Mix of Coleman Oval new, familiar accompany start of '12 campaign

The Empty Pitchers kicked off their 2012 fall campaign with a split against the Dirt Dogs, losing 9-4 in Game 1 before bouncing back in Game 2 with a resounding 8-0 win.

The new:

• The slow-moving ump was the last to arrive at the field (30 minutes late for gametime), and in the wake of numerous delayed calls, could clearly learn a thing or four about proper form from Felix
• Brooke made her official Empty Pitchers debut after an October call up last season, and 
• Yet another beautiful color combo for the new unis was unveiled.

The same old:

• A stellar pitching performance from David (who made sure to conserve his best offensive self for his start)
• Julie getting fired up at the plate and being accused of blocking the basepaths
• Infield fielding excellence from John and Felix
• Alex stating he had finally "figured out" the right swing to use at the Oval, before promptly hitting the next pitch he saw over the fence, and
• The Brett Favre of the team, Nicole, talking her annual nonsense retirement-talk.

Alex pitched Game 1 for the Pitchers, and kept the team in the game all the way. For his sake, the Pitchers were thankfully able to avoid the rough defensive start that occassionally accompanies their first innings. The Pitchers got out of the first giving up only a run, highlighted by a toss in from centerfielder Sam that reached Julie at the plate in a perfectly- calibrated five hops and a two-yard roll.

Perhaps fueled by their own new unis (blaring red MLB World Series t-shirts featuring the Rangers and Cardinals, likely plucked from the discount bins at Jack's), the Dirt Dogs managed to get a couple runs up on the Pitchers as too many balls found a hole and/or divot in the outfield.

Controversy came in the 4th - with Koach K rubbing elbows with the hobos behind centerfield, searching in vain for the Clincher that fell victim to David's over-the-fence bomb - another bouncing throw came back into the mound, getting past Alex and rolling towards Julie, who was smartly backing up the throw between third and home. With her patented catlike reflexes, Julie swiped at a Dirt Dog lumbering towards home. While the ump called the runner out for stumbling outside the basepaths to avoid her tag, Murph's anger at the runner's bitching continued well into her first big beer at Jeremy's.

Game 2 was an inspirational 8-0 win, with the team clearly pulling together for Koach K's triumphant return to the softball field following a 3-month stint on the DL. The left-field trees took a foul ball beating, and by game's end the Koach (0-3 at the plate) had already hit eBay in search of a heavier piece of lumber with which to rediscover her timing. Luckily, with the opening game under their belts, John (4-for-4), Felix and Sam (both 3-for-3), all had polar-opposite second games at the plate, stringing together an unstoppable 8, 9, 1 in the batting order. By the time the Dirt Dogs subbed out their whiney pitcher for their douchey pitcher, it was too late - the Pitchers had a 5-run lead, and the game clock was running out.



Next game: Same time, same place - 10 a.m. at the Coleman Oval next Saturday, where we'll take on the Dragons.