Playing a second straight home date, Sea Kittens recorded two quick outs to open the game, but had trouble recording out number three against their rivals in both the first and second innings, with AQ notching six two-out runs across the two frames. After two straight sub-par offensive performances to open the season, the Sea Kittens were ready to respond this night.
Zen Master David Rowe opened the Sea Kitten first with one of his trademark hustle doubles, lacing a hit to left and taking advantage of a deep-playing left fielder. Mama cat O’Brien flicked a single to left to score Rowe, and after scampering to third ahead of a Jess Schultz double, came home on a Joe Hennessy single. Schultz scored on a Dan Dynam-Oele groundout, and Hennessy came home on a Laura Hewitt infield single- her first of four hits and three runs batted in.
Back-to-back doubles and excellent baserunning from Jess Schmitz, a Bottomfeeder filling in for three absent Sea Kitten women, and Man-Aaron Jossart-put the Cats in position to score two more runs in the bottom of the second. The game marked Jossart’s return as a Sea Kitten regular after a 3-year hiatus- the curly-haired boy started 30 games for the Cats between 2011-2013.
With a late-night start time, Hennessy took the mound for the second straight week, a managerial decision made to try to keep the sometimes blurry-visioned pitcher away from artificial light in the outfield. And while AQ struck the ball well and scored their runs, Hennessy delivered, striking out six and walking one while nibbling at the edges of the strike zone like it was the lastdelicious buttery cracker in the box.
The score tied 6-6 after two innings, both teams’ defenses settled as the teams traded zeroes in the third. AQ jumped to its third lead of the night with two runs in the top of the fourth, but Los Gatitos responded to the challenge, sending 14 batters to the plate while romping around the bases for seven runs and a commanding 13-8 lead.
As the later innings progressed, tension mounted. The Cats pitched a zero again in the 5th, but could not extend the lead and followed the big rally by going down meekly 1-2-3 their next time up. AQ applied pressure, punching the ball solidly around the diamond for four runs in the 6th, but the Cats landed on their feet, halting the charge while still clawing to a 13-12 advantage.
Sea Kittens mounted its own 2-out rally in the bottom of the sixth, with Oele and Hewitt delivering huge run-scoring singles. Really huge hits- maybe the biggest of the night- to give the Cats insurance runs and a 15-12 lead. Hennessy recorded two quick outs in the seventh before the AQ pitcher drove a hard liner to the right-center gap, shooting it past Jossart. The CHB responded quickly, hit his cut-off man (ahem, Mercury Stevens) Kyle Magyera, who turned and fired a seed to Oele at third to nab the greedy baserunner and end the game with an exclamation point
Game notes
- 12 runs is the most Sea Kittens have allowed in a victory since June 30, 2012, when they beat Royals 14-13, a week after topping UffDa! 13-12. The team record for runs allowed in a victory is 14, set in a pair of 15-14 wins over Floyd & Donna’s Packer Inn in 2010.
- Brad’s sacrifice fly was the first for the Sea Kittens in a league game since May 18, 2016, when Dave and Kyle each had one. Dave also hit one during the 2016 Harmony Tournament.
- Laura became the 7th Sea Kitten woman to record 4 hits in a game, and it was only the 6th time a SK woman has notched 4 or more hits without making an out. Through last night’s game, Sea Kitten women have played a total of 660 games.
- Next up for Sea Kittens is another Harmony team- Soft’s Balls (3-1). There will be familiar faces across the diamond, as members of this squad were contributors to the One Hit Wonders who topped Sea Kittens 8-6 in the 2016 Harmony tournament final and Foul Balls, who scored 7 runs in the 5th & final inning in a 19-16 win over the Cats 9-28-2016- the only blemish on the 2016 Kittens’ fall record.
Sea Kitten 4-hit wonder women Erin O’Brien 6-6, 8/26/2010, in a 30-7 win over Bombers Gretchen Hansen 4-6, 5/16/2012, in a 21-6 win over Team Leah Erin O’Brien 4-4, 7/23/2014, in a 20-10 win over Bou Crew- the game that ended The Schneid! Heidi Nelson 4-4, 8/17/2014, in a 13-24 loss to Harmony Dogs in Harmony Tourney semifinals Jess Schultz 4-5, 5/18/2016, in a 32-2 win over Beckett Tax Laura Hewitt, 4-4, 6/7/2017, in a 15-12 win over Affordably Quality Heating & AC Subs: Emily Schmitz 4-4, 8/9/2014 in a 8-9 loss to Baltimore Factorioles Diana Guzman 4-4, 10/5/2016, in a 34-11 win over Steal Your Base …in short, when a Sea kitten woman gets 4 hits, the team is 6-2 and averages 21.6 runs/ game!
Salmon Snacks
- Sea Kittens for shake, shake, shaking off a few miscues and
coming from behind three times in the game
Laura for her 4-4, 3 RBI effort, plus taking another ball off a limb (wrist this time), and also completing a nice 4-3 put-outon a hard grounder Dave & Brad for drawing short straws and having to split aspot in the lineup, but going a collective 2-3 with 2 @B, 2 R,2 RBI, and a sac flyJess Schmitz for filling in at the last minute!Aaron for making his return to the Kits, doubling his first AB,and gathering an outfield assist to end the ballgame!Katherine for a sweet body-grab of a foul ball at home plate,and for returning the ball to Joe every time he tossed it at her.Dan, Joe, Jess Schultz, & Erin for 3-hit efforts, plus 6 runs scored and 7 RBIPotter for scorekeeping a 9:15 gameJosh for getting some solid bat on the ball!Dave & Erin for turning a nice 6-3 double playAaron-Kyle-Dan for the relay for RCF to end the ballgame