Week 6: Wonders knock off undefeated Plugs, Isotopes show Phillies no mercy, Grays edge past Goats

A nonchalant Jay "Supe" Sadowski appears unimpressed with Pres Pieraccini's brush-back pitch.

Wonders 12
Plug Uglies 8

WP: Chris Ciepiela, LP: Bill Evans

The Ageless Wonders™ defeated the 5-0 Plug Uglies Thursday night at School Street Park in Agawam, denying the league champion Plugs the chance for an undefeated season. And somewhere in Miami, the ghost of Don Shula is popping some champagne.

It was a close match through the 4th with the Wonders clinging to a leading 5-4 lead. But in the 5th the Wonders plated 4 runs to go up 9-4. The Uglies answered with two in the bottom frame, but the Wonders poured it on with a 4-run 6th and the defending champs never recovered.

Bill Evans got the start for the Uglies and went five innings giving up 8 runs (5 earned). A combination of defensive miscues (AKA Ugly© plays) and crisp work by the Wonder batters undid whatever momentum Evans had.

Speaking of momentum, Morris "Uncle Mo" Partee relieved Evans in the 6th and found much the same trouble with the hot Wonders bats. Both pitched well but faced a team that was locked in at the plate.

Though there were some Plug hitting highlights (Evans: 2-4, 3 SB, Matt Boulanger: 2-3, 2 R, 2 SB, Jeff Whitehead: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI), those numbers did little for their cause.

"The pressure is off now," said Plug Uglies manager Chris "Chaka" Scanlon, referring to the team's first loss. "Now we can go back to what we do best: play Ugly©."

Fainting Goats 10
Dorian Grays 12

WP: Mike "Knuckles" Whately, Sv. Jay "Supe" Sadowski. LP: Pres Pieraccini.

The Goats jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first off Knuckles Whately as 5 of the first 6 batters came around to score.

The Grays stormed right back, scoring 3 in the first and again in the second to take a 6-5 lead that they would never relinquish.

Meanwhile, Whately, who struggled with his control in the first, settled down and allowed just one run over the next 3 innings. He finally tired in the 5th, allowing 4 runs as the Goats narrowed the score to 12-10.

But with the bases loaded and the tying run on 2nd, Mike "Deet" Dietlin made a stab at a blooper behind third to close the inning and preserve the lead.

Jay "Supe" Sadowski came on in the 6th, and the term 'shut the door' was invented for such occasions. He got 6 outs in the final 7 batters to earn the save.

Phillies 0
Isotopes 17

WP: Gary Webber, LP: Max Strubel

Trigger warning: a relentless Isotopes offense shows no mercy to the Phils. We will forego the details of the carnage in deference to the delicate sensibilities of some of our readers.

Also neither team supplied a recap.

Postscript:

From Max - It has taken a few days to absorb this one...but the Isotopes scored 17 runs, about half of them earned, as Gary Webber shutout the Phillies. The Phils loaded the bases in the 1st inning but came up empty, while the Isotopes went in order in their half, and the game was still a game after one inning. The Isotopes scored no less than two runs in every other inning, and the Phillies struggled to get outs or score runs. JR Ross had two hits for the Phillies and made an amazing catch of a popup behind the plate. Strubel and Gordaon Lustila did most of the pitching for the Phils, and Ken Sloat threw one pitch to get a DP to end the 6th.