Thursday, April 30

Willows and SBS make like Newlyweds and Tie the Knot

Wilkinson Park – If a tie is like kissing your sister, then Willows and SBS’ sisters are running for cover this evening after the two teams played to a 4-4 draw.  With weather more appropriate for wicked witches and flying monkeys, new players stepped into roles previously filled by last year’s twelve year olds and provided an action-packed game with a little something for all.

            Thomas Hodgkins first appearance as a pitcher started with a bang as he retired three of four batters without allowing a hit.  Not to be undone, Tucker Carter threw strikes and Willows showed better defense than Perry Mason.  While J-Vick reached on an excuse me “hit” – ducking under a pitch that ended up striking his bat, he received the “karma” award when he was gunned down at second on a perfect throw-and-catch by Kam H. and Griffin H.  Chris Mitchell roped a triple to right-center but his stay at third was shorter than a Maine summer when Kam H. pounced on a wild pitch and beat Mitchell to the plate.  Rookie Daniel O. finished off SBS as he snagged Andrew Roberts hard grounder to third and made and accurate throw to first.

            The second saw Michael Joys reach on a fielder’s choice as Mike Kilmartin cut down the lead runner at second.  Joys then advanced on newbie Riley Hasson’s single.  Both players pulled a Daughtry and went home as Aaron Radziucz sent an RBI double to center.  Despite two more strike outs for Hodgkins, SBS faced a two run deficit.  Carter kept “Mother Mo” on Willows’ side as he retired the SBS batters 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning.

            Carter helped his own cause by singling home Olds in his next at bat.  Roberts relieved a spunky and effective, Hodgkins and was aided by yet another freshman playing a critical role.  When Joys poked a fly ball to center, Joseph Grant ranged to his left and speared the ball for the second out – allowing just one run to score on the Sac Fly.  A walk and a strike out ended the inning with the damage limited to two.  Jake Angell tried to do his part by walking in his first Majors plate appearance but Tucker “Stella” Carter got his groove back and struck out the side.

            SBS had better success in the fourth however.  After a double to start the inning, Jon Vickers scored on grounders by Hodgkins and Mitchell.  Roberts pulled SBS within two after reaching on an error and advancing when Matt Gilboy and Guignard worked full counts into walks.  Xavier Gagne then did the same for his first Majors RBI – scoring Roberts.

            After Vickers struck out the side in the fifth, he and Kilmartin reached base by walk and single, respectively, and then advanced and scored when Hodgkins laid down a bunt and the ball squirted into the outfield on the put-out attempt.  After moving to third with two outs, Hodgkins appeared to have a perfect opportunity to score on a wild pitch as he was sent by the Coach but catcher Kam H. reacted quickly to the ball which ricocheted back toward the baseline.  This time, Kam had more time than a Swiss watch shop and was able to sit down, have a sandwich and drink a beverage before applying the tag and ending the threat.

            Hoping to get home in time for Survivor, Henderson and K-Vick struck out five batters, wasting any opportunity for runs as Joys was left stranded for Willows and then Roberts and Guignard singled but did not score for SBS.  With tight games the norm early in the season, players’ sisters better start searching for more hiding places around the house or start applying the Chap Stick!

Saturday, May 2

Bankers’ Balance Sheet Ends Up in the Black

Wilkinson Park – Saco-Biddeford Savings shook off another shaky start on the bases to break free from a pesky Maietta team en route to a 15-3 win Saturday.  Jon Vickers, Thomas Hodgkins, Chris Mitchell and Andrew Roberts all singled to start their half off the first but questionable coaching and great defense once again cost SBS as it did on Thursday.  While Mitchell’s single to left scored Vickers, Brian “Stop-at-Third-Or” Elsemore made a throw to home on the fly from deep left.  Eben B. was able to apply the tag and get the speedy Hodgkins who’d been sent by every SBS opponent’s favorite base coach.  Eben then alertly threw to third where Mitchell was doubled-up just prior to the tag.  In the bottom half, Max C. tripled home Jacob G. for Maietta.  SBS was then in the red after Elsemore walked, advanced on a wild pitch and then scored as first year player Tyler Goldberg took an 0-2 pitch to right for an RBI single (one of two hits on the day for Goldberg).  Andrew Roberts settled down, however, and struck out two before Jon Vickers made a nice unassisted put-out at second. 

If you blinked in the second inning or went to the concession stand for some Skittles, then you probably missed the entire frame as Cole Lemelin struck out the side in order.  Roberts returned the favor by striking out two. The third out was thanks to a fine defensive play by rookie Michael Kilmartin who snuffed out a grounder at first like the candles on his birthday cake – 3U.

For those fans waiting for some run production this season, SBS didn’t disappoint in the third (in fact, on the day, all SBS players reached safely via walk or hit and only Christian Guignard received a repreive from having to scamper around all the bases to home).  After Kilmartin and fellow newbie Jake Angell reached base safely, J-Vick (only a homer shy of the cycle) hammered a double to score Kilmartin.  Hodgkins (three hits; two runs; two RBI) then singled home Angell and a “hallelujah” resounded from the heavens with the game now knotted at three.  Like vigilante Mel Gibson, Roberts offered a little payback (check it out – it is a Gibson movie) as he drove in Hodgkins and Mitchell with the go ahead runs.

If the sun and seventy degree weather was unexpected on this day, then Xavier Gagne’s at-bat in the third was something straight out of the Twilight Zone.  With runners at the corners, Gagne roped a single to right to apparently score Roberts from third.  Umpires correctly ruled that the runner left early at first base and so Gagne and the runners were called back for what children in backyards across the United States refer to as a “do-over.”  Cooler than the other side of the pillow, Gagne took a two strike pitch and laced it to left for a double this time, scoring Roberts.  Kilmartin then recorded his first hit and RBI as Matt Gilboy trotted home from third.  After three outs, the bankers’ “assets” outweighed their “liabilities,” 9-3.

After striking out the first batter of the third, Roberts walked two batters before giving way to Chris Mitchell, making his first appearance of the season.  He quickly retired two Hard Hats to stop the threat.  Mitchell and the SBS defense then became stingier than Ebenezer Scrooge during a recession.  Kilmartin made a nice catch and throw from third and frosh Joseph Grant recorded his second put-out in as many games with a sure-handed catch in right field.  After Vickers put away a fly ball at short, all that was left was for Chris “Money” Mitchell to ring up the side in the fifth on strikes.

Monday May, 4

SBS Beats Pape Thanks to their Guardian Angell

Wilkinson Park –  In a game with fewer hits than an unpopular Britney Spears album, Saco-Biddeford Savings made the most of its chances and held on for a 5-3 win against Pape Monday evening.  After a lead-off home run by Jon Vickers, SBS hoped to pounce on Pape off the bat, but Ryan O’Riordon settled down and didn’t allow a hit or run over the next three-and-a-third innings, striking out four and forcing six fly ball outs to the infield.  To pull this one out, SBS would need divine intervention...of sorts.

            With O’Riordon purring along like a finely tuned Chevy,  Chris Mitchell pitched like he was late for a date with a Supermodel, throwing under twenty pitches total in the first two innings.  In the first inning, two sophomores worked miracles; Thomas Hodgkins flashed the leather in center while Andrew Roberts scooped up a Vickers throw from short like it was the last piece of pie at the dinner table.  Three quick outs in the home half of the inning kept the score at 1-0 however.  After a lead off double by Jaren M. in the second and a steal of third, Mitchell bore down and struck out the side, stranding Muller like the cast of LOST.

            Mitchell and Vickers combined for another three strikeouts in the third, but not before Pape Chrevolet left some skid marks on the scoresheet.  Once Parker M. reached base, Gage Turkewitz singled him to second and James MacNeill brought him home with a base hit of his own.  O’Riordon helped his own cause with an RBI knock before SBS’ pitchers took care of business.  As has been the case every SBS game this season, SBS found itself playing catch-up.

            As Pape pitching continued to stymie SBS hitters, the Bankers were forced to turn to smoke and mirror tricks to knot the score at two.  After Roberts walked, he advanced on a Christian Guignard ground ball.  When a subsequent pitch went to the screen, Roberts took third and then advanced home on an overthrow.  Vickers shut down Pape in the top of the fifth, setting the stage for more parlor tricks.  First, Michael Kilmartin walked and eventually advanced to third base. Jake Angell also walked and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no one out.  Kilmartin was able to score when J-Vick roped a hard RBI grounder to first that Robbie Plummer expertly scooped up for an out.  Next, rookie Jake “the Halo” Angell showed baserunning savvy beyond his years when he decisively left third base on Hodgkins’ spinning grounder to the right side that left everyone safe and SBS staring at a 4-2 lead.  With two outs, Roberts provided an ounce of insurance when he fought off an 0-2 pitch and dropped it into right field, scoring Hodgkins who had stolen second.

            Hodgkins’ day was not done as he was called in to preserve the victory for SBS in the sixth.  After a strike-out, Sam Solomon sent a pitch to the wall and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park dinger.  Hodgkins, though, proved to be cooler than the shade on a hot summer day when he struck out the next batter and retired the final hitter with a grounder to Guignard, allowing Angell’s run to stand up as the game winner – divine, indeed, for SBS fans.  Up next for SBS is unbeaten Northeast Turf, Saturday, May 9.

Saturday, May 9

Pitching Duel Ends with K-Vick and SBS over Turf, 3-0

Wilkinson Park –  In a game quicker than a kiss to your century old, cigarette smoking grandmother, it was a South Portland veteran and a newcomer who provided the spark that led SBS over NET, 3-0.  Both teams entered the game undefeated and it was easy to understand why as Jon Vickers and Lucas M. took the mound for their respective teams. 

With K-Vick throwing more bullets than a Gatling gun, Turf went down in order in the first on two strikeouts and help from Christian Guignard who made a nice play on a Joe G. grounder to start the game.  Lucas answered with two K’s of his own in the bottom half of the inning.  Other than a walk to Matt Gilboy in the second, both pitchers were again perfect.  While the catchers caught the accumulating K’s, players in the field ran the risk of catching some Zzzzz’s as they saw minimal action.  Rookie Jake Angell, seeing his first time at third, proved to be awake though as he ranged under a Sam D. pop-up for the second out of the inning.  Fellow frosh Joseph Grant sounded the alarm clock when he lined a 1-1 pitch up the middle for his first Majors hit but Lucas hit the “snooze button” and silenced the SBS’ bats.

As both pitchers cruised along, the fourth became the pivotal inning.  After two strike-outs by Vickers, Andrew Roberts knocked down a hard liner by Joe G. for a 3-U and SBS came to the plate with the top of its order making its second appearance.  J-Vick worked a one out walk and newbie Hayden Owen from Kentucky faked a bunt allowing Vickers to advance to second.  Owen then cooly legged out a slow grounder to second, giving SBS runners at the corners and Owen the opportunity to advance on catcher’s indifference.  After an out, Roberts used the ol’  fake bunt-by-trying to bunt play, but the result was as desired as the pitch squirted to the screen allowing both runners to advance.  1-0 SBS.  Owen then showed that he could easily be running at Churchill Downs instead of Wilkinson Field as he raced home on a ball to the screen and just beat the throw from the catcher to make it 2-0.

In the fifth, it appeared as if Turf might take back some momentum when Lucas M. hit an 0-2 curve ball to deep second for a base hit.  Guignard was able to keep him to a single by knocking the ball down however.  Vickers would strike-out the next two batters though and then make a nice jumping catch of a Jack Whaley come-backer which he threw to first for the final out of the inning.

SBS added some insurance in the fifth when Thomas Hodgkins doubled to right and then advanced home on a ball to the screen and subsequent overthrow to third.  Fortunately, however, that was money the bankers could keep in the vault as K-Vick struck out the side in the sixth, sending NET to its first loss in a well-played Little League game.  Vickers’ pitching line read as six innings pitched with a hit and fourteen strike-outs while the NET pitchers combined on a three hitter with ten K’s.  It should also be noted that Chris Mitchell was stellar behind the plate for SBS with only one passed ball.  Feel free to stop by his house and congratulate him.  He’s the one inside with his catching hand in a bucket of ice!

SPALL action continues next week!  SBS hosts Maietta on Tuesday while NET is at Pape on Wednesday.  All games are at Wilkinson.  Next week also sees the start of interleague play with South Portland National as Willows hosts the Royals on Monday.

Happy Mothers’ Day to mothers (and grandmothers!) everywhere and keep hoping for great weather and even better games.

Tuesday, May 12

Gilboy, Owen and Vickers Bulldoze Hard Hats’ Construction Project

Wilkinson Park – Determined to pose a challenge to SBS this time around, Maietta proved that it can manufacture runs as well as homes, jumping out to a 1-0 lead Tuesday night in SPALL action.  Jacob G. singled and stole second before Max C. hit him home in the first.  When SBS returned the favor with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame, Maietta limited the damage as Tyler Gold “Glove”-berg cut down a would be base stealer with room to spare.  Matt C. then took the momentum shift and struck out two wasting two more singles by SBS. 

            If Maietta laid the foundation in the first, they put together the frame in the second as Ian Young reached on a HBP and then showed some grit as he scored on Aidan J.’s single that squirted to deep left.  Fortunately for SBS, Thomas Hodgkins (1-0) played the part of wrecking ball by striking out two and Andrew Roberts came in to finish the clean-up with a strike out of his own. 

            Matt Gilboy, however, made the pivotal play of the game when Maietta came to bat in the third after shutting down SBS in the second.  After a lead-off walk and attempt to advance on a slight bobble, Gilboy threw a laser to Jon Vickers at second –taking the tying run off the bases and giving Roberts one out to work with.  After a strike out, Joseph Grant snagged a hard grounder by Goldberg and calmly threw to Chris Mitchell at first for the third out.

            Leading 4-2 in the fourth, SBS was in a dogfight until Hayden Owen came to the plate.  With a couple infield hits to his name and a few ground outs thanks to stellar defense this season, Owen faced two outs and Xavier Gagne and Michael Kilmartin on second and first respectively.  Down in the count, Owen took a pitch up and away and drove it to the wall in right.  With more speed than Jimmie Johnson after his third cappuccino, Owen raced around the bases for an inside-the-park homer, nearly catching Kilmartin and Gagne in the process, possibly spurred on by the sweet aroma of fries bubbling in the concessions stand’s new fryolater.  Just as satisfying though was SBS’ 7-2 lead – and with half the calories!

            After Roberts and Owen struck out the side in the fifth, Banker “Long Gone” Jon Vickers turned on an inside fastball and deposited it over the right field wall for his first outside-the-park homer of the season.  After Gagne drew a walk to score Roberts, SBS had all the insurance it needed as Owen struck out two in the top of the sixth.  The game came full circle as defensive star Matt Gilboy threw out another potential base stealer to end the game, effectively placing a “No Trespassing” sign on the basepaths and forcing Maietta back to the drawing board.  With fewer errors and a narrower margin this time around, however, Maietta proved that they may have a blueprint for success as the season moves forward.

Thursday, May 14

Hodgkins and Roberts Combine to Shut-Out Willows, 4-0

Wilkinson Park - If you left your canoe at home for tonight’s game, then you were literally up the creek without a paddle as rain drenched Willows and SBS and forced the game to be called after four innings.  SBS made the most of those innings, though, by putting across four runs en route to their fifth win of the season.

            After Hayden Owen walked to lead off the game and then advanced to second, Jon Vickers doubled him home for the team’s first run.  Andrew Roberts moved Vickers to third with a grounder to the right side and Michael Kilmartin smacked a fly ball to center, scoring Vickers with the Sacrifice Fly.  While the runs weren’t exactly pouring out of the SBS dugout, two would prove to be enough and the heavy clouds would instead provide a different kind of deluge over home plate.

            In the bottom half of the inning, Willows threatened to tie the game as Daniel O. and Griffin Henderson both walked and advanced to scoring position with one out.  Thomas Hodgkins, who picked up his second win of the season, struck out a batter, however, and then J-Vick tracked down a Riley Hasson fly-ball to end the threat. 

            In the second, SBS couldn’t take advantage of a lead-off single by Matt Gilboy but Hodgkins found his stride (or more accurately his stroke, on the water soaked field which was beginning to look more like a community pool) and retired Willows in order with two strike outs and an athletic assist on a comebacker.  Owen and Vickers would team up again in the third with two outs for SBS’ third run.  After Hodgkins shut down Willows in the bottom frame, Kilmartin, Hodgkins and Gilboy would all reach safely. Kilmartin then scored when Joseph Grant was hit by a pitch.  Cam H. came in and was able to strike out the side to keep the damage at one run, four waterlogged balls, a pitcher’s mound more slippery than a greased eel on ice skates and about twenty players with wet undergarments.

            In the fourth, Roberts replaced Hodgkins, who felt like he’d been shot-putting all afternoon as opposed to pitching.  After a two batters reached with one out, Roberts was able to strike out the next two to preserve the win for Hodgkins and complete the most quiet (and wettest) abbreviated no-hitter in recent memory.

Friday, May 15

The Three G’s Shut the Trap on the Bears, 5-3

Wilkinson – After pouncing on the Bankers for three runs like a mother grizzly hunting a Pacific salmon, the SPN Bears fell victim to poaching by SBS who collected all five hits and runs in the fourth inning and then held on for the victory.  The win was particularly satisfying for SBS as a different cast of characters stepped up to the plate to help keep the team perfect on the season.

            The Bears roared out of the gates with two unearned runs on Xander’s two-out double.  Meanwhile, the only way SBS saw the base paths was when they crossed them to take the field and when Thomas Hodgkins and Jake Angell walked in the second and third respectively.  Drew A. made a diving grab of a Hayden Owen line drive in the first (can someone send the tape to Sportscenter?) and Luca pitched more strikes than the teamsters facing wage cuts and lay-offs in a recession – stifling any attempt at an SBS rally.

Fortunately, great pitching by Chris Mitchell and stellar defense kept the Bears from reaching base again until the fourth.  Jon Vickers at short and Hayden Owen in center acted like human flypaper as they ranged out of position to make key outs and limit the Bears’ trips to the plate.  The battery of Mitchell and Matt Gilboy did the rest, recording three strike outs while Mitchell’s cousins stewed on the sideline.  In the fourth, Luca gained the upper hand over his relative as he singled and then scored the team’s third run on a base hit by Jacob.  But again, defense saved SBS as Hodgkins sprinted to his right to grab a soft liner in left and Vickers continued to be Eli’s nemesis as he scooped up the second of two hard grounders by the Bear and stepped on second for the force out and only one run in. 

The bottom frame meant bad news for the Bears.  J-Stick got things started with a solo homer, his third dinger on the young season.  After Andrew Roberts legged out a single and Mitchell and Kilmartin walked, Hodgkins fought off a two strike pitch and grounded it to the right side, scoring Roberts for the Bankers’ second run of the game.  Matt Gilboy, hotter than the equatorial midday sun, notched his first RBI on the season with his third hit in two games.  Once Mitchell crossed the plate, the score stood tied at three. 

            Normally, “three G’s” would be a nice sum to put in your SBS bank account but, on this day, it would be the moniker for three new Banker heroes – Gilboy, Grant and Guignard.  Gilboy’s RBI had left runners at the corners.  Lefty Joseph Grant then lined a single to right field scoring Kilmartin with what proved to be the winning run.  Christian Guignard followed with a strong single of his own to score Gilboy.  For each player, it was their first RBI with the bat on the season - coming at an opportune time and under pressure.

            Like a wounded animal, these Bears would not go down quietly.  In the fifth, James and Patrick reached base around two flyball outs that were grabbed by Mitchell and Vickers.  With the runners at the corners and the go ahead run at the plate, Mitchell bared down struck out a batter for the final out.  In the sixth, after stepping out of a nearby phone booth, J-Vick transformed into K-Vick.  Luca reached on his third single of the game but Vickers promptly struck out the side to end any threat of a come back while earning his first save on the season.

            Interleague play continues for SBS as they face the SPN Royals on Sunday.

Sunday, May 17

Saco-Biddeford Gets Royally Flushed

Wilkinson – The SPN Royals went “all-in” right off the bat against SBS Sunday afternoon and by game’s end, they were the ones cashing in their chips and sending SBS to its first loss on the season.  After a lead-off double by Sam T., Patrick G. and Matt B. both reached with hits.  Matt’s hit brought in Sam and then Nick T. and Silas J. also drove in runs for three-of-a kind in the first.

            Like a riverboat gambler, however, the Bankers had a few cards up their sleeve as they came to the plate.  After Jon Vickers walked, Andrew Roberts drove a Sam T. pitch to the wall in right center for a double scoring Vickers.  Unfortunately, their luck took a turn for the worse as the Royals answered in the second.  After a lead-off strike out and then a single by Jacob G., SBS committed consecutive errors to prolong the inning.  Sam T. took full advantage of the opportunity as he doubled in two runs and the Royals scored three unearned in the inning for a six run lead.

            While SBS loaded the bases in the second, they could not score but their defense came up big to keep them in the game.  Thomas Hodgkins snared a Nick T. fly ball at third and then Joseph Grant smothered a sharp Silas grounder at second base for an assist before a strike out to end the inning.  With the top of their order heading to the plate, the Bankers attempted to make like a big ol’ bottle of Heinz and catch-up.

            Hayden Owen led off the inning with a double bringing J-Stick and his hotter-than-hot-wings-in-a-volcano bat to the plate.  Vickers took a mamouth swing at an initial offering and deposited the ball squarely...on third base.  Fortunately for the home team, he deposited it on third base of the AA/AAA field after it had passed over the wall and scoreboard in right-center.  Once Chris Mitchell walked, Michael Kilmartin shot a scorcher down the right field line allowing Mitchell to advance to third and then score on an overthrow.  Sam T. then threw down a pair of K’s causing SBS to fold, but now only facing a two run deficit.

            Roberts held the Royals scoreless in the fourth but Sam T. returned the favor by striking out the side.  Miscues once again gave the Royals extra outs in the fifth and allowed Nick T. to get to the plate and drive in the second run of the inning with only one being earned.  Owen took advantage of Royals miscues in the fifth to get back one of the runs, but it was a case of too little too late as neither team scored in the sixth. 

            SBS returns to the feature table on Wednesday, however, as they face another top team in the league – Northeast Turf.  Both teams will be looking to end the game with the tall stack.  Bet on it.

Wednesday, May 20

An Angell Looks Over J-Vick  and He is A-OKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Wilkinson –  Playing faster than dueling banjos, SBS shutout Northeast Turf for the second time this season with strong pitching, productive outs and smart base running from its entire order.  Seventeen of Jon “K-Vick” Vickers’ outs came by way of the strike out with Joseph Grant’s running catch of a shallow fly-ball the only other put-out.  Meanwhile, the bottom of SBS’ order was able to get on base four times in eight at-bats and score three runs, much like the Royals did to the Bankers on Sunday.

            With two outs in the third, rookie Jake Angell reached base via the walk.  After another walk to Hayden Owen, Vickers singled hard up the middle and Angell floated home, with what proved to be the winning run. Owen advanced to third.  As NET’s pitcher and catcher tried to sort out the situation, “Goin’” Owen sped home faster than a seventh grade boy chasing after the prettiest girl in school.  By the time the battery realized what was up, SBS had a 2-0 lead and no intention of looking back.

            With Vickers in the middle of rolling off nine straight strikeouts, frosh “MoJo” Grant alertly spoiled a two out hit attempt by making his nab in left, providing a little “mojo” for the Bankers as they picked up the hit sticks in the fifth.  Once Xavier Gagne was hit by a pitch, Angell came to the plate with two outs facing a new pitcher (pitch count limit reached).  Knowing that the top of the order was making like poison ivy - itching to get to the plate - Angell turned on an inside fastball and roped it down the left field line for his first Majors hit.  Owen walked again which brought J-Vick to the plate.  Facing two strikes, Vickers put a little giddy-up in his next swing and sent the ball to the wall in right, barely sparing the AAAers on the other field a surprise visit from the heavens, scoring Gagne and Angell.  SBS then went to work manufacturing some more runs.

            Andrew Roberts managed to put a two strike pitch in play back to the pitcher with two outs and runners on second and third.  The throw came to the plate but Owen’s VCR was in fast forward and he beat the throw on Roberts’ RBI fielder’s choice.  With runners at the corners, Roberts and Vickers executed a perfect double steal, leaving the ball at shortstop and runners safe at second and home.

            In the sixth, Thomas Hodgkins would get his name in the run column after a walk.  Hodgkins stole second and advanced to third on a ball that scooted into center field.  The center fielder alertly backed up the play and made a throw to third but “Dodg-kins” was able to avert the tag.  Eyeing home plate like your little sister staring down the ice cream truck, Hodgkins took off on a wild pitch and scooted under another tag.  When the umpire’s arms shot out from his sides, the score stood 7-0.  All that was left was for Vickers to finish off his “80” pitch effort, which he did with a exclamation point, striking out the side in order for his third win on the season (6 IP, 17 K, 1 H, 0 BB, less than 80 pitches).   

Saturday, May 30

Kilmartin Hit Pushes SBS Past Willows, 3-2

Wilkinson –  After Mother Nature doused players’ hopes and SPALL’s fields with rain the past week, the patrons at Wilkinson Park were treated to some fun in the sun as SBS battled Willows to a 3-2 victory Saturday morning.  Despite over a week off for both teams, the players showed little rust with only four errors and six walks combined and some clutch defense and offense on both sides.

            After two strike outs by Andrew Roberts and a great catch in center by Hayden Owen off the bat of Phil D., SBS came to the plate looking to strike fast.  Owen led off with a sharp double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before being driven home by Jon Vickers on a sacrifice fly to center field.  What could have been Hurricane Katrina, however, turned into a light drizzle by SBS.  Despite a walk to Roberts and singles to Chris Mitchell and Michael Kilmartin, Griffin Henderson settled in nicely to get a strike out and a fielder’s choice ground out to end the inning with minimal damage.

            In the second Roberts pancaked three strike outs around a two strike double down the line by Riley “the Hustler” Hasson.  Henderson was equally as effective though as a lead-off walk by Joseph Grant was followed by two K’s and a fly out to Aaron “the Governor” Radziucz at first.

            Roberts turned to his D in the third after a lead off walk by Radziucz.  Mitchell put a Richard Seymour swim move on “the Gov” to get to a pop fly and record SBS’ first out before Roberts struck out the next batter.  With two outs Christian Guignard fought illness and a sharp grounder by Kam H. and wisely threw to J-Vick at second for the force out on Radziucz.  SBS then came to the plate with the top of its order due up.  Owen led off with a single and advanced to second on an overthrow.  Scampering to third base on a wild pitch did little, however, other than increase Owen’s heart rate a bit as the hot hitting J-Vick stepped to the plate looking to drive him in.  By the time Vickers left the batter’s box, it was the young lasses’ hearts that were going pitter-patter as their heart throb brought home Owen with a triple down the line in right.  Once Roberts reached on a fielder’s choice and Henderson struck out the next SBS batter, the stage was set for Kilmartin’s heroics.  The rookie delivered as he clotheslined a sharp single to right-center scoring Vickers and putting SBS ahead by a three run margin.

            With the sun beating down on the field, it seemed to impact Roberts more than Robert Pattinson in Twilight as the sweat poured off him like the cascades over Niagara Falls to start the fourth.   Densmore spanked a two strike double to the fence in left and Henderson drew a walk.  As has been the case all season, however, SBS proved to have better life support than the doctors at Maine Med as players stepped up to bailout one another.  First, Matt Gilboy made a pad save on a ball on the dirt that Densmore thought was by the catcher and tried to advance, but Roberts forced him back to third in an abbreviated run-down.  Then, Mitchell replaced Roberts mid-batter and completed a strike out for the first out of the inning.  With the sun gods smiling over SBS, “the Preacher,” Christian Guignard, snagged a hard liner off the bat of Jimmy DiBiase and nearly doubled Densmore off third.  The play was bittersweet for “the Preacher” as illness forced him back to his house where he traded in praying to the sun gods for praying to the porcelin gods.  We hope you feel better soon Big Man!  Mitchell proved that he was feeling just fine as he struck out the next batter for the final out of the inning.

            Max St. John replaced Henderson in the fifth and was able to keep his team in the ball game.  Vickers hit a towering fly ball down the line in right but second baseman DiBiase covered more ground than the lawnmowers on the fairways of Augusta National and made a nice running grab for the first out of the inning.  St. John was then able to record a strike out and a pop-out around Chris Mitchell’s second hit of the game and Willows came to the plate needing three runs to tie.

            With three games over the next three days, Dave “Kasparov” Vickers began a tricky juggling act with his pitchers.  Thomas Hodgkins got the nod, looking for his second save.  Like any great relief man, however, Hodgkins was determined to make it interesting.  Densmore led off with his second hit of the game and then Henderson followed with a single.  Desmore was able to score on an error and Henderson advanced to second.  Hayden Owen stopped the bleeding temporarily with another nice catch in centerfield but after a passed ball, Henderson scored Willows’ second run on a wild pitch so that the “Pizza Guys” only trailed by one.

            With the bases now clear, Hodgkins put on his best Papelbon stare and helped his own cause by fielding a grounder from the next batter.  With two outs now in the bank, Hodgkins earned that second save by striking out the following hitter for the third out of the inning.

Sunday, May 31

Bankers’ Pockets Empty Against Dodgers

Wilkinson –  Aidan M. and the SPN Dodgers played Ebenezer Scrooge to SBS’ Bob Cratchit Sunday afternoon in a game shortened to five innings due to inclement weather.  Aidan was virtually a one man show as he no-hit the Bankers while accounting for the Dodgers only run with a solo homer to left in the top of the fourth.

            With two other close games against SPN, SBS knew it’d be in for a dogfight Sunday.  Despite the lack of hits, the game didn’t lack excitement.  While the “Preacher,” Christian Guignard, couldn’t find a functional rain dance to keep the thunder and lightning away (a passing thunderstorm forced a 40 minute rain delay), he was able to keep the Dodgers off the basepaths.  After an assist off a hard grounder in the first, Guignard made a highlight reel play as he corralled a deflected hopping grounder, which Andrew Roberts had knocked down on the line at first, and then threw to Roberts for the 3-4-3 out.  K-Vick took the momentum and followed up with his third K in two innings. 

            Unfortunately, Aidan M.’s heat was equally as stifling as Thomas Hodgkins was the only SBS player to see the top side of first base in the first frames when he rapped a sharp grounder to second that the fielder couldn’t handle.  Vickers struck out the side in the third and the Bankers appeared ready to strike.  Matt Gilboy drew a walk and then advanced to second on a picture perfect sacrifice bunt by Joseph Grant that he nearly beat out for a single.  Gilboy was stranded however as Aidan struck out the next two batters.

            Shaking off Aidan M.’s homer in the fourth, SBS continued to flash the leather, hoping that the proverbial lightning would strike their bats like some freak bolt on Roy Hobbs’ Wonderboy in The Natural.  After a lead-off double to the wall by Adam G., Vickers struck out a Dodger before Noah M. advanced to the plate.  Noah roped a hard liner to center that appeared as if it would fall in for an RBI.  Making his best attempt to get on ESPN’s Top 10 nominee list, Thomas Hodgkins put a hard charge on the ball and caught it off his shoestrings.  Certain that the ball would drop, Adam G. left for home before tagging.  Incredulous, all he could do was turn and watch Hodgkins’ throw reach Matt Gilboy at third for the twin killing.

            As both pitchers approached the 85 pitch maximum, hitters on both teams were licking their lips like wolves at a sheep convention.  Mother Nature reared her ugly head once again, though, this time drenching the field beyond repair and sending the Dodgers home with a five inning, 1-0 win.  Meanwhile, unlike the Cratchits in A Christmas Carol, the game ended with SBS starving for more and having to hope for a better result tomorrow against Pape.

Monday, June 1st

SBS Twelve Year-Olds Hotwire Pape Chevrolet

Wilkinson –  A day after getting no-hit by the Dodgers, SBS’ bats came alive and drove the Chevys back to pit row by pounding out twelve hits in a 12-7 win.  The Bankers were paced by their twelve year olds – Jon Vickers, Christian Guignard, Chris Mitchell and Hayden Owen – who accounted for nine hits, nine runs scored, and ten RBI.  Guignard also pitched four strong innings for the win, allowing only three earned runs on four hits with five strike outs.

            Despite the gaudy stats, all SBS players figured in the result. 

            The Bankers struck first when Vickers tripled home Owen, and Mitchell rewarded him with an RBI of his own.  Mitchell stole third and looked like he would score on a hard hit ball by Thomas Hodgkins, but Taylor M. ranged far to his left at second to grab the ball on the outfield grass and throw out Hodgkins with the final out of the inning.

            Pape then got their motor running with some timely offense.  Ryan O’Riordon singled and later scored on an RBI base hit by Cam G.  Gillies and Sam S. then executed a double steal to tie the game at two and took the lead when Cam scored as Jaren Muller reached base.  Muller was ready for a tire rotation after his at-bat as he reached on an error, advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on an overthrow to second base giving Pape a 4-2 lead on two hits.

            Guignard took out his frustration at the plate in the second when he doubled home Joseph Grant from first.  After an uneventful second inning on the mound, Guignard watched his team’s bats roar to life in the third.  Vickers walked and stole second to then be driven home by Andrew Roberts’ single.  Roberts then advanced on a passed ball.  Mitchell’s first of three hits gave SBS runners at first and third but Pape was able to record two straight outs, the second coming on another web gem by Taylor M. as he dove to snag a line drive off the bat of Hodgkins that may have been hit harder than his first “hit.”  Matt Gilboy came up big though with an RBI single over the head of Jordan M. at third base as SBS regained the lead, 5-4. 

            The momentum swing was complete with a defensive play in the bottom of the inning that had more action than a multi-car pile-up at the Brickyard.  Guignard struck out a Pape player to start the frame only to see Cam G. reach on an error.  Sensing a chance to have a big inning, Jaren M. hit a hard single to right that Michael Kilmartin charged and quickly returned to J-Vick in the infield.  Vickers turned and threw a perfect strike –this one wouldn’t count against his pitching totals however - to Jake Angell at third who applied the tag for the second out of the inning.  Thinking quickly, Angell fired the ball back to Vickers who got Jaren in a run down with Roberts before chasing him down like Lightning McQueen and tagging him out for the 9-6-5-6-3-6 double play.  Just like they drew it up in practice!

            The Bankers cashed in during the top of the fourth when “Long Gone” Jon Vickers drove in three runs with an inside-the-park homer to the base of the wall in right.  It looked like they might get more but Jordan McDuffie made a great stop of a Roberts’ ground ball at third and fired to a stretching Robbie Plummer at first for the second out of the inning.  Another out was recorded but the score now stood at 8-4.  Unfortunately for Pape, their turn at bat was about as uneventful as pit stop under caution as Guignard struck out two and Grant fielded a Plummer ground ball and quickly flipped it to Kilmartin at first to retire the side.

            SBS was retired in order in the fifth and Owen replaced Guignard on the hill.  McDuffie and Savvon E. reached on a walk and HBP, respectively, before O’Riordon rapped a scorcher to Hodgkins at second.  Unhesitatingly, Hodgkins fired to Roberts who had switched corners of the infield and made the put-out on McDuffie.  Roberts kept busy when he tracked down a high foul ball behind his back off the bat of Gage T. for a Top 10 nominee of his own.  Owen then struck out the next batter for the third out of the inning.

            SBS would tack on some much needed insurance in the sixth.  Guignard and Angell singled before Owen walked.  All three had a shorter stay than businessmen at a Holiday Inn Express, however, as J-Vick brought them all home with his second triple of the game.  Mitchell then doubled to score Vickers and SBS appeared to have a safe, 12-8 lead.

            Pape had other plans.

            After Matt Gilboy recorded an assist at second base, Muller drew a base-on-balls.  Apparently, his new wheels were just as good as his old ones as he advanced to second and then stole third, just beating out the throw by Grant, making his debut at catcher for the Bankers.  Muller and Parker M. then executed another double steal.  Gage T. came to the plate again and this time didn’t allow any great plays to spoil his at bat as he singled home Parker M. and McDuffie.  Pape could now see SBS’ tail lights up ahead.  With the bases loaded and two outs, however, Guignard ranged under a fly ball and secured it with two hands and the proverbial checkered flag was dropped with SBS going to Victory Lane, 12-7.    

Sunday, June 7

SBS Scores Fourteen in Five Inning Loss

Wilkinson Park - Just as a customer has to pay a penalty for insufficient funds at the bank, SPALL’s Bankers had to asses themselves a similar penalty as they could only field eight players today versus Pape, forcing a forfeit and postponing their chance to clinch the regular season title.  SBS then proceeded to take out their frustration on Pape pitching as they pounded out eleven hits (seven for extra bases) en route to a 14-2 victory over the Chevvies.

            After Hayden Owen walked and scored in the first with smoke, mirrors and speed like Road Runner Turbo, Christian Guignard flawlessly pounded the strike zone and allowed Owen and Andrew Roberts to record put-outs on fly-balls in a scoreless bottom-half of the inning.  When Jordan McDuffie and Sam Solomon made nice defensive plays to start the second, the game seemed destined to be tighter than rush hour traffic on the beltway around D.C. 

            Aaron “the Governor” Radziucz, playing for SBS on this warm June day, drew a walk as did Owen.  “Long Gone” Jon Vickers then hit his seventh home run on a ball hit so far it needed a passport.  Other than a lone single by McDuffie, Guignard shut down SBS in the second.

            SBS’ bottom half of the order then went to work as Thomas Hodgkins hit a one out single.  The basepaths then resembled four bad drivers trying to navigate a four-way stop as Jake Angell hit a spinner toward the gap between first and second.  As Hodgkins deftly paused to avoid being hit by the ball, he blocked both infielders’ view of the ball.  By the time the ball was corralled, Hodgkins had reached second and Angell hustled all the way through first.  After another out, Radziucz, the human crosswalk (three-for-three on walks), reached base.  Hodgkins scampered home on a passed ball setting the stage for a highlight reel at bat for Owen - sort of. 

            After hitting at least six tape-measure homers in batting practice, Owen approached the plate determined to get a little sprint workout in by being able to leg out a hit.  When he hacked at an offering and sent it high enough in the sky to draw rain, he got his chance.  Sprinting out of the box, Owen was thinking double all the way.  Fortunately for him, he was wearing his helmet because the ball nearly hit him on his head as he made a wide turn at first and raced safely to second with a two-run two-bagger.

            Roberts replaced Guignard on the mound and made a nice play on a grounder to his right for an assist to Vickers at first.  Ryan O’Riordon dropped a double between the right and center fielders, but a strike out and a ground out later stopped any sort of threat.  The rains that Owen had provoked then came in the form of runs for SBS.

            Chris Mitchell reached base and advanced to third on two passed balls.  Roberts then laced his second double in as many games to the wall scoring Mitchell easily.  After a Jake Angell single, Michael Kilmartin tallied an RBI with a single of his own.  Radziucz, seeing more walks than a school crossing guard, reached again.  Like a hungry lion, Owen pounced on a red-laced sacrifical offering and scorched it to the fould pole in left for a bases clearing double.  Owen looked as if he might like to stretch the hit for an inside the parker had not base runners impeded his path, but J-Vick approached the plate determined to bring him home anyway.  With one swing of his bat, Vickers sent a towering fly ball to deep left and down the line.  James McNeill made a great beat on the ball and just had the ball glance of his glove and roll to the wall.  When the dust had settled, Vickers had the homer and SBS had multiplied its three inning run total, two-fold!

            Thomas Hodgkins came in to strike out the side in the bottom of the inning and Roberts second double of the day proved harmless as Pape’s pitchers played the heavy - that would be the Heavy Chevvies - and kept SBS scoreless.  With the teams scheduled to play another game tomorrow, Pape decided to prove that SBS will have a fight on their hands Monday.  Michael Kilmartin, making his first Majors pitching appearance, shook off the nerves and three walks and forced fly-outs to Owen at third and Hodgkins in center.  After a two out, two-run single to Cam Gillies, Kilmartin got back to business and struck out the last batter to end the game.  

            Normally, a fourteen-run loss would leave everyone scratching their heads but SBS is hoping that it provides much needed momentum coming down the home stretch.                   

Monday, June 8th

SBS Wins Regular Season Crown in Extra Frames

Wilkinson Park -  If familiarity breeds contempt, the SBS-Pape game tonight had all the fixins’ of a good ol’ Red Sox-Yankee battle royal.  Sam Solomon and Jon “K” Vickers bore down in the teams’ second meeting in as many days and gave no quarter over five innings with batters striking out more than a pimply-faced teen with body-odor trying to date the prom queen.  Just like a classic Beantown-Bronx Bomber matchup, this game would take extra innings to settle and neither starter would figure in the decision.

            Fresh off their fourteen run loss a day earlier, SBS tried to jump out early when it counted tonight.  With one out, J-Vick helped his own cause with a walk.  After a stolen base, Vickers was able to get up and scamper home as the ball squirted away from fielders like a greased pig on steroids.  Solomon showed his mettle, however, as he retired the next two batters on strikeouts (remember that theme).  Over the next two innings, a base hit and stolen base by Thomas Hodgkins was the only blemish on either pitcher’s score card as all twelve outs were recorded by way of the strike out – six of them of the backward variety.

            When Ryan O’Riordon walked and Solomon singled in the fourth, Pape appeared poised to tie their rival, but Vickers got one batter to ground out to Hodgkins and then struck out the following batter to end the inning.  Like any good fighter, SBS looked to counterpunch in the bottom of the frame as Vickers roped a one- out double to right-center.  As the ball got away from the infielders, Vickers looked to advance to third but Solomon picked up the ball and fired to Jordan McDuffie at third to barely beat J-Vick’s slide.  One batter later and SBS’ threat was done and the score keeper’s pencil was still sharper than Uma Thurman’s Hattori Hanzo sword in Kill Bill.

            After more penmanship practice printing capital K’s in the score book, things got interesting in the sixth.  With Vickers over the limit, Hodgkins replaced him and got two quick outs - another K and then Matt Gilboy was able to track down a pitch in the dirt and throw out a would be base stealer to a waiting Vickers at second.  Just as SBS had done a day earlier, Pape worked a little David Copperfield smoke-and-magic show leading to Solomon’s walking home a run to knot the score at one with the bases still loaded.  Andrew Roberts performed a Houdini escape of his own, however, and fielded a grounder on the hill and threw to Chris Mitchell at first for the final out of the inning.

            Possibly the biggest at-bat of the game came in the bottom of the sixth after Sam “King” Solomon struck out two batters and still looked smoother than a new baby’s backside.  Then, with two strikes, Matt Gilboy fouled off a number of pitches before working the count full.  Gilboy finally found a pitch to hit fair and placed it between first and second base and beat out the throw from the first baseman to the fielder covering.  Like Vickers before him, Solomon’s fate was now in his teammates’ hands.  Rookie Gage Turkewitz proved to be a more than adequate reliever though as he struck out the next batter for the final out of the inning.  Alas, the damage was done.  Both starters posted their numbers and then had to watch this one unfold like some slow-motion bad dream that would only end happily for one team.

            That team appeared to be the Chevvies in the top of the inning.  Jaren Muller scorched an opposite field double to the wall off Roberts to start the inning.  After a wild pitch, he advanced to third.  Roberts and Gilboy would find their focus after that and send the next three batters back to the dugout by way of strikeouts.  Seizing the momentum, Hayden “Rollin’” Owen reached first with one out on a HBP bringing J-Vick to the plate.  With the outfield playing deep to keep the ball in front of them, Vickers took an outside pitch and hit it to centerfield rather than trying to pull the ball.  By the time the centerfielder could get to the ball, Owen had seemingly teleported from first past third and was on his way home (slow-mo instant replays do indeed show that Owen advanced by way of second and third). 

            While the walk-off double gave SBS the victory and the regular season title, the fans were treated to an instant, Little League classic straight from the Red Sox-Yankee video vault.  More importantly, fans and teams alike heed this warning:  beware of Pape’s intentions – walking away from the field today, the boys in blue showed that their sights are set squarely on winning the tournament championship even if they need to beat a familiar foe to do it!.

Tuesday, June 16

Kris Mitchell and Thomas Hodgkins Pace SBS Past Pape

Wilkinson Park - After a long stretch of rain and misery that even Noah would’ve complained about, sunshine and baseball returned to New York Avenue on Tuesday and Saco-Biddeford Savings took advantage of the break in the weather to win its opening round play-off game over Pape, 9-3.

            SBS’ score sheet looked like a disfigured Oreo cookie as their runs, in the form of darkened diamonds, came within a two inning span sandwiched between a lot of empty, white squares.  In the end, four runs were all they would need as Chris Mitchell went the distance for the win, striking out ten and allowing six hits while walking none.  In more than twenty innings this season, Mitchell has walked only four batters.  That’s fewer walks than a dog on Willard Beach!

            Pape tried to pounce on Mitchell early as Gage T. and Sam Solomon had back to back singles and advanced to third and second, respectively, before Kris fanned the next two batters.  In fact, Mitchell struck out six of the next seven batters and didn’t allow another hit until the sixth.

            Meanwhile, the Bankers struggled to shake off the cobwebs as Michael Kilmartin was the only batter able to get a hit through two innings.  While Mother Nature was smiling upon the grounds, the baseball gods appeared to be frowning down upon SBS.  Nowhere was this more apparent than in Hayden Owen’s second plate appearance.  Owen hit a solid grounder to Solomon at shortstop and then switched on the warp speed and raced toward first base.  Realizing that blinking would probably allow Owen to reach second base, Solomon hurried a hard throw to first base that headed for the dirt.  Fortunately for Pape, Robbie Plummer was on the scene.  Stretching out farther than the elastic band you’re aiming at the back of your sister’s head, Plummer scooped up the throw while maintaining contact with the bag to get Owen by a half-step.

            At that point, it was T-time.  Instead of crumpets, however, Thomas Hodgkins was serving RBI.  Once Jon Vickers and Mitchell singled, Andrew Roberts walked, bringing Hodgkins to the plate.  With two strikes, Hodgkins hit a grounder to short to score Mitchell (Vickers had scored on a wild pitch).  In one of the biggest at bats of the game, Christian Guignard then hit a two out RBI single to right to score Roberts with what would become a crucial run.  Equally as crucial was Matt Gilboy’s single in the fourth which allowed the top of the order to start the inning in their next at bat, the fabulous fifth.

            Owen started the bottom of the fifth by getting plunked in the head.  Once at first, it was determined that he was “good to go” when he identified that the base coach was holding up fifteen fingers, that it was 1945 and the Allies had just captured the beaches at Normandy (He did represent the go ahead run after all!!!).  Owen was able to advance on a passed ball and then score when Vickers laced a ball through the wickets into right field and advanced to third as the ball stopped dead in the long grass.  Mitchell helped his own cause with an RBI single before Roberts walked and both runners were able to reach third and second, setting the stage for Hodgkins’ second RBI of the game.  With Roberts at third, Hodgkins then executed a perfect delayed steal, drawing a throw from Pape and allowing Roberts to steal home, sliding under the throw.  Guignard followed with a base-on-balls and then Kilmartin grounded out hard to first base with an RBI fielder’s choice.  Xavier Gagne and Jake Angell then had productive at-bats as they reached via walks allowing Mighty Joe Grant to step to the plate and pound an RBI single to center field for the Bankers’ ninth, and final, run.

            Just like the automakers filing for bankruptcy, Pape looked to turn things around in the top of the sixth but SBS would not offer any bailout on this day!  Parker M. and Ryan O’Riordon singled to start the inning before Mitchell got two quick outs by way of the “K.”  Jaren Muller then came through for Pape with a two-run single to center and then scored himself on Cam Gillies RBI single.  Before things got out of hand, however, Robbie Plummer grounded to Jake Angell at third base.  Rather than risk a throw against the speedy Plummer, Angell alertly fielded the ball cleanly, looked up to see an advancing Gillies and then calmly tagged him out for the final out of the game.  

Saturday, June 20

SBS’ Bats Put a Dent in Pape Chevvies

Wilkinson Park - Looking to earn a spot in the championship, Saco-Biddeford Savings came out swinging against Pape Saturday afternoon and achieved the result they wanted with an 8-1 victory.  The Bankers sent eleven batters to the plate against Pape in the first inning and ten reached base safely.  Hayden Owen led off the game with a double to left and then scored on Jon Vickers seventh home run of the season, a towering dinger over the center field fence.  After Chris Mitchell singled, Andrew Roberts and Thomas Hodgkins walked to load the bases before Michael Kilmartin grounded to the pitcher who tossed to Cam G. at the plate to force out Mitchell.  Xavier Gagne and Matt Gilboy recorded RBIs with walks before a strike out sent Joseph Grant to the plate with two outs.  Grant promptly knocked a single off the outstretched glove of the pitcher scoring Kilmartin.  Owen then reappeared at home plate like some sort of David Copperfield illusion and singled home Gagne.  Gilboy got waved home but Pape centerfielder Ryan O. made a nice relay throw to Sam Solomon who then fired to Cam G. at home for the final out.  The damage was done, however, as the Bankers’ ledger read 6-0.

            Chris Mitchell took the hill for SBS and proceeded to work faster than a fortune seeker heading for San Francisco during the gold rush.  Mitchell’s arm proved to be golden as he struck out two and then snagged a hard comebacker and threw to first for a 1-2-3 opening inning.  In the bottom frame, SBS’ offensive fireworks fizzled like a wet firecracker as a single by Roberts was wasted.  Solomon continued his fine defensive showing as he raced from the wall in right field to make a sliding catch of a Jon Vickers fly-ball and Savvon E. made two assists on ground balls back to the mound.  Mitchell then served up some cereal – Special K, that is – as he struck out four batters in a row between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth before Taylor M. belted a double to right. 

            Mitchell helped his own cause in the bottom of the fourth as Jake Angell and Jon Vickers sat at first and second with two outs.  With SBS’ top hitter without the bat in his hands, Pape’s sigh of relief could have been mistaken for air leaking from a flat tire.  Like the tire, though, Pape’s hopes were deflated as Mitchell tripled to the wall in right scoring Vickers and Angell.

            Needing to save Mitchell for a possible Monday game, Thomas Hodgkins replaced him in the top of the fourth but Mitchell remained the star in this Saturday matinee.  When a Ryan O. hard grounder glanced of the glove of Roberts at first, Mitchell ranged to his left and scooped the ball to Roberts who had scampered back to the bag.  Over the next five batters, Mitchell and Roberts would team up two more times with J-Vick getting into the fun with an assist as well.  Pape tried to give SBS a run for their money when Jordan McDuffie led off with a single to start the sixth and SavonnE. and James M. walked.  Then, after a strikeout, Pape put their first run on the board with a Parker M. base-on-balls but Hodgkins was able to retire the top of the Pape order via strikeout and a soft liner to Vickers at short.

            For Pape, it was a respectable third place finish on the season and for Saco-Biddeford, it was on to the championship in a match-up with Northeast Turf.

Saturday, June 20

SPALL Championship Game:  SBS vs. Turf

Deja Vu All Over Again

Wilkinson Park - After disposing of Pape earlier in the afternoon, SBS again took to the friendly confines of Wilkinson Park to meet NET in the league championship.  The game proved to be worse than a bad Naked Brothers rerun for the Bankers, however, as NET matched their 2-0 victory from Thursday and captured the double elimination championship crown.

            This rerun began with a familiar face at the center of the attention.  Joe G. took the mound for NET and retired the first six batters he faced.  SBS pitcher Andrew Roberts was also effective but relied upon some great defense by his teammates.  In the first, a double by Lucas M. fell by the waste side as Jon Vickers was able to gobble up two grounders like the dark meat on a Thanksgiving turkey and Roberts was able to get the other out on a strikeout. 

Great defense helped the Bankers in the second but not before NET got on the board.  Bryan C. led off with a double which brought Jack Whaley to the plate.  With two strikes, Whaley hit a hard seeing eye double over the bag at third, leading SBS to cry foul – not foul as in dishonest play, but foul as in foul ball.  The umpire was right on the line, however, and the call stood, as did the run.  1-0 Turf.  The Bankers achieved some measure of revenge when Matt Gilboy caught the would-be base stealer at third with a strike to Michael Kilmartin.  Two more ground outs to J-Vick, a sort of human sump pump, minimized the damage and the Bankers looked to get their bats going.

            Xavier Gagne led off the inning with a grounder to the right side of the infield into no-man’s land between first and second.  Like a live grenade, no one got near the ball and Gagne reached safely with the infield hit.  Gilboy then hit a sharp grounder to short for the fielder’s choice as Gagne was retired at second.  When Jake Angell walked and Hayden Owen was hit by a pitch, Brad S. replaced Joe G. for a lefty-on-lefty match-up with J-Vick approaching the plate.  Down two strikes, Vickers managed a good swing but just got under the ball and Sam DePaolo recorded the put-out on the resulting fly-ball to second.

            Displaying more class than a high school on the Tuesday after Labor Day and more seasoning than one of his father’s hamburgers, Vickers shook off the frustration in the bottom of the inning to help out his young pitcher.  After Matt H. reached second on a swinging bunt and throwing error, and moved to third on a passed ball, Vickers played a hard grounder by Jacob B. and threw a bullet to Chris Mitchell at first.  Matt H. barely had enough time to blink, let alone advance home before the ball was in Mitchell’s glove and then back to Roberts at the mound.  Turf looked to Alec H. to bunt Matt H. home and he did his part by laying down a bunt that dropped like some unknowing fly speeding into a porch zapper.  Matt Gilboy wisely held onto the ball, however, as Alec H. reached safely with a fielder’s choice but Matt. H. had to settle for pitching a tent at third as he waited for Joe G. to bring him home.  Joe G. looked to serve the eviction papers and would have done so were it not for one of the best defensive plays you’ll see at any level of baseball. 

            Joe G., with “Owenesque” speed of his own, hit a sharp grounder to Vickers at short.  Quickly assessing the situation, Vickers charged the grounder and let his momentum carry him to the bag where he made the force on Alec H.  With Joe G. speeding to first and Matt H. chugging home, Vickers threw off his wrong foot and on the run to a stretching Mitchell, getting Joe G. by a half-step and keeping the game at 1-0.  Any momentum the Bankers hoped to gain was quickly snuffed out with a three strikeout 1-2-3 fourth. 

            In their half of the inning, NET would push across an all-important insurance run, albeit unearned.   After a groundout by Lucas M., Brad S. and Isaac D. walked.  Roberts shook off the walks and went back to throwing strikes.  Bryan C. took a swing at one of those and hit a bouncing grounder to Kilmartin at third that went off the end of the bat and had more spin on it than the Tilt-a-Whirl at a local carnival.  With runners at first and second, Roberts got Whaley to ground to short but miscommunication at the bag and a hustling Bryan C. resulted in an error that allowed Isaac D. to score from second.  This time it was Roberts’ turn to pick his teammates up as he recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

            After another two uneventful frames, SBS went to the plate in the top of the sixth to face Lucas M., as they had two days earlier.  Just like Titanic that ends the same way every time you watch it, no matter how much you root for Rose and Jack to be together, there would not be a happy ending for Saco-Biddeford Savings as Lucas M. was able to retire the side in order, placing the league crown squarely on the head of Northeast Turf. 

            With another year in the books, each player will be able to look back at the season with their share of wistfulness and fond memories.  The grounder that got away.  The strike out to end an inning.  The first Majors hit.  A regular season title or league championship.  Sticking ten pieces of bubble gum in your cheek at one time.  For the retiring twelve year olds, many moments, such as the highlight reel double play, the home run into the AAA field, striking out the side on nine pitches, and playing the game with dignity and respect, can be the building blocks of one’s character while also living on in the minds of future SPALL players who will look to follow the veterans’ lead and carve their own niche in Little League lore. 

So, next April, as the spring thaw comes and the sun’s rays blanket the fresh grass, close your eyes and listen carefully, for it’ll be the ghosts of these twelve year olds from seasons past, with their great plays, epic battles and muddy uniforms, that you hear proudly beckoning your boys of summer back to the hallowed grounds at Wilkinson Park.