Curtis, teaching Boom Boom The Gesture.
Harmony Sea Kittens enjoyed a successful return to MSCR Monroe League action, opening up a tight game late and cruising past Steal Your Base 18-8 under a Strawberry Moon and in a cloud of newly hatched mosquitoes at Olbrich Park. The victory was Sea Kittens’ sixth consecutive win over SYB, but the 10-run differential marks the closest match during that streak. With the win, Harmony moved to 2-0 in second-half Monroe league play (4-1 overall), while Steal Your Base fell to (0-2, 2-3).
The teams traded volleys early, with both sides putting a handful of runs on the board but unable to sustain a rally, and both squandering bases-loaded opportunities. Each squad’s starting pitcher- Zen Master Rowe for Harmony and Sherri for SYB notched big strikeouts to keep their respective opponents in check. After Sherri dispatched Los Gatitos 1-2-3 in the first, the SYB offense got to work, loading the bases and scoring a run with one out behind a pair of walks and singles. Unflapped as always, the unflappable Zenster induced a dribbler in front of home and forced out the incoming Stealer with an easy flip to Ropes Curtis. Curtis casually relayed the ball back to Rowe, who casually relayed the ball to Dan Dynam-Oele at third, who was casually altering Rowe of the casual approach of the advancing Steal Your base runner. Rarely has this observer of the game witnessed such a laid back 1-2-1-5 inning-ending double play.
Joe Hennessy opened the Kitten second with a bloop to left-center, and taking advantage of a little SYB defensive misalignment, (quickly) snuck all the way to third on the hit, as any sneaky little cat would. Mama Cat O’Brien brought him home with a productive ground out to knot the game at 1-1. Oele followed with a double, and Boom Boom Magyera knocked a 2-out double to give Harmony a 2-1 advantage, but the mini-rally stalled there.
Steal Your Base got back to work in the second, placing runners on first and second with one out, but the Kittens wiggled out of the jam with a fielder’s choice and an inning-ending whiff.
With one out in the top of the third, the Badger (Nelson) and Roadrunner (Hauer) attacked, lashing back-to-back singles to set the table for the Sea Kitten offense. Rowe singled to load the bases, and Laura “Red Shoes” Hewitt delivered a run-scoring infield hit to extend the Sea kitten lead to 3-1. Hennessy knocked a sharp single through the 5-6 hole to plate two more, and the Kitten offense looked ready to post a big inning. Alas, the Basers’ athletic shortstop picked off a Mama Cat line drive ticketed for center field before it could reach its destination, and after Oele singled to re-load the bases, Sherri induced a foul out to end the threat.
A walk and a blast later, Steal Your Base was right back in the game, cutting its deficit to 5-3 after their shortstop clubbed a two-run home run with two out in the bottom half of the third. The Sea Kitten offense answered right back, tallying a run on consecutive singles from Boom Boom Magyera, Curtis, and Sweet Thing Harkins and then two more on a clutch two-out, no-doubt double from Rowe.
The Basers responded yet again, notching a run behind a double and laser-beam triple, but the Cats’ defense held that runner at third- Mama Cat’s handling of a grounder hugging the first-base line being key- and Harmony entered the fifth with an 8-4 advantage.
Hennessy opened the Kitten fifth with a bloop double almost as generous as the earlier “triple,” and when O’Brien hustled to beat out an infield single, it set the stage for Oele to ignite the fireworks. he obliged, depositing the ball well beyond the left-field fence for what appeared to be a game-breaking three run home run and 11-4 Harmony lead. But Sherri set down the next three Sea Kitten hitters, and for the umpteenth time SYB battled its way back into the ball game, plating a run on a well-placed single into the 5-6-7 Bermuda Triangle and three more on a mammoth two-out, three-run homer from their star shortstop.
With the scoreboard registering a slim 11-8 Harmony advantage and the game clock ticking, the umpire declared the 6th would be the game’s final inning.
A triple is a Sweet Thing.
Perhaps feeling a bit nervous about that, the Cats’ offense set out to collect some addition insurance runs. Sweet Thing opened the frame with a booming triple to left-center, and trotted home when Heidibadger ripped a single to right. Roadrunner and Zen Master followed with hits to load the bases, and the Kittens were purring with delight. Red Shoes squibbed one to the left of the mound, and with the Badger released on contact SYB’s only play was a force at third. Advantage 13-8, Sea Kittens. Finally adjusting to Sherri’s short, inside attack, Hennessy dug in and cracked a line-drive homer to pad the lead to a more comfortable eight runs, completing a somewhat sketchy cycle* in the process. And if that were not the proverbial dagger, Mama cat followed with an eye-opening triple to the right-center fence, and after Oele beat out a hard grounder to third, Schultzy Schultz blasted a two-run double to the left-center wall.
There was no Steal your Base answer for *that.* After a single to open the bottom of the 6th, the Cats set down the next three, Rowe punctuating the win with a game-ending strikeout.
Game Notes
The Kittens’ offense continued its free-swinging ways, and has now sent a record 195 consecutive batters to the plate without drawing a walk. The last time a Sea Kitten walked was in the team’s win over South Side Badgers September 27, 2017 when Dan took a free pass in the 6th inning.
Joe joined Dan in two exclusive clubs by homering in his 4th consecutive game (Dan did so between June 13, 2016- July 15, 2016) and by completing a cycle*, matching the feat the Dynamo accomplished October 19, 2016 in a 21-5 win over Infield Flies. the bloop nature of two of Joe’s hits will necessitate the continued use of an asterisk, however.
In the course of Harmony’s 6-game winning streak over Steal Your Base, the teams have only played the 6th inning four times, and never the 7th. In those four 6th innings, Sea Kittens have posted 8, 6, 15, and 7 runs.
Sea Kittens overcame an inauspicious beginning: before this game, when the team has been held scoreless in the first inning it had posted a 14-27 record (0.341 W%). On the flip side, when Sea Kits keep their opponents off the scoreboard in the 1st, their winning percentage is 0.627 (32-19)
Jess has established a new career high for RBI in a season, topping the 6 she recorded in fall, 2017
The triple was Erin’s first since October 5, 2016, when she also burned Steal Your Base for a three-bagger
Brad’s last triple came June 15, 2016
The last time Sea Kittens tripled twice in a game was when Dave did it single-handedly in a a 20-3 Harmony Tournament win over Relics.; in MSCR play it hasn’t happened since October 19, 2015.
The Sea Kitten outfield recorded zero putouts in the game, on zero opportunities. All the SYB outs came by groundout or strikeout
Salmon Snacks
Jami playing through her toe-jam injury- really, she jammed her toe into a brick, and passersby were amazed by the amount of blood and collecting two big hits
Erin & Jess for the booming extra-base his
The outfielders, to help them stay alert
Dan for a 4-4 night at the plate, with a 2B, HR and 3 RBI
Dave, Katherine, (Dave), and Dan for that brilliant 1-2-1-5 double play
Katherine for a solid (and very informative) game behind the plate
Heidi for a 2-3 night at the plate, with an RBI and pair of runs scored
Joe for a very quiet cycle*
Laura & Kyle for for a nice game in the middle infield, recording a number of force outs. Extra props to Laura for being able to find the dirt-covered, camouflaged bag late in the game
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SYB
