Two-Game Special: 6/10 vs. PC Load Letters & 6/15 vs. Indy Team #6

Matt in action against PC Load Letters - also a

High softball season is upon us! Not only are the Underhanded Compliments playing every week in the Irving Park Summer League, we’re also involved in big pick-up games & are looking forward to fielding a squad for the Friends of Doernbecher Softball Tournament next month. Meanwhile, yours truly is playing with my over-55 Boomer PDX League team & enjoying taking the field on both sides of the ball.

Triffid pitching against PC Load Letters - player of the game based on her fine pitching, not to mention a 2-run homer!

But between one thing & another & all this softball, I seem to have missed posting about our June 10th game versus PC Load Letters. It was another successful outing for the Underhanded Compliments, & we started off strong, as the first seven batters all reached base safely, & 6 of them scored. Gustav led off with a double, & Lauren followed with a base on balls; Matt then singled to score Gustav, while Colin doubled home Lauren. Matt scored on Emily K’s rbi single, Bryce doubled to drive in Emily, then Nicole walked. With one out, Triffid hit a sacrifice fly to score Bryce, & we were up 6-zip before PC Load Letters had batted—then shut them down in a three-up, three-down inning.

Bryce: 3 doubles against PC Load Letters

We added a run in the second as Steven led off with a single, & Kristina followed with a single that actually scored Steven from first! There was some creative outfield play by the opposition, but Steven also showed off his speed. PC Load Letters opened their scoring in the second with a single, a triple & a sacrifice fly, but we answered with two of our own in the third as Matt & Colin began the inning with back-to-back home runs. The bottom of the third was noteworthy for a creative double play. There was a lead off single by friend of the Compliments Katie L (from the Huevos Grandes team), & then with one out, Colin initiated a double play that went shortstop to first, with Mark then firing to Emily K at third to record the final out.

Cameron rocking the fright wig behind the plate vs. PC Load Letters

We added three runs in the fourth as Mark & Triffid hit back-to-back one out singles, & then with two outs, Cameron singled to send them both home. PC Load Letters answered with one in the bottom half as they strung together 3 two-out hits, & after 4 we led 12-3. We pushed it to 14-3 in the tops of the fifth in a two-out rally of our own, as Matt singled, Colin drove him in with a double, then Emily K followed with an rbi single.  PC Load Letters went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

Emily K has had a fine season both hitting

Yours truly led off the sixth with an infield single, & Triffid then smacked one on a line to center field for a two-run home run! We allowed 2 runs in the bottom half, but held a comfortable 16-5 lead, which we pushed to 18-5 as Gustav led off with a double & with two out, Colin smashed a 2-run homer. Emily K & Bryce followed with hits, but that was the end of the scoring. PC Load Letters went quietly in the bottom of the 7th. Triffid was named player of the game, & deservedly so, because her pitching was as always deadly accurate. She, in combination with Cameron behind the plate, had the opposition guessing wrong all evening.

Colin on second base after another extra base hit! He's been crushing the ball this summer.

Our game against the Indy Team was a contrast to that easy win. Although the Indy Team entered the game 0 & 2, it was worth noting that both losses had been close & that they’d scored a lot of runs. In fact, they came out charging in the top of the first as after one out their next four hitters reached on three singles & a misplay. With two outs, three more hitters reached on two walks & a single, & they sent 10 players to the plate before we finally set them down—the result: we were trailing 4-0! I believe we were all a bit startled not only to be down, but then to only manage one hit of our own in the bottom of the first—a single by Matt—though it’s true that Lauren was robbed of a sure single as their third baseman barely snagged a line drive that was ticketed for left field. In fact, more of the ball was out of his glove than in it, but he managed to hold on. The Indy team then added a fifth run in the top of the second, & we were down by five.

Cameron toes the rubber against the Indy team while Emily K takes her stance at third base

In fact, things were starting to look a little desperate, as our first two hitters in the second were both put out on fly balls to left field. But Nicole got things going with a solid single, & yours truly followed with a single up the middle. Jessica then singled to drive in Nicole, Mark singled to drive in Rob who was running for me, & Steven, Kristina & Cameron all followed with rbi singles. After two the game was 5-5, & we began to feel as though order had been restored! In fact, thanks to a fine double play started by Colin, we set the Indy team down in order in the third, & then went to work in the bottom of the inning.

Colin has also had a great season in the field at shortstop!

Lauren led off with a walk, & with one out, Colin drove a deep opposite field shot for a two-run homer. Emily K & Rob followed with singles, & with two outs (Emily being erased on a fielder’s choice), yours truly singled home Rob.

Lauren at the plate against PC Load Letters

But as their previous games suggested, the Indy team could score runs. They plated two in the top of the fourth, with Colin making a fine play on a line drive to record the third out & keep them from tying the game or taking the lead.

Nicole at second, Kristina in the outfield; solid defense & hitting from both of them in both games!

The bottom of the fourth was really our inning however. With one out, Kristina singled, & then with two outs, we mounted a big rally. Emily H stroked an rbi single, & singles by Gustav & Lauren loaded the bases for Matt, who then unloaded them with a deep bomb to center for a grand slam! Colin followed with a deep home run of his own, & like that we were up 14-7.

Gustav at the plate - solid hitting all year & solid defensive play at various positions!

Still the Indy team battled back with a two out rally of their own in the top of the sixth. Gustav made a fine catch in left, battling a tough sun, to record the first out, & Matt made a really fine running catch in center to get the second. But then a walk & consecutive singles brought a run home before Nicole made a nice snag of a grounder to end the threat.

Rob behind the plate against the Indy team - the newest "Handy" had a solid 2 for 3 debut with an rbi & 2 runs scored!

We kept the pressure on in the 6th. Yours truly led off with another single up the middle, & then with one out, Mark blasted a 2-run home run. After a second out was recorded, Kristina singled (going 3 for 3), Cameron tripled, Emily H singled him home, & Gustav finished the scoring with a triple of his own to score Emily. We were up 18-8.

Emily H in the outfield, Mark at first against the Indy team. Emily had two hits & a walk, while Mark had a single & 2-run homer!

The Indy team didn’t quit. In fact they added three runs in the 6th, & our good defense saved us from the score being closer—Colin made two fine plays, as did Lauren in right field. When it was over, we’d prevailed 18-11 in what was by far our most competitive game of the summer so far!

Jessica behind the plate against the Indy team--another fine performance with 2 hits, including the first rbi against the Indy squad.

Next week: June 24th vs. The Performance Enhancers!

Lauren made a fine play in right to squelch the Indy team's 6th inning rally