Cats Sing Summertime Blues

It took 142 days, but we’re finally ready to talk about it.  And somehow seems fitting to tell the same old story on La Dia de la Marmota.  For the third consecutive season, Sea Kittens climbed within sight of the mountaintop only to be turned away, this time in a stinging 8-7 walk-off loss to Bat & Boujee.  

We’ll flip our script back to that sultry August evening- 89* and humid, the heat index still pushing 100* even as the game’s 7:30 start time approached.  The 3rd-seeded Sea Kittens had earned their title-game bid a week previously, chilling Hot Pitches 15-6 and then holding second-seeded Da Hittas in check in a hard-fought semifinal.  On Championship night, the Cats lolled in the shade, watching top-seeded Bat & Boujee square off with 5th-seeded Busch Lattes in a 6:30 PM semifinal tilt, quietly rooting for a high-scoring extra inning game that might actually sap some of the young B&B players’ energy.  Instead. the efficient B&B squad quickly dispatched their lower-seeded opponent 10-3, setting the stage for a third and decisive matchup between Sea Kittens and Bat & Boujee in the Summer 2023 season.  The clubs had split the earlier two, with B&B scoring a 13-7 win on a dry, smoky night when absolutely nothing bounced in the deep dry dust, much less bounced the Cats’ way.  In the rematch several weeks later, a late bases-clearing 3-run double by Slash Grutzik rallied Sea Kittens to a 7-5 victory.

As Sea Kittens settled onto the visor’s bench, the Big Cat, the Puma, the Alex Latzka pawed the batters box, and opened the proceeding with a triple to right field.  He was home two pitches later as Grutzik slashed a single to left.   But the Boujee defense can prove tough to rattle, and in an instant the bases were cleared with a slick double play on a hot grounder up the middle.  Joe Hennessy tried to re-start the rally with two outs, but the Boujee right fielder tracked his reasonably well-hit ball to right and made a reasonably good catch.

Staked a 1-0 lead, Hennessy toed the pitching rubber, selected by manager JM Hennessy to start the game based on his 2-0 record in two earlier 2023  starts against the Boujee bunch.  The lead didn’t stand, but Sea Kittens made their own strong defensive statement to also hold B&B to a single run.  Tied 1-1 after the first inning, the game was reduced to a 6-inning affair, and quickly to a 5-inning game as the teams traded scoreless frames in the second, but that scoreless second was anything but humdrum.  Zen Master David Rowe opened the inning with a little bleeder to left, and took off for second- as he does- when the B&B shortstop’s throw eluded his first baseman’s glove.  But the first baseman retrieved the ball quickly and fired a seed back to the shortstop at second, (allegedly) nipping Rowe as he slid valiantly to evade the tag.  Not to to be outdone, the Kitten defense flexed in the bottom half of the inning, snuffing a bases-loaded nobody out rally before any damage could be done.

As the Cats’ batting order turned over in the third, the usual suspects stepped up again.  With Katie “Sunshine” Curtis on first, Latzka poked a single to center  and Grutzik once again delivered in The Moment, banging a double to deep left to give Sea Kittens a 3-1 lead.  Again, the jab only seemed to trigger Bat & Boujee counter-punches, and the top-seeded home squad battered the Sea Kittens in the bottom of the inning for five runs to take a 6-3 advantage.

Grutzik mashes his go-ahead double.

The Cats, although all too familiar with playoff games slipping away, didn’t back down.  Hennessy doubled to open the top of the fourth inning, and with two outs  Josh “Rusty” Weber delivered the first extra-base hit of his 2023 return to softball.  Hennessy dashed home as Weber strode into second, and moments later Weber was racing to home as AaLo Lomax mashed a triple to deep center field to bring the Cats within one run.

After holding B&B in check in the bottom of the fifth, Sea Kittens got to work again in the fifth.  Curtis dug out an one-out infield single and then ran for her ever-loving life when Puma lashed an inside-the-park home run to the right field corner.  The two-run shot gave Sea Kittens a 7-6 lead, but once again the Boujeers  answered, again loading the bases with nobody out.   This time they pushed across a run to tie the game, and the notes say the inning ended on a questionable call, but a call was made…   {{{conspiratorial whisper}}} maybe one that would later be made up?

Latzka lashes a go-ahead quadruple to the right field corner.

Two inning left in regulation; six outs apiece to try to decide the game.  Rowe singled to open the Sea Kitten sixth, and the A-Train- Adrienne Howard-  worked a walk to set up shop for the Cats, but the Boujee defense put up its own wall, nabbing a well-hit grounder to the backside from Weber to turn a force out and then spinning their second double play of the game to end the inning.  The pressure mounting, Sea Kittens answered and held the Boujee bats in check in the bottom of the inning.

Seventh inning.  With one out, Man-Aaron Jossart ripped a hit to give Los Gatitos a baserunner.  Curtis followed with a grounder to short, and then the Sea-Kittening began.  The throw from shortstop got into Jossart as he reached second base, and he dug for third as the ball rolled into short center.  Curtis saw the play unfold and a throw go from center to third base.  Decisively, she dug for second, but reconsidered as she neared the bag and a return throw for third arrived; the first base coach offered no advice as the thrilling chase unfolded in front of him.  Committed, Curtis barreled (in a willowy kind of barreling way) back to first, and was called out.  Seriously.   Two out.  Looking to the backside once again- and perhaps complete a cycle- the Puma smashed a ball toward right field, but the Boujee second basewoman picked it before the damage could be done and the Cat rally ended.  Sea Kittens would need to force extra innings to bring home a title.

Bat & Boujee set up shop and quickly had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the 7th, but Jossart breathed life into the Sea Kittens with a brilliant, tumbling snag of a foul ball down the left field line to secure the first out of the inning.  The second out proved tougher to get. Boujee loaded the bases for the third time, but the unrattled Cats had been here and escaped before.  Hennessy got the ground ball he wanted but it spun quickly to his left, just beyond his sprawling effort to block it, and the game’s winning run dashed home from third and touched the black.

 

The Play in Question.

In the absence of a MSSC challenge call, Sea Kittens are left with the memory of what might have been.

 

Salmon Snacks

• All of the Sea Kittens, to get re-energized to try again next time!
• Alex was 3-4 with a 3B, 4B, 3 runs scored and 2 RBI
• Stephen was 2-3 with a 2B and 3 RBI
• Man-Aaron made that freakin’ *CATCH*
• Katie was freakin’ SAFE
• Another round for everybody- the Cats played a heckuva game against a team that played a heckuva game
• Aa-Lo for the big 2-out triple

 

 

 

 

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!  

Next Up

The Cats are slated to start 2024 ball on Thursday April 18, 2024!

Game Notes

• Sea Kittens are now 2-7 all-time in Championship games; 2-1 in three MSCR chances, 0-2 in Harmony Tournament, and 0-4 in MSSC.
• Sea Kittens and Bat & Boujee are tied 3-3 in their all-time matchups