going first-to-third on Jon’s single in the 7th!!!
• Tom, for his four hits and stellar game at the plate
• Kiersten, for her first 2 hits after her return to the Sea Kittens
• Dave for ignoring his first base coach and taking a hustle double in the 3rd (and taking 3rd after forcing an errant throw!)
• Meghan and Dave for their putout at the plate
And from the first 3 weeks
• Erin & Heidi for combining on a sweet double-play in game 1
• Josh for homering in his Sea Kittens finale
Sea Kittens