Special Recognition to the Following……. First Game Ball: James Sammarco. Long live the King! With my write up last week, I put in a "no win" situation. The home-run guaranty is tough to live up to. Did James shrink from the challenge? Did he go quietly into that good night?........Hell No! Bottom of the 5th inning and the Ball Busters clinging to a 3-1 lead, the Staten Island kid steps up to the plate and smashes a 3-run home run! 6-1 Bachrach lead and the Ball Busters never looked back. Hail the Conquering Hero!!! Cy Young Game Ball: Allan Ageman. Coming off a 3 run performance the previous week, Allan raised his game to a new level. In one of the best pitching performance I have ever seen, Allan held the opposition, a formidable team stoked with great hitters, to one measly run. An unearned run at that! To pitch a 12 to 14 foot arc as consistently as he did was remarkable. Getting most over for strikes. He struck out 5 batters. Allan had defensive help for sure, but he kept us in the game until King James iced it. Outstanding Allan! Defensive Game Ball: Kelly Lepore. Kelly got her groove back last night!! Not only did she hit like an All-Star but her contribution at 3rd base was nothing short of game saving! With Allan doing his best to nurse a 3-1 lead, Kelly made play after play at third base. One in particular stands out. Top of the 5th inning; score 3-1 and runners on first and second with 2 outs and their best hitter up who can also run like the wind. He hits a rocket down the third base line. Kelly backhands the ball and throws a rocket of her own to Nick at first. If she doesn't make that play we probable lose the lead. Instead, inning was over, Allan was out of a jam and King James was coming to the plate! See above! Bravo Kelly Thurman Munson Game Ball: Lauren Haak and Alex Roth. Behind every great pitcher stands a great catcher. We have two! Let’s face it, catching SUCKS! Especially for a women. You have some over-weight, baseball wannabe right up your butt, breathing down your neck and some guy in front of you waving a metal or aluminum club. Not an enviable position to be in (all jokes aside). Then when you finally get to make a play at the plate and someone else takes the throw for you. It is the most overlooked position on the field. Not today. Lauren and Alex did a superb job yesterday doing the small things that always go overlooked, they provided Allan a great target to pitch to, threw the ball back to Allan directly after every pitch so he could keep his rhythm and most importantly, kept Allan from a meltdown when he was protecting a two run lead for most of the game last night. These are the small things that allow a team to win. The both of you did this seamlessly last night!! Bravo ladies!! Charlie Hustle Game Ball: Scott Hechler. The wind in central park last night was created by the legs of Mr. Hechler. Heeding advice from last week, Haggy ran the bases with reckless abandon. He hustled on every play and did not stop to admire any of his hits. It would have helped if he got on base but the effort was there and should be recognized. Keep running like that Scotty-boy and good things will happen. Well done, Scott! I was Dissed Last Week Game Ball: Evan Price. Still nursing a bruised ego from my lack of recognition of his contributions “On the field” last week, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pat Evan on the back for a job well done. Still hampered by a disgusting leg injury, Evan was relegated to DH duties. When we needed an insurance run in the last couple of innings, Evan came through with a deep drive to right field that put the final nail in the coffin. Limping to first base there was vindication in his smile… Bravo, Evan. Hitting Game Balls: Oliver, Scott, Nick. Oliver got us going with a 3-run homer in the first inning that set the tone for the Ball Busters and established our lead. No one was happier than our one fan last night (Oliver’s Father)!! Nick returned to action last night after a one game hiatus to put on an exceptional hitting display that secured his place in the lineup and giving us a formidable top of the order to be reckoned with. Scott did nothing to detract from his MVP status by Going 3 for 3 and being involved in every scoring opportunity we took advantage of. Bravo Boys! Coming of Age Game Ball: Elizabeth Law and Ali McGlincy. Ali is graduating from “Average Softballer” to “Superstar Status” and Ellie is graduating from “What is softball?” to “Player on a Mission” status. Ali’s presence on the field is felt every play. She knows every situation and exactly what to do when the ball is hit to her. It’s a comfort to any manager to know you have a player like Ali who is always in the zone. Ellie’s determination and grace on the outfield is evident to all. She even caught a ball last night. Too bad it was in warm-ups!! Regardless, she darted around the field last night like a shooting star!! She had a fierce look of determination on her face and acted as if she belongs. She does!! Bravo Ladies Fan Appreciated Game Ball: Apollo Hernandez!!! Oliver’s father not only showed up last night in full Yankee regalia but rooted for his son’s team like we actually were the New York Yankees. His support for us was genuine and he had his “Proud Papa” moment when Oliver got us on the score boarded with his homerun. He promised to return for the next game and I really hope he does!!! Okay, that’s it. Our next game, next week is a Friday night game at 5:30 in the North Meadow in Central Park field 9. Weather permitting, perhaps we can gather a few fans for that one and celebrate our victory in some watering hole after the game. Just a suggestion… The Ball Buster’s are on a roll. Let the word go forth! It was great to be part of the fun last night in the Park!!! Jeff I am lazy today and just got in and really don't feel like filing a report. I will just add notes and quotesThe Franchise Notes and quotes:Richard "The Boss" Bachrach was once again absent from last nights game as he was scouting some new talent for the playoff push. Currently the boss looks like a genius for firing the Trash Mouth Ali McGlincy as manager and replacing her with the Freight Train Jeff McLaughlin. Jeff has missed two games but when he is present the BallBusters are 5-1 and he has solidified his grasp on the club and on the third base coaching spot, where he is yet to have a runner thrown out at the plate, when asked about playing for the Freight Train Allan "Rubber Arm" Ageman had this to say, "You just want to play for the guy." A stirring endorsement indeed. Rumors are flying the Elizabeth "Law and Order" is angling to move up in the lineup to get more quality at bats. Alex "lets get a drink after the game" Roth forgot her sneakers and was late to the field after stopping home, Oliver MAYS wa salso late to the field, coincidence, probably, but still fun to contemplate!
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