On another hot and sweaty July evening 2 teams with great respect for one another played old school gentleman's baseball at New Scotland. Spiders starter Wayne Nicholsen retired the first two American batters. However, the 3-4-5 hitters, Rich Garbarino, Mike Kane, and Steve Lounello all singled making it 1-0 to end the top of the 1st. Mike Kane on the mound facing the home team. Stefan Koutsakis leads off and reaches on an infield error. Kenny Wellington works a well deserved walk. TJ Scorsone and Lee Madsen fly out to center and left respectively. 2 outs. Joe Parker who has been hotter than a pistol lately slams a long double to right driving home Koutsakis and Wellington. Terry McCarthy follows with a solid single plating Parker. 3-1 Arachnids after 1. Michael LaBarge leads off the 2nd with a single and gets to second on a stolen base. Jim Porter singles moving the runner to 3rd. Braverman singles bringing LaBarge home and moving Porter to 2nd. Eddie Draves throws Porter out at 3rd on an attempted steal. A 6-3 grounder ends the top of the second. 3-2 Arachnids. Nothing in the third for either team. The Americans go scoreless in the top of the 4th thanks to a timely 6-4-3 double play. Bottom of the 4th for the Spiders. McCarthy pops to first, one out. Tom King who was wearing a heart monitor singles. Jim Wing who had knee surgery last week singles. Draves reaches on a fielders choice with King forced at 3rd. 2 outs, runners at 1st and 2nd. Jim Edelman singles home Wing with what would prove to be the deciding run and Nicholsen singles Draves in and the inning ends 5-2 home team up. Americans come out swinging in the 5th as Garbarino opens with a solid line drive single to left off the tiring septuagenarian Nicholsen who pulled a muscle in his back earlier in the game. Kane reaches on a fielders choice as Garbarino is forced at second. Lounello up, gets a 2-0 count and the decision was made to issue him a free pass . Runners at 1st and 2nd, one out. Ralph Caputo singles to load the bases. Next batter hits into an under control 6-4-3 double play. Score stays 5-2. Arachnids push across 2 insurance runs in the bottom of the 5th on 3 singles (Scorsone, Madsen, Parker) and a walk (Wing) to go up 7-2. Fast forward to the top of the 7th. Scorsone now pitching for the Spiders walks Petrone to lead off the inning. Jimmy K pops to 1st. Don Ball strokes a long single to right. Ed Rogers singles knocking in Ben Petrone. Ground out to first. Ground out 5-3. Game over. 7-3 . Arachnids take a hard earned victory.

Americans 3 runs on 12 hits led by Garbarino 2-2 and Mike Aiello with a long double.
Arachnids 7 runs on 13 hits and 7 different players scoring. Scorsone 2-4, Parker 2-3 and 3 RBIs, and Wing 2-2.

-- Edited by crowbait on Tuesday 9th of July 2024 10:11:39 AM