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Post Info TOPIC: Massaroni saves the Cubs!


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Massaroni saves the Cubs!


It was a cool and breezy night at the A-diamond last night.
The Cubs were taking on the always tough Twins, and the game was very much a pitcher's duel.

Both pitchers gave up just 7 hits and were in control the entire night.
The Twins got an unearned run, in the top of the first.
With one out, Jeff Whitehead hit a fly ball to center that blew about 20 feet from just right of center to left of center.
Paul Miles did a great job tracking it, but the ball glanced off his glove and Jeff was at second with one out.
Rick Seidenburg advanced Whitehead to third with a ground out to second. Terry McCarthy delivered the run with a 2-out RBI single,
and the Twins were up 1-0.

The Cubs would get even in the bottom of the third with an unearned run of their own. John Columbe got it going with a one out single.
He advanced to second with two outs on an infield grounder that was mishandled, allowing Paul Miles to reach first. Columbe never stopped at second and headed to third
with a great hustle play. The Twins' first baseman's throw across the diamond was wide of the mark, and Columbe's hustle ended with him scoring the tying run.

Both Jeff Whitehead and Ron Massaroni sailed through the middle innings, keeping their opponents off the scoreboard, and setting up a dramatic finish.
The Cubs got their rally going in the bottom of the 6th inning when Massaroni aided his own cause with a hustle infield hit, and a stolen base.
Jerry Rosen followed with a single sending Massaroni to third, with no outs. Mike Reutter delivered the go ahead run with a solid single of his own,
giving the Cubs a 2-1 lead, and leaving runners on first and second with nobody out. Ron McCarthy popped up a bunt attempt to the catcher while trying to move the runners up.
With one out, and the runners still at 1st and 2nd, Mike Girard singled to load the bases. Whitehead gave his team a chance by getting a pop out to short and a routine groundout to second,
limiting the damage to just one run. The Cubs lead was 2-1 entering the 7th inning.

The Twins were not going to surrender, just because they were behind for the first time entering the final frame.
Terry McCarthy led off the 7th with a double to left center. The Twins chose not to sacrifice the runner to third, and with the next batter swinging away, Massaroni induced a pop out to first base.
Stefan Koustakis came through with a solid single, moving McCarthy to third with just one out. With runners at 1st and 3rd, with just one out, the Twins decided to attempt to steal second to get
the go ahead runner in scoring position, but Wayne Nicholson did not get the memo, as he lined that pitch to center field, where Paul Miles caught it and threw behind the runner at first for a
game ending double play.

It was a game that neither pitcher deserved to lose, but one had to. A tip of the cap to Jeff Whitehead as he pitched 6 solid innings, giving up just seven hits, and 3 walks, while striking out 2.
Mr. Massaroni hurled 7 complete innings, giving up just the one unearned run in the first inning, scattering 7 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 4.

The Cubs moved to 3-1 on the young season, having given up just two earned runs total in their 4 games. While the pitching has been solid, the Cubs are struggling on the offensive end, missing 4
key players from the middle of their batting order. They will need to do better next week, as they face the defending champion and loaded Whiz Kids, Wednesday night at the B-Diamond.
It should be a hotly contested game. I'm sure that both sides are looking forward to it.

-- Edited by mgirard11 on Wednesday 18th of May 2022 09:55:47 AM

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Michael J. Girard
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