Gold Country Buzzards

by Dave "Numbers" Ribeiro Game four of the 2007 season was a Tale of Two Games…it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, as the Dragons scored 6 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to score a come-from-behind, 11-6 victory over the Gold Country Buzzards. The first three-and-a-half innings were the best of times, as the Buzzards built up a mighty 6-1 lead over the Dragons. Our first inning rally began when Ray “Powder Keg” Henry, still fighting Montezuma’s Revenge from his birthday trip to Mexico, got in the way of an 0-2 fastball for a free pass to first base. Free pass??? Tell that to the black and blue mark that clashes with his black and orange uni!!! With Craig “Sarge” Daniel running for the Rh Factor, Mike “Clutch” Baker delivered our first run with a solid single. Bob “The Skipper” Whitacre ripped a single to left, and Barry “Hit Man” Forman got his first hit and first two rbi’s of the season, scoring Danny (running for Mike) and Sarge (running for Skip). Sadly, we have to fine Sarge $1 for scoring two runs in the same inning, a scorekeeper’s nightmare!!! The Buzzards added a run in the top of the second inning on Jim “Winnebago” Wagner’s first of two hits in the game and Craig “007” Daniel’s rbi single, his first rbi of the season. The Buzzards defense was flying high early in the game. With runners on first and second and nobody out in the second inning, the Buzzards turned in the play of the season when a Dragon hitter lined into an incredible triple-play. Dan “Wiki Wik” Wukmir snared the liner hit to him at shortstop, stepped on second base for the second out, and tossed a strike to Mike Baker at first to complete the triple play. Dan, that’s a $1 fine for not chasing the runner down and making it an unassisted triple play. Not to be outdone, the following inning featured a fabulous double play, also lead by Dan Wukmir. Playing second base this inning, he cleanly fielded a hard hit grounder to second, flipped to Danny Hasey at second for the first out, and Danny relayed over to Mike Baker at first to complete the double play. Do a little dance, make a little GLOVE, get down Dan Wukmir!!! The Buzzard defense inspired its offense in the top of the fourth inning. Jim “Wags to Winnie” Wagner-bago beat out an infield hit to third, moved up to second on a throwing error, and scored on Dan “Wookie” Wukmir’s rbi double. “The Wook” later stole third and scored the Buzzards sixth run on a passed ball. After three-and-a-half innings, the Buzzards led the Dragons, 6-1, and all was well in Mudville. The following four innings were the worst of times, as the Dragons piled on ten unanswered runs to rack-up the comeback victory. As great as the first part of the game went, nothing went right for the Gold Country Buzzards in the final four innings. We collected six runs on nine hits our first four at-bats, followed by no runs on two hits in the last four innings. We made one error in the first part of the game, and four errors in the second part. We went into the bottom of the seventh inning with a 6-5 lead, and came up in the top of the eighth inning trailing 11-6. The only highlight of this span of innings was one of the plate appearances by Barry “Hit Man” Forman. On a three-one pitch, he took what he thought was ball four and began jogging to first base. The umpire rung up strike two instead, shocking Barry beyond belief, sending him to the turf as he tried to cut short his trot to first. As he collected himself, picked up his bat, and stepped back into the batters box, he bent over to check that both shoestrings on his high-top, orange and black cleats were still tied. Hit Man, that’s a $2 fine because they both were double-tied!!! The measure of a good team is not always whether or not they can win a particular game as much as it is how they come back after losing a game they should have won. We have next week off due to Mothers’ Day, then play a doubleheader against the Valley Dogs in two weekends. The Buzzards need to get back to soaring high and feasting on our opponents. FINAL SCORE: Buzzards 6, Dragons 11, 7.5 innings.