Ageless Wonders stun Uglies in walk-off classic; Grays v. Phillies all wet

Laser show - Wally "Laser" Lailer smashes a line drive.

Wednesday: Phillies v. Dorian Grays - rained out.
Thursday: Plug Uglies 3, Wonderboys 4 (8 inn)

The Wonderboys bested the Plug Uglies 4-3 in 8 innings Thursday at Hopkins Academy as the rains held off just long enough to get in a terrific ballgame.

The Plugs broke out to a 3 run lead early with 2 in the 2nd and one in the 3rd. In the second, Jeff Cabana and Andy Klepacki scored on a single by Nolan Anaya and a throwing error on a two-out grounder by Mike Chesworth.
The potential for a bigger inning was snuffed out when the Wonders pulled off some first-class subterfuge with a successful hidden ball trick. Second baseman Senior Jacques pretended to hand the ball to pitcher Chris Ciepiela, who dilly dallied on the infield grass just long enough for the runner to take a lead and for first-baseman Wally Lailer to apply the tag.
"Excuse me, Mr. umpire," Lailer yelled to home plate, to which the umpire replied "You have the ball. He's out!"
Seriously, when's the last time you saw that play work?

The Wonders chipped away at the 3-0 deficit, scoring 1 in the 3rd as Jim Healy drove in Andy Martindell with a single. They tied it in the 5th when a 2-out double by Tod Garfield drove in 2.
The score stayed knotted until the bottom of the 8th when the Wonders scored the winning run. Larry Pietras hit a one-out double to left, Jacques moved him to 3rd on a single, and Lailer - the Laser - drove him home with a sharp single to right.

The stars of the game were the two starting pitchers. Chris Ciepiela for the Wonders and Jon Adolph for the Plugs each went the distance, and each kept hitters off balance all night long. Ciepiela gave up 5 hits and 3 runs, none earned, and had her usual assortment of like 12 billion groundouts. Adolph gave up 12 hits but was in control and rarely in trouble. Neither pitcher gave up a walk.
"It's unfair that one of the pitchers had to lose, both pitched 8 innings giving up no bases on balls," said Wonders manager Larry Pietras.

With the Wonders' win and the Grays rainout, the two teams are in a virtual tie heading into the final weeks of the season. The Gray's have the edge with of 8/100s of a percentage point, which is well within the standard definition of by the skin of one's teeth.