Team Re-Entry Softball Box Scores for Spring 2011
Game #1: Re-Entry vs. Hammered Slammers
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Hammered Slammers | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1
| 0 | 4 |
| Re-Entry | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | x | 11 |
Re-Entry played its first
game of the spring season against a very good defensive team, the
Hammered Slammers. Although Re-Entry scored a run in every inning, it
was not able to muster any sustained offense, partly due to some slick
outfield play by our opponents. However, the Hammered Slammers did
not do much slamming, and Re-Entry's solid defense held them to four
runs. The defensive highlight of the game belongs to Lilly, who
took a throw from Howie to get a force at second and then wheeled and
fired a bullet to first base to complete the rare 6-4-3 double play
(common in baseball, perhaps, but much rarer in our league).
The big blow of the game was struck by Erica, a towering drive over
the head of the left fielder for a very loud double and RBI.
Game #2: Re-Entry vs. Haters gonna hate
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Haters gonna hate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
| 6 | 8 |
| Re-Entry | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 12 |
The Re-Entry bats came alive, and for the first three innings the
hitting was relentless. Powered by three homeruns from Eddie, Omar
and A.J., Re-Entry jumped out to an 11--0 lead. Each of the homeruns
were lined shots over the heads of a very skillful Haters gonna hate outfield.
In fact, the number of Re-Entry runs would have been significantly
larger if not for a few superb plays by the outfield to run down a
number of very well hit line drives. On the defensive side, Re-Entry
was equally strong, playing almost error free. When A.J. added his
second home run of the game in the bottom of the 6th to make the score
12--2, the final outcome was all but certain. A six run seventh by our
opponents, fueled primarily by a number of bunt singles that the
umpires failed to call back, made the final score respectable. But
the game was never in doubt. Our newest team members, Kaila and
Laurie played solid games both at the plate and in the field, in their
spring debuts. Still, there was a small sigh of relieve as Clara
gobbled up the final ground ball and tossed it to Kaila for the final
out.
Game #3: Re-Entry vs. OPHERS
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| OPHERS | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| Re-Entry | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | x | 14 |
OPHERS staked out an early three-run lead in the first thanks to
the first-base umpire's bad positioning on a throw from second to
first which kept the OPHERS inning alive and eventually led to three
runs. In the bottom of the second, Omar tied it up with a towering
three-run jack. OPHERS answered back, putting up five in the top
of the third, though they received many mind-boggling calls from the
first base umpire that almost made us believe that his boss was
playing for the other team (wait a minute...). At any rate, Re-Entry
capped the damage at five runs. In the bottom of the third, Eddie
added a solo homer to bring the score to 8-4, which would go to 9-4 in
the top of the fourth on a few solid base hits by OPHERS.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Re-Entry bats came alive and scored
five runs on a series of base hits with contributions by seemingly
everyone, to tie the game at 9-9. In the bottom of the fifth, Omar
added his second home-run of the game, this time a two-run jack, to
give Re-Entry it's first lead at 11-9. OPHERS weren't done
however, and added three runs in the top of the sixth to re-gain the
lead 12-11. With Re-Entry's backs against the wall, Re-Entry would not
back down. After two base-hits to get runners on second and third with
no outs, Kaila hit a line-drive that ate up the left-fielder, causing
him to slip, and leading to a go ahead three-run homer to put Re-Entry
up for good at 14-12. OPHERS put up a small threat in the top of
the seventh, but the game ended on a 6-3 put out from Chris to Kaila.
Though the score indicated otherwise (cough, first base ump), Re-Entry
played a solid defensive game, including a great sliding catch by Andy
in left center field to rob them of a base hit.
The game's web gem belongs to AJ for firing an absolute
bullet from right center field
to Erica at catcher (who also did a great job grabbing
it and applying the tag), to nail the runner trying to score from second
in the crucial late innings.
Game #4: Re-Entry vs. Dream Crushers
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Dream Crushers | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Re-Entry | 1 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | x | 24 |
For the first time this season, Re-Entry scored ten runs in an inning,
thereby invoking the ten-run rule. The big second inning crushed the
dreams of the opponents, as the whole Re-Entry line-up delivered hit
after hit. By the end of the fourth inning, Re-Entry was already
twenty runs ahead, and the only remaining drama consisted of Andy's
bid for the cycle. Coming up in the sixth inning having already
produced a single, triple and home run, Andy hit a lined shot to left
center. Under normal circumstances, the outfield would have held him
to a single, but Andy was not be denied as he headed for second
arriving just before the throw. Kudos to Andy for the first cycle of
the season. By the seventh inning, manager Chris decided to shake
things up and had the outfield play infield and the infield play outfield.
The new infield did not disappoint, and turned a 4-6-3 double play to
end the game.
Game #5: Re-Entry vs. Los Educadores
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Los Educadores | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Re-Entry | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | x | 10 |
In the battle of the undefeated teams, Re-Entry came back from an
early five-run deficit to win a tense and exciting game by the score
of 10--8. With this victory, Re-Entry cliches first place in Division
III. Sloppy defensive play in the second inning (along with a missed
call by the umpire on a tag play at third base) resulted in a big
seven run inning by Los Educadores. But apart from one additional run
in the following inning, Los Educadores never seriously threatened.
The Re-Entry defense recovered and played sharply in the field, and as
the game progressed the Los Educadores bats cooled and produced too
many high fly balls and ground outs (along with a line drive to
shortstop that was turned into a double play).
Meanwhile, the Re-Entry bats were steady throughout the game. Not
trying to overhit the ball, the Re-Entry batters hit numerous line
drives, most of which fell for singles, against one of the best
defensive teams in Intramurals softball. A few line drives found some
gaps, and it was Eddie who finally shot a ball between the left and
left-center fielders for a two run homerun in the sixth inning, which
finally put Re-Entry back in the lead. In the Re-Entry sixth inning,
a superb Schierholtzian catch on a sinking line to right-center field
ended Howie's streak of thirteen consecutive base hits. Nevertheless,
Re-Entry was still able to push one run across for insurance. Leaving
the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth could have been a missed
opportunity, but Los Educadores made two quick outs in the top of
the seventh. A single extended the game one batter, but a weak ground
ball to the second baseman ended the game.
Many thanks to Brenda for filling in for Erica. Her steady presence
both on offense and on defense was absolutely one of the key factors in the
Re-Entry victory. Overall, it was an excellent showing by all the
Re-Entry players---a good test for the upcoming playoff run.
Game #6: Re-Entry vs. Staff Infection
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Staff Infection | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Re-Entry | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | x | 28 |
Re-Entry completed an undefeated regular season with a 28--2 thumping
of Staff Infection. However, Staff Infection administered a thumping
of a different kind in the top of the seventh when the first batter,
while attempting to stretch a single into a double, crashed into Howie
who was attempting to receive the ball at second base from Erica in
right-center field. The runner arrived a split second before the ball
did, and the resulting hockey check resulted in a injury to Howie's
jaw (later that evening at Urgent Care, the doctor was fairly
confident that the jaw was not broken, but predicted a few days of
soreness and recommended lots of ice). Prior to that incident, Howie
had capped off a 7 for 7 day, with a single, double, triple and a
lead-off double in the 4th inning that was turned into a homerun when
the right fielder kicked the ball after cutting it off. Assuming that
the official scorer was asleep, that is the second cycle for Re-Entry
this season, following Andy's true cycle against the Dream Crushers.
(Howie subsequently added two singles and a double to complete the
perfect day at the plate.) The other Re-Entry bats were also working
overtime, especially in the first inning which was ended by the ten
run rule. The team fielding was solid in all areas, as Staff Infection put up
little resistance.
Playoff Game (round of 16): Re-Entry vs. Juiced Up
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Re-Entry | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Juiced Up | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
In the first round of the spring 2011 playoffs, Re-Entry faced Juiced-Up,
the second place team from Division VIII. For the first five
innings, the Re-Entry bats were hot, with many well placed line drives.
resulting in a nine run lead. Re-Entry protected the lead with solid
defense, which included an inning ending 6 (unassisted)--3
double play with the bases loaded
to kill a Juiced Up rally in the third inning,
and a nice catch by Erica in right
field with runners on second and third to end another Juiced Up
threat. When Eddie slugged a line drive home run over the head of the
left fielder (just beating the relay throw from the outfield), the 13--4
lead seemed comfortable.
However, a controversial interference call later in the fifth inning
(turning a one out bases loaded situation into two outs with runners
on first and second) helped snuff out a potential Re-Entry rally.
After that, the Re-Entry hitting lost much of its sting, and an
opportunity was missed to put our opponents away. In addition, with
some shaky defense the final two innings, Re-Entry lead was suddenly
at risk. Juiced Up took full advantage, and to their credit pushed
across five runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. With runners on
second and third, Juiced Up was threatening to erase the earlier nine
run deficit. The next batter produced a short bunt-like hit, which
Laura fielded in front of home plate. With no chance to
gun down the runner at first base,
Laura noticed the runner from third heading home and
alertly returned to the plate to cut down the runner trying to score
for the third out of the inning. But, the game was still in the
balance when Juiced Up scored two more runs in the 7th inning and put
two runners on base when yours truly was unable to convert the final
ground ball out. In perhaps the most critical call of the game, the
next batter blooped a single to short center field that was called
back on a low pitch. On the very next pitch, the Juiced Up batter hit
a towering pop-up to the first baseman, and Rob squeezed the glove
with the third out, preserving the Re-Entry 13--11 win.
Playoff Game (quarter-final): Re-Entry vs. Brady Bunch
| inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs |
| Brady Bunch | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 16 |
| Re-Entry | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
In a rematch of the fall playoffs, Re-Entry came up short
once again as Brady Bunch earned a ticket to the semi-finals.
However, unlike the fall playoffs, Re-Entry didn't go down without a
fight. Despite being six runs down before their first at bats,
Re-Entry staged a spirited comeback. Omar jumpstarted the team
offense in the second inning with a two-run homerun.
When Andy hit a lined shot over
the center fielder's head with two runners aboard for a homerun to
tie the game at 9--9 all in the bottom of the 4th, the comeback
was complete. In the top of the 5th inning, Chris subbing for Howie
at shortstop made a scintillating over the shoulder (back to home
plate) catch of a flare (called a "Texas leaguer" when I was growing
up) in short left field to end the Brady Bunch threat and maintain the
tie score. In the bottom of the 5th inning, with the bases loaded and
one out, Eddie hit a hot ground ball up the middle. Our good friend
Rachel (the Brady Bunch shortstop) displayed her impressive range by
cutting off the ball before it reached center field and recording the
force-out at second base with an accurate throw. A run scored on the play and
suddenly Re-Entry had its first lead.
However, that was the last rally that Re-Entry could muster. Sadly, the
wheels came off in the top of the 6th inning. A few errant defensive
plays by Re-Entry opened up the floodgates, and Brady Bunch took full
advantage. They put up their second six spot of the game, and
Re-Entry was unable to recover. With no further clutch hits left in
the tank, Re-Entry suffered its first defeat in an otherwise perfect
season. Unfortunately, at this time of year, one defeat is all it
takes and your season is over.
Brady Bunch was clearly the most talented team that Re-Entry faced all
year. Nevertheless, apart from a few unfortunate glitches in the
field (which could have been avoided on a better day), Re-Entry
competed well and might have been able to pull this one out with a little
tighter defense and a few more timely hits. Nevertheless, we put a scare
into Brady Bunch (who had not been seriously challenged all season).
Being able to fight back from a six run deficit and take the lead
after five innings is something we can be proud of.
A few notable items concerning the quarter-final game not mentioned above. The
web gem belongs to Andy who chased down a line drive hit over his head
in center field and caught it on the dead run. Lilly at third base
had to deal with two screaming line drives ("seeds" as the Giant announcers
would call it). In both cases, she managed to get her glove on the
batted ball. But due to the ferocity of the line drives, in both cases the
ball bounced hard off her glove onto the ground. On the initial line drive,
Lilly was able to pick the ball up and throw the runner out at first.
She wasn't as fortunate on the second line drive, which was ruled a
hit by the official scorer. Nevertheless, she gets high marks for
courage under fire! Howie had three singles in three at bats (after
beating out an infield hit in his final at bat) to complete a perfect
7 for 7 playoff run and a 14 consecutive hit streak. Together with a
20 for 21 regular season, his final batting average of .964 sets an
all time Re-Entry season record. Kudos in part to our great team
pitchers, Eddie and Chris, who played critical roles in
providing hittable pitches for all of the Re-Entry hitters.
Back to the Top
Link to
the Spring 2011 Re-Entry Coed Softball team web page
haber@scipp.ucsc.edu
Last Updated: June 2, 2011