Grangers vs. Independents
Saturday, September, 24, 2005 | vs. Rochester Hills
Bay
City 12, Rochester Hills 4
The sky along the Saginaw River was shrouded by dark, ominous clouds. The Bay City nine feared that it might be an omen of things to come in their match against the State Champion Grangers of Rochester Hills. The Grangers' play this season had thus far been flawless, as their 24-0 record did attest, and the laurels that had been placed upon them in championship play in New York, Ohio, and Michigan had been well earned. It was this Goliath of an opponent that the Bay Citys had hoped to play David against.
After the lumber had been unloaded the ball was put into play when "Honest" John Gravlin called the first Granger striker to the line. The defense of the hometown boys would put a whitewashing on the Granger strikers for 5 straight innnings. The pitching of Fred "Twinkle-Toes" Brissette caused many a Granger striker to grind his teeth and stalk off the field with muttered curses on their breath.
The Independents would find their striking form in the second innings when Al "Kid" Garcia led off the innings with a clean safety and pulled up at first sack. He was followed on base immediately by Branden "The Rope" Revette. The Bay City hopes were nearly dashed as the next two strikers found their hits swallowed up by Granger defenders, but with two hands down "Shoeless Jeff" Dinauer stepped to the plate and drove the runners home. "Little Train" Johnson would add another ace in the fourth innings to add to the Bay City lead. In the fifth innings the Bay Citys put the game to bed, when Ray "The Banker" Banister cleared the once crowded bases with a two hands down strike that gained him two bases. The Bay City lead then stood at 7-0.
With their perfect record on the line, the Granger strikers strode down from their Olympus with their clubs of maple in their hands, and grim determination in their hearts. Fierce striking by "Moonlight" Otlewski, "Cueball" Johnson, and "Chooch" Westgate loaded the bases for the Grangers, and their fine pitcher "Colonel" Worden drove them all home. The score now stood 7-3 in favor of the home nine.
The Granger fieldsman then laid down some whitewashing of their own, and the Independents' strikers were forced to lay down their lumber with due haste in the bottom of the 6th innings. In the seventh innings the hometown boys tallied another ace when Brian "Hooks" Freehling thundered home to ring the tally bell. The score was now 8-3.
The score would remain that way until the Grangers took their final at bat in the ninth innings. "Mink" Kazmer led off with a ground ball that was quickly put away by the Bay City fieldsmen. Patrick "Barnraiser" McKay then followed with a cannon shot to the Independents third sacker, Trevor "Big Wood" David. David exhibited the type of sand it takes to man the third sack, when he took McKay's shot off his chest and turned and fired a shot that violently came to rest in the hands of "Doc" Garcia at first sack. The throw was just in time to cause McKay's hand to be lost. It was then that "Moonlight" Otlewski began another rally that would see him ring the tally bell for the Granger's fourth ace, but the rally was for naught as "Chooch" Westgate struck a ball that was swallowed up by the sure hands of "Kid" Garcia in left field.
The Independents would add 4 more runs in the bottom of the ninth to bring the ledger to it's finality. Thus the Granger's perfect season came to a close, and the Independents brought home some redemption for the city by the Bay.
The sky along the Saginaw River was shrouded by dark, ominous clouds. The Bay City nine feared that it might be an omen of things to come in their match against the State Champion Grangers of Rochester Hills. The Grangers' play this season had thus far been flawless, as their 24-0 record did attest, and the laurels that had been placed upon them in championship play in New York, Ohio, and Michigan had been well earned. It was this Goliath of an opponent that the Bay Citys had hoped to play David against.
After the lumber had been unloaded the ball was put into play when "Honest" John Gravlin called the first Granger striker to the line. The defense of the hometown boys would put a whitewashing on the Granger strikers for 5 straight innnings. The pitching of Fred "Twinkle-Toes" Brissette caused many a Granger striker to grind his teeth and stalk off the field with muttered curses on their breath.
The Independents would find their striking form in the second innings when Al "Kid" Garcia led off the innings with a clean safety and pulled up at first sack. He was followed on base immediately by Branden "The Rope" Revette. The Bay City hopes were nearly dashed as the next two strikers found their hits swallowed up by Granger defenders, but with two hands down "Shoeless Jeff" Dinauer stepped to the plate and drove the runners home. "Little Train" Johnson would add another ace in the fourth innings to add to the Bay City lead. In the fifth innings the Bay Citys put the game to bed, when Ray "The Banker" Banister cleared the once crowded bases with a two hands down strike that gained him two bases. The Bay City lead then stood at 7-0.
With their perfect record on the line, the Granger strikers strode down from their Olympus with their clubs of maple in their hands, and grim determination in their hearts. Fierce striking by "Moonlight" Otlewski, "Cueball" Johnson, and "Chooch" Westgate loaded the bases for the Grangers, and their fine pitcher "Colonel" Worden drove them all home. The score now stood 7-3 in favor of the home nine.
The Granger fieldsman then laid down some whitewashing of their own, and the Independents' strikers were forced to lay down their lumber with due haste in the bottom of the 6th innings. In the seventh innings the hometown boys tallied another ace when Brian "Hooks" Freehling thundered home to ring the tally bell. The score was now 8-3.
The score would remain that way until the Grangers took their final at bat in the ninth innings. "Mink" Kazmer led off with a ground ball that was quickly put away by the Bay City fieldsmen. Patrick "Barnraiser" McKay then followed with a cannon shot to the Independents third sacker, Trevor "Big Wood" David. David exhibited the type of sand it takes to man the third sack, when he took McKay's shot off his chest and turned and fired a shot that violently came to rest in the hands of "Doc" Garcia at first sack. The throw was just in time to cause McKay's hand to be lost. It was then that "Moonlight" Otlewski began another rally that would see him ring the tally bell for the Granger's fourth ace, but the rally was for naught as "Chooch" Westgate struck a ball that was swallowed up by the sure hands of "Kid" Garcia in left field.
The Independents would add 4 more runs in the bottom of the ninth to bring the ledger to it's finality. Thus the Granger's perfect season came to a close, and the Independents brought home some redemption for the city by the Bay.