Whetstoners edge out win over Tully’s

Pure rec league softball at its best

A week ago as I was wrapping up my scene at the early game of the week, Tully’s was warming up for the late game. A couple players approached me, not out of ego but quite sincerely, to ask when I was going to cover them. They were sitting in second place at the time with a record of 5-1.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been asked that, probably wont be the last. I decided to take some time and watch the first couple innings and what I saw was impressive. Tully’s proceeded to bludgeon their opponent and it was then that I agreed, Tully’s deserved some coverage.
What better time than Tuesday evening when they faced the defending rec league champion Whetstoners at Gothic Field.
The Whetstoners have had a rough go of it this season playing with a target on their chest and compiling a 2-5 record in the meantime so the potential for a blow out was there, but you never count out the Stoners when a real game is on the line.
The Whetstoners made it clear in the top of the first inning that, though their record may say otherwise, they are for real.
Michelle Gerard sent a message in her first at bat drilling a liner off Tully pitcher Judd Mesaris’ chest for a single. Alex Mattes-Ritz drove her home with a triple. A bloop RBI single to shallow right by Barb Winter, a couple errors and a RBI single by Molly Arment later, the Whetstoners were on top 6-0.
But it was early and Tully’s is the highest scoring team in the league and they proceeded to erase that lead in the bottom of the first inning. And props out to Tully’s for their batting order. While they could just name 10 in the line up, everyone hits despite the fact that by doing that, they take potential key at bats from the top of their order. And that, sports fans, is what rec league softball is all about.
Mesaris led off doing what he always does, going opposite field for extra bases and scored when Robyn Estes, whose swing is a smooth as anyone’s, cracked a single. Chuck Harmer flirted with hitting, the Wine House before ending up with a single and Meghan Dougherty loaded the bases for Ian Baird with a single.
Baird tapped a RBI single and Tyler Wingspan Williams knocked two more in with a double to right. Paul Moscatelli followed up with another two RBI double for Tully’s and the game was all tied up 6-6 after one.
Restart.
Mattes-Ritz and Ryan Caufield put the Stoners back on top with a couple RBI base hits and then held Tully’s scoreless to open up their first shot at rebuilding their initial six-run lead. But Tully’s returned the favor retiring the side and then evened the score as Estes walked and Harmer crushed a two-run shot over the leftfield fence that nearly took the head off a passing cyclist to tie the game up 8-8.
(Harmer, ever been called the Hammer?)
A triple from Gerard and sac fly RBI by Mattes-Ritz put the Whetstoners back on top 10-8 and when Todd Dohlman knocked a two RBI triple in the top of the fifth, the Whetstoners were holding oh so tightly onto a two-run lead.
Tully’s then gave a glimpse of the power in the bottom of the fifth inning spraying the field for base hits with a two-out rally. Harmer sparked the rally with a RBI ground rule double that appeared to blow a hole through the netting in left. A walk drove in another run, Kele Thorsen slapped a RBI single and Moscatelli punched a two RBI single for a 15-12 Tully’s lead heading into the sixth inning.
Once again, the Whetstoners would not go down with Gerard and Mattes-Ritz leading the way. With two runners on, Gerard poked a RBI sacrifice hit and Mattes-Ritz floated his second high fly ball of the night that dropped for an RBI base hit to close the Tully’s lead down to one.
The Whetstoners defense clamped down in the bottom of the sixth inning and then strung together another rally to retake the lead for the third time of the night.
Rich Driscoll and Renee Newton led off with back-to-back singles and then scored on base hits from Scott McKenrick and Dohlman. Ryan Hoynacki stepped up to score Dohlman with a single and the Whetstoners were sitting on a tenuous 17-15 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning with the top of the Tully’s order up to bat.
But the Whetstoners defense held to preserve the 17-15 win, climbing one step closer to returning to their former glory.
And in a world of sports where a soccer referee, after stabbing a player repeatedly with a knife during a game, was beheaded and quartered on the field and his head placed on a stake for all to see, the Whetstoners and Tully’s provided an alternate world staying after the game for a little BP, beer drinking and post game camaraderie.
And that, once again, is what rec league softball is all about.