Assassins take first strike

Throwing error by rookie proves fatal

Soonie's Assassins lead series 1-0

SIX IN THE SIXTH

Home runs by Kuzmiak, DaRosa and Gonzalez helped Intervention (IV) to a 5-4 lead after 3 innings. However, the Assassins fought back and led 7-6 after 5 innings; a spate of bad decisions/execution on defense by IV keyed a 6-run 6th inning for Chowdhury's ballclub.

JUST SHORT

After IV crawled back to within 13-10, the Assassins were, basically, given the ballgame:

• Top 8th; Sacramento on 2B, Bush on 1B. Matsui rips one off Manning's glove.

• Sacramento slides and barely beats the throw home.

• C Gonzalez spots Matsui trying to sneak into 2B, and has him dead, but heaves the ball far, far away from the bag.

• Both Bush and Matsui scurry around the bases. 16-10 Assassins.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???!!" -- a less-than-pleased Minor, from CF, after that play.

IV went into the 9th down 16-12, but a 2-out rally fell short--Assassins win 16-15.

AWARDS

Flores (who quickly broke his 0-for-12 streak in his 1st AB and went 6-for-6) and Matsui (5 RBI) won BAD ASS of the Day. Lynas, playing for the first time in two months, made an unbelievable stop-and-throw from his knees to rob Kuzmiak in the 8th and earned a Gold Glove. Stauffer, who did not play his best D at buck, was given the Small Penis.

MORE NOTES

• Bernal and Kuzmiak survived a hard collision as both corner infielders pursued a Lynas popup in the 6th. One of them caught it; I don't recall who.

• DaRosa made an impressive fence-busting catch in the 1st to rob Matsui.

• Chowdhury K'd in the 2nd.

• Absent from the Assassins were Brian Simas, John Cocoles and Brandon Hamilton.

• Absent from Intervention was Alvin Trinh, Leland Yow, B-Rid, and Pat Bond. JD

With only Manning and Sacramento departing, an exhibition was played following the series game with Andraesen and Lynas the captains.

This was a fast-moving, low-scoring game; so fast-moving in fact that most everybody lost track of innings. The game was only supposed to be 7 innings but once everyone realized they'd completed 7 thinking it was only 6, BAB decided to just play the full 9.

Lynas' Ballz took the early 2-0 lead and held the Mormons scoreless until the 6th, when the Mormons erupted for 9 keyed by a 2-run homer by Matsui. The Ballz got 3 in their half thanks in part to a mental lapse by Mormon 3B Holley, who failed to turn an easy DP.

Then Matsui took over, making a great leaping catch at the fence to limit the damage, then getting all 3 runs back for the Mormons on one swing in the 7th. After starting 0-for-4, captain Andraesen added 2 late solo homers to give the Mormons a 14-5 lead.

A 3-run ITPHR by Kuzmiak past a drastically shifted outfield accounted for the Ballz' final scores.

AWARDS

Matsui's 2nd BAD ASS of the Day was a no-brainer. Minor made a pair of fine plays on defense for the Gold Glove, and Holley's blown DP earned him the Small Penis.

MORE NOTES

• Davis was talked into playing by the rookies who had never seen him play; he went 2-for-5 with a K.

• Stauffer was saved from a K when Bernal caught his 2-strike foul pop near 3B.

• Lynas proved not the least bit rusty with the mitt this afternoon, but combined to go only 3-for-12 after his long layoff; only a late single saved him from a Game 2 oh-fer.

• Davis has been selected to update the stats---a daunting (14-games-worth)  task, hence the brevity of this recap. JD

"His outfit just screams baseball." -- Holley, on Andraesen, playing in a white t-shirt and shorts, plus an African safari-type hat.

* Players of the Week *

BAD ASS of the Day 

Rob Flores, Assassins  (1)

6-for-6, 3 RBI

Torance Matsui, Assassins/Mormons  (1/2)

5 RBI including game winners in first game; 2 HR, 5 RBi in second game

Gold Glove

Greg Lynas, Assassins (1)

5-3 putout from knees in 8th

Greg Minor, Mormons (2)

2 good catches at BS

Small Penis

Joel Stauffer, Intervention (1)

Shaky play at BS

* NO PHOTO AVAILABLE *

Kevin Holley, Mormons (2)

Brain-fart cost team DP