Coming off a two-game winning streak, the Hounds headed back to DeWitt Clinton Field to solidify their status as legitimate championship contenders. As the game was about to commence, a beautiful scarlet and purple sunset blanketed the sky. Our opponent had a name befitting any Hounds opponent: The Other Team. They seemed very focused and determined to get their first win of the season, so we thought we could be in for a challenge. Oh, how wrong we would be.
As the home team, we took the field first with our ace Juiena on the mound, having just returned from her nuptials. She showed no signs of rust as she closed out TOT 1-2-3 in the 1st. Then it was our turn to bat, and we quickly put up a 5-spot. MikePa earned a 4-pitch walk which allowed Juiena to also walk, setting the stage for Mr. Clutch Iain to hit one of his patented opposite-field home runs. The Cap then broke out of a 1 for 7 slump by stroking a clean single to left. Jason T. then stepped up and drilled a two-run homer, putting us up 5-0 after the first inning. Juiena continued to roll along, and we would add 3 runs in the 2nd.
The 3rd inning was a killer for TOT. They were only down 8-0 and had us down to our final out in the bottom of the frame. With Jason T. on 3rd base, Diana hit a grounder to the shortstop which seemed destined to be an out. D.Lo never gave up on the play though, hustling all the way. The shortstop's throw was bobbled by the first baseman, allowing D.Lo to be safe and JT to score. That error opened the floodgates, and by the time the inning was over, Mike, Iain, and Pat had all homered, putting us up 15-0. It just goes to show that this game can change on one play and good things happen when we hustle.
Another highlight that has to be mentioned is Camille's 3-run home run in the 4th inning. It was a laser shot to left which had our dugout going crazy. There was a bit of bad blood between the two teams, but it was quickly squashed by the umpire(Swayze). All in all, it was a solid offensive performance from the Hounds, I saw a lot of well-hit balls that would have been hits against any team. The standouts on the evening were MikePa(2-2, 2 BB, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 RS), Juiena(3-3, BB, 4 RS), Iain(4-4, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 3 RS), Pat(3-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 RS), Jason T.(3-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 RS), and Camille(2-2, BB, HR, 3 RBI, 3 RS).
Unfortunately, the lights were mysteriously cut off in the middle of the top of the 5th. With the game well in hand, and TOT looking shell-shocked, we felt it was only right to call it a day and end their suffering. Final Score: Hounds 23, The Other Team 0.
As this season has played out, it's pretty clear that there are 1 or 2 other teams that we need to be concerned about come playoff time. One is Never Been to Third, who we lost to on opening day, the other is the team we face this Sunday. As of this posting, they are undefeated and in first place. Let's see how well they measure up to the Hounds.
