Revenge on the Merchants

Our second game of the season, fresh of a superb win over the O'Brien Bunch. Walking tall and proud, we stumbled and had one of most disappointing games of the season. We suffered from a surprise walk off defeat to the Kirkland Merchants. We had a chance of facing them in the 4th of July tournament, but did not. We faced them today and proudly I can write that we defeated them soundly, 7-1.

Nick Reeves mowed for four innings, and could have gone all the way but the tournament rules forbade that, four inning max. Chris Luttinen came in and shut them down the rest of the way.

The lone Merchant run was controversial, and cost Coach Cougan his front row seat. With a runner on slow rolling ground ball was hit to third. After the throw to first (runner safe) the runner tried to move third and was gunned down by Spencer Hogger, the umpire at home called him out. The other umpire (if one could call him that) never saw the play, but remained at first. The Merchants argued the call and asked the home plate umpire to get the base umpire's opinion. But the first base umpire only had an opinion on the play at first (the only play he saw) and replied "safe" and the home plate umpire changed to his call. No amount of sophisticated debate by a (fuming, ranting, spitting mad) Coach Cougan could get the home plate umpire to understand that his partner was answering the wrong question. And I guess the home plate umpire could not seem to understand the base umpire repeatedly saying he did not see the play at third.

Coach Cougan then watched the rest of the game from far away in left field.

Offensively Stuart Fairchild, Nick Reeves, Spencer Hogger and Chris Luttinen all had two hit games. Mitchell Smith, Campbell Queen and John Peterson also added hits.