Is it the Jerseys??

The Resurrection Life Warriors welcomed their new jerseys with open arms and smoking-hot bats, erupting for a team-record 19 runs in the first inning of the Black Jersey Era. Obviously the game was an after-thought at that point as the team was only allowed to bat one more time, winning 24-0 versus league cellar-dwellers, St. Andrew Red, in 2 1/2 innings of play.

The team went to the plate 33 times in the game and reached base 27 times. In the first inning alone, Rez banged out 15 hits, drew two walks, scored 19 runs, ripped two doubles, three triples and all four homeruns, each one a no-doubter. A casual observer might wonder what effect the jerseys had on the Warrior bats. Needless to say, it was quite a performance.

Everyone got in on the action. Each player recorded at least one hit, scored at least one run and drove home at least one more. Austin Colby banged out four hits in four at bats, including three in the first inning alone. Jamy Antoine, Eric Johnson, Jeff Tenney, and Jonathan Engbrecht all added three hits apiece. Chris Burr and Adam Hey had two knocks each while Jeff Johnson and Jason Merritt contributed one.

Jonathan captured Player of the Game laurels with his perfect 3-3 game, with three runs scored, two rbi and a massive two-run homer. He has come out smoking this season, hitting a cool .818 after three games.

Really, the black-jersey/white-flare pants combo could have earned the POG for the first inning confidence explosion. We got comments and compliments from nearly every team that saw us, and I have the feeling the black jerseys may have struck a little fear into the heart of the opponent.

A nearby sideline reporter heard the following interchange between the managers and the umpire during the pre-game coin flip:

St. Andrew Red Mgr: "Wow, you guys got new uniforms. Look great."
Manager Colby: "Yes, thanks. First night wearing them."
St. Andrew Red Mgr: "You guys 2-0?"
Manager Colby: "Yes, so far so good."
St. Andrew Red Mgr: "Well you're going to be 3-0. (turns toward the umpire) We're going to get killed."
Manager Colby: Silently nodding inside his own head whispering..."you got that right..."

Fast forward 15 minutes and it's 19-0. How did that happen? Let's see. Austin, back in his customary lead-off spot, strokes a triple off the wall in right to start things. He added this after the game,
"I felt obligated to really try and put a good move on the ball my first time up," he paused. "I didn't want to make the team look anything less than solid, especially with the new jerseys. Gotta admit, felt good rounding second base in some nice, comfortable pants. Fun times."
Austin didn't get to enjoy standing on the bases long as Jamy ripped a hustle double to bring him home and open the floodgates. Eric followed with a sharp grounder to third base that squeaked through to left field. Brother Jeff quickly cleaned up the mess on the bases by lifting a ball as high as it went far, blasting his first homer of the season and making it 4-0 afte four batters. Chris patiently drew a walk and proceeded to walk around the bases after Tenney lasered one out by Brother Jeff's ball over the left-center field fence. Six batters, six swings, 6-0 Warriors. Jonathan started his great night with a single but a Jason popout temporarily stalled the rally. Adam then lined a single to left to put two on for Austin. Austin cut a sharp liner to right that took a nice sideways bounce and scooted to the corner for his second triple of the inning, pushing the score to 8-0. Jamy brought Austin home with a single and Eric lined one down the left-field line and barely beat the throw to second for a double. With runners on second and third, Brother Jeff lofted a high fly to right-center for a sacrifice fly, but the fielder dropped it, allowing Eric to move to third while Jeff hustled all the way to second. With runners on second and third again, Chris deposited a liner over the left-center field fence for his first homerun of the season and a 13-0 Rez Life lead. All with one out.

We now pause for a quick water break....and to chase down some homerun balls...thanks for your patience.

With clean bases, Tenney chopped a single up the middle and Jonathan followed with the fourth homerun of the inning - and final one allowed for the game - to deep left-center making it 15-0 after 16 batters. Jason, desperately worried about making the first two outs of the game, cut a sinking liner to right that bounced past the fielder and Jason was in with a stand-up triple. Pressure off. Adam then hit a grounder at the shortstop who kicked it around allowing Jason to score and putting Adam on first. Austin then tried to ease one into left for a change and punched a grounder through the hole for his third hit of the inning. Not game, inning. With two on, Jamy hit one right back to the pitcher for a potential double-play ball, but the pitcher rushed his throw and everyone was safe. When it rains, it pours. With the bases chucked, Eric calmly drew a walk to drive home Adam. Jeff ripped one to deep left-center which was caught at the wall for the second out, but Austin trotted home to make it 18-0. There was some action after the throw that allowed Jamy to score as well, making it 19-0. It could have been worse but Chris roped one right at the second baseman who somehow blocked it with his stomach and underhanded the ball to second for the final out.

St. Andrew Red, looking a little glassy-eyed, stepped to the plate for its half of the first inning. After four pitches, Red had two runners on after a couple bleeder singles. However, the following batter hit a liner at Tenney at short, who short-hopped it, fired to Eric at second who tagged the runner on second and then touched second to force-out the runner from first. Eric narrowly missed a triple-play but with the confusion on the field, he was unable to get a throw off to first. With two outs, Austin struck out the next batter looking to end the first inning just as impressively as it started.

What can you do for an encore after putting a 19-spot up in the first inning? Rez did its best, adding another five runs on eight hits, which could have been more but Brother Jeff destroyed a would-be three-run homer for an out, because of the four-homerun limit.

Tenney doubled to dead center to start the inning and moved to third on Jonathan's third hit. Jason lined one to the right-center fielder for the first out, but Tenney hustled home to make it a sac fly and a 20-0 game. Adam singled to push Jonathan to second and Austin lined another shot to right which found the corner and placed him gently at third base for the second three-triple game of his career. Austin came home on Jamy's line-drive single up the middle and Jamy advanced to second on Eric's single. Brother Jeff then deposited the second out well beyond the left-center field wall and Chris singled to score Jamy and cap the scoring at 24.

Red, now more in awe than anything, strode to the plate and looped a lead-off single before going down one, two, three to end the second inning. Due to a poor ruling, Red was allowed to bat its half of the third inning to see if the team could score five runs to avoid the 20-run mercy rule. The Warriors were disappointed with this call, receiving only two innings to hit, but maintained their focus and finished the game quickly with excellent defense.

Jason came to the mound in the second and third innings and earned his first ever pitching victory. The defense was perfect for its nine outs and on the year has committed just three errors in three games. After this offensive explosion, the Warriors are hitting .606 on the year with nine homeruns and a 1.046 slugging percentage. Every single player has an OPS of 1.000 or higher with early-season MVP favorite Eric Johnson leading the way with a 2.553 mark. He also is pacing the team with his .909 average, two homeruns and ten rbi - staring a potential halfway Triple Crown in the face.

Through three games, every player has scored at least twice and driven home at least one run. Only three players haven't hit homers, but all three of those will be expected to do so in short time. This could be a record-setting year for the Warrior offense.

The victory puts Rez Life at 3-0 on the season with its first double-header slated for next week at 7:50 and 8:50 on field 3 versus EPAG and fellow 3-0 team, Immanuel. It should be a fun night.