2008 Youth League Baseball And Softball Season (2)
Winson Thai

 


The Subways start May 7-2, then go 5-12 and win just one of five three-game sets, then be swept, both at home. The Motorgirls simultaneously sweep the Whales in Tampa. They lose a game 2-1 to the St. George Angels in Utah. Their sole run and hit is Shelby Catalina’s double after a walk in the fourth off of Meagan Gibson. They get five other walks, making three errors. Kyle Glasco hits into an RBI force-out in the second off of Terri Bell as Jolene Wallaby hits the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth off of Anne Smith.

In June, the Motorgirls lose 12 of 13 straight home games including eight straight (being swept in a three-game set to the Philadelphia Hawks, four-game set to the Colorado Racers, and the first of three to the Salem Witches. They lose two of three to the Canton Dragons and Chicago Storms too), a team worst.

The Subways fight the Motorgirls in two three-game series and win the last two games of the first one at home, sweep the Salem Warlocks in a three-game set there, and fight the Motorgirls at Chase Field. The Motorgirls sweep the series, the first time they did it versus the Subways and won the season’s series.

Melissa Lang versus the Whales in Tampa tosses six perfect innings except in the fourth when she allows blasts on back-to-back pitches to Vivian Gold and Sara Elias while Hollie Jones pitches a complete game and allows Hunter Carson’s two-run blast in the sixth, seven hits, strands four girls, and walks none. Terri Bell in the seventh walks a girl with an out and Amelia Clark’s two-out blast gives Tampa a 4-2 win.

Erin Evans hits an RBI single after a single and two groundouts against the Seattle Marines men’s team at home in the first off of Alison Clifford. Steve Luna’s shot after an error in the third puts Seattle up 2-1 off of Terri Bell. In the lower half after two one-out singles, Clifford’s throwing error, Seattle’s second in the game and eighth of the set, on a bunt attempt ties the game and puts ladies at second and third. New York leads 3-2 on Evans’ RBI groundout. They make it 4-2 in the sixth off of Benjamin Lopez on Sammie Nate’s two-out single after a leadoff single and walk. Erica Beach gets a save with a scoreless seventh and her team has a perfect 3-0 record versus Seattle in 2008. Jennifer Finley in the first game is one out from a perfect game. Steve Luna breaks it with a double, but is tagged out hoping to make it a triple. Finley loses her bid, but still faces the minimum 21 men. New York wins the next game 3-2. Dakota Russel hits a one-out, two-run homer in the seventh off of Casey Barnes, who was going for his first career complete game.

The Motorgirls play the Springfield Isotopes male team at home. Jessica Dignon in the first off of Aubrey Davison hits an RBI groundout after a walk, stolen base, and wild pitch. Leah English’s blast puts her team up 2-0. They then get two walks and a single, but fail to score further. English homers again next inning after a two-out single. Dakota Russel’s sacrifice fly next inning with girls at first and third on a hit-by-pitch and error scores a run. After a walk, Lara Basin’s shot makes it 8-0 Motorgirls. Davison after two walks is pulled out. His team’s bullpen retires all girls they face in the rest of the game, but they score just two runs in the fifth off of starter Anne Smith. Her team wins 8-2, but is outhit 6-5 to avert being swept by a last place team. They lose the previous game 3-2. Crystal Lewis and Leah English respectively homer in the second and sixth off of Timmy Hudson. Jennifer Finley allows Julio Rios’ bases-loaded groundout and Tony Morrison’s sacrifice fly in the fourth, then in the sixth, Frances Everett’s RBI single after two walks.

New York closes interleague play with three games in Minneapolis versus the Wizards. In the last, Jessica Moore hits a leadoff single in the first off of Ned Alan and steals second. She an out later is tagged out at home trying to score on a single, but Hunter Carson homers on Alan’s next pitch. New York after an out gets a single, then two walks next inning off of Alan. On Joshua Alvin’s first pitch, Moore homers. He gets the next two outs after a walk. Terri Bell retires the first seven hitters she faces, but hits Stacey Mia in the third with a pitch. He steals second and scores via Carmen Olson’s single. After allowing a walk in the third, Alvin issues another to lead off the fourth and Moore homers on his first pitch again. He allows two one-out walks as Andrea Bianchi in relief allows a single, but retires the next two batters. He pitches three shutout innings, allowing three hits as Bell allows just a walk through the sixth. Jennifer Finley permits in the seventh Laurie Edison’s RBI double after a leadoff triple. Leonard Putin hits an RBI single, but Finley retires the next three guys. Leah English homers (all Motorgirl blasts go to right) to lead off the eighth off of Max Rosin. He allows two hits next inning to put girls on first and third. Shelby Catalina’s sacrifice fly puts the Motorgirls up 10-3. Closer Fabian Vizcaino, making a rare appearance at a blowout match, retires Moore to end the inning. Erica Beach throws two scoreless innings to end the game, allowing a single and walk in the ninth. The only male team New York has a losing record (12-6 overall) against is the Isotopes.

Versus the Minneapolis Wizards at home, the Subways trail 4-3 in the ninth, facing All-Star closer Fabian Vizcaino, who pitched a scoreless eighth. Peter Harris draws a leadoff walk. Ted Husain, who runs well, pinch runs for him, steals second on Vizcaino’s first pitch to James Cooper after escaping three pick-off attempts, and scores on his single. In the 12th, Sean Lorenzo hits a two-run blast off of Ned Alan. Next game, New York trails 4-2 in the eighth, but Sean Lorenzo hits a leadoff homer off of Max Rosin, who got out of the seventh on a double play. Rosin walks Peter Harris. Ted Husain again pinch runs for him, going to third on Kenneth House’s single. Fabian Vizcaino replaces Rosin, allowing Mario Ruiz’s tying sacrifice fly, the first time he blew saves in consecutive games in his career. Rosin is charged with each run that the Subways score that inning, but gets a hold. Neither team scores despite having runners in scoring position several times until the 14th when Lorenzo hits a two-out RBI single off of Andrea Bianchi after two walks.

In an interleague game at home versus the Springfield Isotopes, the Subways trail 4-2 in the ninth, facing Veronica Rivera, one of the league’s best female closers. She allows a two-out single and walk on a full count to bring in Mario Ruiz. Being 0 for 5 lifetime versus her, he swings and misses on the first pitch and fouls the next, but hits the third high in the air to left. It hits the foul pole tip, breaking two nightlights and making fans nearby run for cover, then falls back onto the field. The shot gives New York a series win over the Isotopes, who suffer a shocking loss after Rivera’s first blown save of 2008 and scored three runs in the seventh and one next inning off of Zane Serena after Kathie Petite gave up one in the first and third.

The Motorgirls beat the Dolphins in Nebraska 2-0. Two of their pitchers shut out Stanton. Carmen Diego tosses a complete game, but takes a loss after Joan Meadows in the second with two on hits an RBI single, then Sammie Nate steals home. Next game, Leah English homers in the second and Joan Meadows homers after a hit in the fourth, both off of Robyn Tick. Stanton scores its only run in the series in the fifth of the last via Cynthia Daly’s single after a double off of Melissa Lang. Kara Rau homers in the sixth with one out off of starter Beverley To, then Joan Meadows homers after two two-out hits. New York wins 4-1.

As Allison is dating Jamie and Crystal’s best friend since high school, she has them sit together to talk at their teams’ games as they recover. Crystal wears a mask and Jamie wears an arm cast. The injuries hurt the Subways, who are 18-25 by June and 37-38 by the all-star break. Jamie and Crystal return to their respective teams after that. The Motorgirls end the first half of 2008 at 43-32, first in the Eastern Division.

Jamie Wang stirs controversy against the Marines in Seattle. With his team up 5-4 and two outs in the ninth, Mario Ruiz pops a 3-2 pitch up between second and third with Wang at first and Damien Khaliq on second. As third baseman AJ Robinson and shortstop Steve Luna move in to catch, Wang runs between them and they seem confused, then let the ball land for a hit. Khaliq scores, as Wang stops at third. Seattle right away accuses him of yelling something while going past Robinson and Luna, distracting and making them unable to make a catch. Smirking, Wang denies this and nearly advances on Marines’ manager Billie Cora, but third base umpire Blake Armstrong holds them back. No interference is called on the play. After Ruiz steals second, he and Wang score on Rick Hague’s single. New York wins it 8-4. In a postgame press conference, Robinson says he heard someone yell “I” as he moved in for the ball and thought it was Luna, so he backed away, but Luna says did not not shout anything, so it must have come from Wang. He admits to it, but says he did not yell “I!” He saw the ball falling straight at him and his natural instincts made him yell “Ah!” hoping to get out of the way as fast as possible. He does not apologize for this trouble, but says it would have made no difference if the catch was made, as Seattle was shutout in the bottom of the ninth, albeit fans stay mad at him. Seattle takes the set’s first game 16-7, but the teams get 14 hits. Casey Barnes permits four runs in the second, then is replaced by Eric Braun, but in the lower half, AJ Robinson homers off of Zane Serena. He allows eight runs including Adrian Bentley’s grand slam and Kris White’s two-run shot in the third via six hits. Bill Lee next inning allows two singles and a walk. Jacky Martinez’s error on Loren Pierre’s line drive to right and Hayley Ericson’s double score two runs each. In the fifth, Lee allows Bentley’s blast after a single and walk. Braun allows two two-out doubles in the top half. Sean Lorenzo in the sixth and ninth homers off of Braun and Sydney Craig respectively. Serena makes an error in the third.

That day, the Motorgirls too create controversy against the Minneapolis Wizards at home. Roberta Victorino singles in the third, her team trailing 2-1. She is caught stealing second, but the Wizards say that Lara Basin blocked her from reaching the base with her leg. An argument erupts between the teams and at one point, Basin shoves Victorino to the ground as she tries to stand. No interference call is made after the conflict is settled. New York wins this game 9-2, but Basin is suspended for a game for pushing Victorino.

Against the Dragons in Canton, the Motorgirls score first on back-to-back blasts by Crystal Lewis and Dakota Russel to start the third off of Taryne Mowatt and seven runs off of three relievers in the sixth. Canton scores its one run on Christine Heinle’s groundout off of reliever Terri Bell with just a girl at third.

The Auburn Warriors ladies’ team is the first one to sweep the Subways and Motorgirls in a single year, winning three versus the former in late June and three versus the latter two weeks later, both at home with a 1-9 road trip between them. They had lost two of three against the Motorgirls at New York in April.

The score is tied 7-7 in the Subways’ first home game after the break versus the Stanton Dolphins when Rick Hague triples to lead off the ninth. Stanton then intentionally walks the next two hitters to send Peter Harris, who is wondering what they are doing purposely loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game with no outs, to the plate. He does not swing for the first three pitches, knowing all he has to do is get a walk for his team to win, and though they are all balls, the fans get mad, as they find his way of winning cowardly. Dakota Miranda throws the next two pitches in for strikes. Everyone yells for Harris to swing and he does on the next two pitches, but both end up foul. Miranda finally tosses the next pitch way outside, walking Harris to force in the winning run. He at first refuses to go to first as his team has already won, but home plate umpire Roberto Pena tells him he must as he tries to depart the field or he will be out and Hague’s run will not count. Everyone giggles as he strolls to first and enters the dugout after touching it. He continues mocking the Dolphins’ game-costing decision and even dubs them the “Stupid Dolphins.”

His annoyed teammates repeatedly order him to stop, but he does not until the Motorgirls face the Dolphins in Stanton a week later. He sits at the front seats by the third base line laughing and playing with a bobble head toy of Edgar, the Dolphins’ mascot, with his team. After calling it a “loser,” a foul ball from a Stanton hitter hits him in the stomach. It knocks him and those nearby off their seats. He gets up, yelling if this is payback by the Dolphin girls for teasing their male counterparts. They and their fans angrily look at him, thus he sits down. Kenneth takes his toy and tells him to quit teasing others and shut his mouth for the rest of this match. Stanton wins it 6-3. Kylie Cox’s single scores two off of Jennifer Finley in the first. Her team scores three runs in the second off of Anita Casablanca. In the fourth, Devan Yang’s sacrifice fly ties the game off of Finley. Cynthia Daly hits a walk-off three-run shot in the seventh off of Melissa Lang.

 

 

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Copyright © 2009 Winson Thai
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