Tropical Heat Withers Cats

Days have passed since the contest concluded, but time won’t change the outcome.  Sea Kittens (1-1-1, Madison Sport & Social Club Thursday- Upper) fell 12-7 to league front-runners Fingers Don’t Lose (4-0) on a steamy summer evening at Bowman Park July 7.  The Cats started slowly and once again tried to rally at the end, but it was too little, too late, as the Hawaiian-shirt clad cruised to victory.

Sea Kittens -playing without outfielder Alex “Puma” Latzka and shortstop Dan DynamOele- showed the depth and flexibility within their roster in the game showing against the talented FDL, which has yet to lose in 2022 under either of its incarnations (Thirsty Thursday Enthusiasts in Spring were 8-0).  The game was the 200th in Sea Kitten history, but with the late start and oppressive humidity, was played with little fanfare.  The mosquitos created the only buzz on the Cats’ bleachers for much of the contest.

Still, the two teams played a tight 1-0 contest through the first two-and-a-half innings, with FDL holding the razor-thin advantage.  The Sea Kitten defense played splendidly, while Fingers Don’t Lose played a step better than that.  In each of the first three innings, Sea Kittens managed one baserunner, and in both the second and third innings that baserunner was erased by the next batter.

Zen Master Rowe with one of the few early-game offensive highlights.

The game changed in the bottom of the 5th, and FDL plated two runs and put runners on first and second with one out.  The next batter hit a soft line drive to the right of second base, which Roadrunner Hauer appeared to pick just before it hit the ground, and after a moment’s confusion on the infield, tossed to first to double off the runner who had broken for second.  But Umpire Dave ruled the ball had been trapped against the ground, and his opinion carries final judgement; the toss to first was behind the batter-runner, and so what might have been a double play  became bases loaded and one out.  The Fingers’ side took advantage of the opportunity and played three more runs, breaking the game open with a 6-0 advantage.

The Cats answered with a two-run home run from Slash Grutzik in the top of the fourth, but FDL responded with a three-spot of its own to extend the lead to 9-2, and lengthened it once again in the fifth, outscoring Los Gatitos 2-1 to make the game 11-3.

Never a bunch to surrender, the Cats’ defense made short work of FDL in the 6th to extend the game to a seventh and final inning.  Zen Master Rowe opened with a trademark hustle double, and one out later scampered home on a hit from Sweet Thing Harkins.  Finally the Sea Kitten offense started to find green grass, and Hauer, Grutzik, and Mama Cat O’Brien rapped hits to close the gap to 12-7 and put runners on the corners for Joe Hennessy.  Hennessy took a swing at a 5-run homer but didn’t get all of it, flying out to center field to end the game…

…except upon review, there were only two outs in the inning.  No idea how that happened, but it did.  No one- no one in the field, not Umpire Dave, no one on the Kitten bench- realized there were only two out, and so the book closed, and the story ended. Or did it?  Will the Kittens face Goliath again?  Do Fingers *sometimes* lose, just not this night?  Stay tuned!

Salmon Snacks

• Brad hid leadoff fir the first time since July 31, 2019, and delivered 3 hits, 2 RBI, and scored 2 runs
• Hilary for her unflappable and flawless game in left field
• Stephen for going 3-4 with a 2B, HR, and 3 RBI
• Erin & Dave also each reached base 3 times- 2 hits and a walk for each
• Stephen & Erin for a nice double play in the 6th
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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 Stephen, who won last week’s for his leaping grab at third base.

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Game Notes

• Seven runs was Sea Kittens’ lowest run total since a 10-7 loss to Thunder Buddies September 28, 2021, a span of 16 games
• At least one Sea Kitten has drawn a walk in 15 consecutive games, the second-longest stretch in club history.  The team could match the record (16)- set between May 31 and September 20, 2017- next week.
• Stephen ended the teams’ 7-game homerless drought, the longest stretch since an 8-game streak in 2015
  • The run he scored on that homer was his 50th as a Sea Kitten- in only 93 plate appearances!
• Through 200 games, Sea Kittens have amassed a 107-92-1 record- the team was 41-59 in its first 100, and 66-33-1 in its second 100.