Tough Losses on First Day of Tourney

MBC entered the Triple Crown Fourth of July tourney, and did so on shaky ground. With two big league games the two days after the tourney, MBC had to go in with the notion of saving pitchers for AFTER the tourney. Not a great way to start a tourney run. MBC realized that their chances to win the medal were slim to none and decided to see just how far their bats could take them. And the bats were oddly silent on the first day.

In game one MBC faced a tough O'Brien team (finished in the top four). MBC lost 6-3 in a game that could have went either way.

Stuart Fairchild pitched the first two innings, and the OB team touched him up for two runs, only one earned. MBC scored in the first with a lead off double from Nick Salle (.600 for tourney) and an RBI rip from Spencer Hogger (.467 for tourney).

MBC's bats went silent while OB played limited add on against Ethan Clements (3 innings) and Russell Madche (two innings).

In the sixth, Ethan Clements singled home Spencer to get one run back, and in the seventh Nick Reeves (.375 for tourney) was singled home by Nick Salle to end MBC's scoring.

Of course this game was marred by the ejection of Coach Cougan who was tossed via an identity crisis moment. In a pleasant, cordial exchange with one of the worst two umps in baseball (the other working the plate) Coach Cougan was gone after trying to confirm that, yes, he was the head coach of Magnolia.

Game two saw MBC fall 3-2 to the Bat Company of Portland Oregon. This team is a tournament ONLY team assembled from the finest 15 year olds in or around Portland, and I am sure somehow funded by all the loose Nike money that is making Oregon the cheating capital of the sports world; just my opinion, man. The Bat Company also made the top four teams - tough draw for MBC - of the 14 teams entered we played three teams that were in contention for the top four, four if you count playing AGAINST ourselves at times!

The Bat Company jumped on a wild Nike Salle early scoring two in the first and two in the third. That was all they would get as Tino Peleti then shut them down the rest of the way.

A wilder base running Nick Salle lead off the game for MBC with another hit, but was picked off second (with a debatable call from our favorite worst umpire in the world). But MBC did score one run in what could have been a much bigger inning.

MBC tied the game in the third when Tino scored on Stuart Fairchild's (.556 for tourney) double.

Down 4-2 in the fifth Nick Salle led off with a single, and was forced out at second on a "neighborhood play*" on a ground ball up the middle from Spencer. After a walk to Tino, Spencer scored on Stuart's second hit of the night.

The game got tight in the seventh. A lead off walk to Alex Mitchell put the tying run on first. Nick Salle hit a ball that almost got through for a hit, but the Bat Co. forced Alex at second. Nick then stole second and the game got crazy. The Bat Co. intentionally walked the Tino, and then shocked the world by intentionally walking Stuart! This put the go-ahead run on second, with two outs.

But, there was no joy in Magnoliaville as the Bat Company struck out our last hitter sending us home 0-2.


* A neighborhood play is when a player "cheats" and leaves the bag early to rush a throw in hopes of a double play. There was no finer example of the actions of the "Nike Sponsored" cheating "smart, well coached) shortstop of the Bat Company.