Talk closes regular season on top of the comp league standings

Catch playoff action Mondays and Wednesdays

The Talk of the Town held off a late game surge by the Wine-Os to close the comp league regular season with a 13-9 win Monday night. The win snapped a two-game slide and secured the number-one seed for the Talk in the playoffs.

The win also avenged an earlier loss to the Wine-Os, who handed the Talk its first loss of the season back in late June.
The Talk proceeded to rattle off a number of consecutive wins after that initial loss before dropping back-to-back games to Twaddles and the Lobar.
The Wine-Os, on the other hand, were in the midst of a three-game winning streak before Monday night’s loss in the midst of a battle for the third seed.
The Talk built a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as hits from Robbie Vandervoort and Connor and Kelly McGuire loaded the bases for Brent Laney. Laney knocked a two-RBI double to right center but a picture perfect relay by the Wine-Os defense nailed the third runner stretching for home to stave off further damage.
The Wine-Os fired right back in the bottom of the first as Molly Keating flared a double to right field and Zach Kinler drove a two-run blast over the right-field fence to tie the game.
A couple defensive miscues by the Talk followed and the Wine-Os took advantage to put runners on and score a third run on an error-assisted RBI single by Kat Sauter.
The Talk responded to retake the lead in the top of the second inning as Eric Ervin tripled and scored on a sac hit RBI by Katrina Hasseboek. Chris Kindred doubled and then scored on a double by Scott Isensee for the 4-3 lead.
The game then stalled for the next couple of innings as each team managed to produce a pittance of runs due to cagey base running and additional errors.
Vandervoort and Connor connected again to help the Talk build an 8-4 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Vandervoort led off with a double and Conner drove him in golfing a two-run dinger over centerfield.
The Wine-Os held the Talk close, scoring two runs off base hits by Bandon Snyder and Keating, but some savvy defense by the Talk nipped the Wine-Os’ rally in the bud.
With runners on second and third and one out, Dave McGuire scooped up a grounder at the pitchers mound and faked a toss to first to lure the runner off third base, catching her a rundown and throwing her out at home to quash the Wine-Os surge.
The Talk finally opened up a comfortable margin in the top of the seventh inning sparked by a big hustle base hit by Eric Johnson. Katie Kremmer tapped a single to shallow right and Connor scooped a three-run shot over centerfield. Kelly and Jocelyn Wallace followed with a couple more base hits and Ervin put the Talk on top 13-6 with a RBI single.
The Talk looked to shut the door early in the bottom of the seventh inning, turning a 1-5-3 double play but the Wine-Os mounted a two-out rally scoring three runs on a flurry of base hits. Tom Consentino looked to keep the rally alive driving a line drive to deep left but Tom Hoelfinger chased it down to make a diving grab at the warning track and seal the 13-9 Talk of the Town win.
Playoffs for the comp league started on Wednesday, August 1 and will continue through the next two weeks with games on Mondays and Wednesdays. The comp league championship game is set for Monday, August 20 at Gothic Field at 5 p.m.