Kittens Go Gently into that Good Night

Harmony Sea Kittens (4-6) laid its 2019 season to rest peacefully last Wednesday night, solemnly processing through a 7-4 loss to Run Like Mad (6-4).  After a tantalizing 3-0 start to the season, Sea Kittens lost six of seven games; a stretch being described as “The Scuffle” by writers as old-timers feel disturbing memories of The Schneid stir within their souls. Run Like Mad greeted Sea Kitten starting pitcher David “Zen Master” Rowe with back-to-back hits to open the game and jumped to a 1-0 lead, but Rowe settled and stopped the damage there, stranding two baserunners as he and the Cats ended the inning. A week after posting its lowest run total in four years, the Sea Kitten offense opened this contest with a bit of a flurry, scoring two runs (two-thirds of its seven-inning total the previous week) on a two out double from 2019 team batting champ Dynamo Dan Oele.  Alas, the rally fizzled when Oele was cut down at the plate attempted to score from second on Jess Schultzy Oele’s follow-up single. A leadoff homer in the second tied the game for RLM, and neither team would scuff the plate again until the fourth inning, when the visitors jumped to a 4-2 lead.  Once again Oele & Oele sparked a Sea Kitten rally, with Dan walking and Jess singling.  With two out, Mr. Oele dashed home on a late, errant throw to first on an infield hit from Laura “Red Shoes” Hewitt, and Bradley “Sweet Thing” Harkins brought home Mrs. Oele and tied the game with a laser double to center. Once again, RLM answered with a leadoff homer in the next half-inning to retake the lead, and then tacked on two two-out insurance runs to extend its advantage to 7-4.  By this time, the Sea Kitten offense could not rage against the dying of the light, and collected but one walk and one hit (immediately erased by a double play) over the game- and season’s- final three innings.

Next Up

MSCR Summer season is complete, but the Sea Kittens will be back in action Sunday August 18 at Olbrich park for the Annual Harmony Tournament.  Sea Kittens games are scheduled: Noon vs. Grits 2 PM vs. Royals 4 PM vs. Dogs

Game Notes

• With a 4-6 finish, Sea Kittens suffered its first losing summer season since going 1-9 in 2014
• Sea Kittens allowed more runs (125) than in any previous season, which is kind of remarkable.
• The game was the 100th summer league game in team history.  The Cats are 53-47 in summer league play.
• Joe went 0-2, and saw his team-record hitting streak halted at 77 games. He hadn’t been held hitless in a game since going 0-2 September 24, 2014- a game in which he walked in his final plate appearance.  He hadn’t been kept off the bases via walk or hit since August 19, 2013, a span of 98 games.
  • Dan has the current longest hitting streak, at 72 games
  • Dave had a 46-game streak (third-longest in team history) halted earlier this season
  • Erin 20 (2014-2015) and Jess 18 (2016-17) have the two longest streaks among Sea Kitten women

    SK active hitting streaks	Games
    Dan DynamOele	72
    Jonny Jon Jon Shabidu Hansen, Jr.*	22
    Andy Mercury Stevens	18
    Disco Nick Legler*	14
    Tommy Tom Tom Seahorse Shabidu Cichosz, Jr.*	12
    Doc Kornis*	10
    Helen Boo Rabbit Bradley	9
    Alex Puma Latzka	9
    Smokin’ Joe Litchfield*	7
    Detroit Josh Ghena*	6
    David Zen Master Rowe	6
    Kyle Boom Boom Magyera	5
    Katherine Sunshine Curtis	4
    Jess Schultzy Oele	4
    Jami Roadrunner Hauer	3
    Heidibadger Nelson*	2
    Meghan MeWi Williams*	2
    Laura Red Shoes Hewitt	2
    *retired on top

• Helen’s 0.560 batting average is the second-best mark posted by a Sea Kitten woman, trailing only Erin’s 0.632 in 2015.  Helen (2019), Jami (2018), and Erin (2015) are the only three women to hit 0.500 or better for the Cats for a full summer season.
• Dan’s 0.833 batting average is the second-highest summer league BA in team history, trailing only the 0.853 he hit in 2018
  • Dan also notched 20 or more hits for the fourth straight summer; Joe is the only other Sea Kitten to even have back-to-back 20-hit seasons (2012-13)
• For the second straight season Alex tied the team record for triples (4)  Joe hit 4 in 2013, Alex hit 4 in 2018 & 2019.

Salmon Snacks

• Alex for a fine catch crashing into the fence.  His mom was impressed!
• Dan & Jess for two-hit games.  They had almost as many hits as the rest of the team combined!
• Sea Kittens for having fun throughout the night
• Brad & Laura for big two-out hits to tie the game in the 4th

Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the Game

The Great Fillet is being awarded by acclimation this week, to Alex for jumping up against the fence to make a catch in center field in the 6th.