The Bulldogs scored three in the bottom of the seventh to tie SOuth Oakland 4-4.
The Ducks scored on a balk in the second and three other times by way of RBI from, I think, Ben Hartranft, James Fago, and Mark Guthrie.
It was early.
Brett Pusateri had a double, Ben Gwin had 2 hits, Garrett Moore reached base 3 times in 4 plate appearances. Guthrie went 4innings on the mound, and gave up 1 run.
The teams will play again wed in the Ducks home opener.
Quack.
Might as well just put this up a day early.
Looks like rain tomorrow, but be ready to play until we hear otherwise.
Vinny will be ready
I like the composition of the Ducks this year a lot. The nothing-to-lose attitude is refreshing. Everyone is just excited to be playing again, or at all. Everyone’s hustling, and no one’s bitching about anything.
That could change if we don’t start winning some games, but it’s early, and the wins will come—that will be the result of the aforementioned approach.
I know coaching the last two years, the immense pressure to please everyone is what ultimately led to a lot of unhappiness and stress that seemed ridiculous to have over adult league baseball. I think there’s a misunderstanding about playing hard and demanding a good effort from yourself and your teammates, that it has to come along with some sort of fucked up intensity and shit talking that makes it all not fun, that it’s only worth winning if you can take credit.
With this team, this season the more fun it is the more we will win, not the other way around as I feel it was at times during the last two seasons.
That said, I hate losing more than anyone. And our goal this year, with the talent we have, is to win a championship.
Who the fuck knows, I’m just looking forward to walking into Moore Park in mid May, fearing for my life, questioning human kind while a fight in the stands breaks out, and hitting singles over the second baseman’s head. Stuff like that is why i love this league and being a Duck.
RIP Levon Helm.
TC Jones might have to come out of retirement to pitch Saturday.
Bad News for the bulldogs.
Quack.
Elliot pitcher, Stu Barnes carried a no hitter through 6 and 1/3 innings, and went 2 for 3 with a double and a triple to lead defending champion Elliot (1-0) past South Oakland (0-1) Wednesday night.
The game was scoreless through three, and then a few balls that should have been caught weren’t and Elliot scored 7 runs.
Jesse Ferko and Chris Roth had hits for the Ducks. Roth drove in the Ducks only run in the top of the seventh on an infield single.
We’ll round into form by divisional play, if not sooner.
Despite the loss, spirits remain high in South Oakland as the team looks to rebound against the Bulldogs Saturday morning.
Quack.
James Fago is our manager this season, and he’s in the best shape of his life.
Get in touch with him (or me, if you must) if you plan on playing this season. As always, roster spots go to returning Ducks before we fill in the gaps with Dominican League players Rob Cool knows through some ex-AAU coach, who used to play DII ball in Eastern Ohio, and sells sneakers out of the back of a truck at Waynesburg away games.
We owe the league our first $500 in the next few weeks, and Nike is sending people to my home trying to shake me down for the money we didn’t raise to cover our unis last year.
We’ll get it figured out soon.
We run a tight ship in South Oakland.
Motivation?
Quack.
Jim Teyssier pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 9, while allowing just 3 hits and walking 2.
South Oakland scored its first run with two out in the bottom of the second, on three straight singels by Baumgartel, Smith and Gwin.
The Bulldogs left two men on base in the top of the third and would not threaten again.
In the bottom of the fourth, Fago walked, and pinch runner Tim Lipp stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error; he scored on Nick Berdine’s rbi single to left.
The Ducks will face Elliot in the finals on Saturday time and place to be determined.
quackquackquackquackquack.
Unrelated zeppelin song. Now for a letdown of a recap:
South Oakland of the North Side (7-2) won their seventh straight behind phenomenal pitching and timely hitting from the bottom of the lineup.
Ducks lefty, Mike Cinefra pitched a complete game, 1-hit shutout, striking out 12.
Ken Cool drove in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.
Both pitchers threw exceptionally well. The Bulldogs’ guy allowed only 5 hits and went 7 and 2/3 with 9 Ks
The Bulldogs threatened in the second when Rankin hit a leadoff double to right but was stranded on 3rd after a K a groundout and another K.
In the top of the 7th, Ducks catcher James Fago threw out a runner trying to take third on a past ball to end the inning.
This was the first Ducks Bulldogs game in which we held Vinny Gala hitless.
In the bottom of the 8th with two outs, Nick Berdine walked to lead off the inning. Gwin singled to right, and Ken Cool drove in the winning run with a single to center.
South Oakland’s 8-9-10 hitters came through with two outs to preserve the win in one of the best games I’ve played in for some time.
Anthony Defilippo, Rob Baumgartel, and Mike Cinefra also had hits for South Oakland.
Black Sox 9pm, Saturday night at Moore Park.
Tell your friends
quackquackquackquackquackquackquack
Game 19:
Aside from RBI (9 for 28+ Dogs, to 4 for Ducks) I have better numbers for the Ducks than the over 28 Bulldogs in six more plate appearances. I don’t know what that means, you’d think with the tougher pitching, etc..So it goes.
Don’t forget to change your signs for the game tonight, BJ.
…and bring me my duck, you sons of bitches.
The Bulldogs lost to the Militia Saturday, I can’t imagine they put out the same lineup that beat the HURRICANES! the week before.
I’ve got inside info on the Bulldogs new fight song.
kind of depressing, but you can’t argue with a winner.
A South Oakland victory will put our franchise at 80-80-2 all time.
It would also be our ninth straight on-field W, as the Titans win was a forfeit.
the Ducks’ #9 is retired worn by Rob Swanger who, in three seasons, never played on a winning Ducks team.
Let’s get back to .500, and keep rolling into the battle of Monroeville this weekend.
A win also gets us recap rights on the Bulldogs site. Their blog actually gets read, so that’s huge.
Bad News for the Bulldogs
Quack.
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 