Tag Archives: Caucasians

Caucasians Ride Big Third Inning to 12-5 Win Over Ham Slams

16 May
Morrison had 2 homers, 3 doubles, and 5 RBI as he led Ron, Frosty, and Guthrie to a win for the Caucasians

Morrison had 2 homers, 3 doubles, and 5 RBI as he led Ron, Frosty, and Guthrie to a win for the Caucasians

Three of the four Caucasians homered and Morrison finished with 5 extra-base hits, as the Caucasians pulled away from the Ham Slams with an 8-run third inning to win 12-5.

Guthrie, who started for the Caucasians, came into the game 1-1 and got into trouble early against the Ham Slams. The first batter, Anthony, hit a solo shot to left-center that put the Slams up 1-0. Guthrie settled down after giving up the leadoff homer, retiring TJ and Evan to end the top of the first.

Anthony hit a leadoff homerun to start the game for the Ham Slams, and finished only a single short of hitting for the cycle

Anthony hit a leadoff homerun to start the game for the Ham Slams, and finished only a single short of hitting for the cycle

Evan started for the Ham Slams, and he came into the game with an 0-1 record. A half-inning after the Ham Slams led off the game with a homerun, the Caucasians returned the favor, when Morrison blasted a homer to deep center field, tying the game at 1-1. Evan retired the next batter, Frosty, but Ron followed with a one-out solo home run, putting the Caucasians up 2-1. Guthrie was retired for the second out of the inning, and the Slams went into the second trailing by a run.

Alec led off the top of the second by grounding out to Morrison in left. Anthony followed with a one-out triple, putting the tying run on third base. But Guthrie escaped the jam, as TJ flew out to Frosty in right field for the second out of the inning.

Morrison flew out to the mound for the first out of the bottom of the second. Frosty singled, but was stranded at first when Ron also flew out to Evan, ending the second.

Evan made a spectacular one-handed catch to retire Ron in the second as the league looked on

Evan made a spectacular one-handed catch to retire Ron in the second as the league looked on

Down a run, the Slams figured out Guthrie in the top of the third. Evan led off the inning with a solo homer, tying the game at 2-2. Guthrie got Alec to ground out to left for the first out of the inning, but the Slams rallied with one out. Free agent addition Steve, playing DH, singled in his first career at-bat. He moved to third when the next batter, Anthony, doubled. With two runners in scoring position and the game tied, TJ came to the plate and hit a three-run blast to left, putting the Ham Slams up 5-2. Evan was retired for the second out of the inning, but the Slams had retaken the lead.

TJ connected on a 3-run homer in the third, putting the Ham Slams up 5-2

TJ connected on a 3-run homer in the third, putting the Ham Slams up 5-2

The lead didn’t last long and it wouldn’t return after the Caucasians erupted in the bottom of the third inning. They unleashed an offensive fury that hadn’t been seen since early in the 2011 season. Guthrie led off the inning with a single, and Morrison followed with a two-run home run, cutting the score to 5-4. The Ham Slams struggled heavily in the field, as Frosty singled, then moved to third when Ron doubled. With no outs and two runners on, Guthrie clubbed a three-run homer, putting the Caucasians back in front 7-5. The first 5 Caucasians to hit in the third had reached base safely, and the Ham Slams turned to the bullpen, sending TJ in to relieve Evan. The Caucasians continued to pour it on, however, as Morrison doubled, and immediately scored when Frosty doubled, driving him in. The next batter, Ron, hit a two-run homer, the Caucasians third of the inning, pushing the score to 10-5. The Caucasians had scored 8 consecutive runs, all with no outs, and each Caucasians had 2 hits in the inning. TJ finally recorded an out when Guthrie flew out to the mound, ending a streak of 8 consecutive hits, which tied the league record. The next batter, Morrison, doubled for his third hit of the inning, but was caught out trying to extend a double into a triple. The inning had come to an end, and the Slams had went from being up three runs to trailing by five.

After replacing Evan, TJ couldn't settle the Caucasians, as Ron belted a two-run homer that capped an 8-run third inning

After replacing Evan, TJ couldn’t settle the Caucasians, as Ron belted a two-run homer that capped an 8-run third inning

Guthrie rolled in the top of the fourth, as Alec and Steve were sent down consecutively by ground out.

The Caucasians added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Frosty doubled off TJ to lead off the inning, and moved to third when Ron singled, putting runners on the corners. Guthrie flew out to shallow center for the first out of the inning, and the Slams held Frosty from tagging. But the next batter, Morrison, roped a double off the fence, his third double of the game, driving in both Frosty and Ron and making the score 12-5. TJ retired the next batter, Frosty, ending the inning.

It looked as if the Slams would rally in the top of the fifth. Anthony doubled to start the inning, and moved to third when TJ singled. The Slams had runners on the corners with no outs. But Guthrie buckled down and escaped another jam without harm. He got Evan to fly out to Ron in left for the first out of the inning and Alec flew out to Frosty in center for the second out of the inning, stranding both runners.

After giving up runs early, Guthrie held the Ham Slams in check, retiring 7 of the final 9 batters he faced

After giving up runs early, Guthrie held the Ham Slams in check, retiring 7 of the final 9 batters he faced

TJ held the deficit at 7 runs in the bottom of the fifth. He started the inning by getting Ron to ground out to Evan in left field. Guthrie followed with a single, but Morrison flew out to deep left for the second out of the inning.

Guthrie remained in the game to close things out for the Caucasians, and the Slams couldn’t rally in the top of the sixth. Steve flew out to the mound for the first out of the inning, and Anthony, a single away from hitting the cycle, grounded out to Ron for the second out of the inning, ending the game.

The Caucasians moved to 3-2 on the season with the win, and the Ham Slams fell to 2-3.

W: Guthrie (2-1)
L: Evan (0-2)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Morrison led the Caucasians offensively, going 5 for 7 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 5 RBI, and 3 runs scored. He also recorded 5 putouts in the field.
– Anthony set the pace for the Ham Slams on offense, going 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a triple, and a home run. He also had 2 runs scored and an RBI. He needed a single for the cycle in his fourth at-bat, but stretched a hit into a double. He finished the game a single short of the cycle.
– Guthrie picked up the win, pitching 6 innings for the complete game, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits.
– Morrison’s 3 doubles ties Blose’s record of 3, which he set just last week.
– Anthony became only the 9th player in league history to hit a leadoff home run. Morrison became the 10th player to do it in the next inning of that same game. Morrison hit leadoff homeruns in two consecutive games. In the next game, Blose’s inside-the-park leadoff homerun was the 11th leadoff homerun in league history.

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Causasians Explode for 21 Hits in 12-3 Rout of Downtown Bobby Brown

14 May
Frosty became the second player in EWL history to hit for the cycle as he and Morrison led the Caucasians in a blowout win

Frosty became the second player in EWL history to hit for the cycle as he and Morrison led the Caucasians in a blowout win

The Caucasians had a banner day at the plate, including Frosty hitting for the cycle, as they broke multiple single-game offensive records en route to destroying Bobby Brown 12-3.

After winning their season opener against the Fish Sticks with a dramatic comeback, the Caucasians had dropped two straight coming into their fourth game against Bobby Brown. Downtown, on the other hand, won a heartstopping game against the Ham Slams directly prior to playing the Caucasians and looked to have some momentum heading into their second game of week 2.

But the Caucasians came storming out of the gate and never looked back. Downtown sent Mark to the mound for his first career start, and the southpaw never looked comfortable from the get-go. The Caucasians pounded him early and a barrage of fielding errors didn’t help his cause. Frosty led off the first inning with a single, his first hit of the 2012 season, and Morrison followed with a single. With runners on first and second, Les doubled off Mark, driving in Frosty to put the Caucasians up 1-0. With no outs and two runners in scoring position, Guthrie singled, scoring Morrison from third, and extending the lead to 2-0 with no outs. Ron flew out to the mound for the first out of the inning, but the Caucasians were far from finished in the first. Frosty got his second hit of the inning when he crushed a three-run blast to deep left field, scoring Les, Guthrie, and himself, and the Caucasians had a five-run lead in the first inning. Morrison followed with a one-out double, and moved to third when Les singled. The Caucasians had runners at the corners, but Mark fanned Guthrie for the second out of the inning, and the rough start had come to an end.

Mark looked to help himself out in the bottom of the first, when he led off the inning with a double. But Les, in his first pitching appearance of the season, got Helal and Brad to each fly out, stranding the runner at second, for a scoreless inning.

Mark provided his own run suppor with a double and a two-run homer off Les

Mark provided his own run suppor with a double and a two-run homer off Les

The Caucasians got back to work at the plate in the top of the second. Ron led off with a single, and scored when Frosty followed with an RBI triple. He was now only a double away from hitting the cycle after only two innings. The next batter, Morrison, singled to center, scoring Frosty from third and making the score 7-0. Mark avoided another disastrous inning, as he got Les to fly out to the mound, and then struck out Guthrie for the second time in the game to end the inning.

Downtown struggled in the field, committing errors as Ron and the Caucasians continued to produce runs

Downtown struggled in the field, committing errors as Ron and the Caucasians continued to produce runs

Down seven runs early, Downtown responded in the bottom of the second. The first batter, Holly, grounded out to left, but Gaurav followed with a one-out single. He scored when the next batter, Mark, hit a two-run bomb to right field, and Bobby Brown was on the board. Les had been hit, but he escaped the inning when he got Helal to ground out to Guthrie in center, ending the inning.

With the score 7-2 entering the third, the Caucasians quickly made up for the runs they gave up in the bottom of the second. Ron led off with a solo homer, pushing the score to 8-2. Frosty, needing only a double for the cycle, did exactly that, pushing a base hit into a double with no outs. He became only the second person in league history to hit for the cycle. The next batter, Morrison, singled, pushing Frosty to third and putting runners on the corners with no outs. Mark got Les to ground out to Gaurav in left for the first out of the inning, but Frosty scored from third on the play, making the score 9-2. Morrison moved to third on the ground out, but Mark retired the next batter, Guthrie, for the second out of the inning.

Morrison went 6 for 7 with a homer and 3 RBI and was sharp in the field with 6 putouts

Morrison went 6 for 7 with a homer and 3 RBI and was sharp in the field with 6 putouts

Downtown showed some spirit in the bottom of the third when Brad led off the inning with a solo shot, cutting the deficit to six runs. But the rally stopped there, as Les quickly got Holly and Gaurav to ground out to Morrison in left to end the third.

The Caucasians continued to rain offense down on Bobby Brown in the top of the fourth, starting with Ron, who led off the second consecutive inning with a homer. His second bomb of the game pushed the score to 10-2. Frosty followed with a single, his fifth hit of the game, and scored when Morrison cleared the bases with a two-run home run. The score was 12-2 and the hit parade continued as Les singled with no outs. Mark stamped his name in the record books for some bad reasons in this game, but with no outs in the fourth, he struck out Guthrie for the third time in the game, becoming the first pitcher in league history to record three K’s in one game. The next batter, Ron, singled, pushing Les to third, but Mark stranded the runners at the corners when he retired Frosty for the first time in the game and for the second out of the inning.

Frosty was on the base paths all night, tying a single-game record with 5 runs scored

Frosty was on the base paths all night, tying a single-game record with 5 runs scored

Downtown went quietly in the bottom of the fourth, as Les got Mark and Helal to groundout successively to end the inning.

After four punishing innings, Downtown pulled Mark and turned to the bullpen. Gaurav had two innings of eligibility left, and came to the mound to provide some relief. He retired Morrison, who was a perfect 4 for 4 coming into the at-bat, for the first out of the inning. Les followed with a single, and the next batter, Guthrie, also singled putting runners on first and second with one out. But Gaurav escaped the inning unharmed, as Ron flew out to Helal in center for the second out of the inning.

Down ten runs, Downtown couldn’t figure Les out in the fifth. Brad grounded out to left, and then Holly went down swinging for the second out of the inning.

Les was in command on the mound, giving up only 3 runs on 4 hits in the complete game win

Les was in command on the mound, giving up only 3 runs on 4 hits in the complete game win

The Caucasians were unable to add insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Frosty grounded out to left for the first out of the inning, and after a one-out single by Morrison, Les grounded out to left to end the inning, stranding the runner at first.

Les stayed in the game to close things out for the Caucasians in the bottom of the sixth. Gaurav grounded out to right for the first out of the inning, and Mark flew out to left for the second out, ending the game and giving the Caucasians a 12-2 win. The win moved both the Caucasians and Bobby Brown to 2-2 on the season.

W: Les (1-0)
L: Mark (0-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Frosty became only the second player in league history to hit for the cycle in a regular season game, the other was Blose who accomplished the feat on 5/19/11 against Pumice on Slow!
– Frosty went 5 for 7 with 2 singles, a double, a triple, a homer, 5 runs scored, and 4 RBI. He tied a single-game record of 5 runs in one game, previously held by Joey and Blose from 2011.
– Morrison went 6 for 7 for the Caucasians with 4 singles, a double, a home run, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI in addition to recording 6 putouts in the field.
– Guthrie’s 3 strikeouts at the plate broke the single-game record of 2 previously held by Vassallo and Les from 2011
– Mark’s 3 pitching strikeouts broke the single-game record of 2 previously held by Guthrie from 2011
– Mark led Bobby Brown offensively, going 2 for 4 with a double, a home run, one run scored and 2 RBI.
– Mark’s 12 ER broke a single-game record of most runs allowed by one pitcher, previously held by Brad and Holly who each allowed 11 in different starts in 2011.
– Mark’s 18 hits allowed broke a single-game record of most hits allowed by one pitcher, previously held by Holly who allowed 16 hits in one appereance in 2011.
– The Caucasians 21 hits broke a single-game team record of most hits, previously held by the Fish Sticks who twice recorded 16 hits in 2011.
– The Caucasians 13 singles broke a single-game team record of most singles in a game, previously held by the Fish Sticks who recorded 10 singles in a 2011 game.
– The Caucasians 3 strikeouts at the plate tied a single-game team record set by the Fish Sticks who also fanned 3 times in a game in 2011.
– Downtown Bobby Brown’s 21 hits allowed broke a single-game team record for most hits allowed, previously held by Pumice on Slow! and 4 out of 5 Dentists who each allowed 16 hits in a game in 2011.

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Dinger Pitches Gem as Fish Sticks Cruise Past Caucasians

13 May
Vassallo led the Sticks offensively, going 3-4 with 2 doubles, a home run and 2 RBI

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

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

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

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)

Box Score

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.

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Ham Slams Quiet Caucasians to Earn Franchise’s First Win

3 May
Quinn held the Caucasians to only 1 run on 8 hits in a complete game win

Quinn held the Caucasians to only 1 run on 8 hits in a complete game win

For the second consecutive game the Ham Slams managed to score only 2 runs, but the two were enough as Quinn held the Caucasian offense to only 1 run in a 2-1 victory. After scoring 9 runs, 7 unanswered, against the Fish Sticks in their first game, the Caucasians struggled on offense with only 3 base runners advancing beyond first base. The Ham Slams weren’t much better offensively, but a late rally put them ahead for the win.

The Slams started Quinn on the mound in his first EWL pitching appearance. He looked comfortable, retiring Guthrie and Morrison in the top of the first without allowing a hit.

The Caucasians started new acquisition Ron, who went 4-7 in 2011 but had one of the league’s lowest ERAs (3.20) and WHIPs (1.38) and plenty of experience on the hill. He rolled through the first, as TJ and Quinn each grounded out.

Quinn got himself in a jam in the top of the second when he gave up a leadoff single to Pat, followed by another single by Les to put runners on first and second with no outs. But he escaped unscathed when Ron flew out to the mound and Quinn doubled up Pat to end the inning.

It looked as if Ron was about to have some trouble in the bottom of the second when he gave up a leadoff double to Anthony, and Evan followed with a single. Anthony couldn’t advance beyond second on the play but there were runners on first and second with no outs. But like Quinn in the top half of the inning, Ron got out of the inning unblemished when Charlie grounded out to Pat in right who doubled-off Anthony trying to advance to third, ending the inning.

The Ham Slams were solid in the field, led by Anthony in center who had 8 putouts in week 1

The Ham Slams were solid in the field, led by Anthony in center who had 8 putouts in week 1

Scoreless through two innings, the Caucasians looked to break the tie in the top of the third. Quinn retired Guthrie to start the inning, but Morrison and Pat each hit singles with one out putting runners on the corners for Les. But Quinn buckled down and fanned Les to end the inning, stranding two more Caucasians.

TJ flew out to the mound to begin the bottom of the third, and Quinn looked to help himself out with a one-out double. But Ron held the runner at second, getting Anthony to fly out to Morrison in deep left field for the second out of the inning.

Ron couldn’t help his own cause in the top of the fourth, as he led off by flying out to Anthony in center. Guthrie followed with his first hit of the game, a double, putting the lead run in scoring position. But Quinn stranded yet another Caucasian, getting Morrison to fly out to the mound, ending the inning.

Ron made quick work of the Slams in the bottom of the fourth, retiring Evan and Charlie in order.

Still scoreless, Pat flew out to center for the first out of the top of the fifth. With one down, Les blasted a shot into the tree, and raced into third with a triple. The Caucasians finally broke through, as Ron singled, driving in Les for the first run of the game, making the score 1-0. Guthrie followed with a single, pushing Ron to third, and it looked as if the Caucasians would rally with one out. But Quinn got Morrison to groundout to left, ending the inning and leaving two more Caucasians on base.

In the top of the fifth, Les tripled and scored on a Ron single to put the Caucasians up 1-0

In the top of the fifth, Les tripled and scored on a Ron single to put the Caucasians up 1-0

Down 1-0, the Ham Slams responded in the bottom of the fifth, starting with TJ who led off the inning with a single. Quinn flew out to center for the first out of the inning, and TJ couldn’t advance past first. Anthony followed with a one-out double, putting the tying and go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. The next batter, Evan, delivered a one-out single as TJ and Anthony raced around to score, and the Ham Slams had their first lead as a team in the EWL. Ron retired the next batter, Charlie, to end the inning, but the Caucasians would head into the final frame down a run to the upstart Ham Slams.

Evan's two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave the Ham Slams a 2-1 lead

Evan’s two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave the Ham Slams a 2-1 lead

Quinn stayed in the game to close the deal, and started the top of the sixth by getting Pat to ground out to left field. Down to their final out, Les, who scored the Caucasians only run in the game, went down swinging for the second time in the game. Quinn closed the door on the Ham Slams first franchise win, a 2-1 victory of the Caucasians.

W: Quinn (1-0)
L: Ron (0-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Quinn pitched the complete game for the victory, scattering 7 hits in 6 innings with 2 strikeouts.
– Ron pitched well for the Caucasians, allowing only six hits in five innings in a complete game loss.
– This game featured two double plays which occurred in consecutive innings.
– Les tied a single-game record for strikeouts with 2.

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Caucasians Storm Back to Topple Fish Sticks 9-8 in Season Opener

3 May
The Caucasians, led by Morrison's three homers, stunned the Fish Sticks in a 9-8 victory

The Caucasians, led by Morrison’s three homers, stunned the Fish Sticks in a 9-8 victory

Despite trailing 8-2 midway through their season opener, the Caucasian exacted a bit of revenge on the Fish Sticks, coming from behind to win a rematch of last year’s Wiffle Series.

The Fish Sticks claimed the 2011 Wiffle Series Championship by defeating the favored Caucasians in an epic 6 game series that ended on a walk-off home run in extra innings. The teams looked very similar coming into the 2012 season; the entire 2011 All-EWL team returned for the Sticks (Blose, Joey) and Caucasians (Morrison, Guthrie). There were also some changes to both rosters. The Sticks new addition, Ivan Maldonado, became the first free agent to ever player for the squad. The Caucasians also added some free agents, 2011 Manager of the Year Ron, whose franchise 4 out of 5 Dentists are not competing in 2012, and Pat Auth, a rookie to the EWL.

Things looked the same, however, when the first pitch of the 2012 season was thrown. 2011 Pitch King Guthrie started on the mound for the Caucasians, hoping to have a season similar to his 2011 campaign when he went 7-1 with a 2.22 ERA. He faced Vassallo, who was last seen torching the Caucasians with clutch hits during the Wiffle Series. Guthrie got off to a good start, retiring Vassallo and Blose in order in the top of the first inning.

Guthrie delivers to Vassallo in the EWL season opener

Guthrie delivers to Vassallo in the EWL season opener

The Sticks started Dinger, their ace, who also started well by sending down the Caucasians first two batters, Les and 2011 MVP runner-up Morrison.

With no score through one inning, the Sticks got out their bats in the top of the second. Rookie Ivan, in his first career at-bat, doubled for the first hit of the 2012 season. Joey followed with a double which scored Ivan and put the Sticks ahead 1-0. Dinger followed by grounding out to Morrison in left field, moving Joey to third. With one out, Vassallo crushed a bomb to left-center, giving the Sticks a 3-0 lead. As they did three times in the 2011 postseason, Blose followed Vassallo’s homer with one of his own, making back-to-back jacks and extending the Sticks big inning to 4-0. Guthrie, struggling to end the inning, gave up a single to Ivan, his second hit of the inning, and Joey followed with another single putting two runners on for Dinger. But he couldn’t extend the Sticks rally, as Guthrie stranded two runners and ended the big top of the second.

Blose followed Vassallo's blast with one of his own to make back-to-back homers for the Fish Sticks in the second

Blose followed Vassallo’s blast with one of his own to make back-to-back homers for the Fish Sticks in the second

Dinger continued to pitch well in the bottom of the second, retiring Ron and Guthrie in order and protecting the Sticks four run lead.

Guthrie settled down in the top of the third, as Blose and Vassallo each grounded out to Morrison for a scoreless inning.

Down four, the Caucasians finally got on the board in the bottom of the third. Dinger retired Pat to start the inning, but then got into trouble. Les crunched a pitch over the right center field fence, the first Caucasian hit of the day, ending the shutout bid. Down three, the Caucasians cut the lead in half when Morrison followed with a solo blast, making the score 4-2 with one out. Ronnie flew out to Dinger at the mound for the second out, but the Caucasians were on the board.

Les put the Caucasians on the board with a solo homer in the fourth

Les put the Caucasians on the board with a solo homer in the fourth

The Fish Sticks didn’t wait long to respond. Ivan led off the inning with a single, his third hit of the day, and Joey followed with his third consecutive hit, a single. With runners on the corners, Dinger made up for the runs he yielded on the mound, knocking his first homer of the year, a three-run bomb to right field. Guthrie retired Vassallo for the first out of the top of the fourth, but the Stick’s weren’t finished yet. Blose hit a line drive to right center field, and a series of fielding and throwing errors led to the first inside-the-park home run of the 2012 season, as Blose put the Sticks ahead 8-2. Guthrie finally retired Ivan, fanning him for the second out of the inning.

Dinger helped his own cause with a 3-run bomb off Guthrie

Dinger helped his own cause with a 3-run bomb off Guthrie

Down six runs, the Caucasians rallied in the bottom of the fourth. After getting to Dinger the previous inning, their bats continued to produce as Guthrie atoned for the runs he gave up with a solo homer, his first hit of the season. Dinger retired Pat the for the first out of the inning, but the Caucasians followed with some one-out magic. Les singled, and Morrison followed with a monster two-run home run, his second in as many at-bats, cutting the score to 8-5. The comeback would continue, as Ron got his first hit of the season, a solo shot, making back-to-back homers and moving the score to 8-6. Guthrie followed with his second hit of the inning, a single, but Dinger ended the rally by getting Pat to ground out to Vassallo in left.

The Sticks lead had been cut to two runs, and Joey led off the top of the fifth with a single. But Guthrie would strand him there, as Dinger and Vassallo were retired in order.

Les went down swinging after a rare bunt attempt

Les went down swinging after a rare bunt attempt

Dinger picked up his first punch-out of the season to start the bottom of the fifth, as Les went down swinging for the first out of the inning. But the Caucasians were relentless and Morrison was feeling it. With one out, he hit a homerun for the third consecutive time, and it was a one-run game. The Sticks, who jumped out to a commanding lead, appeared to be flustered. A series of fielding errors led to Ron and Guthrie reaching base safely, and with one out, Pat came to the plate with two runners in scoring position. The go-ahead run was on second, and Pat plated him, knocking a two-run single and giving the Caucasians their first lead of the season, 9-8. Dinger stopped the damage there, retiring Les for the second time in the inning, but the Sticks would trail heading into the final frame.

Pat's 2-run single put the Caucasians ahead for good

Pat’s 2-run single put the Caucasians ahead for good

Despite giving up eight runs in his season debut, Guthrie stayed on the mound to close things out for the Caucasians. The Sticks would need one run to extend the game with Blose and Ivan due up. Guthrie got Blose to fly out to deep left for the first out of the inning. Down to their last at-bat, Ivan hit a deep fly ball the opposite way, but Morrison got under it to record the fly ball out, ending the game.

The Caucasians took advantage of costly fielding errors by the Fish Sticks to string together seven unanswered runs to win the first game of the 2012 EWL season, 9-8.

W: Guthrie (1-0)

L: Dinger (0-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:

– The Caucasians tied a single-game team record for home runs with 6.

– Morrison led the Caucasians on offense, going 3 for 4 with three home runs and five RBI.

– Every player in the game reached base safely at least once.

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