Games 21 & 22 - DraaaaMAAAA

Classic Rambone action Thursday night against a familiar foe, this time with a little added spice.

Game 1 was your typical back and forth contest. They score a couple, we score a couple, etc. Thanks to some solid defense, good hustle on the basepaths, timely hitting, and an excellent performance on short notice by Chad on the mound, we managed to fritter a 5-run 7th-inning lead down to one before shutting the door for a victory by the slimmest of margins.

Carrying the momentum of Game 1's narrow victory into Game 2, we plated 11 runs in the first two innings, nearly batting around twice. However, it just wouldn't be 2008 Rambone if we didn't let the Bad Guys back in, eventually falling behind by 2 heading after 5 1/2. Chad plated a lone run in the bottom of the 6th with a dinger, and after holding our foes scoreless in the top of the 7th, we headed to the bottom of the 7th trailing by run. After a flyout, Butts worked a walk to put the tying run on first. Other Jeremy flew out to left, and suddenly there were two outs with a lone baserunner on first. Mike poked a double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd...the winning run in scoring position. Kohl stepped up, and with a 2-2 count (nice job on the balls and strikes, Bri), grounded a seeing-eye single up the middle to score the tying run. The lead run, Mike, followed close behind with a head full of steam, determined to send the 'Boneroos home happy. The throw to the plate was off line, and Rambone won a thriller, again by one.

Not to be lost in all the drama were a couple blown calls, five Rambone dingers (including two in-the-parkers and one particularly majestic tape-measure shot from Sharlow), and the opponents being complete pansies by refusing to actually, you know, play the game. Well done, Rambone...well done.

Quick scheduling update: The date of our final contest has finally been revealed by the United Batavia Park District Socialist Republic, led with an iron fist by Premier Clark. Tuesday July 15, 6:30, West Main (dammit). The playoffs have been tentatively scheduled to begin Thursday July 17, but that will all likely depend on rain and the length of toilet paper lines in the Mother Land (no idea what that means).

Stats (for an explanation of the asterisk, please visit this link):



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Games 19 & 20 - Aw, COME ON

So, back to the crap. I'm going to go ahead and blame the field. Yeah...that sounds right. Telling statistic: Out of 13 possible innings where Rambone batted, we only scored in 6. For whatever reason, we just aren't scoring enough, or at the right times. I remember last year, we didn't score a bunch, either, but we were in a lot of low-scoring games.

Well, anyway, this isn't a time for soul-searching. We're fine. Getting late in the season, so if we're going to make a playoff push, now's the time to start.

Stats (yeah, not sorted by anything because it's a big pain in the ass to reformat the colors):



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Games 17 and 18 - Must be Butter

Another sweep. Those Country Insurancers had no chance against the Heroes of Rambone, dropping a pair (or, a deuce, perhaps) with results of 11-0 and 17-1 in favor of the green and yellow. We hit, fielded, pitched, and grabbed ass better than we have all year. Game 1 you could say we sort of slow-played the slaughter, scoring a few runs here and there until adding to the total. Although we went the regulation 7 innings, the game was never in doubt. Game 2 was your standard brutalization, requiring but 4 innings to amass the required 15-run margin to send everyone home early.

Special Mention/Game Balls:

DJ - Tossing a shutout in slow-pitch softball is pretty ridiculous (especially in a full 7-inning contest), and nearly having two is unheard of. Minus a tape-measure dinger, DJ nearly accomplished the feat. He pitched out of jams, struck a dude out with a pimp changeup, and directed the defense with his usual verve. Bravo, good sir.

Mike - We all know the dude can motor, but he flashed some good leather and nailed two guys at the plate to boot while fielding somewhat unfamiliar positions.

Andy - For surviving two 1st-to-home sprints in back-to-back innings. The wide open spaces of West Main will provide ample opportunity for more.

Butts - Completely unrelated to Thursday's games, that was quite a performance at Evan's apartment last night (Sunday, 6/21 for posterity's sake). Kudos on making it to the sink. You are a loud puker, my friend.

Big stretch coming up in the next week and a half or so. Games Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and Tuesday, with this week's against division foes we are chasing in the standings. We're back to .500, which is good, and although we may not be able to advance much in the rankings, it's important to put on some impressive showings to serve notice to the rest of the league that Rambone can turn it on when it counts.

Updated statistical totals, now ranked by at-bats for easier browsing:



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Games 15 & 16 - YAY

So, we finally did it: Win consecutive games against one team in the same night. Granted, the opponent was pretty weak, but we'll take it.

The conditions were bizarre, with a stiff wind blowing in from the right field corner across the field. It was virtually impossible to hit the ball with any authority to right, and sometimes the ball carried out to left, but other times not. So, to counter a weak opponent with roughly one guy that could get the ball TO the leftfielder, DJ came up with the brilliant idea to play 5 infielders, which our opponents failed to penetrate (heh) with any authority. The defense and pitching was solid. Offensively, we did the best we could in game 1 considering the wind and the guy on the mound for the other team. Took walks, station-to-station, etc. Game 2, we were less patient, but more relaxed, if that makes sense. We obviously had our foot off the gas and coasted to a kind-of-close-but-not-really-win.

Yay sweep. I'd say this would generate momentum, but in the infinite wisdom possessed by the hegemony of the Batavia Park District, we have to wait a week. But, it'll be back to Memorial Field and more desirable conditions, hopefully.

Stat-a-tat-tat wit my gat:



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Games 13 & 14: Buh

No comment.

I need an update, STAT (get it?):



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And, for funsies, here's what we looked like at approximately the same point two years ago (heh, remember Rosko? Me neither):



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Games Whatever & Who Cares: HAY GUESS WAHT

Durrrrr...a split....durrrr.

Seriously...those guys sucked.

Oh well...we're just not swinging the bats, I guess. At least, not all at the same time. Once we get into a consistent cycle of games (come on, weather), we'll get there.

The good news: Scotty got his power stroke, Mike played a nice shortstop, DJ made an acrobatic grab without destroying what remains of his knee.

The bad news: HIT THE EFFING BALL.

Stats, stats, statsaroo:



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Stuff Update

So, we're rained out tonight. Not surprised...the fields are probably swamps.

We'll be making these games up a week from Thursday (June 12), 6:30 at West Main. They love dumping us out in that...dump.

Also, it's been made clear that the majority of the team is not going to be here July 3rd for our games that night. I've e-mailed Darth Jeff asking to reschedule, and basically his response was "Tough toenails, you should've anticipated the travel plans of every member of your softball team in March when I was putting together the schedule." Basically, he thinks we're going to have to take a forfeit. So, I replied that he was full of crap and who the hell does the Batavia Park District think it is? They should be so lucky to have the glory of Rambone grace their fields for 28 games (plus playoffs) every summer. I also encouraged him to check (hisself and also) with the other team's manager to see if he was in the same situation we are (a guess: YES). Anyways, I'll keep you posted.

Games 7 and 8. More of the Same. Again.

So once again, Rambone managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The team that we played tonight was basically comprised of 15 twelve year-olds. Only once did a ball go over the outfield's head, and that was only because the ball was misplayed. But the main reason we lost the first game is because we didn't hit. We stranded more people than LOST. Big shocker, I know. Other than that small glitch, we played a good game, especially since we were missing the entire Meyer clan. Apparently going to a "Cardinals" game, with their "father" was more important than the greatest show on dirt.

The second game, however, was exactly what we love about Rambone. We jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead, and just built on it from there. Everybody hit, perhaps none more than Roper who was 3 for 3 with 3 RBI's in the game. Rambone sorely needs his Black Power, and intimidation factor. Especially when the foul ball he attempts to catch glances off his mitt and clangs off his face. Top notch. Finishing off the game in the 4th inning was a plus.

Next game Tuesday if the weather holds (which it isn't). Be there.