Pitchers Take Two for First Wins of the Season

It may have taken playing a young, untested Mavericks team unaccustomed to playing in the rough-and-tumble moats and mudslides of 145th and Lenox -- but the Empty Pitchers were happy to pick up their first wins of the season, by the scores of 14-2 and 15-5.

Matt F. pitched a gem in the early game, stymieing the Mavs in the early innings as the Pitchers jumped out to a 12-0 lead. He also helped his own cause by scoring 3 runs and hitting a home run to put the game out of reach in the third inning. Felix had a stellar game in the field and at the plate, picking up a pair of doubles and three ribbies. But, not surprisingly, it was Raul who again found himself in the offensive spotlight, going 2-for-2 with a walk. In fact, the only way to get Raul out in the early going was on an appeal by the Mavericks, who called foul when it came to Raul's shortcut across the diamond following a double-guy-girl-walk.

The second game's highlights were captured by a roving news team from CBS12, on the prowl for a story ... albeit about teenagers looking for summer work. Fueled by the slight, the Pitchers came out ... walking, a total of 11 times throughout the second game. Any hope of a Mavericks' comeback was squashed by a 4-RBI day from Eric (still batting a perfect 1.000 on the season!), a bases-clearing double by Alicia in the fourth, and Jason, who capped with a 3-for-4 game at the top of the order with a 2-run fifth-inning single that pushed the Pitchers over the Mercy Rule threshold.