City Park - Week 1 Highlights

City Park Field 1

Social License to Intoxicate (Orange) vs. There’s Always Next Year (Tennessee Orange): Right off the bat this season (or “right off the foot” in Kickball parlance), we had a possible championship game preview with Social License to Intoxicate beginning its title defense from last season against perennial contender There’s Always Next Year. And boy, did this game live up to the hype!!! It all started with a two run home run in the bottom of the 1^st inning by Dane “Beast Mode” Anderson, which put There’s Always Next Year up 2-1. Then the defense took over, with Sean Blair (aka “The Blair Witch) making an amazing diving catch to end the top of the 4^th inning and Christoph “Earthquake” Schindler making back-to-back outs as the pitcher in the top of the 5^th inning for There’s Always Next Year. However, the champs wouldn’t go quietly, as Social License to Intoxicate staged a furious comeback in the top of the 6^th inning to tie things up at 4-4. The squads were so evenly matched (and the game was running so slow), that unfortunately the contest ended in a tie… But that’s what the playoffs are for!!! Tie game 4-4.

City Park Field 2

KickTease (Forest Green) vs. Left Sharks (Carolina Blue):  Both teams were shaking off the off-season rust and this one unbeknownst to the ESPN analysts became a pitcher’s duel… Fortunately, the teams decided to go “full contact” in the later innings as the Left Sharks squeaked ahead to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the 5^th inning and never looked back. KickTease’s catcher had the play of the game by snagging a line drive foul ball with her face/nose. It looked something like this play right here (sort of). Left Sharks win 4-2.

City Park Field 3

Lunchbox Violators (Daisy Yellow) vs. New Kicks on the Block (Sapphire Blue): Sometimes a team is only 1-2 plays away from completely altering the course of a game. In the Lunchbox Violators’ case, those key points came in the 3^rd inning when they loaded the bases, but the staunch defense of New Kicks on the Block held back the scoring threat. Then came the 6^th inning when New Kicks on the Block scored three runs to take a commanding three run lead. Sydney Engelhardt, Captain of the Lunchbox Violators, had this to say after the game: “We played hard tonight, but it’s rough after we missed a couple of those key opportunities. Next week, we promise to violate those "lunch boxes" even harder! And by that, I mean...” New Kicks on the Block wins 4-1.

City Park Field 4

Wombat Mermaids (Kiwi Green) vs. Oddballs (Purple): The Wombat Mermaids came out swinging and never took their feet off the accelerator. The Wombat Mermaids scored in the 1st, 2^nd, 5^th, and 7^th innings while the Oddballs answered with one run in the last frame. The MVP award went to newcomer West Busha from the Wombat Mermaids as he kicked an in the park 3-run home run in the top of the 7^th inning to really put the game out of reach...nice job West!!! Per usual, the Oddballs never gave up though—great effort folks!! You’ll get them next time… The Wombat Mermaids win 6-1.