YSA: Stats Thru 3 Games

Hard to believe, but 3 games are in the bag already. Now is a good time to look at the stats.

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YSA: Hounds Fall to Wolves

For Game 3 of the season Juiena took the mound for us as we were hoping to go 3-0. We were up against one of if not the best team in the League, the Citywolves. We played well and held our own against the champs, but we did commit some miscues which cost us dearly. Juice was in full Houdini mode, getting out of jam after jam. She gave us a chance to win the game but we did not do enough to get her the win. The Wolves are a complete team and were able to prevail this time, but we can take some comfort in knowing we kept it close. Final Score: Hounds 3, Citywolves 6.

Let's shake off this first loss and come out strong next week. Same time, same place.

YSA: Hounds Fry the Fish

Wink took the mound looking to give us back to back wins to start the season. He pitched brilliantly, allowing only 3 runs through the first 4 innings. The defense behind him was much improved from Opening Day. Meanwhile, our bats were disciplined and every Hound was able to contribute to the scoreline in some way. Allie and Pat each had 3 RBIs, with The Bopper going yard for the first time this season. We let in some cheap runs in the last inning, but the game was well in hand at that point. Final Score: Hounds 14, Fish 5.

We're off to a 2-0 start and are improving week to week. Hopefully we can keep building on this as more difficult games lie ahead.

Hounds Win On Opening Day

With Juiena on the mound, the Hounds prevailed in a close one against Top of the Rock. The umpire blew a few calls but fortunately it did not cost us the game. We had some standouts like JT (2-2, BB, 2 RBIs, 2 RS), Iain (3-3, RBI, RS), Pat (2-2, 2 RBI), Karim (1-1, RS,RBI), and rookie Sam (3-3, 2 RS). Our defense was solid for the most part even though there were a couple of miscues. Juiena aided her own cause with a 2 RBI single. The game was called early due to darkness, and it was not too soon. Final Score: Hounds 12, Top of the Rock 10.


The season starts on a high note but we are going to have to make some improvements if we are to hang with the elite in the division.

YSA: Hounds Fall Again; Season on the Brink

After losing on opening night, it was time to get back on the field and get back to our winning ways. The location was DeWitt Clinton and it was a very humid night in the city. Our opponents were the cityknights, a team made up of some of the members of last season's overall league champs, the citywolves. We knew we would be in for a tough battle and that is exactly what we would get. 

As the away team, we came up to bat first. Cityknights' pitcher is a very crafty fellow, changing speeds, location, and working very quickly. We were able to scratch out a couple of runs in the top of the 1st, MikePa driving in JT with a single, and Pat driving in MikePa with a sac fly. Juiena was our starting pitcher , and she gave it her all out there. cityknights are just a good offensive team and are going to put up runs against anybody. It didn't help that our D wasn't particularly sharp. There was a mixture of nice solid plays and questionable blunders. We got into deep trouble, falling behind 8-2 and in danger of getting blown out. But we fought back gallantly, lead by Juiena, who was a Houdini in the middle innings, getting us out of jam after jam. We put up 2 in the 3rd on RBI base hits from Iain and Pat. Another 2 scored in the 4th on JT's double. Now we were down only 8-6 and finally showing signs of life.  Unfortunately, the comeback would end there. We were able to hold cityknights scoreless for a few innings, but in the bottom of the 6th they put up another 5 spot in what can only be described as a debacle of an inning. We turned a bloop RBI single from one of their bottom of the order hitters into a 3-run home run with our defensive butchery. It was ugly out there, there is no need to sugarcoat it. In the top of the 7th we went out 1-2-3. Final Score: Hounds 6, cityknights 13.

Our record now stands at 0-2 and I think it's time for all of us to ask ourselves some questions. Are we going to continue to play like this? Are we willing to do what it takes to improve? Do we want to come to the ballfield for shits and giggles or do we want to actually win some games? There are some clear remedies from the outset. On the defensive side, we need to be a lot more communicative, and we also have to be smarter out there. There were many throws that should have never been made last night. We really need to think about risk/reward before making some of these throws. We need to accept that these are all good offenses and they are going to put up runs regardless. I know people are just trying to make a play, but sometimes, putting the ball in your pocket IS the best play to make. I am confident that with some adjustments, we can turn around the defense. More troubling is what is happening on the offensive side. We are making it too easy for the opposing defenses. There were two 1-2-3 innings and 2 innings were only 4 batters came to bat this last game. Too many pop ups and easy outs. We have to face the fact that the umpires are allowing these fast pitches and we have to adjust. The only way to improve our hitting right now is to get our timing down, and the only way do that is to go to the batting cages. We have almost two weeks until our next game. I am going to organize something in the Bronx during this break, most likely on Saturday, October 1 late morning/early afternoon. Be there, or go to the cages on your own. We all owe it to ourselves to do this.

YSA: Hounds Lose on Opening Night

WIth the summer firmly in the rear-view mirror, an autumn chill blanketed the city on this Opening Night of the Yorkville Fall Season. Sheets of drizzly rain were intermittently falling throughout the day. The turf fields of DeWitt Clinton were the location, so we knew that the game would not be called unless the rain became torrential. It never did, so we showed up to the field ready to start the new season. As fate would have it, our opponents were the folks from Amalgamated Bank, who we swept in the summer on our way to the title. We knew they would be eager to beat us, and sure enough, they have re-tooled from last season and have brought in some new blood. After the pleasantries were exchanged between the two managers, it was time to play ball.

As the away team, we came up to bat first, and were able to scratch out a run, Mike driving in JT with an RBI double. That was all we would get though, and Amalgamated put a 4-spot up in the bottom of the frame. It did not help that we gave them some extra outs to play with, yours truly being at the forefront of that. However, we battled back with 4 runs of our own in the top of the 2nd. The bottom of the order came up big, with Karim, Amy, and Margaret all getting RBIs. Mano also had an sac fly in the inning. Now we were up 5-4, but we were never able to take control of the game. Pat and JT each had solo home runs in the middle innings, but that was all the scoring we would get. Our bats struggled to put together rallies, and let's give credit to Amalgamated for making most of the plays they needed to make. Meanwhile, they did big damage to us with a couple of 3-run home runs, both of which were legit shots that you can only tip your cap to. We also made some nice defensive plays to keep us close– Mike with a nice assist to first base, and Amy with a heads-up catch behind home plate. Amalgamated had an 8-7 lead heading into the bottom of the 6th, and they were able to pad their lead with two big insurance runs. In our last licks, we were only able to muster a single before we were closed out to end the game. Final Score: Hounds 7, Amalgamated 10.

It's been a long time since any Hounds team has been 0-1. In fact, it's never happened. But, there is a first time for everything, and there is no reason to get hung up on trivial matters. It won't matter that we started 0-1 if we go on to win the championship. But, we are going to have to improve our play if we are to be contenders. Right now, I see our biggest deficiency as being on the offensive side. We are in a bit of a hitting slump as a team. Maybe it's time to hit up the cages.

Gotham City: Hounds Fall in the Chip

After dominating in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs, it was time for the Hounds to take the field in pursuit of undefeated perfection. The setting was the gorgeous fields of Heckscher, and the weather could not have been more ideal for softball. The commissioner himself was in attendance, trophy in tow. The format was a 6- team double-elimination tournament, and we knew a long, grueling day was at hand. Just how long and grueling nobody could have anticipated.

For Game 1, we took the field behind our ace Margaret, who we pretty much knew would be out there for the whole tournament. Our opponents were The Swingers, who we had swept in our regular season encounter. After holding them scoreless in the top of the first, we came out guns blazing with 6 runs in the bottom of the frame, Iain leading the charge with a 3-RBI triple. Now we were in firm control and the game would never be closer. Our defense was stellar and Margaret was magnificent. The Swingers had no answers for her and even though we failed to score in the middle innings, we took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the 5th. We then added 4 runs in the inning to knock The Swingers out by mercy rule, Cindy's RBI single being the game-ending hit. Final Score: Hounds 11, Swingers 1.

Next up were The Chopheads, a team we hadn't faced at all in the season, and whom we knew very little about, other than they had a good record. We knew winning this game would give us a big advantage in the tournament, and we came out focused and determined to get the result. Turns out, The Chopheads are a damn good team and gave us a heck of a battle. It would not be Gotham City League without some controversy, and sure enough, some issues came up that were handled with the usual confusion and ambiguity. The game was closely contested  from start to finish, and it was clear that these were the best two teams in the league. We scratched out 6 runs, with Pat hitting a 2-run homer in the 2nd, part of a 3-3, 4 RBI performance from The Bopper. Cardillo and Dave also had RBIs, and our defense held The Chopheads' potent offense down. After it was over, we had a strong feeling we would be facing Chopheads again in short order. Final Score: Hounds 6, Chopheads 4.

We then waited for Chopheads and last years' finalists Grass Stains to duke it out for the right to face us in the Final. We took the time to re-fuel and get some rest. Chopheads beat Grass Stains easily, so now the stage was set for the Championship. We held the critical advantage of home field for the first game and knowing we only needed to win once, while Chopheads would have to beat us twice to take the title. After the pleasantries were exchanged between the two managers, it was time to play ball.

Once again, we took the field behind Margaret, who continued to put us in a position to win the game. We exploded for 5 runs in the bottom of the first, Dave with a monster shot to left that would have been a home run against any other team. The Chopheads have some elite defensive players though and were able to hold the Big Fella to a 2-RBI triple. JT, Iain, and Cardillo also had RBIs in the frame. We held a 6-2 lead going into the 5th inning and had to like our chances of repeating as champs. However, there were warning signs afoot, as we hadn't been able to score more than one run since the 1st, while The Chopheads offense seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. They rallied to tie the game at 6 in the 6th inning. While we didn't make any major gaffes in the field, we did have some slip ups and give The Chopheads credit for being aggressive, alert, and capitalizing on our mistakes. After we failed to score in the bottom of the 6th, our opponents seized control of the game with 3 runs in the top of the 7th. We were now down to our last licks and chasing a three-run deficit. Unfortunately, we were unable to muster anything other than a meaningless single. Final Score: Hounds 6, Chopheads 9.

Now it was down to one final game, winner take all. A coin toss determined home team, and the flip didn't go our way. We came out swinging in the top of the 1st, scoring two runs on RBI base hits from Cardillo and Pat. However, Chopheads answered with 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. We have to give them a lot of credit, because they continued to rake, spraying hard hit balls all over the field. We had no answer to stop them, an unusual position for us Hounds to be in. Meanwhile, our offense fell silent after the 1st, as we began to show some signs of fatigue. By the time the final inning rolled around, there was little doubt who would prevail. We went out quietly 1-2-3 to end the game and our season. Final Score: Hounds 2, Chopheads 9.

Congratulations on a great season, team! Although we fell short of our ultimate goal, we played hard and gave it all we had. We should be proud of the fact that in the 3 seasons we have participated in this league, we have been in the final every year. We just lost to a better team today, it's as simple as that. Although they were certainly frustrating, the controversial decisions made by the league officials had no bearing on the outcome. We have not had to deal with a lot of failure these past two years, so perhaps it is a good thing that we were humbled in defeat. Maybe we bought too much into our own hype and weren't hungry enough this time around. We had not lost by 7 runs since back in Early 2009, when we were a very different team. So we tip our caps to The Chopheads and congratulate them on a thoroughly well-deserved victory. Meanwhile, we Hounds will re-group, re-tool, and re-dedicate ourselves to getting back to the top of the mountain. I thank you all for being a part of it and hope we get a chance to together, fight another day.