Well, it wasn’t the best of nights for the old Pen &
Pencil Club softball team, as we lost 13-7 to the Franklin Institute on the
beaches of Edgeley 4. It was our first loss to FI since the team fissured
following the 2011 season. Previously, against this version of the Beating
Hearts, we were 3-0 with a combined score of 46-16.
All that history was meaningless on Wednesday, however, as
we fell behind early and were unable to get up. The Franklinites made the plays
they needed to make and found the holes in our defense and potholes in the
infield and won it fair and square.
We had our chances but were undone by a five-run first
inning for the Institutionalists and then a seven-spot hung on us in the third
when Franklin batted around. I meant to ask Buddy the last time FI batted
around, but was afraid to hear the answer.
By the end of the fifth inning, after having trailed by 10,
we struggled back to trail by six, but neither team
Yeah, Candy snared it. |
For the record, since I keep these things and the league
archives ain’t what they used to be, Franklin Institute was 2-33 in league play
since Whitmarsh and Ventrola took the cool kids and went away. Both previous
wins were over the Constitution Center, one in 2012 and one in 2013. Both of
the wins over NCC were by more than six runs, however, so we’ve got that going
for us.
Fortunately, because of the unbalanced schedule this season,
we don’t see the Pirates of the Parkway again,
Even taking out their girls with body blocks didn't help. |
Game details, you say? Thought you’d never ask.
Three hits for the Management, two each for losing hurler
Chris Yasiejko, Jon Snyder and George Miller. We had just 14 hits total in our
seven at-bats and brought four or fewer to the plate in four of those innings.
Not good enough by a bunch.
The Franklins hit the ball up and down the lineup. I’m not
going to try to separate the hits from the errors, but they all counted and 10
of the 12 in the Franklin lineup scored at least one run. That was annoying.
Ah, well. Onward. Next week we get to play the spinoff
Franklinites, those Cajun dogs of Catahoula and it would be a nice symmetry to
lose to one version of the FI team and then beat the supposedly better version the
following week.
That game, Wednesday at Edgeley 3, is the rescheduling of
our opener, which we graciously moved so that Nick could go to the Phillies
opener. Just speaking for myself, I’ve had it up to here with being gracious
for a while.
When all else fails, blame the scorekeeper. That book can't be right, can it? (Photos by Jon Snyder) |