Imitation Gamers Split Rematch With Stallions

Jones Beach, NY - When you go to Brian Malfettone's house to hang out you don't expect to find Chips Ahoy or Oreo's awaiting your consumation. In fact, you would be remiss to even expect to find the store brand Hydrox. What you should expect to find however is immitation Hydrox. An unrecognizable brand of cookie that tastes like cardboard. And not a nice piece of cardboard either. One of those pieces thats wet and soggy and has been walked all over.

Similarly, the team that took the field today for the Gamers was often unrecognizable.With half the team playing out of position, including starting pitcher Craig Shames in right field (for the first game), 1b Zac Nicholson in right field (for the second game) and outfielder Brian Malfettone at first base (for an inning after pulling his hamstring), it's amazing that the Gamers were not only able to hang with the Stallions but also easily defeat them in the first game, 15-8, before dropping a close game that was tied 7-7 after 5, by a score of 14-9 in the night cap.

The reason the Gamers looked so different defensively is that they were without the Roll Brothers (until Rob came from his baseball game half way through the first game), 3b Johnny Vasquez, and recently acquired infielder Anthony Vega. As such, the Gamers dipped into their AAA affiliate, the Swingers, to add versatile players Mark Wan (the original random peep) and former/soon to be again Gamer, Ian Ziegler. The two Swingers combined to go 4 for 7 with 3 rbis and 5 runs in the first game which was the Gamers first win against the first place Stallions all year.

The Stallions who are still in first place, just percentage points ahead of the Gamers, likely held onto the #1 seed in the playoffs by coming through in the second game. Had the Gamers won they most likely would have taken over first place for the second time this year. As it stands now the Stallions would play the Tattoo Crew in the first round of the playoffs and the Gamers would play the Eagles.

The Gamers expect to win regardless of who their opponent is and they expect to do it by playing the same way they did today against the Stallions. With stellar defense and clutch hitting.

Defensively, 2b Rob Rathbun made it look easy making several diving catches and throwing people out from his knees all day. He and SS Rob Roll also turned a double play on the Stallions' lead off hitter, one of the fastest players in the league. Shames, playing the outfield for only the second time all year, had two outfield assists and a leaping catch although if he only knew had to get reads on the ball he wouldn't have had to leap and probably would have caught the balls that turned into assists. Nonetheless, the Gamers defense was sparkling except for some near collisions in the outfield between Billy Bezouska and Scott Goldsmith and then Bezouska and Nicholson.

Offensively, Rathbun and Goldsmith hit homeruns, Shames and Dave Kheel put on hitting displays (a combined 12 for 16), Bezouksa knocked in five runs, and Nicholson added four hits and 3 rbis. Rob Roll collected three hits, including one batting for Malfettone in the first game. $10 says Malfettone tries to argue that the hit should count for him since it happened in his spot in the batting order. After all, he is the same guy who thinks that if he pinch runs for someone and scores that he should get the run scored and not the batter.

Bookkeeping arguements aside (Zac already double checked everything) the Gamers can rest up and start focusing on their playoff opponents, the Eagles and Tattoo Crew/Stallions. It's on now.