(July 16, New Scotland) - With the Canadian wild fires creating a crepuscular sky, The 55-Pirates and 55- Giants squared off in tilt played with a gloaming effect from the start to finish. Mother nature gifted us a beautiful nite with lowered humidity, aided by a light zephyr.
In a throw back to an old 38 Division of the early 2000s, Dana Hansen (Blue Jays) and Jim Konstantakis (Fordians) were set to match salvos as they had in days gone by.
The Buccos were pressured from the outset to play their best as CF Tony Sgambelluri's 16u Burnt Hills Rage Softball Team showed up in force, complete with bullhorns and a poster head of their favorite coach. Their numbers swelled the paid attendance to over 20, and they brought an energy which proved to be contagious! These ladies know their ball, as they shouted coach-like phrases and encouragement to each Pirate, with of course the loudest for Coach Tony!
The Swashbucklers, in need to get off the duck, despite some very competitive outings, jumped out to a 4-0 lead with 4 singles, and ribbys from John Haff (2), Dane Dostie, and Carlo Bieleci. Hansen averted trouble, as the first four Giants reached base, before getting a foul pop-up (nice play Greg Allen), and a K to limit the damage to 1-run.
Giants Hurler Jimmy K settled in and shackled the Pirate bats, hanging goose eggs for the next four frames with a variety of sweepers and slurves, with every pitch moving while stranding four runners lucky enough to reach base (2 singles, a BB and a HBP).
Hansen meanwhile, after a 1-2-3 2nd with 2 punchouts, lost the zone for a bit in the 3rd, and issued free passes to the leadoff hitter of the inning, snagged a hot shot comebacker lineout, but then 2 more walks, followed by a 2-run Wade Phillips single, and an Andy Pedone 2-bagger to score Phillips, and the Orange & Black Behemoths knotted things at 4-all through three. The Pirates defense got a little shaky in the home 4th, as two errors sandwiched a walk and a Mario Arduini knock that drove in a pair, to extend the lead to 6-4.
Rob Lutz entered the bottom of the 5th and was promptly greeted by that man Phillips (3-3 on the nite) with a booming double, and caught the Bucs battery napping with an uncontested swipe of 3rd. After a walk, Jim (Crash) Davis, plated Phillips reaching a Fielder's Choice. Lutz would escape with just the singleton, getting the first of two runners on a pick off and then inducing an inning ending pop-up.
Pirates were down three with only 6-outs in the bank. The Burnt Hills Rage was getting a little restless, and cranked up the volume. An Allen single, a walk and a Hit By Pitch, an error and a force allowed for a weak rally against Jimmy K, and just enough to square things at 7 apiece. The Giants sixth wasn't soft contact, but Lutz was able to face just three batters with two lineouts bracketed by another pickoff.
The 7th stanza, as darkness was setting in, would be prove to be the ballgame! With 1-out, Kenny Shaw notched his second knock of the nite to get things started. A Jim Jasiewicz single pushed Shaw to second, but he was erased on a 1-5 force play, for the second out. An Allen single, his 3rd of the nite, and the bags were drunk with with Buccos. The Mountain of a Man Haff, from his clean-up spot crushed a double the fence in dead center for a 3-run double as part of his 5-rbi nite. A hard single by Dostie, kept the line moving while scoring Haff. Dostie would the come around on the wheels of Bieleci outrunning the throw to 3B for a triple, and a 12-7 Pirate lead!
Lutz would bend but not break in the home 7th for the Titans, working around 2 errors and a walk before a 1-3 comebacker sealed the deal, to the relief of the Bucs, and the raucous cheers of the Rage - who are officially the Pirates baseball amulet!
