Sea Kittens’ successful summer season (4-2-1) crashed abruptly to its end in a 13-8 first-round playoff loss to 6th-seeded Miller Low Lites (3-5-1) on August 14. A week later the Low Lites toppled second-seeded Bat & Boujee (4-2-1) before falling to top-seeded Da Hittas (8-0-0) in the league championship game.
In the playoff opener, Low Lites lit up the Cats for four runs in the top of the first inning and kept up their offensive pressure throughout the game. The Kittens battled back for three runs in the bottom of the 1st, with Megan “Slam” Salm and Joe Hennessy delivering run-scoring hits, but Miller quickly extended its lead with a deuce in the top of the second.
His team down 6-3, Braden “Gas” Furness led off the Sea Kitten 2nd with a single and scampered to third on a trademark hustle double from David “Zen Master” Rowe, setting up an RBI opportunity for David “The Ringer” Engeldinger. Engeldinger answered the call with a mammoth game-tying home run to right-center field, traveling more than 275′ while clearing the 30′ tall fence. A huge home run in any circumstance, but particularly impressive from a right-handed batter.
David’s huge three-run, game-tying homer over the tall RF fence.
But the Low Lites retaliated immediately, taking a 2-run lead in the top of the 3rd and the Sea Kittens offense stalled. Miller tacked on one more run to grab a 9-6 advantage before the Cats clawed back in the bottom of the 4th. The Zen Master started the Sea Kitten rally with a one-out single and advanced to third on The Ringer’s second double of the game. Slam grounded a hard single up the middle to bring home Rowe and set up first-and-third for The Sea Beast, John Corrigan. The Beast gave one a ride to center, deep enough to bring home Engeldinger and the Cats within one run. Josh “Rusty” Weber singled, but the rally stalled and the Low Lites still held serve.
Megan’s RBI single in the 4th
The Kittens took the field for what would be the game’s final inning, digging in for a defensive stop, but the Low Lites’ offense responded to the challenge, a home run highlighting a 4-run outburst that put Sea Kittens into a 5-run deficit.
Down to their last at-bats, the Cats put runners on first and second with one out, but the Low Lites’ defense turned a game-ending double play to secure their spot in the semifinals and end the Kits’ summer season.
Results
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Kittens | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Miller Low Lites | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
Sea Kittens
| Player | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | SF | IP | RA | WK | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zen Master Rowe | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| David “The Ringer” Engeldinger | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Megan “Slam” Salm | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Corrigan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh “Rusty” Weber | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mama Cat O’Brien | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Hennessy | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendra All Day Haight | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden “Gas” Furness | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Shoes Hewitt | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 28 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
Miller Low Lites
| 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 |
Salmon Snacks
- David was 3-3 with two doubles and a mammoth HR over the right-field chain-link monster.
- Megan for a solid 3-3 game at the plate
- Everybody for battling to the very end, and for a fun summer season
Sea Kittens Great Fillet of the Game
You didn’t have to see it to believe it. We’ll be back with the Great Fillet after the Fall Opener!
Next Up
The MSSC Fall Thursday night softball season is slated to begin August 28! Sea Kittens will square off will Hot Pitches in a 6:30 contest on Bowman Park Field 1. The game will feature the return of Slash Grutzik and Dan DynamOele to the Sea Kits kit, but will be the first roster since 2011 that will be without Zen Master Rowe.
Game Notes
- Between 2022-2024 when the Cats scored 3 or more runs in the 1st inning, they went 31-5-1
- In 2025 when scoring 3+ in the 1st, they’re 2-3
- Scoring 6+ in the first two innings, all time Sea Kittens are 65-15-1
- In 2025, they’re 3-2
- John’s 13 extra-base hits in Summer League placed him in a tie for 7th on the Cats’ all-time list. he joins Joe, Dan DynamOele, and Andy “Mercury” Stevens as the only players with as many as 13 XBH in a single season
- He ties Joe for second-most in an MSSC season, trailing only Dan’s 15 in Fall 2022