Gamers Give It Their All; Come Up Short

Jones Beach, NY - It just wasn't meant to be for the shorthanded Gamers who gave it their all on Saturday in quarterfinal playoff action against the FGHT Eagles but came up short losing two out of three in disappointing fashion.

Already shorthanded, playing without Scott Goldsmith, Dave Kheel, Anthony Vega, Ian Ziegler and Rob Rathbun the Gamers received a bad break when the Roll brothers, Greg and Dave, got into a car accident on the way to the field and missed game one.

That left the Gamers with only 7 uniformed players. They would have had to forfeit their season but Rathbun and the Hebrew Hammer/Jewish Jet Brian Berkowicz would have none of that as they stepped up big time to give the Gamers a chance to win.

In the first game, Rathbun, limping around on one leg, played first base and went 3 for 4 at the plate with a homerun and 5 rbis. His willingness to risk further injury sparked the rest of the Gamers offense as they scored 17 runs behind Scott Zimmerman's 5 hits and rbis, Rob Roll's four hits, and Billy Bezouska's 4 for 5 performance.

Unforunately, the Gamers dropped the back and forth slugfest, losing 17-20. They then suffered a big blow, losing Bezouska on a nasty collision at home plate. Bezouska in typical Gamers fashion stayed in to play catcher for an inning but then had to leave to go to hospital depriving the Gamers of one of their pivotal table setters.

In the second game, the Gamers, minus Bezouska but with the Rolls and Peter Hon back in the lineup, played their style of ball winning a pitcher's duel behind the strong pitching of Zac Nicholson, 9-7. Rathbun hit another homerun as did Rob Roll. Greg Roll went 3 for 4 as the first four hitters in the lineup, (G.Roll, Nicholson, R.Roll and Rathbun) combined to knock in 8 of the Gamer's 9 runs. Craig Shames had the other rbi as a part of a 2 for 3 game. Outfielder Brian Malfettone had the play of the game throwing out a runner at home plate.

In the third game, the Gamers tried to grind out one more victory and almost did as Greg "Spiderman" Roll climbed the fence in left field to make an outstanding catch and Rathbun hit his third homerun on the day and make several outstanding plays on the hot corner. Johnny Vasquez and Scott Zimmerman both went 2 for 3. But in the end it wasn't enough as the Eagles pulled away on the strength of a 9 run fifth inning on their way to victory in the pivotal game three.

Despite the disappointing losses the Gamers left everything they had out on the field. Especially Nicholson who pitched his heart out in three games and Rathbun who despite playing against doctor's orders went 9 for 10 with 3 homeruns and 12 rbis.

The Eagles advance to the championship game where they will play the surprising Tattoo Crew who upsetted the Stallions earlier in the day. The Gamers will look to get everyone healthy to finally get over the hump in the coming fall season.