SUNDAY, September 14th---Round 1 of the ABL Coed Softball East Division Playoffs kicked off last night, and first on tap was # 1 seed The Schreib Tribe facing # 4 Ryan the Little Legend.
The game was a close, back-and-forth contest as neither team was giving each other much breathing room. After 3 innings, the score was 4 to 3 Tribe, and each team had 7 hits apiece. The air was crisp, the ball had pop, the tension was mounting.
And then all hell broke loose.
One witness described it as "the most insane thing i've ever seen in a recreational softball game."
In the top of the 4th inning, the game had to stopped and called off due to Ryan the Little Legend player John Ward’s unsportsmanlike conduct. People in the crowd described it as "a deranged act" by a "loose cannon" that clearly drank way too much football on this fall Sunday.
We understand if a player disagrees with a call made on the field and wants to argue it. It happens in all levels of competitive sports. ABL encourages the heart and enthusiasm teams give when trying to win, but players have to be respectful when not agreeing with an official. Players need to know where the line is drawn and know when not to cross it. John Ward’s actions not only cost his team the game but also earned him a lifetime ban from all ABL sports. It is a shame because the game between the two teams looked as if it was going to come down to the 9th inning.
The 2nd game of the night was the Slingers vs. Murderers Row. The Slingers aren’t strangers when making a playoff run as the team knows when to step up in big moments. The team scored 14 total runs in 9 innings of play. The long ball accounted for 10 of the total runs scored as Slingers’ Joe Rockhill, Jason Orr, and Jesse Daunno all went yard. Joe especially had a big night offensively finishing the game with 6RBIs.
The Slingers’ defense kept their opponent’s deadly offense in check as their gloves held Murderers Row to 5 runs. Slinger Alicia Mattiello, Ryan Hall, and Meghan Quinlan all had stellar performances in the field. Of all the great plays made, the backbone of the Slinger defensive unit is shortstop James Amadeo. His heads up gameplay helped his team earn a spot in the East Division’s championship game.
The Slingers will be taking on Schreib Tribe on Sunday at 8 pm at Mama Johnson Field. These teams know each other all too well. We'll see who brings their A Game.
Tag(s): Home '15 Coed Spring League
