Regular Season Finale – 7/6 vs. The Therminators

Huge game for Mark: 4 for 5, including a double & two home runs, 3 runs scored & 9 rbis!

The evening of July 6th brought some milder temperatures after a prolonged heat wave—it truly was lovely, & perfect for a softball game; & indeed, the Underhanded Compliments had a game, & a game I’d been looking at since the schedule first appeared: our match-up against the Therminators.

The Therminators came into the game with a respectable 3-2 record, but that didn’t account for the anticipation. As those who played last summer will recall, the Therminators were responsible for the one blemish on an undefeated record, as they played us to a 16-all tie. We exacted some satisfying payback for that, however, as we defeated them 20-4 in the championship game.

Triffid had her usual solid game at the plate, pitching & fielding. 2 hits (including a double) & 2 walks in 5 plate appearances

Still, I knew they had good players, & despite a modest record this year, I realized they had the potential to play as well as any opponent we’d faced so far in the summer. In addition, we were playing with a bare minimum of 10 players, so I’ll admit to some concerns entering the game.

Matt had a great game: 5 for 6, with 2 singles, 2 doubles & a triple; 5 runs scored & 5 driven in

We were playing as the visiting team, so after our first two batters made outs to the infield, it was looking like we’d get off to a quiet start. But Matt followed with a 2-out double, & then in succession, Bryce, Emily K, yours truly & Nicole all drew walks—their pitcher was nowhere near the strike zone, throwing balls well into the lefthanded batters box or bouncing them before they reached the plate. My walk & Nicole’s walk each drove in runs, then Mark—who had a huge day!—followed with a 3-run double, & just like that we were up 5-0.

Really bad photo, but great game for Nicole, who went 3 for 4 plus a walk at the plate, including 4 runs scored & an rbi!

The Therminators went quietly in the first—which included a nice double play turned by Matt & Nicole—& we got back to it in the top of the second, ultimately sending 12 batters to the plate. Kristina led off with a single, then with one out, Lauren & Matt followed singles, the latter scoring Gustav, who’d reached on a fielder’s choice. Bryce smashed a 2-run double, then after another out, yours truly hit an opposite field rbi single. Nicole also got a base hit, & then Mark hit a 3-run homer to finish the scoring. We were up 12-0.

Bryce came through in a big way: 4 for 4 plus a walk, with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 runs scored & 8 rbis!

The Therminators added a run in the bottom of the inning, but we batted around again in the top of the third. Lauren singled; Matt smashed a triple to centerfield, burning their best outfielder (who’d robbed Matt of sure extra bases in a crucial spot during last year’s tie game). Bryce followed with a 2-run bomb, then with one out, yours truly, Nicole, Mark & Triffid all singled, with Mark driving in a run. Kristina followed with an rbi fielder’s choice, then Gustav & Lauren came through with singles, with Gustav’s also driving in a run. Matt hit a 2-run double, & Bryce did the same, & with only 2 outs we’d scored the maximum 10-runs.

Kristina was named player of the game! 3 for 5 with a couple of rbis, & so key in getting the line-up turned over

The Therminators never got off the ground offensively—they scored only 3 runs in the game. We didn’t score in the 4th, but in the 5th, we were at it again. Triffid led off with a double, then with one out, Gustav also doubled to put runners on second & third. Lauren came through with an rbi grounder, Matt hit an rbi single, & Bryce followed with his second home run & 2 more rbis. We also added 2 runs in the sixth as Nicole led off with a single & Mark hit his second home run of the game.

Including the times he pinch ran for me, Gustav scored 6 runs!

When the dust had settled, we’d won 28-3, clinching first place & the number one playoff seed with a 6-0 record. We also outscored our opponents 120-46 in the six regular season games—but of course, now we turn to the playoffs, where it’s one & done, so we need to be on our game!

Final Regular Season Standings in the Irving Park Summer Weeknight League

Next Week: Quarterfinals versus CLEAR!