I think most or all photos in this gallery are from this game.

AP – It took a little longer than expected, but Team Cahoots survived a ninth inning scare to outlast Team Ernest, 22-21 on Saturday.

Powered by a 13-run inning, and the solid starting pitching of Larry Siu, Team Cahoots came from an early-inning deficit and never looked back. They held a 6 run lead entering the ninth, which was nearly blown. Starter Siu gave way after 6 strong innings to Che, who ran into trouble right away in the seventh.

He allowed two runs and left with the bases loaded, having only retired one batter. After some coaxing, he gave way in favor of usual-starter Chris Plakas.

Plakas pitched 2 strong innings – including an immediate double play to defuse the threat in the 7th – before he had to leave the game due to other commitments. He was in control for those two innings, surrendering only a hit and a walk, and showing what he could do when not pacing himself for an entire game. Brian Mangan entered for the home ninth, and from there it was quite a ride.

It looked like easy going as he struck out the first batter, but his customary lack of control and a few bad breaks led to an Ernest rally in the final frame. With the bases juiced and the winning run on first, Mangan reached back and struck out Jason Cohen swinging to end the game. “That last inning was an emotional rollercoaster,” he said afterwards, “But my teammates really picked me up. They were behind me the whole way.”

In an attempt to suppress offense, both teams were forced to use wooden bats today, to seemingly positive results. There were no homeruns today, and only two players - Scott Schiffman and Larry - hit balls well enough to hit the fence on the fly. The score, 22-21, is deceptive due to a few rally innings for each squad. In general, it was harder to score runs this time around. When asked if his bomb to deep center would have been a home run with an aluminum, Schiffman replied, “Yeah, definitely. By a mile.”

The game was once again littered with middle-infield Web Gems, and more than its share of ugly errors. Ernest SS Bryan Harris made an amazing stab on a ball hit up the middle, though he couldn’t complete the putout, and Mangan, now playing 2B for Cahoots, almost had an unassisted double play. Though it is a patented Schiffman move, Mangan snared a blooping line drive up the middle and applied a tag to the runner caught off second. Only a heads-up and head-first slide back to the bag by Shinjo saved the game from having any double plays.

Things started going bad for Team Ernest in the 6th inning, when P Phil was forced to leave the game due to the sometimes unfair two-hit-by-pitch-and-you’re-out rule. Phil had been making short work of Cahoots until his first HBP, when it seemed he was pitching with some trepidation. After his second HBP, he was replaced on the mound by Patrick, who retired nobody and was relieved by Mark Rubin. Rubin got knocked around a while before settling down - including a booming opposite-field double over the head of RF Cohen by slugger Jose Cornier.

Cornier experienced limited success last season, but credited the double to hours in the batting cages and a new bat. “I was feeling really weak… but then Stefan came and brought THOR,” he gushed, “I want to thank THOR for my double.”

Mark was eventually able to stop the bleeding, throwing several good innings afterward, but not after 13 runners had crossed the plate and the game was blown open.


Notes
“Ultimate team player” Girish Jattani earned the dubious distinction of being the first player ever to be hit by pitch twice in one game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (not really).