Subtraction by Addition for Hitmen

by Ice, May 21, 2009, 11:45 pm

After last week’s season opening victory, hopes were high for the Hitmen prior to our Thursday tilt against Coal Ripken, Jr. The weather was beautiful, the long weekend was about to begin, and Murry was bringing liquid refreshments down from Baltimore. Things were looking good.

Well, let’s just say the evening didn’t go quite as planned. While the Evite suggested a healthy turnout, there were only seven Hitmen on site when it came time for the game to start. Not wanting to risk the forfeit, Lil Bow Wow, and Knitts – who made his triumphant return to the Hitmen after a few years in Georgia – rallied the troops and prepared for battle. Thinking quickly, they put together a batting lineup and designed an innovative 2-infielders defense, hoping to buy time until reinforcements arrived (hopefully with a cooler and cups in tow, since Murry had been forced to leave the 30 pack in her trunk.)

For awhile, it seemed as if the strategy was working. The Hitmen scored three runs in the top of the first inning, and were able to hold the Ripkens to just one. Meanwhile, slowly, but surely, more Hitmen arrived on the scene. Ice appeared from behind the World War II memorial. A short time later, EvilTwin and JohnStamos wandered in from the thickets beyond left field. Soon we had a full complement of fielders.

Strangely, however, as our ranks swelled, our performance seemed to slip – the bats grew quiet and our fielding (especially in centerfield) grew lazy. Unfortunately, it all added up to a 12-9 defeat for the Hitmen. It was disappointing, but we kept it in perspective as the conversation soon turned to more important subjects, like whether to head to MBP, or just pop open the trunk of Murry’s Jetta.

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Hitmen in Mid Season Form

by Ice, May 18, 2009, 11:44 pm

After our scheduled contest with the Baltimore Oracles was canceled due to weather, the Hitmen had to wait a week to get the 2009 campaign underway. But, with the weather clear, all signs were go for our matchup with the Vista Cruisers.

If the first inning was any indication, perhaps the rain last week washed away our normal barrage first game miscues as well. Indeed, while everyone expected the worst (akin to previous season openers), the new season actually started off uncharacteristically well for the hometown nine (ten?). Batting first (in a creative — but effective — lineup that he created himself) John Stamos smacked an home run to right to give the Hitmen a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Stamos baffled the Cruisers with his southpaw delivery, and set them down 1-2-3.

While subsequent innings saw us return to normal Hitmen form on occasion (overthrows, errors and popups), our performance was pretty solid overall. We scored enough the keep the Cruisers at bay and were able to shut them down in the end, even as the light grew dim on the Mall. All in all, it was a solid start to the new season, deserving of the pitchers of beer we secured at Kolly’s/Donald’s/Murry’s Brother’s Place.

Special shout outs…

  • Lil’ Bow Wow, for securing the win with a nice running catch in the last inning. Florescent yellow ball or not, that was a tough play.
  • InsuranceClaim, for discovering the internet during the offseason.
  • Chainsaw, for keeping it tucked in. You can never look too business like for Hitmen softball. We run a tight ship around here.
  • IHeartKickball, for attempting to secure a field for a second week in a row. It’s very clear he has high standards for CSL softball fields. In his defense, there was a dead duck on the field where we ultimately ended up. So, perhaps his desire to scout out an alternative spot was warranted.
  • John and Lennie, the latest Hitmen softball recruits. Welcome to the rich tradition of softball mediocrity.

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