In their second New York Media Softball League game, the DC Bullets played tight defense and strung together a three run-scoring rallies to best public radio’s WNYC 10-4 on Monday evening.  Playing on WNYC’s home field, perhaps the deepest field the Bullets play on all summer, extra base hits came with difficulty, but the bats put together a few sustained station-to-station relays in the first and fourth innings.

Centerfielder Neil Hiremath (1-3) led off the top of the first with a hustling base hit, before he was erased on third baseman Mike Lorah’s (1-4, 2 R) fielder’s choice.  Co-captain and shortstop Adam Schlagman began a perfect day at the plate with a line single to left.  Adam finished 3-3, with a run scored, an RBI, a double and a base on balls.  LF Andrew Arnold (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) drove home Lorah, and LF Jay Kogan (2-4, 2R, RBI) knocked Schlagman home.  2B Christine “CNap” Napolitano’s (1-2, R, RBI) groundout scored Andrew, and LP Vollano, the designated hitter, capped the scoring with a two-out single.  LP had himself a 2-2 with 2 RBI day.

WNYC then halved the Bullet lead with two runs in the bottom of the first.  Despite lead-off hits in the second, third and fourth innings, but Bullets failed to tack on to their lead.  The offensive shortfall appeared problematic when WNYC’s biggest bopper hammered a two-out, two-run double down the left field line in the last of the fourth, tying the score at four all.

However, the resilient Bullets shook off their doldrums in the top of the fifth.  Consecutive singles by Lorah, Schlagman and Arnold put the Bullets back on top, and after Jay’s fielder’s choice erased Adam at third base for the first out, CNap loaded the bases by beating out an infield single. LP drove in Andrew for a second run, and 3B Adam Staffaroni (2-2, 2 RBI, double) doubled home two more runs, adding an exclamation point to the inning.

The 8-4 Bullet lead held into the seventh inning, when the comic book makers launched a two-out rally.  With SCF Joel Press (1-2, R) at first and two away, SCF Brian Cunningham (2-2, R) lined a hit to left and pitcher Larry Ganem (1-2, RBI) flared a single to right, bringing Joel around and across the plate.  Brian Walters (0-1, BB), the right fielder, walked, and RF Allison Dugas capped a 2-2 day with an RBI base hit, scoring Cunningham.

Battling to the end, WNYC put their lead-off hitter on in the seventh, but after a foul pop-out at third, Larry Ganem put an end to the game by spearing a line drive back to the mound and doubling the runner off first.

With the 10-4 win, the DC Bullets move to 2-0 in the NYMSL, and 5-0 overall.  Next the Bullets match up against Scientific American on Thursday at their home field, Field #2 in Central Park’s North Meadow.

Game Notes:

The Bullets likely benefited somewhat from WNYC’s being short a player; the radio squad played a nine-person team, leaving them with only a three-man outfield.

With eighteen players present, only shortstop Adam Schlagman, pitcher Larry Ganem and first baseman beyond peer Laura Demoreuille played every defensive inning.

Due to the large WNYC home field, the Bullets managed only two extra base hits, both doubles: Adam Schlagman’s lead-off gapper in the third, and Adam Staffaroni’s two-run shot that capped the fifth inning scoring.

Mike Lorah struck out looking in the sixth inning. For shame.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 6:35 pm and is filed under DC Bullets Softball, Mike's Musings, News & Views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.