The DC Bullets steamrolled through Newsweek Monday evening by the lopsided final 32-4.  Now, I know what you’re thinking.  Way to run up the score.  So I did some calculating – for the game, the Bullet team batted .571, which is a good, but hardly otherworldly batting average.  The primary reason the score went so far in Bullets favor had more to do with Newsweek missing their primary pitcher and auditioning four different hurlers during the course of the game.

Those auditions did not go particularly well, as the Bullets drew an astounding 22 walks.  Every hitter in the Bullet line-up except second baseman Christine “CNap” Napolitano (ironically, the smallest strike zone on the team) (1-3, R, RBI) drew at least one walk.  Inveterate free-swinger, third baseman Mike Lorah, with no walks in sixty 2010 plate appearances coming into the game, drew three free passes, and during the third walk fouled off a 3-0 pitch that nearly hit him in the chin while trying to find a pitch to put in play.

Every Bullet scored at least once.  Every Bullet except designated hitter LP Vollano (1-5, R, BB) and second/first baseman Jennie Gaeta collected an RBI.  Leadoff hitter and centerfielder Neil Hiremath, despite seven plate appearances in seven innings, finished hitless, going 0-3, but with three walks and a sacrifice fly Neil still scored three times and drove in three more runs.  The catching combo Allison Dugas (0-1, R, RBI, 2 BB) and Katie Kubert (0-2, R, RBI, BB) also combined to finish without a hit, yet the pair collected three free passes, two runs scored and two RBI between them.

Nine runs scored in both the first and second innings, with fourteen base on balls handed out between the two frames.  The only extra-base hit during those two innings came on outfielder Brian Cunningham’s (4-5, 3 R, 7 RBI, double, HR, BB) grand slam over the center field fence. (Another reason for early scoring: there was a sense among the Bullets that Newsweek’s home field, the bandbox at James J. Walker Park, would enable Newsweek to put a few big innings of their own.)

Despite it all, Newsweek played a good game.  They picked up outfield assists by getting Mike Lorah at third base on a first-to-third attempt, and Jennie Gaeta (1-2, R, double) was similarly cut down trying to take an extra base on her seventh-inning leadoff double.  One Newsweek masher also accounted for three of his team’s runs with two mammoth home runs, the second of which would likely have dented the building across Leroy St. beyond the left field fence if not for a conveniently placed tree.

The lopsided win moves the Bullets to 6-2 in New York Media Softball League action, and 13-4 overall.  Their next game is the anticipated showdown with Marvel Comics, this coming Thursday on the Bullets’ home field, North Meadow #2 in Central Park.

Game Notes:
The Bullets look forward to matching up against Newsweek’s usual pitcher again soon.  The teams’ first game of 2010 got off to an auspicious start, with Newsweek up 6-0 after three innings before the Bullets rallied for a 17-6 win.

Other offensive notes:
Lorah, 3-3, 4 R, 3 RBI, double, 3 BB
SS Adam Schlagman, 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, double, 3 BB
LF Andrew “Better Things to Do” Arnold, 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, double, BB
P Joel “Swinging for the Fences in the Seventh so I can Brag to my Kids” Press, 2-3, 5 R, 2 RBI, HR, 3 BB
OF/1B Sal Cipriano, 3-4, 4 R, RBI, double, 2 BB
RF Brian Walters, 5-5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 doubles, BB

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 6:22 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.