Week 1: Plugs Uglies squeak past Phils; Isotopes drub Fainting Goats; Wonders, Grays all wet

Plug Uglies slugger Eric "Noodles" Bennett 

After a long winter following a shortened 2020 season, the 2021 season got underway with some key match-ups this week.

The Phils and Plugs met in a rematch of the championship game, and the Isotopes and Fainting Goats squared off in Agawam.

Wednesday's game between the Grays and the Wonders was called off because of rain.

Let's get on with the action.

Phillies - 1
Plug Uglies 2

WP: Greg Elbaum, S: Jeff Whitehead
LP: Ken Sloat

The Plugs v. Phillies match-up on Thursday was actually a rematch of last fall's championship game. The Plugs won this week, as they did last fall. But while the championship game was a blow-out, the Plugs this time had no margin for error in the rematch. They scratched out a 2-1 win in a game that was crisp and well-played.

The Uglies scored 1 run in each of the first two innings, and as turned out, that was enough.

 Leadoff hitter Bill Evans scored on a Jeff Whitehead RBI in the first, and in the 2nd, third baseman Jeff Cabana, back after a year's absence, scored from second on Matt Boulanger's single.

And that was it for the offense as Ken "GDIK" Sloat kept them off balance with his usually barrage of nasty stuff.

Greg "E-Bomb" Elbaum pitched 4 scoreless innings, and the Phils' only run scored in the 5th off Bill Evans. Evans allowed just one run while working out of a bases-loaded jam. 
Morris "Mo" Partee and Jeff Whitehead each pitched 1-2-3 innings. Whitehead's earned him the save.

Defensively, Jon Adolf of the Plugs made an amazing catch in the 3rd.

Fainting Goats - 3
Isotopes - 10 

WP: Gary Webber
LP: Rick Stacy

The Goats broke out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the 'Topes came right back with 3 in the bottom of the inning to take a lead they would never relinquish.

Goats' starter Rick Stacy could not find the plate in the first inning, walking 4 batters in the frame. Rookie Michael Arbor in his first at bat for the Isotopes cracked a two-out bases-loaded double for the big hit in the inning.

They tacked on 2 more in the bottom of the 2nd to go up 5-1

The Goats scored two in the 5th on a botched throw on Paddy Johnson's grounder to short, narrowing the score to 5-3. But that was as close as they got.

The Isotopes poured it on late, scoring 1 in the bottom of the 5th and then 4 in the 6th on a series of miscues by the Goat's D.

For the Goats, Eddie Esposito in left closed out the 5th with a perfect throw to the plate to nab the runner trying to score from second on a single.

The Isotopes' Lundy Bancroft made a diving catch in short center in the 6th, and threw to first to double off the runner.

Grays 
Wonders (rained out) 

Herlihy Field

Standings

	W	L	%	GB
Isotopes	1	0	1.000	--
Plugs	1	0	1.000	--
Grays	0	0	-	0.5
Wonders	0	0	-	0.5
Goats	0	1	0.000	1
Phils	0	1	0.000	1

Next Week

Wednesday:

Goats @ Grays, Herlihy Field, Whately, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday:

Isotopes @ Phillies, Herlihy Field, Whately, 5:45 p.m.

 

Plug Uglies @ Wonders, School Street Park, Agawam, 5:45 p.m.