Cats Scrap to Tie Hot Pitches

Sea Kittens and Hot Pitches battled to a memorable 13-13 tie in the Madison Sport & Social Club Thursday Night Fall softball opener August 28 at Bowman Park.  The game featured three double plays and six lead changes across six innings before ending in stalemate, but the action was anything but bland.

The Pitches opened the game’s scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning before a relay from Kittens left-fielder Josh “Rusty” Weber- through shortstop Dan DynamOele to second basewoman Jami “Roadrunner” Hauer- ended the inning as HP outfielder Jonas Kobiske tried to stretch a single to a double.

Sea Kittens answered promptly in the bottom of the inning, with four of the first five batters ripping doubles to score four runs.  Alex “Puma” Latzka and David “The Ringer” Engeldinger hit back-to-back two-baggers to open the frame.  Emalie Thern singled, and Braden “Gas” Furness smoked a double to the fence to bring home The Ringer.  Then DynamOele launched one to left to bring home two more runs, but he was stranded on second as the next three Cats were unable to advance him further.

Braden’s first-inning RBI double.

Sea Kittens  sent the Pitches down 1-2-3 in the top of the second, but went scoreless during their half of the inning as well, despite putting two runner on base, and Hot Pitches surged back into the lead with five runs in the top of the third inning. Two nice catches in the outfield- DynamOele grabbing a knuckling liner and Furness making a long run to catch a shallow pop in right-center – bookended the inning and kept the Kits with striking distance.

Down 7-4 Sea Kittens immediately answered the challenge.  Latzka singled and Engeldinger lashed a laser over the left-center field fence to bring the Cats within one run.  Furness poked a one-out single and raced home on a triple from DynamOele to tie the game, and then Megan “Slam” Salm drilled a single up the middle to put Los Gatitos ahead 8-7.

Once again Sea Kittens held serve and kept HP off the board in the top of the 4th, but were only able to extend their lead by one run in the bottom of the inning, a baserunning lapse leading to an inning-ending double-play with runners on first and second. The odd-inning outbursts by Hot Pitches continued, and Logan Kobiske’s squad reclaimed the lead with a three-run 5th.  Outfield defense once again saved the Cats from further damage as Rusty made a tremendous play on a sinking fly ball near the third-base line.

Now trailing 11-9 entering the bottom of the 5th, Sea Kittens roared back, thanks to the game’s usual suspects:  Puma, Ringer, and Thern singled to load the bases, and Gas lit the fire with a two-run single to tie the game.  One out later Rusty pushed the Cats back on top with a clutch single to score Thern, but the Pitches twisted a bases-loaded double play to end the inning.

After years of batting exclusively left-handed, Hot Pitches infielder/outfielder Kyle Bernstein burned the Cats with a two-run, over-the-fence home run in the 6th inning-  batting right handed.

“Turns out that #@%%@ is not left-handed,” Kittens pitcher Joe Hennessy was heard muttering.

Down a run and down to their final at-bats, Hot Pitches opened the top of the 6th with a hit and third baseman Kyle Bernstein’s first career over-the-fence home run  to go ahead 13-12. The hits continued, knocking the Cats to their heels, but with runners on first and second the next HP batter flicked a soft liner to shallow right field.  Engeldinger made a mad dash in to try to intercept the sinking ball, only to have it tumble off his glove- perhaps the best possible unintentional outcome as the Hot Pitches baserunners were caught retreating to their bases in anticipation of a catch.  The Ringer astutely fired a strike to DynamOele at second base, and the Cats’ shortstop had a pair of baserunners within his reach to tag out for a rally-killing double play.

Man-Aaron’s two-out game-tying single in the the bottom of the 6th.

After retiring the next batter, the Sea Kittens took their final turns at the plate, trailing 13-12.  After coming up empty despite blistering the ball in his first two plate appearances, Stephen “Slash” Grutzik opened the inning with a ringing double- extending his team-record hitting streak to 81 games in the process.  The Sea Kitten side was rocking, sensing a chance at a walk-off win.  Alas, two quick outs stunned the home crowd into silent trepidation as Man-Aaron Jossart dug in, Grutzik still on second.  Jossart met the moment, smacking a single down the third-base line to tie the game.  But Kobiske bucked down and retired the next hitter, preserving the tie for his squad.

Salmon Snacks

• Braden was 3-3 with a double – the hardest-hit ball of his young career- 2 runs scored, 3 RBI, and sweet catch in the outfield
• Emalie was 2-3 in her full-time debut
• David 3-3 with a double, homer, 3 runs, 3 RBI and started the game-saving double-play…
• Aaron 3-3 and delivered the clutch 2-out game-tying hit
• Josh-Dan-Jami for the 7-6-4 relay to end the 1st inning 
• Alex was 3-3 with 3 runs scored in the leadoff spot
• Katie for her hustle play at the plate- didn’t result in an out but she looked good diving in the dirt!
• Joe to help the bruise on his shin heal, from Katies’ play
• Stephen & Josh for both extending their hitting streak in their final at-bat of the game- both hits proved crucial in the outcome

 

Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the Game

You didn’t have to see it to believe it.  David gets the final one of the summer by acclimation, for clearing the big fence.

Next Up

Sea Kittens (0-0-1) dig in for a tough battle with 3-time defending league champions Da Hittas (1-0) at 6:30 PM September 4, Bowman Field 1.  The Cats narrowly lost the teams’ last contest- a 6-5 pitchers’ duel during summer league, and are 4-8-1 against Da Hittas all-time.

Roster notes and transactions

Updated 9/2/2025

OUT

• J Hennessy – 10 day IL (dog bit, pitching arm)
• D DynamOele- musky fishing
• A Latzka- musky fishing
• E Thern- out-of-town guests
• M Salm- out-of-town-guests

SIGNED

• RHP Real John Oliver (Bottomfeeders SC), to a 1-game contract

Game Notes

• The tie was the fourth in Sea Kitten history- and second in last six games
• Sea Kittens are now 11-0-1 all-time against Hot Pitches
• The Cats have belted at least 5 extra-base hits in six consecutive games, matching the 4th-longest such streak in franchise history.  It’ll be a tough task to extend the run against Da Hittas
  • Last time the cats racked up 5+ extra-base hits in more than 6 straight games it took almost two years to accomplish the feat: September 18, 2019- June 23, 2021.
• 6:30 blues continue-  Sea Kittens record, based on game start time:
  • Day games (Harmony Tourney): 7-9 (0.438)
  • 6-6:30 first pitch:  43-44-2 (0.494)
  • 7-7:30 first pitch: 51-25 (0.671)
  • 8pm & later first pitch: 52-39-2 (0.570)
• Stephen’s hit steak is at 81 games (team record), and Josh’s at 46- tied for 5th all-time.
  • See the full list here