Gaurav Mowed Through the Ham Slams En Route to a 4-2 Victory
The Ham Slams were welcomed to the EWL opening day by Downtown Bobby Brown, who rode Gaurav’s arm and free agent acquisition Helal’s bat to a 4-2 victory.
Downtown Bobby Brown, formerly Pumice on Slow!, struggled in 2011, winning only 3 games before being swept by the Caucasians in the first round of the playoffs. With a new team name and some new faces, they looked to turn a new page in the 2012 EWL season.
The Ham Slams, new to the EWL, prepare for their first game in franchise history
The Ham Slams, the EWL’s newest franchise, are the league’s youngest team but also carry the most expansive roster with at least 7 players. They showed promise in their first game, but fell short as a reinvigorated Bobby Brown kept their bats in check.
The Slams put Alec on the mound to throw their first pitch in franchise history, and he instantly developed a signature pitch. His pitching motion involves stopping his arm completely prior to releasing the ball, and it helped him get off on the right foot in the first inning. He retired Helal and Gaurav in order for a scoreless first.
Gaurav, the staff ace from 2011, started for Downtown. He looked to be in midseason form, as the Slams struggled to make solid contact. The Slams first two batters, Anthony and Adam, each flew out to Gaurav at the mound and the game was tied 0-0 through one.
Alec got Mark for the first out in the top of the second, but then Downtown started a rally. Brad singled, and moved to second when his wife, Holly, followed with a single of her own. With two runners on and one out, Helal crushed a pitch to deep center field for a three-run blast, breaking the scoreless tie and putting Bobby Brown ahead 3-0. Alec minimized the damage, retiring Gaurav for the second out of the inning.
Helal’s first career hit was a three-run bomb that put Downtown Bobby Brown ahead 3-0 early
Gaurav continued to roll in the bottom half of the second. After retiring Evan himself, Alec singled for the first hit in Ham Slams franchise history. But Gaurav stranded him at first, getting Quinn to fly out to the mound. Gaurav personally retired the first four Ham Slams.
Alec settled down in the top of the third, as he retired the Lentz brothers, Mark and Brad, in order.
The Slams couldn’t crack into Bobby Brown’s lead in the bottom of the third. Gaurav got Anthony to groundout to Brad in left, followed by Adam grounding out to the pitcher’s mound.
Up 3-0, Downtown Bobby Brown added an insurance run in the top of the fourth. Holly singled for her second consecutive at-bat and moved to second when Helal grounded out to center. With one out and a runner in scoring position, Gaurav helped himself by driving in Holly with a single, making the score 4-0. It looked like Alec dug himself a hole when Mark followed with a single, pushing Gaurav to second, and then Brad singled, loading the bases with one out. Holly came to the plate 2 for 2, but couldn’t capitalize on the bases loaded opportunity, when Anthony caught a foul ball in deep right field to end the inning.
The Slams continued to struggle at the plate in the bottom of the fourth. Evan and Alec were both retired by Brad in left field, and Gaurav had allowed only one hit through four.
Downtown didn’t add to their lead in the top of the fifth, as Helal and Gaurav were retired in order.
After a shaky start on the mound, Alec settled down allowing only 1 run over the final 4.5 innings
The Ham Slams finally manufactured some offense in the bottom of the fifth, cutting into the four run deficit. TJ led off the inning with a single, and scored from first when Anthony followed with an RBI triple. Adam kept the rally going, when he drove in Anthony with a single, and the Slams had cut the score to 4-2 with no outs. Evan came to the plate with a runner at first, but Gaurav continued to shine. He completed a double play, retiring Evan and Adam, ending the inning and the threat.
Anthony’s triple in the bottom of the fifth put the Slams on the board for the first time
Mark started the top of the sixth with a single, but Alec held the Downtown lead at 2 runs, retiring Brad and Holly and stranding the runner at first.
Down two runs, Alec led off the bottom of the sixth by grounding out to center field. The Slams turned to the bench, inserting Charlie in as a pinch hitter. He doubled in his first career at bat, putting a runner in scoring position with one out. But the Slams couldn’t plate a run, as Gaurav retired Anthony, giving Downtown Bobby Brown the 4-2 victory.
W: Gaurav (1-0)
L: Alec (0-1)
Game Notes:
– Alec threw the first pitch and recorded the first hit in Ham Slams franchise history, which TJ scored the first run and Anthony delivered the first RBI
– Helal’s 3-run homer in the second was the only long ball in the game
– Gaurav pitched the complete game victory for Bobby Brown, allowing only 5 hits in 6 innings while recording 7 putouts
Leave a Reply