Vassallo led the Sticks offensively, going 3-4 with 2 doubles, a home run and 2 RBI
One week after the Caucasians rallied from six runs down to beat the Fish Sticks in the season opener, the Sticks hit Guthrie hard and rode Dinger’s arm to a 6-1 win.
The Sticks fell behind early when Morrison, the first batter of the game, hit a leadoff homer to left-center, putting the Caucasians up 1-0. It would be the only run they scored in the game. The next batter, Ron, flew out to the mound, but Guthrie followed with a single. Dinger held the damage at a single run, however, by getting Les to groundout to left for the second out of the inning.
Morrison hit a leadoff homer to deep left in the top of the first, putting the Caucasians up 1-0
Guthrie got off to a good start in the bottom half of the first, as Dinger and Joey were retired in order for a scoreless inning.
Frosty, making his season debut for the Caucasians, led off the second inning by grounding out to Dinger at the mound. Morrison followed with his second hit of the game, a one-out single, but was stranded at first when Ron flew out to Dinger for the second out of the inning.
The Sticks got on the board quick in the bottom of the second, as Vassallo led off the inning with a solo shot to left, tying the game at 1-1. Blose followed with a single, and moved to second when Dinger grounded out to left for the first out of the inning. With one out and a runner in scoring position, Joey doubled, driving in Blose, and putting the Sticks up 2-1. The next batter, Vassallo, registered his second hit and RBI of the inning, a double, scoring Joey and extending the Sticks lead to two runs. Guthrie retired the next batter, Blose, stranding Vassallo at second, and ending the inning with the score 3-1.
Joey’s second inning RBI double put the Sticks ahead 2-1, they wouldn’t trail again
Dinger cruised through the top of the third, retiring Guthrie and Les in order. Guthrie followed with an equally quiet inning, sending Dinger and Joey down consecutively in the bottom of the inning.
The Caucasians couldn’t get their bats going in the top of the fourth, as Frosty grounded out to left for the first out of the inning. Morrison followed with a one-out single, but he was stranded at first when Ron flew out to Dinger at the mound to end the inning.
Guthrie retired Vassallo and Blose in order in the bottom of the fourth, and he had pitched two consecutive perfect innings.
Unfortunately, Guthrie couldn’t convert his pitching success to offense at the plate. He was fanned to start the top of the fifth, and Dinger retired the next batter, Les, to end the inning.
Up three runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Sticks added some insurance runs off Guthrie. Dinger led off the inning with a single. Guthrie got the next batter, Joey, to fly out to the mound on a bizarre check swing, but Vassallo followed with a one out double that put runners on second and third. Blose came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and crushed a three-run shot to deep right field, putting the Fish Sticks ahead 6-0. The next batter, Dinger, flew out to Guthrie at the mound to end the inning, but the Sticks had extended their lead to five runs.
Blose’s 3-run homer in the bottom of the fifth put the game away for the Sticks
Down to their final at-bat, the Caucasians continued to struggle at the plate and couldn’t mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Dinger retired Frosty for the first out of the inning, and followed by retiring Morrison for the first time in the game for the second out of the inning. After falling behind 1-0 early, the Fish Sticks scored six unanswered runs as Dinger held the Caucasians scoreless over the final five innings for a 6-1 win. The win moved the Sticks to 2-1 on the year, as the Caucasians fell to 1-2.
W: Dinger (1-1)
L: Guthrie (1-1)
Game Notes:
– The first two games of week 2 started with leadoff homers; Adam of the Ham Slams and Morrison of the Caucasians each hit bombs in the first at-bat of the game.
– Dinger gave up only 4 hits in 6 innings with 1 strikeout to pick up the win for the Fish Sticks.
– Blose scored two runs in addition to hitting a single, a homer, and driving in 3 runs for the Sticks, and Vassallo went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a homer, two runs scored and 2 RBI for the Sticks.
– Morrison was the only Caucasian to show up at the plate, as he went 3 for 4 with a homer, two singles, a run scored and an RBI. The only other Caucasian to reach base was Guthrie, who singled in the first inning.
