Cougars: Going The Distance

“All I wanna do is go the distance.” – Rocky Balboa

On Tuesday night, Howard Park transformed from a tranquil sanctuary to a riotous madhouse as the Cougars went toe-to-toe with Chicken Shack in the first round of the playoffs.

The Green Team entered the arena, stepped through the chain-link ropes, and entered the diamond ring. We knew this would be a knock-down, drag-out fight.

In the two matches this year, each team has scored a victory with late inning heroics. This was the third bout…and this was the playoffs.

For years, we have been punched in the mouth by the Shackers, but we land our best blows in the postseason.

Ring that bell …

1st Inning

Shack started fast with a single on the first pitch of the game followed by another single up the middle for runners on first and second base. A quick out and then the next batter lobbed a hit to left field to load ‘em up. The next batter smashed an almost uncatchable line shot to shortstop. With the runners off on the hit, Fort calmly grasped it from the air and fired it to Ev for the double play. Forts held down the fort. No runs.

It always starts with a Boom, and he banged a ball that the second baseman could not handle. Then SRads walked. With runners on first and second, CRads laced a single to the right side scoring Boom and moving SRads to third base with CRads taking second base on the throw. Ev crushed a line drive to center field to drive in two more runs.

Cougars 3 Shack 0

2nd Inning

After stringing together a few hits and scoring one, Shack loaded up the bases. With no outs and the bases loaded, Martini and Li’l Rads almost picked the runner off at first base. On the next pitch, the batter hit one of those hard to handle infield spinners, but Joker did it again. He grasped the spinning sphere and raced to tag the advancing runner, saving a run. Unbelievable!

The next batter grounded into a force out. We had two outs, and we were playing four outfielders. The next batter stepped to the plate and hit a fly ball to left center… directly to Boom. Ev, playing right center, showed our opponent that any fly ball would never land and touch the grass. With staggering speed and Cougar courage, Ev tracked down the ball for the final out of the inning. Here, watch the highlight with a special close up camera angle of Luis Fort and Eloy Boom. What a play! Keep it up!

In the bottom of the inning, JD led off with a walk and Joker had a liner single putting men on second and third after a throwing error. Bobi was up next and he punched a hard grounder thru the hole and while the shortstop made an all-star play for the out at first, JD sprinted home for the RBI.

Cougars 4 Shack 2

3rd Inning

Shack led off with a fly out, and then the next three batters all smacked hits to score one. With two runners on base and one out, the Shackers youngest and handsomest player crushed a clutch three-run homer to give the Shack the lead.

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Let’s take a little break in the action to give some props to Andy. He is a superstar on and off the field. Our family and the Pekar family have been fortunate to watch our boys grow up together. Charley and Andy have been classmates, competitors, teammates, and friends.

We always love Andy, but 2-3 hours each year we do try to clobber his team.

Now back to the action.

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To recap, Shack scored four and took a two run lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, Charley lined a single, but we stranded him.

Cougars 4 Shack 6

4th Inning

We shut ‘em down 1-2-3.

In our half of the round, Fort singled and JD doubled but Shack made perfect play at the plate to shut us down. No runs.

Cougars still losing 6-4.

No matter how hard the Cougars get hit, we will never throw in the towel. We are always determined, resilient, and tenacious. No matter our record, we are always the underdog. We take the hits, keep coming back, and then make the hits.

How hard can you get punched and still come back?

5th Inning

We shut ‘em down 1-2-3, again.

In our at-bats, Boom bashed a liner to left center. Then Kev thumped a double down the left field line to score Boom and pull us within one. Here we go…

Cougars 5 Shack 6

6th Inning

A defensive lockdown. Our defense was spectacular all night. In the outfield, Kev, Boom, Ev, and Jimmy were flawless. Here is just one example of a game saving play by Kev.

No runs for the Red Team in the top of the inning.

We went into the bottom of the sixth down by a run. CRads at the plate, and he was not pulling punches. The first pitch was a beauty of a strike to make the count 1-2. The next pitch was lofted to the sky and when it dropped in the zone, Charley hit it to the left field fence and flew around the bases for a game-tying home run.

Ev immediately followed by demolishing a single . Fort moved him over to put the go ahead run on second base. JD then crushed the Clincher for a double, and Evan sprinted to score the go-ahead run.

Cougars 7 Shack 6