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- 3 may -
4th Annual Founding Fathers Game
For
the fourth time in four years, the original founders of the North
Grounds Softball League came down to Charlottesville for Reunions
Weekend to take on the current commissioners on Copeley's hard, clay
surface. Wielding a bat older than the majority of its
players,
the Commissioners team started this game off much like the previous
three: scoring in the top of the first and holding the Founding Fathers
without a run in the bottom. In the second inning, however, the
Founders (and the offspring they recruited to play on their squad)
began to show signs of life. Playing under the
well-recognized
"Legacy Exception," Doug
Bouton '10 stepped up to the plate for the
Fathers in the bottom of the 2nd and deposited a ball onto Darden's
steps. David "Moon"
Mullins '77
followed suit in the 3rd, blasting a ball to right. Even as Mullins
sped around second, all at Copeley could hear the loud crack of the
softball ricocheting off the Copeley trees.
Founders 2. Commissioners 1.
Despite solid pitching by David Pettit '77,
the Commissioners managed to retake the lead in the top of the 4th off
the strength of a home run* by Matt
Farmer '10. Clutch hitting from lefty Gordon Hylton '77
and youngster Vann Vogel
'82 ignited a 5-run rally for the Founders, capped off by
a 2-run shot from Steve
Crenshaw '11, scoring Bill
Crenshaw '77 from second base.
Founders 7. Commissioners 3.
In a game full of stellar
defensive play by Commissioners' infielders Danny Morgenstern '11
(six put-outs, one double play, zero errors) and Doug Hance '12
(charging, bar-handed put-out from third robbing Roscoe Howard '77 of
a near-perfect swinging bunt), it was the Founding Fathers' Fred Vogel '77 who
turned in the defensive highlight of the day. In the top of the 5th, Jake McCloy '10
launched a ball high into the left field trees. Newly-elected Head
Commissioner Steve Crenshaw fielded the deep in the forest and relayed
it to outgoing
Head Commissioner Doug Bouton, who in turn relayed it to the original
Head Commissioner Fred Vogel at home plate. Vogel picked the ball off
one hop and chased down a retreating McCloy to hold the Commissioners
to just one run in the inning.
Founders 7.
Commissioners 4.
The
students put together an impressive two-out rally in the top of the 6th
to tie the game, thanks in large part to a home run by Andy Howlett '10.**
Ace pitcher Jane Beall
'10 again held the Fathers scoreless, stranding runners on
first and second thanks to a sweet catch by right fielder Christy Weisner '10.
And so the stage was set heading into the last inning:
Founders 7.
Commissioners 7.
Thanks
to clutch hitting and heads-up base running, the students scored two in
the top of the 7th to take the lead. Following a lead-off out, the
Fathers rattled off 4 straight hits led by Steve Rose '77
and Bill Crenshaw. With runners on second and third and the score tied,
David Pettit stepped up to the plate and delivered a text book sac fly
to left-center. Farmer cought the ball and came up firing, but sailed
the ball over catcher Jess
Brown '10's
head. The play at the plate still managed to be close (due to
shoddy baserunning on the part of the Founders' player), but when the
dust had settled the winning run had slid home, delivering the Founding
Fathers their first victory.
Founders
10. Commissioners 9.
*
The official scorekeeper has informed us that the proper scoring is a
single for Farmer and a 3-base fielding error charged to the Founder's
Left Center Fielder.
**
The official scorekeeper has again informed us that the proper scoring
is a single for Howlett and a 3-base fielding error charged to the
Founder's Left Center Fielder.***
*** Just kidding.
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