May 19, 2010, after being washed out in the first two scheduled games in team history, Sea Kittens trotted onto the field to tussle with Jackalopes in its first-ever MSCR league game. Founded on the principle that softball was going to be a lot easier on their knees than Ultimate Frisbee, co-managers Joe Hennessy and Erin O’Brien drummed up 15 other people to join them on the adventure. Some had never played softball. Some had never played a team sport. Few of the others had touched a softball in the previous 10 years. All carried unbridled enthusiasm that became The Sea Kitten Way.
Hennessy threw the first pitch in team history just after 7 PM CDT- undoubtedly a strike, or at least somewhere in the vicinity of one- and the Kitten defense worked a clean inning behind him. It would be some time before the nature of the Cats to occasionally romp enthusiastically but unsuccessfully after the ball would be revealed.
Mama Cat O’Brien- 6.5 years before she enjoined the moniker- batted first for Los Gatitos del Mar, ingloriously and anticlimactically bouncing out to pitcher, and Hansen twins Jon & Gretchen followed suit with a pop up and grounder to second, leaving the prize of first SK hit on the table, but with the team’s first inning was in the books.
JJJ Hansen leaps for a Seahorse cut-off throw from left as Doc Kornis backs up the play in 2010 Sea Kitten action
The Lopes drew first blood in the contest, scoring twice in the second, but the early deficit gave the Kits a chance to show their mettle in the face of adversity. Smokin’ Joe Litchfield led off the bottom of the second with a triple to left-center, and after a Kiersten Iovinella infield hit, Litch came home with the first-ever Sea Kitten run when Hennessy doubled to the gap. Tommy Tom Tom Seahorse Cichosz evened the score with a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and a thrilling back-and-forth contest was in the making.
Jackalopes notched a run in the third that the Kittens matched, and another two in the fourth off reliever Matt “Doc” Kornis, of which Los Gatitos could only answer one. Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, Litchfield again delivered the big hit, smoking the first-ever Sea Kitten home run to even the game at 5.
Doc and the Sea Kitten defense clamped down in the 6th, and with one out in the bottom of the inning a Seahorse single started a rally. Christie “Wheels” Balch followed the Cichosz hit with another single, and Kornis helped his own cause with a run-scoring go-ahead double. Given a chance to break the game open, Mama Cat delivered, lacing a single to right to score two runs and pad the Cat advantage at 8-5. The runs batted in were her second & third of the game.
The hit proved especially crucial as the Sea Kitten defense got a little wiggly in the 7th and allowed Jackalopes to close the gap to a single run, but Kornis notched the final out to secure the first win in Kitten history and helped propel the team to a successful 7-3 inaugural season.
Game Notes
Hennessy taking in the action, trusty scorebook in hand
Firsts:
At-bat- Erin O’Brien
Hit- Josef Litchfield
Double- Joe Hennessy
Triple- Josef Litchfield
Home run- Josef Litchfield
Run- Josef Litchfield
RBI- Joe Hennessy
Base on balls- Gretchen Hansen
Sac fly- Tom Cichosz
Pitch- Joe Hennessy
Win- Matt Kornis
At-bat of her life- Kristen Johnson
-If I recall, Litch played the game in flip flops or crocs… his metal spikes were disallowed and shoes were required
Salmon Snacks
Salmon snack for all of the Sea Kitten Originals:
Erin O’Brien, Kyle Magyera, Katherine Curtis, and Joe Hennessy- the last four active; Tommy Tom Tom Seahorse Cichosz, Gretchen “Hops” Hansen, Jonny Jon Jon Shabidu Hansen, Jr., Kiersten Iovinella, Kristen “Sparky” Johnson, Guitar Dan Kennedy, Matt “Doc” Kornis, Disco Nick Legler, Smokin’ Joe Litchfield, Kyle “Mags” Magyera (-and well, Kelly, too:-P), Beth Monaco, Christie “Wheels” Balch, and Michelle “Zoomie” Szomi. Man-Aaron Jossart and Josh Gibson Ghena also made cameos for the Kits in 2010 before joining the team as regulars in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Erin O’Brien, Kyle Magyera, Katherine Curtis, and Joe Hennessy- the last four active;
Tommy Tom Tom Seahorse Cichosz, Gretchen “Hops” Hansen, Jonny Jon Jon Shabidu Hansen, Jr., Kiersten Iovinella, Kristen “Sparky” Johnson, Guitar Dan Kennedy, Matt “Doc” Kornis, Disco Nick Legler, Smokin’ Joe Litchfield, Kyle “Mags” Magyera (-and well, Kelly, too:-P), Beth Monaco, Christie “Wheels” Balch, and Michelle “Zoomie” Szomi. Man-Aaron Jossart and Josh Gibson Ghena also made cameos for the Kits in 2010 before joining the team as regulars in 2011 and 2012, respectively.