Sea Kittens and Driftless Renovations locked in a tight struggle for five innings at Olbrich Park August 18 before the Cats separated with a 6-run two out rally in the top of the 6th and emerged with a decisive 14-5 victory. The win was the fifth in a row and eighth of the year for Sea Kittens (8-1, 4-0 MSCR Kenosha League second half) and is the second-highest summer league win total in franchise history, trailing only the 2018 championship club that rolled through Monroe League with a 10-1 record. Combined with a forfeit win for Silver Eagle (9-0, 4-0), the Kitten victory sets up an August 25 championship showdown between the league’s top two teams. The clubs will square off at 6:25 PM on Olbrich Field 3. If the host Cats upset the heavily favored visitors and claim the league’s second-half title, they will play for a third and decisive time this summer at 7:30 PM on spacious Olbrich Field 1 in a league championship game.
This game held in the balance longer than most have for the 2021 Sea Kittens, who started fast with a 3-run first inning but sputtered offensively for large parts of the next four. Roadrunner Jami Hauer clipped a 27 mph slowball for a bases loaded, 2-run single in the first and the Polish Puma, Alex Latzka followed with another RBI knock, but the talented Driftless shortstop turned a Sunshine Curtis line drive into an inning-ending double play.
Three batters into the bottom of the first inning Driftless (3-6, 0-4) tied the game on a line drive home run by same said shortstop, the ball just whistling into the shrubbery overhanging the left-field corner. Along with the gifted Renovations centerfielder, those guys were barbs in the Kittens’ barbels most of the night.
If not for the shrubbery, I might have had a chance.
-Kitten outfielder Alex Latzka on the first Driftless home run.
Sea Kittens retook the lead in the second inning, with starting pitcher David “Zen Master” Rowe helping his own cause with a sacrifice fly, but the Cats stranded runners on the corners in a missed scoring opportunity. The Sea Kitten defense worked effectively if not entirely smoothly behind Rowe for the next three innings, and a three-run Kitten fourth that was highlighted by Dan DynamOele’s 14th home run of the season gave the visiting squad a minimally comfortable 7-3 lead.
The level of comfort diminished after a scoreless Kitten 5th inning, as the Renovations’ centerfielder hitter lofted a two-out, two-run home run off the left-centerfield scoreboard to bring the Driftless side within two runs. It was the tightest score the 2021 Cats experienced since nursing home a 2-run sixth-inning advantage over Swingin’ Eagles in the season opener, and the Kitten faithful hushed to see how the Cats would respond under pressure.
The Renovations’ two-run fifth inning came at a cost, however, as the team’s starting pitcher took a tumble rounding first base after a leadoff hit in the inning. Shaken up on the play, Driftless went to its bullpen, which meant moving That Darn Shortstop to pitcher and That Damned Centerfielder to shortstop.
Boom Boom Magyera’ s clutch 6th-inning, two-out, bases-loaded hit
The task of lobbing a ball to the plate rather than firing seeds across the infield proved daunting for the Driftless star, and he promptly issued a 2-base walk to Oele to open the inning. Rowe flicked a one-out single to move Oele to third, and then Z-Force Slattery worked a walk to load the bases. Kristin Hollywood Brown rocked a line drive up the middle, but could not get it past That Darn Shortstop Who now Pitched, setting up Boom Boom Magyera with a 2-out, bases-loaded opportunity. Unflappable in the situation, Magyera swatted a single to left, bringing in Oele and a hustling Rowe from second to extend the Kitten lead to 9-5. Mama Cat O’Brien then painfully watched three pitches drop outside the strike zone to re-load the bases, and Joe Hennessy followed with a booming, first-pitch grand slam to center, doubling the Kitten lead and delivering a dagger to the Renovations’ dreams of an upset.
I want you (Hennessy) to know that taking that walk was painful. But I said to myself, ‘OK, I can do this for my man. I don’t have to swing at a crappy pitch.’
-Mama Cat O’Brien, on her 6th-inning two-out walk, post-game
God I love hitting with the bases loaded. You’re the best.
-Sea Kitten player-manager Joe Hennessy, post-game
The deflated home side went without a whimper in the 6th while Kittens added a run in the 7th, and Rowe closed the book on the game with a pair of 7th-inning strikeouts.
Red Shoes Hewitt stepped up with a 2-hit game and ran the bases with aplomb
Results
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Kittens | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 14 |
| Driftless | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Sea Kittens
| Player | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | SF | IP | RA | WK | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristin Brown | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boom Boom Magyera | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mama Cat O’Brien | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Hennessy | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jami “Roadrunner” Hauer | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex The Puma Latzka | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sunshine Curtis | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dan DynamOele | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Shoes Hewitt | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zen Master Rowe | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Zoe “Z-Force” Slattery | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 39 | 14 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
Driftless
| AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | SF | IP | RA | WK | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Salmon Snacks
- ZOE for that UNFORGETTABLY AMAZING PLAY AT 3B in the bottom of the 7th
- Laura for a 2-hit game & twice scampering for an extra base on an overthrow
- Kyle for the clutch 2-out, 2-run single in the 6th
- Dan went 3-3, hit a home run, gets a Salmon Snack, blah blah
- Joe for very helpful grand slam in the 6th
- Dave for no walks and keeping Driftless off balance
- Dan, Zoe, Erin for being patient and accepting walks in the 6th when the Cats’ lead was only 7-5
- Kyle also scored twice, giving him 101 career runs scored
- Erin & Zoe each got on base 3 times
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 Zoe and Erin for winning the Week 8 Great Fillet for their picture-perfect 5-3 double play. 
What's your pick for Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the Game?
- Kyle's grand single in the 6th, doubling the Kittens' lead from 2 runs to 4 runs with two out (0%, 0 Votes)
- Joe's game-breaking grand slam in the 6th, putting away Driftless for good (60%, 3 Votes)
- Laura scampering for an extra base on an overthrow in the 4th (40%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 5
Next Up
Sea Kittens (8-1) next play August 25 in a 6:25 PM showdown with unbeaten Silver Eagle (9-0). Silver Eagle has cruised through the 2021 Kenosha League season, but Sea Kittens are the only team to hang 10 on them, even while losing by 12. Sea Kittens are 1-3 vs Silver Eagle all-time, but will be focus on having way more fun than Silver Eagle! And thanks to a rainout and forfeit, Silver Eagle will be entering the first game after a 21-day layoff.Game Notes
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- For the second time this season Driftless Renovations prevented the Cats from hitting any doubles or triples; the last time Sea Kittens didn’t hit a double or triple in a game was June 6, 2018- the Schultzy-Oele Hangover Game. The only other time SK were twice held without a double or triple in a season was 2011, when the still wet-behind-the-ears Kittens scuffled through upper division play for the first time.
- It’s the first time the Kits have scored 10+ runs in 9 consecutive summer league games
- Dan’s 4th inning home run was the 100th all-time for Sea Kittens in Summer League play! Joe hit #101 in the 6th. Smokin’ Joe Litchfield hit Sea Kitten home run #1 back on May 13, 2010, in the Cats’ first-ever game.
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| Dan | 40 |
| Joe | 27 |
| Alex | 9 |
| Detroit Josh | 5 |
| Kyle | 5 |
| Andy | 4 |
| Man-Aaron | 4 |
| Dave, Brad, Tommy Tom Tom, Jonny Jon Jon, Disco Nick, Joe Litch, and Jeremy Z | 1 |
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- Sea Kittens’ 130 runs scored through 9 games are the second-most runs per-game in team history, and tied for 3rd-most total runs scored in Summer League play.
- Two weeks after shattering the team single-season HR record, and a week after smashing the team single-season RBI record, Dan has set the team single-season record for runs scored (27), bettering his 2016 mark (25), *and* the single-season hits record (31), passing Mercury Stevens, who had 29 in 2016.
- Erin collected two hits and has topped Jami’s 2018 record for most hits by a Sea Kittens woman in a single season. Erin has 17 hits, one more than Jami’s 2018 total.
- Erin also matched the team record for runs scored by a woman (12), shared by Gretchen (2012) and Erin (2018).
- Jami & Erin are also both within striking distance of Erin’s 2010 summer-season RBI record (9)- Jami now has 8 RBI and Erin has 7.
- Joe’s grand slam was the 7th of his career, the team’s second of the season, and the 15th in Sea Kitten history.
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Sea Kitten Grand Slams
Smokin’ Joe Litchfield 8-26-2010, 5th inning in 30-7 W over Bombers (Olbrich 1 (248′))
Detroit Josh Ghena (2) 6-5-2013, 1st inning & 6th inning in 21-1 W over Baltimore Factorioles (Olbrich 3)
Dan DynamOele 6-22-2016, 4th inning in 10-4 W over Beckett Tax & Accounting (Olbrich 3)
Dan DynamOele 6-29-2016, 1st inning in 14-9 W over Infield Flies (Warner 5)
Mercury Stevens 7-13-2016, 4th inning in 12-7 W over South Side Badgers (Olbrich 4)
Joe Hennessy 8-31-2016, 3rd inning in 14-9 W over Affordable Quality HVAC (Olbrich 4)
Joe Hennessy 7-5-2017, 6th inning in 19-7 W over Steal Your Base (Olbrich 4)
Joe Hennessy 5-16-2018, 1st inning in 19-8 W over Wisco Kids (Olbrich 4)
Joe Hennessy 8-19-2018, 7th inning in 19-16 W over Andrea’s Team (Harmony Tourney, Olbrich 3)
Joe Hennessy 10-17-2018, 5th inning in 16-21 L to Wilson’s Coolers (Olbrich 1 (275′))
Man-Aaron Jossart 5-29-2019, 4th inning in 13-8 W over Monona Mashers (Olbrich 3)
Joe Hennessy 7-24-2019, 6th inning in 11-20 L to Pitches B Trippin’ (Olbrich 4)
Alex Latzka 6-23-2021, 2nd inning in 13-25 L to Silver Eagle (Olbrich 3)
Joe Hennessy 8-18-2021, 6th inning in 14-5 W over Driftless Renovations (Olbrich 3)