The Pup takes it all in- the first slowpitch softball game of his life!
Sea Kittens (4-1) pounced on an unsuspecting and unprepared Driftless Renovations (3-2) squad at Olbrich Park June 30, gashing the opponent for 10 runs in the first inning on the way to a 17-2, 5-inning mercy rule victory. The win gave the Cats’ unofficial title of MSCR Kenosha League first-half champion, non-Silver Eagle division.
Pitcher Joe Hennessy came out dealing in the top of the first, setting Driftless down 1-2-3 for his 8th consecutive scoreless inning of the season. Taking its first turn at the plate, the Cats followed a leadoff walk to the Polish Puma with four consecutive base hits to jump to a quick 3-0 lead. Six more consecutive baserunners with one out extended the advantage to 8-0, and with two down Hennessy and Mama Cat O’Brien each knocked an RBI single to make it 10-0, matching the biggest first-inning outburst in Sea Kitten history.
The Pup’s first at-bat, hit, and RBI!
Playing without 5 regulars, Sea Kittens went deep into the reserve well, and recalled Sweet Thing Harkins from the injured list for his first action of 2021, enlisted the services of All Day Kendra Haight and Slash Grutzik, and signed rookie Joe “The Pup” Bevington to his first one-day contract. Even with the mix of regulars & call-ups the Cats’ defense operated with precision and pizazz, and through three innings had held Driftless scoreless and limited to two hits.
Driftless finally broke through in the 4th, scoring two runs with two out to end Hennessy’s scoreless innings streak at 10, but by the end of the inning Sea Kittens had built a 13-2 advantage behind Dan DynamOele’s team-leading 6th & 7th home runs of the season.
“Let’s not go crazy and end this early- we want to try to play 7!”
-Mama Cat O’Brien
Precariously close to ending the game by 15-run mercy rule entering the bottom of the 5th, the Cats tried to slow their torrid hitting pace, but ball after ball found open grass and six straight one-out Sea Kitten hits put O’Brien on 3rd base with Oele at the plate and Sea Kittens up by 14. Bidding for his third homer of the game, Oele came up short, but Mama Cat tagged up and dashed home with the game-ending run.
Tags up from third on fly ball to end game.
-Also Mama Cat O’Brien
Sea KittensResults
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driftless | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Sea Kittens | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 17 |
Driftless
| AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | SF | IP | RA | WK | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sea Kittens
| Player | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | SF | IP | RA | WK | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex The Puma Latzka | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mama Cat O’Brien | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Hennessy | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Jami “Roadrunner” Hauer | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dan DynamOele | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Shoes Hewitt | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stephen “Slash” Grutzik | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kristin Brown | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sweet Thing Harkins | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendra All Day Haight | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Pup | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 34 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Salmon Snacks
- Joe, Kendra, Stephen & Brad for making it all possible by subbing!
- And Joe B fielded cleanly in both the outfield & infield in the first slowpitch softball game of his life!
- Dan keeps snackin’ away, going 3-3 with 2HR, & 5 RBI
- Kristin for her hot shot single down the line
- Erin for her 3rd 3-hit game of the season
- Laura for calling a brilliant game behind the plate
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!
Congrats to Alex for winning the Week 4 Great Fillet for his first career grand slam.
What's your choice for Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the (post) game?
- I throw my vote away voting for the opposition candidate. (0%, 0 Votes)
- The Pup's bare-handed grab of a foul ball that threatened Schultzy Oele & bebe after the game!e (100%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 1
Next Up
Sea Kittens (4-1) next play July 7 in a 6:30 PM rematch with Silver Eagle (5-0). This time the Cats look to have even MORE more fun than the other team, will try to score 10+ runs again, and maybe to keep the game within 10.Game Notes
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- It was only the second 10+ run first inning in Sea Kitten 174-game history- the other time? Game #2, on June 9, 2010 when the Cats hung 10 on Lombardino’s in a 13-8 win.
- 15 batters are the most Sea Kittens to ever bat in the first inning
- The first inning was the 14th 10+ run inning in Cats’ history (the biggest was a 15-run 6th in a 19-7 come-from-behind win vs. Steal Your Base July 5, 2017)
- The 17 runs are the most Sea Kittens have ever scored without hitting any doubles
- It’s the first time the Kits have scored 10+ runs in 5 consecutive summer league games
- Sea Kittens’ 68 runs ties the most the team has ever scored in the first 5 games of a summer season (2012 & 2016)
- Driftless Renovations formerly played under the Affordable Quality HVAC and Wilson’s monikers; Sea Kittens now have a 4-3 advantage in the series. The previous 6 contests were all decided by 5 runs or fewer.
- Erin is the first Sea Kitten woman to have three 3-hit games in a single season!
- Dan is the first Sea Kitten to have three 2-HR games in a single season (and now has 7 for his career; Alex has 4, Joe has 3, Mercury Stevens 2, and Kyle, Stephen, and Josh Ghena each have 1)
- And Dan’s last 5 games before Harper’s imminent arrival have been epic: he re-wrote the book for most RBI (16; old mark was also Dan’s, with 16 in 2016) and HR (7; topping Joe’s 4 in 2018) in the first 5 games of any summer season, and tied his own record for runs scored (9, for the fourth consecutive season)
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