Cats Out-Fun Silver Eagle

A wise man once said, “strikeouts are boring.  Besides that, they’re fascist.  Throw some ground balls- it’s more democratic.”  And so it also goes with home runs in slow-pitch softball.  Sure, the image of brutish Brutus lumbering to the plate with his lumber and launching a soft-tossed pitch into orbit is one image of the game, but is it really more interesting or appealing or exciting or fun than the magic of 10 rank amateurs springing into frenzied and unpredictable action when said ball is dribbled eighteen feet onto the infield dirt instead?  No sir, no sir.  As Sea Kitten fan Randall Williams observed, “you can go to a major league baseball game and 90% of the time when the ball is hit you know the outcome of the play as soon as the ball leaves the bat- ground out to shortstop, single to center…  but here- at a Sea Kittens game- when that ball leaves the bat, the action is just getting started.  Anything can happen!”  Except when Sea Kittens play a menace like Silver Eagle (4-0, MSCR Kenosha League play), who launched the ball over the 248′ outfield fence no fewer than 10 times in the course of 6 innings in a 25-13 thunking of the Kits (3-1).

True, true, for their part the Cats enjoyed four longballs of their own- two each from Mssrs. Latzka and Oele- but were more decidedly more underdog-ish and spirited about it.

The Sea Kittens ran the bases!  Now that’s fun.  In fact, if one counts only the times each team put a runner on base and brought that runner home without burying a ball in prairie grass beyond the fence,  Sea Kittens *WON* the game, 5 runs to 4!    The Polish Puma even led of the game with a triple- one of the most fun and exciting things that can happen on a ball diamond.  And Sea Kittens beat out five  infield singles- a testament to their joyful exuberance, if not their youth.

But for those who like to dig deeper, it went like this:  Sea Kittens opened the game with four consecutive hits (fun!), but couldn’t drop in another one and finished the top of the first with a 3-0 lead.  With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Silver Eagle hit the first of its homers, to tie the game at 3, and then tacked on two more two-run shots before the Cats could record out number three.

Willing to go another round, Sunshine Curtis and Red Shoes Hewitt legged out infield singles on each side of a Zen Master Rowe walk (super fun!), and one out later Latzka hit his first career grand slam to tie the game (whee!)  And with two out, Oele hit one to give the Kittens another lead (also, fun, from where we sit). 

Silver Eagle struck back with two more home runs in the bottom of the 2nd and took an 10-8 advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.  The Kitten offense got quiet, but the defense made some plays: a heads-up force out from Z-Force Slattery to Roadrunner Hauer after a popup found open ground in the 3rd, and Hennessy and Boom Boom Magyera picking off hard line drives in left field to end the 5th (impressive and exciting!)

More fireworks from Latzka and Oele momentarily pulled Sea Kittens within 15-11 after the top of the fourth, but Silver Eagle manufactured four more in the bottom of the inning to salt the game away- but the Cats will come back and play another day!

And know what else is fun?  Sea Kitten manager Coffeecat Joe Hennessy went out and got all those balls from the brush and water the next day.  Seventeen of them in fact, of which a minimum of 14 were from the Sea Kittens-Silver Eagle showdown.

Sea Kittens vs Silver Eagle

Salmon Snacks

• This would be the place where we boop Alex on the nose for taking a Salmon Snack last week whilst not being present, but he went 3-3 with a 3B, 2 HR, 4 runs scored and 6 RBI, soo….
• Kristin gets one for sending us a picture from the mountains
• Kyle & Joe for snaring hot line drives in the OF in the 5th
• Zoe & Jami for completing a heads-up putout after a pop fly eluded Zoe
• Dan for going 4-4 with 2 HR & 5 RBI
• Sea Kittens for achieving all pre-game goals except one!

Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the Game

You didn’t have to see it to believe it. Vote here for the Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the Game!

Congrats to Joe Hennessy  for winning the Week 3 Great Fillet for tossing a shutout! “