How do you know the winners? Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line.
It’s what all kids dream about when they pretend they are in the clutch spot with the game on the line. With the score tied in the bottom of the last inning, one down and a runner in scoring position, you’ve got a chance to win it all if you can just hit the long ball. And that’s exactly what Eddie James did – he hit one into deep right field, allowing Steven Grissom to tag up at second and dash across the plate without stopping at third. That play ended the game with LED up by a score of 2-1.
Defense was tough on both sides as the 3-1 Zeppelins faced off with the Department of Insurance “Regulators” last night at Perkins Road Park. Many hitters felt robbed by outstanding defensive plays by both teams. LED notched 13 hits and the Regulators put up 8, but the hits were scattered and didn’t result in many runs despite the fantastic cheering of Kate Clapinski (Danielle’s daughter, age 3). Kate was so precious and her cheering was so infectious that everyone on both teams chimed in with her chanting “go mommy go.”
Tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the third, the Zeppelins manufactured a run on a double by Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband) followed by a shot up the middle by Danielle, who spent the rest of the game basking in the glory of her first career RBI.
Defense dominated again until the top of the final inning when a Regulator hit one over the outfield to coax a run and tie the game at one run apiece. Eddie just missed out again on pitching a shutout.
The bottom of the seventh was the Zeppelin’s last chance to avoid overtime and claim a victory, and they dug down deep to make it happen. With the game on the line Coach Linda Regira called for hits from everybody in the lineup, and the Zeppelins rose to the challenge. Matthew Wattigny started the late-game hitting streak when he legged out a single to the infield, and Steven added a second hit down the right side of the field. Jayson Newell (who went 3 for 3 again this week!) tapped out a fly into no-man’s land that wasn’t caught, but allowed the Regulators to put Matthew out at third. But it was Jayson’s hit that left Steven in scoring position with Eddie up to bat. Eddie knocked out his long ball to score Steven, notching the win in the record books and setting a Zeppelin record of back-to-back victories.
One newcomer to the team this season, Paige Ovens, turned in a respectable performance which proved that it wasn’t her first round on a softball field. In fact, when she was being interviewed last month, Eddie reported that there was a potential Zeppelin in the conference room. She was robbed twice at the plate when she hit two beautiful line drives up the middle that were both snagged on the run by a Regulator speedster in center field.
Chelsea Harris was back in action this week and she played a tough second base (with her catcher’s mitt) and caught a pop foul in her turn at catcher. Eric Burton turned in several superb plays at shortstop, robbing their batters as soundly as they robbed ours, and prompting one Regulator to say, “No way can we let this guy get another hit too,” as he strode to the plate.
Personal coach Andrew Clapinski (Danielle’s son, age 6) made sure mom heeded his sage advice after she swung at a high pitch, “mom, if you don’t like it, don’t swing at it.” Where in the world did he get that from?
Raven Moore (Melissa’s daughter) was in the dugout and looking very grown up and beautiful, but not actively cheering. She IS older this season….HELLO. But she made sure mom was positioned just right at third base, sending hand signals to request a move up or back or to the side.
Speaking of signals, Victor assisted in the coaching role at third and his signals to the batters and runners were straight out of the textbook, only…….none of the Zeppelins knew what the heck those signals meant. Maybe we should issue a playbook?
On a final note that proves what a small world it truly is, when we arrived at the field we had a pretty bad SINKHOLE on the left side of the plate. New BREC groundskeeper Daniel Stoute helped out tremendously by shoveling fresh dirt for the game. He is the brother in law of Michele Stoute in LED Fiscal and the brother in law of Rhett Jeansonne, an Insurance agent killed in the line of duty in 2011. The team carries his name on their jerseys as a special tribute…truly a class act.
The Zeppelins are set to face off against DOTD Intermodal next week, date/time/location TBD. Please come out and support the Zeppelins.
Hits: Jayson (3), Eddie, Russell, Eric, Melissa (2), Victor (2 doubles), Danielle, Matt and Steven
RBI’s: Danielle and Eddie.
Many thanks to all who STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE for LED.
PLAYERS: Chelsea Harris (Communications), Danielle Clapinski (Legal), Eddie James (Business Development), Eric Burton (Business Incentives), Gary Beadle (IT), Jayson Newell (Business Development), Leigh Ann Burton (Eric’s wife), Linda Regira (Policy & Planning), Matthew Wattigny (FastStart), Melissa Moore (Business Incentives), Paige Ovens (Business Development), Russell Richardson (Business Development), Steven Grissom (Deputy Secretary), Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband).
FANS: Raven Moore, Kate and Andrew Clapinski, and Terry and Nancy Dupuy (Leigh Ann Burton’s parents).
Dennis Barbier supplied the water and Matthew and Jayson assisted with keeping the book.
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