The first time these two teams met the visiting Sox went up 5-0 after 2 innings, but the Hornets hung tough and began chipping away at the lead before scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. The game ultimately ended in a 7-7 tie after 9 innings.
Yesterday, at the Voorheesville Satellite Field, which wasn't built with 5 o'clock games in mind ( a blinding sun in right for most of the game,) the Hornets as visitors opened the first with 3 runs, the second with 4 runs, and single runs in the 3rd and 4th to go up 9-5. The Black Sox kept pecking away at the lead and finally in the bottom of the 4th with 2 outs erupted for 6 runs to take the lead. But surely the Hornets were not done. In the 5th Bill Smith leads off with a single, a groundout advancing him to second. Ron Smaka (what a name for a ballplayer) follows with a hard grounder which Noto could not field cleanly, putting runners a the corners. Dave Foreman, who came in to relieve the Sox starting pitcher in the 2nd, induces a pop-up to short for the second out. Gary Souvari steps into the batters box and singles, driving in the 10th run for the Hornets. Jim Konstantakis sets the Sox down in order in the bottom of the 5th. Foreman comes out to pitch the sixth and retires the Hornets pitcher on a line drive to third. Tom Henderson reaches on an error, but is retired on a slick 5-4-3 double play, Noto to Koster to Johnson. Jim K. is up for the challenge and retires the Sox 1-2-3 for the 2nd inning in a row. Don Burriesci comes in to save the game for Foreman, who, even with some shaky defense behind him, still managed to keep the Sox on top. Burriesci retires the first batter and it looks like the second out is in the books when an errant throw allows Jack Perry to reach 2nd. The next batter is retired 4-3 advancing Perry to 3rd. Wolfer (apologies I don't remember your first name) steps to the plate and 2 strikes in the hole manages to whistle a line-drive just eluding the 1st baseman's outstretched arm for a single dirving in Perry to tie the score. Burriesci ends the inning by inducing a 5-3 groundout.
Bottom of the 7th and Noto, leading off for the Sox, steps to the plate. Here comes the pitch and there goes the ball sizziling up the middle for a single. Gary Fish, who played an outstanding leftfield, steps into the batter's box. Noto, who has a runner due to an injured heel, is replaced by Mark Meyers. A buzz goes around the diamond, "watch for the steal", "bunt, bunt, watch for the bunt." Both the runner and batter request the signs be flashed again, and again. There seems to be some confusion, so Fish calls timeout and saunters up to the coach in order to be perfectly clear what's on. He is assured by the coach that he has read the signs properly, so he returns to the batter's box and the first pitch is inside and tips off the catcher's mitt travelling to the backstop and allowing Meyers to reach 2nd. Now what play is on? The pitch is delivered and Fish turns and smashes the ball into right for a single and game winning rbi. Black Sox 12 - Hornets 11. One helluva game fellas'. Both teams played 2 gritty, hard-fought and exciting games this season.
I don't envy any pitcher who must face the batting lineups of either team. The Hornets' starting nine collected 12 hits, with every batter having at least 1 hit. with Lannon collecting 3 including a double, and Wolfer chipping in with two. Smith, Perry, Lannon and Jim K. each scored twice. For the Sox, Gary Fish with 3 hits and 3 rbi led the Black Sox 13 hit attack. Noto chipped in wih 2 hits, 2 rbi and 3 runs scored, and Sarubbi, with a leadoff triple, had 2 hits and 2 runs scored, with Musella and Meyers each scoring twice and Foreman banging out 2 doubles. And plaudits to Greg Hoin, who, inspite of having to try and corral the assorted trajectories of balls hit to rightfield, never complained about the blinding sun, making an especially important catch early in the game. He also chipped in with a hit and run scored.
Tom, good luck to you and your Hornets the rest of the way. Perhaps we will meet in the playoffs and I look forward to the same exciting brand of baseball.
Don Wixon is as knowledgeable about our beloved game as anyone in the League. He has put together a tough team that has made a statement in their first year. He deserves a lot of credit for that. The Black Sox play as a team, and that's not always the case for start-ups.
This was the proverbial pair of heavyweights slugging it out in the middle of the ring. This time the Sox were the last standing. However, the Hornets are more than ready for another 7 rounds - er, innings - should the playoffs work out that way. I'm not sure it could be more exciting than the first two games, though.
