Hares sent packing by Eldo

Shorter days

By Than Acuff

Well, another season has come to an end for the good ‘ol Hares. The Hares entered the post season the seventh seed and fell to second seeded Pitas in their opening game of the playoffs dropping to the loser’s bracket to face the Eldo who lost their opening game of the playoffs.

Point being, both teams were playing to keep on playing as a loss would send them packing and the Hares sure seemed determined to milk the season a bit more in the opening two innings of the game jumping out to a 7-1 lead.

They started off the top of the first with base hits from Lucas McMullen, Tom Stenerson and Alex Mattes-Ritz to load the bases. Jay Indovino and Paul Kirschbaum then pushed them all home with back-to-back RBI hits and the Hares tacked on another run for a 4-0 lead.

The Eldo didn’t have much in response aside from a solo inside the park home run (ITPHR) from Dakoda Tagg in the bottom of the first and the Hares proceeded to score three more runs thanks again to RBI strokes from Indovino and Kirschbaum for a 7-1 lead.

A lead that would soon dissipate as the Eldo decided it was time to hit the ball and run around the bases. Patrick Cashion doubled and scored on a double from Jack Golick. Georgia Bachiochi followed with a pop single and then Brian Carney drove a three-run ITPHR to deep left field to pull the Eldo within two of the Hares.

The Eldo defense then held the Hares to one hit and no runs and tied the game 7-7 in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Fulwiler got things going with a big hustle double. A walk put two on base and both scored when Kate Schmidt knocked an RBI single up the middle and AJ Munoz connected for an RBI double.

The Hares are a resilient bunch and retook the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to another two RBI hit from Indovino and the Eldo could muster only one run as Abra Karbin knocked an RBI leaving the Hares still sitting on a lead, albeit a very small one, especially at Tommy V Field.

After spending the better part of the first four innings futzing around at the plate, the Eldo finally caught some fire in the bottom of the fifth. After the first two batters reached safely, Lexi Chiani smashed a two RBI double down the third base line. Schmidt and Munoz followed with RBI base hits, Jess Ladwig slapped an RBI single to right field and then a sac fly RBI from Cashion and an RBI double by Golick had the Eldo out front 15-9.

But, again, the Hares are a resilient bunch and what felt like a game getting away from them soon wasn’t. McMullen and Mattes-Ritz combined to score a run with base hits, Indovino’s bat remained red hot with an RBI triple and Kirschbaum and Brian Brown scored two more Hares with additional RBI base hits to pull the Hares back to within two of the Eldo heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

At this point, the Eldo decided to put the finishing touches on what they’d been flirting with for the past two innings, winning the game. Carney hobbled his way around the bases for a solo ITPHR and Fulwiler turned a slight miscue into an RBI triple. Chiani stepped to drive another run in with a hit and the Eldo had an 18-13 lead heading into the seventh inning. An inning that would never happen as the game reached its time limit and with the Earth spinning faster and days getting shorter, there’s no wiggle room on time limits for games in the post season.

See you next year, Hares?