The 2010 season is underway and it got started in fine fashion last night. The two top pre-season teams faced off under the lights on field #5 with both teams ready to play. Defending champion, Resurrection Life, defeated former champion, Wooddale Classic, 16-15 scoring three runs in the top of the 7th to win it.
Both teams showed some early season rust, Rez moreso than Wooddale, but all told it was a well-played game. The Warriors banged out 22 hits and drew three walks. Wooddale ripped 21 hits and drew two walks. Rez did commit three errors, but they were early and the defense played perfectly the last three innings. Wooddale committed just one error which did not lead to any extra runs for Rez.
Rez started the season in style as leadoff hitter Austin Colby launched the first pitch of the season well over the left-field fence into the netting on the baseball field. While it wasn't an effective use of the team's limited homeruns, it was a nice little 'Oh, welcome to OUR league' statement to Wooddale.
Substitute Jeremy Abfalter followed with a single and went to third on newcomer Ryan Norman's single. With runners on the corners, Eric Johnson lofted the first of what will be eight or nine sacrifice flies, plating Jeremy. Adam Hey followed with a liner up the middle to move Ryan to second and Jeff Johnson hit into a forceout for the second out. Up 2-0 with two outs and runners on the corners, Aaron Beintema delivered a single to score Ryan and keep the inning alive for Lee Valle. Lee responded by roping his first pitch in two years to the center-field wall scoring Jeff and ending the inning's scoring at 4-0 Rez.
Wooddale brushed off the little hit barrage put on by the Warriors and calmly ripped five hits and used two Rez errors to score five runs in the bottom half to take a 5-4 early lead. The Warriors didn't waste much time correcting that as Logan Brincefield started the second with a single and jogged home as Austin hit his second pitch of the season just a little bit higher on that baseball field net in left field. Jeremy followed with a single but the next three batters went down in order leaving it 6-5 Rez through one and a half.
Wooddale scored two in the bottom half with three hits including a double. Good outfield defense kept any additional runners from reaching.
Tied at 6, the Warriors took their only goose egg of the game in the third inning. The team went down one, two, three making it six straight outs going back to the second inning. Ouch.
Wooddale took advantage and pounced ahead with four runs in the bottom of the third. Four hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly gave Classic the edge.
Now down four and having set down six straight batters, the Warriors needed a jump start in the fourth. The team answered the call, banging out five hits and utilizing a sacrifice fly and a walk to plate five runners and reclaim the lead, 11-10. John Beintema started the frame with a smooth single to left. After a tough lineout, Austin took his free pass with class to put two on for Jeremy. Jeremy answered and loaded the bases with a single. Ryan followed with an rbi single to score John. Eric eased his second sac fly to the outfield, plating Logan who was running for Austin. Down 10-8 with two outs and two on, Adam came through in a big way launching what looked like a homerun off the wall in left-center to score Jeremy and Ryan and tying the score. Jeff roped a single to center to push Adam home and give the Warriors the lead.
Wooddale looked like it wasn't phased by the outburst and started the bottom half single, double to put runners at second and third with no outs. But, the defense stepped up and set down the next three batters to allow just the one run to score to tie the game.
With three innings to go and a tie game, Rez added a run in the fifth to take a one-run lead. Lee singled to start things and after back-to-back outs, Austin took his second unintentional, intentional walk to put two on for Jeremy. Jeremy blooped one on the right-field line to score Lee, but was thrown out at second to end the inning, 12-11 Rez.
Wooddale showed its first real chink in the offensive armor putting the first two batters on first and second and then going down in order without scoring. Austin snared a line drive hit right back at his shoulder to end the fifth inning, 12-11 Warriors.
Rez tried to add some more runs in the sixth, but couldn't really muster any offense, using two singles and an error to push just one run across the plate.
Wooddale now had a chance to take back the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Classic did just that, scoring four times to really put the pressure on Rez going into the seventh. Classic had four hits in the inning and one walk. Two very nice plays in the field by Austin on the mound and Ryan at shortstop prevented even more runs from scoring.
Trailing by two in the last frame, Rez needed baserunners. John grounded out to start things but Logan came through with a base-hit to left setting the table for Austin. Austin, having not swung since the second inning, seemed a bit over anxious and lunged at the first pitch thrown only to hit a high flyball to center for the second out. For a moment it seemed like the Warriors were done, but Jeremy came through in a big way stroking one through the wind over the center-field fence to tie the game at 15 with two outs. Motivated by the blast, the Warriors kept it going as Ryan singled and moved to second on Eric's walk. Adam proved his worth yet again with another clutch two-out hit, lining a single to center to score Ryan and give Rez the late lead. A flyout ended the inning.
Wooddale trailed by one and strode to the plate in the bottom of the seventh determined to get the leadoff man on first. However, a tricky pop-up in shallow right was held up by the strong wind allowing Eric time to hustle out and snag it for the first out. That was huge. The second batter hit a grounder to Ryan who fielded cleanly and fired to Jeff at first for the second out. The next batter roped one that Ryan nearly speared out of mid-air but was just out of his reach. With one on and two outs, the final batter hit a spinning pop-up on the third base line that Austin tracked down and buried to end the game.
A great, exciting 16-15 victory to open the season for the Resurrection Life Warriors. Adam Hey earns Player of the Game honors for his 4-5 performance including a double and three huge two-out rbi, including the game-winner.
The team's next contest is at 6:50 on field #3 versus St. Andrew Blue on May 6.
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