AQHAC Cools Cats in Summer Finale

  Wrapping up a long-delayed summer season which featured 7 rainouts between May 17 and August 23, Harmony Sea Kittens (4-4) squared off with Affordable Quality Heating & Air Conditioning (5-3) in an MSCR LaCrosse League 3^rd-place game at Olbrich Park Wednesday night.  A rematch of an exciting June 7 tilt won 15-12 by Sea Kittens, this time the AQHAC offense fired hotter and blazed past the Cats 13-8. The game began with the same all-offense feel as the earlier matchup, with AQHAC knocking Sea Kitten starter Joe Hennessy around for three runs in the first.  Sea Kittens had an early answer, with Kyle Magyera, Heidibadger Nelson, and Man-Aaron Jossart delivering base hits to open the game. That trio set the stage for RBIs from Mama Cat O’Brien, Dan Dynam-Oele, and Hennessy to even the score, but Sea Kittens were unable to capitalize further on the bases loaded/ nobody out opportunity. After trading zeroes in the second, AQHAC started playing longball in the third, plating 4 runs after a bizarre sequence which began with two runners converging on second and ended with one out and another making a dash for third and sliding in under Hennessy’s tag to extend the inning.  Los Gatitos closed the gap to 7-5 in the bottom of the inning after O’Brien double and came home a batter later on a Karli “Clutch” Younger grounder, with Oele following and ruled safe on fielder interference. Oele, Nelson, & O’Brien turned a head-up double play in the top of the 4^th and kept AQHAC off the scoreboard, creating opportunity for the Sea Kitten offense.  Laura Hewitt, Josh Dilley, and Katherine Curtis delivered, opening the Sea Kitten half of the inning with hits. Set with another golden bases loaded/ nobody out opportunity Sea Kittens could not capitalize beyond one productive groundout and AQHAC retained a razor-thin 7-6 margin.

AQHAC                          3 0 4 0 5 0 X – 13 Harmony Sea Kittens 3 0 2 1 1 1 x – 8

Alas, the Sea Kittens followed with one of their most Sea-Kittenesque innings in recent memory, and AQHAC dribbled, dropped, bashed and bopped home 5 runs for a commanding 13-7 advantage.  Nelson and Jossart got something going for Sea Kittens again in the 4^th, and after Nelson dashed home on an overthrow to first, AQHAC ended the uprising with a slick 6-5-3 double play.  It was the last little bit of noise the Cats would make.   Game Notes/ Summer Recap

• With Helen in the lineup and Heidi batting from the left side, it was the first time Sea Kittens have ever had two lefties in the batting order!
• Sea Kittens finished 4^th place, 4-4 with 85 runs scored and 80 runs allowed
• Sea Kittens averaged more than 10 runs/ game for the third straight season, despite a power shortage, as we dropped from 16 home runs to 7
• Joe won his first summer batting title, edging Dan 0.750- 0.741, though let it be known Dan gave away an at-bat against Sherri & Steal Your Base in the midst of a 15-run inning… could have given him a 0.778 mark, but it didn’t 😉
• Before visiting the Temple of Bogie, Joe had a 0.547 batting average, with 8 HR in 278 at-bats; after a brutal fall of transition to the new swing (0.368 BA), he’s hit 0.796 with 13 HR in 108 at-bats. Sessions are totally affordable, and you can do them with a friend!
• Jess (0.455) won her second consecutive batting title, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back since Erin won three straight 2013-2015
• After a rookie season in which she hit 0.333, Jess has hit 0.449 since
• Dan won his third straight HR title with 3
• Joe led the team in RBI (19) and Dan in runs scored (14)
• Dan joined Joe as the only Kittens to record back-to-back 20-hit seasons
• Heidi (18) passed Kristen Johnson (17) on the all-time leaderboard for bases on balls in summer league play
• Heidi also recorded the fewest strikeouts of her career- 2- en route to leading the Sea Kitten women with a 0.474 on-base percentage, best by a SK woman since Erin, Heidi, and Gretchen all topped 0.500 in 2015
• Man-Aaron slugged the first two HR of his career, and despite only mustering 13 plate appearances hit 5 extra-base hits, highest of his career
• Laura matched a career-best 4 runs scored
• Kyle posted his best slugging percentage since 2013
• Women all-time summer league batting average:

1. Gretchen 0.416
2. Erin 0.412
3. Jess 0.411

Salmon Snacks

• Helen for making her Sea Kitten debut and notching a hit in her first at-bat
• Laura for an impressive trek around the bases in the fourth- not the fastest Cat, but always a savvy, hustling baserunner (unless its her third game in 85* heat, but by then all bets are off for everybody!)
• Heidi for a similarly aware scamper home in the fifth, and also for completing the 6-4-3 double play
• Josh for delivering a couple of big singles late in the game to keep the Kitten dream alive
• Dan for going 3-3
• Erin for scoring 2 and driving home 2