Colorado Springs - Week 2 - Highlights

Code Brown (irish green) vs Kick in a Box (neon yellow):

Kick in a Box didn’t waste any time getting things started in the top of the 1^st, putting up 2 quick runs with a 2-RBI double by Caitlin Korbelik. In the top of the 3^rd, KIAB continued to put the pedal to the floor with 4 straight singles to lead off the inning and a roaring 2-RBI sac-fly by Cody Eden to make it 7-0. Code Brown got a rally together in the bottom half of the 3^rd, with a leadoff single by Drew Bettlach and a RBI single by Matt Dellacroce to bring the score to 7-1. KIAB added to their lead with a couple more RBI singles by Alex Rascon and Caitlin Korbelik. Then the KIAB defense upped their game and put together a no-hitter for the final three innings thanks to the stellar pitching of Alex Rascon and Tom Buffetti, and this amazing play to end the game!  

Final Score: Kick in a Box 10, Code Brown 1

Code Brown (irish green) vs Mediocre at Best (navy):

Both teams started this one off with very good defense, keeping it a scoreless game through 2 innings. Mediocre at Best broke through in the 3^rd with a 2-RBI triple by Kevin McLaughlin and RBI single by Kristin Porter. Down 5-0 in the bottom of the 4^th, Tina Stough of Code Brown got a 1-out single and was brought home on the next kick by Brad Hrinko, who made it to 3^rd base on the play. Next up was Kurtis Adams, but he was unable to get the ball deep enough for Brad to score on the fly-out, and MAB retired the next kicker for the 3^rd out on another pop-up to end the inning without any further damage. MAB put the icing on the cake in the 7^th when Zach Schultz came up to the plate and smashed a 3-run home run like nobody's business.   

Final Score: Mediocre at Best 8, Code Brown 1

Blackout (black) vs Pitch Please (neon pink):

Blackout picked up where they left off from last week, getting on the board in the 1^st thanks to a sac-fly by Bri Tammaro and a solo bomb off the club foot of Andy Horn. Pitch Please cut the deficit in half in the 3^rd when Joe Aguirre sent a shot over the left fielder for a solo home run to make it 2-1. After scoring 3 runs in the 3^rd, Blackout stretched the lead in the 4^th when Andy Horn sent another blast over the outfield for a 2-run jack, followed by a 2-run homer by Ben Jones to make it 9-1. In the 5^th, Pitch Please’s Cody Crowther got on base with a single and scored on a surprise bomb over the center fielder’s head by Anna Playfair. However, the floodgates opened in the 6^th, as Blackout’s first 9 kickers safely reached base before the 1^st out, eventually netting 7 more runs. During the rally, Nate Kischer had the highlight of the night with a monster 3-run home run diving into home plate with flair. Down 16-2, Pitch Please started a 7^th inning rally with back to back doubles by Joe Aguirre and Doug Fisher, making it 16-3. A baserunning error on a fly-out would prove to be the final dagger for the pink pitches, ending their hopes of a 14-run comeback.

Final Score: Blackout 16, Pitch Please 3 

Fort Collins - Week 2 - Highlights

Greenbriar Park Field 1 (5:45pm)

Little Lebowski Urban Achievers (Ash Grey) vs. Ballz n Dollz (Neon Orange):

Ballz N Dollz jumped out early in this one, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1^st inning and then never looking back! Little Lebowski Urban Achievers made a run at a comeback towards the end of the game, and Darren Ashton’s diving catch out in left field was certainly impressive—see the highlight here—but it wasn’t quite enough this go around. Ballz n Dollz wins 6-3.

Greenbriar Park Field 2 (5:45pm)

Cheba Hut (Forest Green) vs. Florida Mike and the Free Ballers (Purple): Once again, Florida Mike and the Free Ballers showcased their veteran skills early-on, scoring eleven runs in the top of the 2^nd inning with one heckuva offensive on-slaught! It started with Brent “The Bomb Slinger” Behler’s solo home run, then Sara “Rambunctious” Rice slugged in a double that scored three more runs, then Robert “The Axeman” kicked a two-run homer, and finally the inning ended with another home run by “The Bomb Slinger”. Crazy stuff!!! Cheba Hut fought back though, with Tate “Handy-man” Hughes making some impressive catches, and Joe “Frisky” Fins giving it his all on the base paths. The experience and runs total of Florida Mike and the Freeballers was just too much too overcome though. Florida Mike and the Free Ballers win 19-4.

Greenbriar Park Field 1 (6:45pm)

Oilers (Heliconia) vs. Kickin Grass and Takin Names (Sapphire Blue):

Talk about a rivalry game! Kickin Grass and Takin Names took drew first blood in the top of the 1^st inning by scoring three runs, but the Oilers would answer with two of their own scores in the bottom of 1^st. From there on out, Kickin Grass and Takin Names was able to maintain their slim lead inning-by-inning. Things got a little heated, but the important thing to remember is that kickball is fun, right?  At least that's why we started doing it here in Fort Collins!!  Kickin Grass and Takin Names wins 7-5.

Greenbriar Park Field 2 (6:45pm)

Balls and Dolls (Violet) vs. 2 Legit 2 Quit (Navy):

So much for that newbie status—Balls and Dolls looked like a veteran squad in this contest! They scored a run in five out of the seven innings on their way to a shut out defensively. Finally, Mark Langford from Balls and Dolls iced the game in the top of the 7^th with a two-run double. During the post-game news conference, Justine Noren, Captain from Balls and Dolls had this to say: “We really hit our stride as a team in this contest, clicking on all cylinders—defense and offense. The sky is the limit for us!” Balls and Dolls wins 11-0.

Greenbriar Park Field 3 (6:45pm)

Flint Tropics (Neon Yellow) vs. Team America (Royal Blue):

This game quickly turned into a home run contest with Chris Woodruff, Matt Kelly, and Kevin Gallant all crushing homers for the Flint Tropics in the early innings. Then early-season MVP candidate and Captain Matt Kelly also drove home a two-run triple in the bottom of the 4^th inning to really put the heat on. Kelly would go on to hit for the cycle and cement his front-runner status for MVP! Flint Tropics win 16-4.

Fort Collins - Week 1 - Highlights

Greenbriar Park Field 1 (5:45pm)

Cheba Hut (Forest Green) vs. Oilers (Heliconia): The Oilers, fresh off their championship game loss in the spring 2017 season, came out of the gate with a vengeance in this one by scoring five runs in the bottom of the 1^st inning to create quite the cushion. They would go on to score three runs in the 4^th and four runs in the 5^th to blow things wide open. Cheba Hut never gave up though, thereby making sure that a shutout was not in the cards. Garrett Dean, captain of the Oilers, commented after the game, “After losing the championship game, we did some rebuilding in the off-season. We are more focused and fine-tuned this year. We are definitely ready for another championship run!” Oilers win 13-3.

Greenbriar Park Field 2 (5:45pm)

Balls and Dolls (Violet) vs. Florida Mike and the Free Ballers (Purple): Florida Mike and the Free Ballers showed no mercy on the newbies in the bottom of the 1^st inning, scoring eleven runs! Brent “Hit Man” Behler started things off with a two-run homer, and Luke “Lance Berkman” Birky finished off the inning with a grand slam. Yowza! The defense for Florida Mike and the Freeballers was stellar as well, with “Downtown” Eric Brown making a sliding catch for a key out in the top of the 3^rd inning. But despite their newbie status, the fresh-faced Balls and Dolls squad found their footing quickly—they were able to get the bases loaded several times in the early innings, but they just couldn’t close the deal. Individually, Noah “Step-off” Steffen shined brightly in left field, especially after his sliding catch in the bottom of the 4^th inning. Next time, the whole team will be ready! Florida Mike and the Free Ballers win 17-7.

Greenbriar Park Field 1 (6:45pm)

2 Legit 2 Quit (Navy) vs. Ballz n Dollz (Neon Orange): 2 Legit 2 Kick wins 20-14. Now that is a lot of runs!!! This contest was a barnburner from the start! It was close throughout, with 2 Legit 2 Kick making some really stellar plays: Justin Wells hit a three run homer, and Eric Kossoris had a beautifully epic sliding catch for a key out. Ballz n Dollz kept the game close, but they gave up eight runs in the top of the 3^rd, which ultimately was too much to handle. After the game, Ballz n Dollz fans could be heard uttering the phrase, “So close but no cigar.” (Read here to find out where that phrase comes from.) 2 Legit 2 Kick wins 20-14.

Greenbriar Park Field 2 (6:45pm)

Flint Tropics (Neon Yellow) vs. Kickin Grass and Takin Names (Sapphire Blue): The Flint Tropics, fresh off their first championship win in the Spring 2017 season, were flying high in this one! They even improved their squad in the off-season by adding a Cy Young-award winning pitcher, Matt Dea, a former High Roller, who came out of retirement specifically to win another championship. Dea was quoted in the off-season, “I have kept my eyes on the Flint Tropics team over the last couple seasons, and they have really impressed me with their play. I am extremely excited to bring my talents to back to Fort Collins.” Dea certainly displayed an MVP-caliber level of play in this contest, with a couple foul outs during the game as well as a four-pitch inning in the top of the 7^th. The only person to get by Dea was Kyle Oldham from Kickin Grass and Takin Names in the top of the 2^nd when he smashed a triple for an RBI score. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing for Dea—just like riding a bike… Flint Tropics win 13-2.

Greenbriar Park Field 3 (6:45pm)

Little Lebowski Urban Achievers (Ash Grey) vs. Team America (Royal Blue): This game was really just a home run contest, with fill-ins for Team America knocking in homers in the top of the 1^st and 2^nd innings. Then a substitute from the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers crushed one in the bottom of the 2^nd! See the home run of the game here-ish! Team America wins 26-12.

Colorado Springs - Week 1 - Highlights

After a season of hiatus from Regular Kickball, the competitive ballers are back this summer and off to a solid start in week 1!!

Mediocre at Best (navy) vs Pitch Please (Neon Pink):

These two hopefuls came into this matchup with a wily mix of veteran talent and rookie sensations looking to make a big impact on the kickball diamond this season. Mediocre at Best got the action started in the top of the 1^st with Greg Urbano’s RBI triple, scoring Andrew McPherson on the boot. Pitch Please answered in the bottom half of the 1^st when lead-off kicker Justin Collado caught the Mediocre at Best defense sleeping in the outfield, sending a shot through the gap and rounding the bases like a pro to tie the game at 1. In the top of the 3^rd, Alex Tagen got a lead-off single and then advanced to third on a costly error by Pitch Please’s pitcher Justin Collado when he attempted to peg Alex standing off first base. Alex scored on the next play as Andrew McPherson smartly sent a shot to the outfield for the sac-fly. Mediocre at Best held Pitch Please to only one base runner for the remainder of the game after the 1^st, giving them their first W of the season in a close defensive battle.    

Final Score: Mediocre at Best 2, Pitch Please 1

Mediocre at Best (navy) vs Kick in a Box (Neon Yellow):

Fresh off their spring social league championship, Kick in a Box came to the regular league looking to prove that they can compete with anyone. It didn’t look promising for Kick in a Box after going down 1-2-3 in the top of the 1^st and then lapsing on defense in the bottom half of the inning. Mediocre at Best sent all but one of their players to the plate in the inning, scoring 6 quick runs thanks in part to a 2-run double by Greg Urbano and a 3-run homer off the titanium foot of Zach Schultz. Kick in a Box got on the board in the 2^nd, after captain Cody Eden scored Alex Rascon and Seth Dufendock on a 2-out triple to get on the board 6-2. In the 3^rd, Kick in a Box plated 4 more runs to tie it as Reid Korbelik got in on the action with a 2-RBI double. After holding Mediocre at Best in the bottom half of the 3^rd to keep it 6-6, Kick in a Box took a commanding 9-6 lead after a 2-RBI double by Tom Buffetti and fielder’s choice RBI by Rex Ingham. Mediocre at Best would answer in the bottom of the 4^th with team MVP candidate Greg Urbano’s second 2-RBI double of the game. In the final inning, Mediocre at Best got the tying and winning runs on base with no outs, but stranded both runners with a pair of fly-outs and a grounder to end the game.

Final Score: Kick in a Box 9, Mediocre at Best 8

Code Brown (irish green) vs Blackout (black):

Blackout’s defense was the first highlight of their season, showing newbies Code Brown that they don’t mess around. Code Brown’s lead-off kicker Ben Bachelier sent a shot to left field but Blackout’s Nate Kischer sprinted and soared, making the diving catch for the first emphatic out of the game. Code Brown had some defense of their own to show off when Blackout’s Tim Menditto attempted to stretch a triple into a home run, but was pegged out at home plate sliding head first. In the 2^nd, Blackout got a 2-out rally together when Matt Howes booted a triple scoring Ryan Piper on the play. After a string of 3 consecutive singles, Code Brown’s Tina Stough got the ball in from the outfield on Nick Medina’s kick and pegged out a diving Shane Jahnke just before he touched home plate for the 3^rd out, but not before Blackout took a 4-0 lead. Code Brown was able to keep Blackout off the board for a few innings, but couldn’t get any offense going themselves due to Blackout’s stingy and fast defense. Sean Rimmer managed to get a 2-out triple in the 3^rd for Code Brown, but was stranded at 3^rd to keep the shutout intact. Blackout padded their lead in the 5^th as captain Shane Jahnke got his revenge with a RBI double and scored on Nick Medina’s single to make it 7-0. Blackout’s pitcher Demetrius Harris retired Code Brown 1-2-3 in the 7^th to seal the victory.

Final Score: Blackout 7, Code Brown 0

Fort Collins - Week 7 - Highlights

Greenbriar Park Field 1 (5:45pm)

Where My Pitches At (Sport Grey) vs. Oilers (Tropical Blue): This one was a battle between man and mother nature, The Oilers got up early in this game scoring five runs in the first two innings. Where My Pitches At was not going to give up that easy though, as they were able to hold them off for a couple innings before The Oilers and mother nature let a down poor on everybody. Check out a recap of the weather conditions here. Oilers win 14-0.

Greenbriar Park Field 2 (5:45pm)

Kickin’ Grass and Takin’ Names (Cardinal Red) vs. Florida Mike and the Free Ballers (Purple): Florida Mike and the Free Ballers were able to keep “Oh Captain, My Captain” Brady Andersen and his team, Kickin’ Grass and Takin’ Names, at bay early on by neutralizing any scoring threats with excellent pitching and timely catches. However, Kickin’ Grass and Takin’ Names had their own defensive answer in Heather “Catch-Crazy” Cox, who stopped a Florida Mike and the Free Ballers’ scoring threat single-handedly in the in the bottom of the 2^nd with two catches in left field for outs; then she proceeded to make an excellent throw to second for a double play that would end the inning! Finally, in the top of the 3^rd, Andersen was able to knock in a two-RBI single and get his team on the board. Kickin’ Grass and Takin’ Names would extend their lead in the 4^th and 5^th innings, before defensive specialist Katyn “Holding down the” Forte would conclude the game with two impressive catches for outs in the bottom of the 5^th. Thanks for saving us from the weather! Kickin’ Grass and Takin’ Names wins 6-0.

Greenbriar Park Field 3 (5:45pm)

Little Lebowski Urban Achievers (Royal Blue) vs. Ballsagna Face (Neon Pink): This contest was a classic pitchers’ duel, with both veteran pitchers using the weather to their advantage. Little Lebowski Urban Achievers struck first, scoring one run in the top of the 2^nd inning. But don’t ever count out Ballasgna Face! They came back with two runs the following inning off of a perfect bunt from game MVP Rachel Bunn. Before the weather could get the best of either team, Ballasgna Face was able to score two in the last inning to clinch the victory. Ballasgna Face wins 5-4.