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Parks and Rec men's softball teams all knotted at 1-1 on season

Just two weeks into the 2019 Malta Parks and Rec Men's Softball season sees the four teams right where they started 14 days ago ... everyone tied for first.

The four teams comprising the Men's League this year are Where My Pitches At? (WMPA?), Phillips County Insurance (PCI), Heavy Hitters, and The Goon Squad. The league is in its second season and was started after the Co-ed Softball season of 2017 when there were so many interested players that a new league was formed for men only in 2018 (as of last Tuesday night, it also looks like there will be two Women's Softball teams forming their own league in the coming weeks.) Malta Parks and Rec Co-Director Julia Tatafu said there are 56 players in this year's Men's League, enough to add a fourth team this year after hosting just three last year. Games are played every Tuesday at Trafton Park for five weeks, capped with a double elimination tournament to crown a Champ on July 2.

Last Tuesday pitted the Heavy Hitters (captained by Zach and Jake Handley) against PCI (captain Jake Stuart) and The Goon Squad (Wyatt Lien captain) against WMPA? Who are led by captains Tyson Carney and Jase Galt.

The season opened on June 2 and saw WMPA? defeat Heavy Hitters 26-25 and PCI defeat Goon Squad 23-16. Last Tuesday, The Heavy Hitters downed PCI 20-13 and the Goon Squad thumped WMPA? 26-11 (though the game was technically over after the fourth inning because of the mercy rule, the two teams continued to play a full seven innings.)

In the win for the Goon Squad, the team racked-up 39 hits and batted .722, led by a 5-for-5 effort from Jesse Young batting lead-off and Lien who was 3-for-3 with a triple (another notable Goon was Dean Yeadon who wasn't afraid of getting dirty on the night, diving to his left and right at the shortstop position to make plays and sliding into third on a close play in the second inning.) Nate Hammond got the start and win for the Goon Squad and Greg Ziegler picked up the save in mop-up duties (though he shook-off signs from his catcher, Travis Somerfeld, on every pitch, even though Somerfeld wasn't giving his pitcher any direction on any of the pitchs.) In the loss, Carney belted a 2-run homer in the first inning and hit a double in next at-bat, Keenan Schipman was 4-for-4 for four base-knocks, and Kolter Shipman was 3-for-4 with three singles. The two teams evened their season records at 1-1.

On the opposing field, the tilt between the Heavy Hitters was close early, and the two teams traded the lead several times before a 12-run fourth put the Hitters up for good as they sailed to a 20-13 victory. In the win, Heavy Hitters Brandon Millican went 4-for-5 and scored 2 runs, J. Handley was 4-for-4 with a double and 3 runs scored, and Noah Harms was 2-for-3 with a double, 3-run homer and scored twice.

"It was a good night," Harms said after the win. "We lost to the young kids last week (WMPA?) but tonight we were hitting them into the gaps...now everyone has the same record and it really is anyone's league to win."

In the loss, PCI Captain Stuart was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, Jesse Simonson was 3-for-4 with 3 singles, and Tucker Hould hit a 3-run homer in the fourth inning. Both teams evened their season records at 1-1.

Umpires for last Tuesday's games were Allen Love and Darren Demarais and official scorekeepers for the night were Greg Skiff and Co-Director Tatafu.

 

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