Triumphant Twinbill for Warriors

A great night for two turned into a fabulous night for the Resurrection Life Warriors softball team, as the squad put on a defensive display and showed incredible poise and heart in claiming two victories over worthy opponents.

Game one saw the newly minted five-man infield put on a clinic, holding St. Andrew Red to just two hits in an 11-0 shutout. The infield, Lee Valle at third, Andy Briggs at short, Eric Johnson up the middle, Jon Engbrecht and Adam Hey at second, and Jeff Johnson at first, played flawlessly in its first taste of five-man action. The outfield trio held court, not letting a ball find grass all game.

The nightcap pitted league-leader Living Word against Rez Life with the promise of a show. The two teams have developed quite a rivalry in the past three seasons. In 2006 the two teams split a pair of barn-burners as Living Word went on to the league title with Rez finishing second. Last season, Living Word swept all three games from the Warriors but two of the contests were hotly contested until the very end.

After dropping the first meeting this season, the Warriors were looking to stop a four-game losing streak against Living Word and put themselves in a position to contend for the league title this year. Like many games before, last night's contest was a doozy. The fans got their money's worth and Rez Life again used stellar defense and some late-inning clutch hitting to win 7-6.

Rez Life led from wire to wire in game one, manhandling the over-matched St. Andrew Red squad even on an off night offensively. The team plodded along, scoring in the first four innings to win via 10-run rule after five.

Andy Briggs earned Player of the Game with a 3-3 performance including three runs scored. He also had two assists and two putouts leading the defense from shortstop.

Leading off the game, Andy singled. After an out, Austin Colby singled to put two on for Eric. Eric flew out for the second out but Jason Merritt singled to plate one and keep the inning alive. Adam Hey, back from a long layoff, singled to load the bases for Jeff Johnson who ripped a deep drive to left-center to plate two runs. To finish the inning, Jon roped a single to score the final two runs and give Rez a 5-0 lead.

St. Andrew Red wasted a lead-off walk in its half as Jordan Schumack closed the inning with a strikeout. In the top of the second, Big John Wooten started the inning by reaching on an error and moved to second as Jamy Antoine drew a walk. With no outs, Andy singled to load the bases for Jordan who fell prey to a good one-strike pitch and went down looking. Austin singled to score one run but Jamy was cut down at home on a good throw for the second out. Eric rolled one to third which was thrown away allowing Andy to scamper home. Jason lined his second hit of the game plating Austin and pushing Rez's early lead to 8-0.

The five-man infield really took center stage in the second inning as Lee fielded a roller and fired to first for the first out. Andy then made a nice snag on a tough line drive. After a single, Andy fielded a grounder and tossed to middle infielder Eric for the final out. Two of the three plays wouldn't have been made with a four-man infield.

Rez added just one run in the top of the third to go up 9-0. Jon E. singled with one out and moved to second on a grounder before scoring on Big John's single.

In the bottom of the third, the defense shined even brighter. Austin made his finest outfield grab to date, laying out completely before catching the ball fully extended as he slid face-down towards second base. Andy fielded and fired to first for the second out and Eric made a fine base-hit robbing catch of a line drive to end the inning.

The bats put their final two runs on the board in the top of the fourth using a two-run double from Austin after Andy singled and went to third as Jordan reached on an error.

Two more stolen singles and a groundout made quick work of Red in the bottom of the fourth. Rez also went down quickly in the top of the fifth, but its defense ended the game efficiently in the bottom half, leaving Red's second single of the night on first base as a Lee to Eric forceout capped the frame.

In game two, for the first time all season, Rez Life was the home team, and against Living Word it paid off. The defense was hot from the great showing in game one and picked up right where it left off in the top of the first. After a lead-off walk, a five-man infield doubleplay fired up the team right away. Andy to Eric to Jeff. Andy finished the inning on a grounder and Rez came to bat.

The Warriors took the early lead with one run in the bottom of the first. Andy blooped a double and moved to third on Jason's single to put runners at the corners for Austin and Eric. Austin lined out to short but Eric plated Andy with a sacrifice fly to left-center.

Leading 1-0, the Warrior defense had its first chink in the armor in the second. Living Word opened the inning with a ground-rule double and Austin misplayed a deep flyball into a run-scoring double to tie the game. The next two batters flew out to Jason in left and Adam snared a foul pop behind home plate to strand the runner on third.

In the bottom of the second, Jordan and Lee started with back-to-back singles. Jeff smoked a grounder but right at the shortstop who turned it into two outs. Big John came through with a liner to center to put Rez back on top 2-1. Jon E. was then robbed of a homerun, crushing a ball off the top of the fence only to have it bounce back into play for a double. Adam drew a walk to load the bases for Andy, but a sharp grounder right at first base ended the threat.

Living Word had its best offensive inning of the night, scoring two runs to take a 3-2 lead in the third. The first three batters reached on a walk, single, and a single to score one run. After a lineout, another walk loaded the bases. A grounder forced the second out, but allowed a run to score and another roller ended the inning.

Rez Life's offense sputtered, scoring no runs in the third, wasting Jason's second single of the game. Living Word wasn't able to take advantage though, leaving one man on base but not scoring.

Trailing 3-2, the Warriors again were shutout in the bottom of the fourth. This time, the team stranded singles from Jordan and Lee. Living Word pounced this time adding one run in the top of the fifth to go up 4-2.

The biggest offensive inning of either team came in the bottom of the fifth as the Warriors took the lead with four runs. Jon E. singled and moved to second on Andy's single. Jason ripped his third single of the day scoring Jon and making it 4-3. Austin, 0-2 on the night after getting out just three times all year coming into the game, rolled a soft grounder to second that was booted to allow Andy to score and keep runners at the corners for Eric. Eric lifted his second sac fly of the night to plate Jason. With two outs, Jamy ripped a single which pushed Austin home and give the team a 6-4 edge. A double from Jordan and walk from Lee loaded the bases but Rez couldn't get another hit and the inning ended.

Feeling the pressure now, Living Word cut the deficit in half with one run in the top of the sixth. It could have been worse if not for a great play from Jason to start the inning. The eight-hitter for Living Word lined a would-be single just over Andy's reach to left, but Jason - playing shallow - fielded and fired to first to gun the hitter by one step for the first out. The team dodged another bullet later in the inning as the reigning two-time league MVP hit into a forceout with two on to end the inning. Jordan made a fine stab on the play to preserve the lead.

The Rez Life bats went down in order in the sixth, leaving the game up to Living Word's 5, 6, and 7 hitters. A popout to Andy started the top of the seventh. Austin was able to find redemption for his earlier miscue by running a country mile to make a sliding catch behind second base for the second out. A double squeezed between Austin and Jason in the outfield and a single scored the runner to tie the game at 6. A grounder to Jeff ended the inning, but set Living Word up to have its top of the order come up if the game went another inning.

With Rez Life's top of the order coming up, there would be no extra inning. Andy finished his great game with a single to start the seventh. Jason roped one to right for his fourth hit which pushed Andy to third base with no outs. Austin was intentionally walked to load the bases for Eric and set the stage for his heroics. He came through by ripping the game-winning single to left for his third RBI of the night.

Jason captures his second Player of the Game honor this year with five putouts, one great assist, four hits, a run and an rbi on the night.

The team defense wins an honorary Player of the Night award for its play in the doubleheader. The two great wins push the team's record to 6-3 on the year, good enough for fourth place. Rez is only one game out of second place and can control its own destiny now for second. Next week the team plays current third-place holder, Immanuel, who stands at 7-3. The game is at 8:50 on field 2. The Warriors hope to carry this momentum for the rest of the season.

Look for the mid-season write-up coming later this week.

Long Lay-off Proves Beneficial for Bats

The Resurrection Life Warriors took the field after two weeks off, thanks to some more inclement weather. Apparently the extra rest was just what the doctors ordered as the team matched its season high with 24 runs in a 24-9 drilling of Eden Prairie Assembly of God.

The team banged out 25 hits in six innings, but also managed to reach base another seven times, drawing three walks and taking advantage of four miscues in the field. Rez Life also ripped 12 extra-base hits to match a Rez Life Eden Prairie League team-high set in June of 2006. The team record for extra base hits is 15 which dates back to a game in July of 2003 in which the Warriors mashed 10 homeruns, back in the days of no homerun limits and the ever-forgiving Miken Ultra II.

Austin Colby earned his second Player of the Game honors, doing his part in helping to break in the new Freak Plus. He finished the game 5-5 with a walk, including one double, two triples and two homeruns, one a towering three-run shot into the trees to cap the night's scoring.

Another new-look lineup took to bat to start the game and after a lineout to start things Austin hit a hard, sinking liner to left-center that got all the way to fence which allowed him to hustle home for a quick 1-0 lead. After another out, Eric Johnson laced his first of five hits, a double off the wall in left and jogged home easily as Jason Merritt launched a double to right-center.

The Warrior defense was perfect in the bottom of the first facing the minimum of three batters. After a lead-off walk, Andy Briggs and Eric turned a smooth doubleplay up the middle, 4-6-3 style. A nice snag on a liner to Jason in left ended the inning.

Rez increased its lead to 8-0 after the top of the second inning with seven hits and one EPAG error. With two outs and just Andy on first after a single, the bats came to life. Jordan Schumack singled to put runners at first and second for Austin who smoked his first triple to right-field to plate both runners. Lee Valle then singled to score Austin and Eric singled to put two on for Jason. Jason hit a hard grounder to the shortstop who watched it roll between his legs, allowing Lee to score to make it 6-0. Still with two outs, John Wooten lined a single to plate Eric and Jamy Antoine followed with another single to socre Jason and make it 8-0 after one and half innings.

The Rez Life defense faltered early in the second inning as the first man reached on an error at short and Austin misplayed a deep fly into a double to put a runner at second with one run in and no outs. The Warriors caught a break with the next batter who lined a single to left-field but Jason came up firing and nailed the runner from second base who froze as the liner left the bat. With one out, EPAG poked three straight singles to plate one more run and load the bases. Big John made a nice play on a roller in front of home plate, hustling out to grab it and then stepping on home for the second out. The final batter hit a hard one-hopper to Eric who made a nice hip-pocket play and tossed to Andy at second for the final out, leaving the bases loaded.

Up 8-2, Rez put another six-spot on the board to go up 14-2 in the third. With one out, Jordan singled and sprinted home on Austin's second triple. Lee lifted a fly ball to right-center for a would-be sacrifice fly, but the fielder dropped it allowing Lee to reach as Austin scored. Eric singled again to put two on for Jason. Jason lifted another fly ball to the right-center fielder who again dropped it loading the bases with one out. After a foul-out for out number two, Jamy roped a ball to dead center which plated all three runs, after good base-running from Jason. Andy kept his new-found hot bat going with a nice double to right field which scored Jamy, but Andy got caught rounding second and was picked off at the base for the third out.

EPAG wouldn't go away, clawing back with four runs of its own in the bottom of the third to make it 14-6. EPAG went single, single, three-run homer off the top of the fence - the second time this season that has happened to Rez Life - to start the inning. After an out, two more singles and two walks allowed the final run of the inning to score before Jamy made a nice running catch to end the inning in right field.

The fourth inning was the quietest as Rez won the inning 1-0. With two outs in the top half, Austin walked and scored on Lee Valle's double. Eric singled to put runners on the corners with two outs, but a lineout to right ended the threat.

The defense flexed its 'bend-don't-break' philosophy once more in the bottom of the fourth, allowing two runners to reach before a fly ball ended the frame.

Now up 15-6 and facing a time-limit situation, the Warriors rushed their at bats in the top of the fifth and were shutout for the only time all game. After Big John reached on an error to start things, Andy singled with one out to make it first and second. Jon Engbrecht and Jordan both hit sharp grounders right at people for forceouts which ended the inning.

EPAG made it a close game with three runs in the bottom half by loading the bases with two walks and a single and then clearing them with a low liner to left which just got under Jason's outstretched glove for a double.

Knowing the sixth was the last inning, the Warrior bats were fired up and ready to pad their lead. Austin started things with a rope to left-center which he turned into a hustle-double by not stopping for a second coming out of the box. Lee singled to put two on for Eric who quickly launched his second double to score Austin and put guys at second and third with no outs for Jason. Jason lifted a sac fly to right-center to score Lee and Big John followed with a walk. Jamy singled for his third hit of the night to plate Eric and Andy exploded a ball off the wall in center to score Big John and Jamy, making it 20-9 with one out. Jon E. lined a single to score Andy and moved to second on Jordan's walk. Austin then officially got the Freak bat into action by lofting a deep-fly into the evergreens in left-field to make it 24-9. The final two batters both hit the ball hard, but right at the left-fielder. Eric missed his chance for his first career six-hit game by lining out to end the game.

EPAG was able to put two runners on in the bottom of the sixth, but not do anything with them so the game ended 24-9 Rez Life. The Rez Life defense stranded 12 EPAG runners in six innings. Impressive.

The victory gets Rez Life back on the right side of .500 at 4-3. EPAG suffered two losses on the day pushing its record to 4-3 also. The teams get to play each other one more time which could be a battle for third place.

Next week is a doubleheader for the Warriors with games at 5:50 and 6:50 versus St. Andrew Red and league-leader Living Word. Two wins would put the Warriors in position to capture second place and leave open the possibility of a league championship.