James and Grissom Team Up to Push the Zeppelin's Over the Regulators in Last Minute Effort

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.

GOHSEP #2 was Not Prepared for the Zeppelin Freight Train

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

After a late start due to field shortages, the Zeppelins mowed down the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness by a score of 10 to 1 at Sharp Road field last night in six innings.

The Zeppelin defense was superb, allowing only one run and only five batters to reach base safely.  The pitching of Eddie James had a LOT to do with that, as he tossed knuckle balls and pitches just outside the sweet spot which they couldn’t lay off of, and there might have even been a curve ball or two in the mix.

It was truly a team effort and great defensive plays were made all around.  The defensive highlight play of the game was turned in by Russell Richardson who came out of nowhere on the run to snag a hard line drive up the middle, robbing GOHSEP of what otherwise would have been a great hit.  And the toughest hard-knocks play was on a solid hit to right field by one of the GOHSEP women which Victor scooped up and barreled into first base for the out (poor girl).

 Obviously offensive production was superb as well, with LED generating 22 hits in just six innings.  The RBIs were everywhere and the spouses turned in another great performance.  Leigh Ann Burton (Eric’s wife) tallied 3 RBIs and Katie Richardson (Russell’s wife) added another one, while Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband) went 2 for 3 at the plate.

Jayson Newell and Eddie both went 3 for 4 and six players turned in 2 for 3 efforts at bat.  As a team, the Zeppelins produced a .595 batting average while keeping GOHSEP down to a .217 clip.  That is a massive feat in any league.  The Zeppelins scored five in the 2^nd, one in the 3^rd, three in the 4^th, and one in the 6^th before GOHSEP finally called “uncle.”

There was only one recorded injury for LED when Jayson strained a thigh muscle running the bases.  No problem though, because his wife pinch ran for him just fine.  And in case anyone was wondering, Coach Linda Regira did not fall down once.

The only thing that could have made the victory better would have been the sweet taste of Corona Punch at the victory party.

The Zeppelins will face the Louisiana Department of Insurance next week (place and time TBD), so please plan on coming out to support the team.

Hits:  Jayson (3), Eddie (3), Eric (2), Melissa (2), Victor (2), Linda (2), Leigh Ann (2), Russell (2), Matthew (2), and Steven (2).

RBI’s:  Leigh Ann (3), Eddie (2), Jayson, Eric, Melissa, Katie and Russell.

Many thanks to all who STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE for LED.

PLAYERS:  Eddie James (Business Development), Eric Burton (Business Incentives), Jayson Newell (Business Development), Katie Richardson (Russell’s wife), Leigh Ann Burton (Eric’s wife), Linda Regira (Policy & Planning), Matthew Wattigny (FastStart), Melissa Moore (Business Incentives),  Russell Richardson (Business Development), Steven Grissom (Deputy Secretary), Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband).

FANS:  Mills Richardson and Raven Moore.

The Richardsons supplied the water and Jayson and Matt assisted with keeping the book.

Zeppelins Give Great Performance in Season Opener against DOTD-Design

Eddie James brought his unflinching enthusiasm and amazing skills to the field again this season as the Zeppelins faced off with the DOTD-Design team.  LED fielded 12 players, racked up 11 hits, and scored four runs against Design.  Along the way, several Zeppelins stood out for their offensive and defensive performances, including Eddie who arrived late after a conference call and took command of the field, personally putting out the first three batters he faced.

Eric Burton (Business Incentives) played a great shortstop and Russell Richardson (Business Development) made several great catches in the outfield.  Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband) and Eddie added superb defensive plays to the mix.  Outstanding on offense, Jayson Newell (Business Development) went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI’s and Leigh Ann Burton (Eric’s wife) added two RBI’s for the Zeppelins.  She has been officially notified that she is now a permanent member of the team.

Design struck first with three runs in the top of the first inning.  LED was a little rusty and needed an inning to sweep out the cobwebs, but it didn’t take long for the Zeppelins to strike back and even the score.

In the bottom of the third, Coach Linda Regira (Policy & Planning) started off with a single down the third base line.  Eddie made Linda look great, pinch-running his way around the bases to become the first Zeppelin to cross the plate.  Melissa Moore (Business Incentives) added a single which moved Eddie to third with a textbook slide.  Jayson then added a two-RBI single to plate Eddie and Melissa.  Leigh Ann then provided a sacrifice shot to score Jayson.  The inning concluded with the score tied at 3 to 3.

In the bottom of the third, Steven Grissom (Deputy Secretary) walked up to the field just in time to hear his name called as the next batter in the lineup.  With no warm-up, he knocked a beautiful single up the middle.  Eric followed up with another single to move Steven into scoring position and it looked like the Zeppelins were going to add more runs when the Design center fielder made a spectacular play to rob Victor of a great hit, ending the inning with no runs scored.

Linda kept her title alive by taking another spill on the field.  THIS time, it was self defense.  Taking a rotation at catcher, Linda had to quickly duck a hard foul-tip heading straight at her nose.  The batter graciously assisted Linda back to her feet.  Eddie was heard saying “her head was there one second then it was gone….like a turtle.”

LED did not ultimately walk away victorious, but a fun time was had by all.  And just for future reference, we shouldn’t be scheduling after-hours meetings and conference calls on game days!

The Zeppelins will face the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) team #2 at 6:00 on Tuesday, July 2 at Independence Park.

Singles:  Eric, Dennis, Linda (2), Melissa, Jayson (3), Matthew, Eddie, Steven.

RBI’s:  Jayson (2), Leigh Ann (2)

Many thanks to all who STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE for LED.

PLAYERS:  Christian Pennington (Business Incentives), Dennis Barbier (Equipment Manager), Eddie James (Business Development), Eric Burton (Business Incentives), Jayson Newell (Business Development), Leigh Ann Burton (Eric’s wife), Linda Regira (Policy & Planning), Matthew Wattigny (FastStart), Melissa Moore (Business Incentives),  Russell Richardson (Business Development), Steven Grissom (Deputy Secretary), Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband).

FANS:  Jayson’s wife Beth and Russell’s son Mills and daughter Libby.

LED Softball Holds Annual Award Ceremony and Recruitment Event

The Zeppelins met today for a pizza lunch and to receive awards for the awesome plays of the 2012 season.  The event was also a recruiting effort, and there were several new recruits in attendance which bodes well for the upcoming 2013 season.  The new season is expected to kick off in early June (after the Legislature adjourns on June 6^th).  Pre-season practice is set to begin during the last week in May and an invite will be sent out soon.

The team, inspired by Secretary Moret and LED Business Plan item #11, showed vast improvement over the 2011 season in offensive production.  Seventeen different players notched five or more hits, and nineteen different players drove in RBIs.  The team also made it to the playoffs but were defeated in the first round.  The new goal for the team in 2013 is to make it back to the playoffs and win a playoff game.

Every player from the 2012 season received an engraved trophy; stop by a Zeppelin’s office to check it out.  In addition to the trophies there were certificates presented to players in many different categories.  There were standard award categories for things like “Best Batting Average” and “Most Team Hits,” but there were also some categories not found in any other league such as “Softball Fashionista” and “Choppin’ Down Trees.” 

This year there were awards for four- and five-tool players (hitting, running, catching, throwing, pitching) and the winners made a huge impact on the team’s performance.  Four-tool players were Chelsea Harris, Melissa Moore and Jimmy Williams.  Five-tool players were Eddie James and Victor Moore.  Melissa and Victor also went home with the coveted “High Impact Couple” award.  Several players earned multiple awards and some fans were winners too.  The full list of awards is shown below. 

PLAYER AWARDS

Alicia Ardoin	Going Injury Free
Anne Villa	Starting The Most Hitting Streaks	Keeping The Team Hydrated
Chandra Williams	Softball Fashionista	Fetching, Not Catching
Chelsea Harris	Best Batting Average - Female / Best (and only) Team Slide	Most Catches At Second Base With A Catcher's Mitt
Danielle Clapinski	Most Catches In The Outfield - Female
Eddie James	Best Batting Average / Most Total Hits	Pitcher Extraordinaire / Best Roll-N-Run Plays
Fallon Blank	Cutest Single Game Player (TIE)
Gary Beadle	Most Assists In The Outfield	WILD THING
Jacob McConnell	Best Catch On Top Of The Fence	Living The Dream For The Team
James Caldwell	Having The Off-Hand Be The Best Hand For Batting	Lugging The Most Stuff To The Field
Jayson Newell	Most Flies Caught In The Outfield In The Fewest Games	Tracking The Zeppelins On The Polina Rankings
Jessica McConnell	Getting Recruited From The Stands
Jimmy Williams	Team Speedster (Faster Than Jaubert)	Most Trash Talk While Under The Influence of Corona Punch And Rice Krispy Treats
Joan Young	Cutest Single Game Player (TIE)
Johan Salen	Johan Gets On Base, A Lot	I'm Great This Year But I Was Great Last Year Too
Katherine St. Onge	Best Team Baker
Kathy Blankenship	Most Spills On The Field In A Single Game (3)
Larry Collins	Most Cheered-For Player EVER	(Giving Caroline Something To Cheer About)
Linda Regira	Most RBIs	Most Spills On The Field
Matthew Wattigny	Most Improved Hitter Over Last Year - Male	Most Pre-Game Warm-Up (Running A Mile Before The Game)
Melissa Moore	Most Total Hits - Female	Most Put-Outs From A Prone Position
Michael Pernici	Best Relay Play Of The Season
Rick Ward	Taking One For The Team	Most Put-Outs From Different Positions (Shortstop, First Base, Outfield)
Russell Richardson	His Best Performance In A Single Game - His Only Game
Sarah Vanden Broek	Most Improved Hitter Over Last Year - Female	Fastest & Most Graceful Runner
Steven Grissom	Most Scoops At First Base
Victor Moore	Playing The Most Different Positions	Choppin' Down Trees

FAN AWARDS

Stephen Moret	Inspiring The Team	Business Plan Item #11 (Moneyball)
Sandra Granata	Supplying Corona Punch To The Team
Brenda Guess	Supplying Beer To The Team
Raven Moore	Best Cheerleader In The League (TIE)
Caroline Collins	Best Cheerleader In The League (TIE)
Mills Richardson	Keeping The Players Safe In The Dugout	Ant Killer!

(Corrected????): Shortened Game Ends Season for the Zeppelins

Linda,

In the interest of accurate reporting, as well as to ensure the credit gets to the right folks, I offer the following clarifications of what REALLY happened last night (…….or at least the way I remember it!!):

Correction #1:

Your version: 

“At the top of the third, Anne Villa started the hitting streak with a single, followed by a single from Sarah.  Eddie James then knocked out a triple, scoring both Anne and Sarah, and earning the coveted “grand slam” award.  Eddie tried to sneak home and ended up in the first run-down of the game.  He managed to make it safely back to third and then crossed the plate on a double from Steven. Steven scored on a hit from Chelsea Harris.

The truth(?): 

“At the top of the third, Anne Villa started the hitting streak with a single, followed by a single from Sarah.  Eddie James then hit a Texas-leaguer into shallow right field, just over the infield, loading the bases.   Steven Grissom was next up and slammed a fierce double, scoring Anne and Sarah, with Eddie advancing all the way to third base.  Without pulling, he tried to score as well, getting half-way down the line before ending up in the first run-down of the game, but luckily managing to make it safely back to third.  Chelsea Harris then drove In both Eddie and Steven.”

Correction #2:

Your version: 

“In the bottom of the fifth, a LWC batter hit a short one-hopper to Johan Salen in right center who, throwing all caution to the wind, tried to throw him out a first and nearly succeeded.  The next batter hit a pop-up between third and home, which Eddie snagged on the run.  He threw a bullet to first to nail the runner who had left the base.  Just as Eddie’s double play fired the Zeppelins up again, the officials called the game due to the fading light.

The truth(?): 

“In the bottom of the fifth with one out, a LWC batter hit a short one-hopper to Johan Salen in right center who, throwing all caution to the wind, tried to throw him out a first and nearly succeeded.   The next batter hit a screaming line drive headed towards the gap between the third base and shortstop.  Eddie reached up and speared it mid-flight, then whirled to make a weak, one-hop throw to Steven Grissom.  Steven made an excellent snag, and quickly stepped on base to secure a bang-bang double play.  Comically, the runner on first , seeing his error in leaving first, panicked and tried to dive back to the bag.  He futilely came up about 3 feet short, and fully face-down in the dust! 

Lagniappe Commentary: 

The Zeppelins went down in order in the top of the sixth, thus ending their season as the officials called the game due to the fading light.  However, the visions of such an impressive last defensive stand of the season should carry the mighty Zeppelins thru the off-season.  It should help inspire them to look forward,  very optimistically, to their just third season of league play.   It should be noted here that this league is drawn from the various Louisiana state government agencies and departments.  Of these, LED is almost certainly the smallest agency fielding a team in terms of total headcount.

2013?  Based on the improvement from year 1 to year 2, for the Zeppelins, it appears probable 2013 will be a very lucky year…..

In closing……………………my personal thanks and appreciation for the all the warriors and warrior(ettes) brave enough to take the field this season.  I had a blast, again this year.  And we would all be remiss to let the season end without a very loud……..

……….THANKS TO LINDA FOR ALL HER EFFORTS, BOTH ON THE FIELD AND IN PRINT!!!!!!!!!!!

LINDA, YOU ROCK!

My Best,

Eddie James

Shortened Game Ends Season for the Zeppelins

The Zeppelin’s season came to a close last night against the Louisiana Workforce Commission after ending early due to lighting issues.  The game had to be stopped in the sixth inning and the LWC Hammers were ahead at that point, so they took the win.  But the Zeppelins played well against a highly ranked team that has played in the league for many years.

LED certainly had a more productive second season, doubling last year’s wins and making it into the playoffs.  League Commissioner Eric Hatfield, who plays for LWC, commented at the end of the game, “You guys are getting better every year.”  The goal for next season is to win a playoff game.

The Zeppelins fielded 12 players who tallied 15 hits, including a Steven Grissom double and an Eddie James triple, scoring 5 runs on a tough LWC defense.  In fact, LED scored more runs against LWC than the Board of Regents in their last game, the number three ranked team.

It was a game full of highlights, including run-downs, an amazing double play, and a serious LED hitting streak.  The cheerleaders were sorely missed.  Sarah Vanden Broek attempted several times to get a cheer going from left field, and Jacob McConnell had his own personal cheerleader in the stands (wife Jessica), but it just wasn’t the same.  Sarah lamented, “We need our cheerleaders.  I wanted to scream DEFENSE, DEFENSE.”

Both teams took a few innings to warm up, but the third inning was a doozie.  The top of the third brought a four-run hitting streak and the bottom of the third brought a smorgasbord of defensive action.

At the top of the third, Anne Villa started the hitting streak with a single, followed by a single from Sarah.  Eddie James then knocked out a triple, scoring both Anne and Sarah, and earning the coveted “grand slam” award.  Eddie tried to sneak home and ended up in the first run-down of the game.  He managed to make it safely back to third and then crossed the plate on a double from Steven. Steven scored on a hit from Chelsea Harris.

In the bottom of the third, one of LWC’s quickest runners hit the ball to Rick Ward at shortstop who threw the ball to Steven at first.  The runner tried to stretch the single to a double, and Steven shot the ball to Chelsea at second to tag him out.  A few batters later, with runners on first and second, Rick fielded a grounder and was crashed into by the runner going to third.  The runner nearly took his head off, which landed Rick on the ground, but not before he tagged the runner to tally the out.  One of the Hammers happened to be a fire fighter and provided quick medical attention to Rick, who was sadly out for the rest of the game with an ice pack on his neck.

The Zeppelins tacked on a fifth run in the top of the fourth when Jayson Newell scored after singles from Melissa Moore and Jacob.  When Jacob hit the ball to third, Melissa teased a dash for home to disrupt the third baseman, and had to dive back to reach third safely in the second run-down of the game.  The maneuver stopped any play for the runner at first, allowing everyone to be safe all around.  Anne and Sarah tacked on two more singles, but were left stranded on base.

In the bottom of the sixth, a LWC batter hit a short one-hopper to Johan Salen in right center who, throwing all caution to the wind, tried to throw him out a first and nearly succeeded.  The next batter hit a pop-up between third and home, which Eddie snagged on the run.  He threw a bullet to first to nail the runner who had left the base.  Just as Eddie’s double play fired the Zeppelins up again, the officials called the game due to the fading light.

A small after-party in the bleachers was greatly enhanced by a Brenda Guess ice chest full of beer.  The rally rake didn’t do the trick, but maybe with the extra at-bat in the unplayed seventh inning, the Zeppelins could have mounted a comeback.  In the off season the Zeppelins will take a deeper look into the stats to come up with the winning combination for next season.  It’s time to call in all of the researchers in Business Intelligence to get to the bottom of this.

On a high note, Jayson reported that the Pollina ranking results were out showing the Zeppelins at 48^thlast season, but noting that they were moving them up to 22^nd in the next release.

Singles:  Chelsea Harris (2), Johan Salen, Jayson Newell (2), Rick Ward, Melissa Moore, Jacob McConnell, Matthew Wattigny, Anne Villa (2), Sarah Vanden Broek (2).

Double:  Steven Grissom

Triple: Eddie James

RBI’s:  Eddie James (2), Steven Grissom, Chelsea Harris, Jacob McConnell

Many thanks to all who STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE for LED.

PLAYERS:  Anne Villa (Undersecretary), Chelsea Harris (Communications & Marketing), Eddie James (BDS), Gary Beadle (IT), Jacob McConnell (BDS), Jayson Newell (BDS), Johan Salen (BDS), Matthew Wattigny (FastStart), Melissa Moore (BI),  Rick Ward (BDS), Sarah Vanden Broek (SEC), and Steven Grissom (Deputy Secretary)

FANS:  Brenda Guess (BI), Chelsea’s parents Ann and Jim and her boyfriend Brandon, Jessica McConnell (Jacob’s wife) and Jennifer Berthelot (Communications & Marketing).

The Zeppelins are Headed to the Playoffs!!

Yesterday’s 7-1 win over the Public Services Association (PSA) clinched a playoff berth for the Zeppelins this season.  It was Steven Grissom’s challenge to the team at last season’s award ceremony, and it is rewarding that the Zeppelins managed to rise to the occasion.  What would Paul Mainieri think now?

The win was aided from every corner – offense, defense and fan support.  The dynamic cheering duo of Caroline Collins (Larry’s daughter) and Raven Moore (Melissa’s daughter), complete with pom poms, was reunited once again, and even managed to get a rise from PSA who chanted “Offense, offense” to their “Defense, defense.”  Undeterred, they cheered the Zeppelins all the way to victory.

Newcomer Russell Richardson made a huge impact for LED.  Cheered on by his son Mills, who just recently started pre-K, Russell made several run-saving grabs at first base and went 1 for 2 at the plate, scoring an RBI in the process.  Mills kept wondering when his dad was going to bat again and announced that he had killed an ant and found a penny while waiting.

LED fielded 15 players and tallied 18 hits, two of which were doubles by Chelsea Harris, who executed a textbook slide at second, tallied an RBI, and snagged a few in her rotation at second base.  Chelsea’s efforts have earned her the coveted “home run medal.”

Sarah Vanden Broek’s outstanding speed (remember, she is a former Bucknell track star) allowed her to go 2 for 2 at the plate because no one could manage to throw her out.  She also added a few clutch plays in left field.

Gary Beadle made some run-saving catches in his rotation at left center and went 2 for 3 at the plate, tallying an RBI.  Eddie James pitched all seven innings except to the last batter of the game (more on this later) and went 2 for 2, scoring twice and tacking on an RBI.

Victor Moore made some great defensive plays at first and shortstop, but struggled a bit at the plate.  Daughter Raven decided to give her own coach some pointers and let him know when he swung at a high one that he shouldn’t be “chopping down trees.”

Jayson Newell and Steven Grissom also played strong defense and both went 2 for 2, tallying an RBI each.  Rick Ward played a solid shortstop in his rotation, going 1 for 2 along with Matt Wattigny and Larry, who scored on one of Chelsea’s doubles, sending Caroline into cheerleading stratosphere.

Now, back to the Eddie James last batter incident……..

With two outs at the top of the seventh, Eddie saw Orion striding up to the plate for PSA, one of their strongest hitters (and a former student of Linda’s at ITT-Tech).  Eddie turned the pitching over to Victor, moved Gary to shortstop, and put himself in left center.  When Orion hit the ball over the right center’s head, Eddie was behind him to make a spectacular running catch to end the game.  Was it fate, destiny, or a run for another medal?

Another hot, but fun time was had by all.  Anne Villa brought water and Gatorade which was gulped down by all as the heat index reached 101.

Eddie also brought some sandbags which he appropriated from the back door of the Annex and stopped on the way to the field to purchase a rake to take care of conditions at the plate.  At the end of the game it suddenly dawned on us where all the great mojo was coming from – new rakes!  You may recall the Zeppelin’s previous win also occurred in a game when the Jacob McConnell family’s brand new rake was called in to improve the field.  The Zeppelins need a volunteer to bring a new rake to the first playoff game.  In Moneyball, you have to take your stats as you find them.

Details about playoff game dates, times and locations are TBD.

Singles:  Gary Beadle, Eddie James (2), Linda Regira, Steven Grissom (2), Jayson Newell (2), Russell Richardson, Matt Wattingy, Rick Ward, Larry Collins (2), and Sarah Vanden Broek (2).

Doubles:  Chelsea Harris (2)

RBI’s:  Jayson Newell, Gary Beadle, Eddie James, Linda Regira, Steven Grissom, Russell Richardson, Chelsea Harris

Many thanks to all who STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE for LED.

PLAYERS:  Alicia Ardoin (BDS), Anne Villa (Undersecretary), Chelsea Harris (Marketing & Communications), Eddie James (BDS), Gary Beadle (IT), Jayson Newell (BDS), Larry Collins (BDS), Linda Regira (Policy & Planning), Matthew Wattigny (FastStart), Melissa Moore (BI),  Rick Ward (BDS), Russell Richardson (BDS), Sarah Vanden Broek (SEC), Steven Grissom (Deputy Secretary) and Victor Moore (Melissa’s husband).

FANS:  Brenda Guess (BI), Susan and Caroline Collins, Raven Moore and Mills Richardson.