Fans everywhere enjoy a good friendly, everyone enjoys giving into a good fantasy, and everyone loves the Fall - just too bad there isn't much Wiffle going on. Ah-ha! (Take on Me) That's where the the friendly and fantasy can come across even stronger. Four teams of five have been arbitrarily selected to compete and entertain us over the slow months. To determine the outcome of each at-bat a random number generator from 1 to 1000 is used. Each player's number ranges are different: their AVG and OBP are multiplied by the opposing pitcher's WHIP to set the ranges for hits and walks; from there a player's percentage of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs are spread over their "hit range": singles start at 1, home runs end at the highest number in the hit range. Walks follow above hits, and a pitcher's number of strikeouts in the 2012 season set the strikeout range after walks. Every number above that is an out made in the field: numbers closer to 1000 are fly outs, while lower numbers are ground outs. Depending on the situation sacrifice flies, advancing runners, peg outs, and double plays also come into play. You'll see that strikeouts and walks are disproportional to a real game, and that just adds to the entertainment! Let's just say everyone agreed to play these friendlies mid-pitch.
Game 3: Sinkers (1-0) VS. Risers (0-1)
- Sinkers run out the same lineup after winning their first game, citing "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Joe Seto takes the mound in their second game.
- Risers change things up at the top of the order, switching Franzen and Tomlinson, an attempt to spur their offense to more than three hits - and perhaps timely hits. Justin Hughes toes the rubber.
Top 1st -
Huge inning for the Sinkers, who continue to roll after their win. Justin Hughes and Dylan Braden start off with back-to-back singles. Alexia then hit a grounder into left, but Kyle Tomlinson gunned it back into Joe Seto in the circle erasing Hughes; fielders choice, 1 out. Chandler Phillips again rips a ball into play, this one to left-center and deep enough to score Braden from second. Runners on first and second. Chris Roszell hits a deep fly off the wall in right-field over the head of Mike Constanti. Both Alexia and Phillips, charging hard realizing Constanti was playing in, come around to score; 2-rbi 2B. Batting for the second time in the inning, Hughes hits a slow bouncer into left for a single, advancing Roszell to third. Braden then steps up and blasts a hanging 2-0 pitch down the left-field line; 3-run HR. Alexia then grounds out for the second time, followed by a Phillips walk. Roszell again hits a fly ball to right, but this time Constanti's in position to make the catch. 6-0 Sinkers to start the game.
Sinkers scoresheet
Bot 1st -
Needing to claw back, the Risers come out swinging. Greg Franzen hits a hard shot to left, but Roszell goes to the ground and takes away a hit with a nice grab. Kyle Tomlinson steps up and hits another bullet, this one finds the ground in center and he reaches with a single. For the third batter in a row, Seto hits a ball hard to left, but gets underneath of it for out number two. Constanti steps up and swings on the first pitch, the fourth hard hit in a row, a long drive over the fence in center; 2-run HR. Brandon Mushinski gets frozen on a full-count slider to end the inning. 6-2 Sinkers after one.
Top 2nd -
Seto gets Hughes out with an easy fly ball to Franzen in center, but Braden counters with his second home run of the game three pitches later. Seto then gets another fly out to Franzen before Phillips steps to the plate and - starting a dangerous trend - hits the second pitch he sees over the fence in left. Roszell then grounds out to Tomlinson in left to end the inning. Two solo home runs make it 8-2 Sinkers.
Bot 2nd -
Top of the order for the Risers, and Franzen leads things off with a walk. Tomlinson hits another ball into the outfield, but this one is tracked down by Braden for out number one. Seto then helps out his cause catching up to a full-count fastball and putting it over the right field wall for a two-run home run. Constanti, already with a home run in his first at-bat, follows and takes a huge cut at a similar fastball, but cannot connect and strikes out. Mushinski determined now to be caught looking again swings at a hard inside-slider on the first pitch, which jams him and is caught by Alexia at second for the third out. Five batters to the plate for the second inning in a row, and again the Risers get two back. 8-4 Sinkers after two.
Top 3rd -
Leading off for the third time, Hughes reaches base also for the third time on a walk. Braden steps in 3-for-3 with two home runs, but Seto doesn't back down: getting him out in front of a slow curve popped up back to the mound; 1 out. Alexia then steps in and gets his first hit down the left field line; advance Hughes to second. Phillips follows suit with a drive into the left field corner for a double, bringing Hughes around to score; Alexia holds at third. The safe base-running pays off as Roszell turns on a curve and hooks it inside the left field foul pole for a 3-run home run; his third, fourth and fifth RBIs of the game. Seto rebound striking out Hughes, but then gives up a single and two walks to load the based for Roszell. Chris comes through again with a single, scoring Braden; bases remain loaded for the top of the order. Seto gets Hughes to strike out for the second consecutive time, ending the long inning. Sinkers add 5, go up 13-4
Risers scoresheet
Bot 3rd -
Franzen draws a walk to lead off the third, just as he did in the second. Tomlinson follows with a single to right; Franzen tests Braden's arm and gets to third safely, Tomlinson stays at first. Seto pulls his team one closer with a sac fly to center. Constanti then singles to center, and Tomlinson takes advantage of a bobble by Braden and advances to third. Mushinski draws a walk to load the bases, keeping the Risers' charge alive. Franzen gets hold of a pitch, driving it to left, caught by Roszell, but deep enough to score Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson then walks to load the bases for Seto, already 1-2 with a HR. He bloops a single into right-center, which brings in Constanti and Mushinski, and pushes Tomlinson to third. Constanti then goes right back to right-center hitting a double past Braden that rolls along the wall; Tomlinson and Seto come around to score. Mushinski then comes through with his first hit in a big way, a line-drive 2-run home run scraping over the left field fence to bring the Risers back within three. Hughes regains his composure and gets Franzen to roll over an offspeed pitch to end the inning. Risers get eight, and we have ourselves a game! Sinkers lead cut to 13-12 after three.
Top 4th -
Sinkers seem over-anxious to get runs back as Braden and Alexia swing early and weakly fly out. Phillips and Roszell slow things down with back to back walks, but then Hughes gets caught looking on a first-pitch K. Seto has his first scoreless inning of the day. Score remains 13-12 Sinkers.
Bot 4th -
The Risers continue rolling from the last inning. After a lead-off flyout, Seto walks, Constanti singles, and Mushinski hits his second home run to left in as many at-bats to give the Risers their first lead! Hughes responds angrily: striking out Franzen on two pitches, and getting Tomlinson to pop out to Alexia at short. All of a sudden it's last call for the Sinkers. Risers lead 15-13.
Top 5th -
Seto pitches around Braden, putting the tying run on first to start the inning. Alexia responds with an infield single down the first-base line; runners on 1st and 2nd. Phillips then drives a one-hop shot at
normally-teammate Tomlinson; Kyle knocks it down and keeps a run from scoring, but is unable to make an out. Bases loaded. Roszell steps in and just misses his second home run of the game; Franzen robs him in left-center, but Braden scores easily and Alexia moves up to third with one out. Hughes hits a sharp drive to Tomlinson in left for out number two, and Tomlinson relays the ball to Hughes to try to get Alexia at home; the throw is late, and Phillips takes second. No other player who you'd want up, Braden is already 4-6 and has two home runs on the day, and he delivers again: a two-run bomb to straight away center! Seto then gets Alexia to ground out, but the Sinkers retake the lead 17-15. Pressure is back on the Risers.
Bot 5th -
Seto seems shaken leading off the innging after the rough top-half, and strikes out chasing a slider off the plate. Constanti then gets underneath a ball, popping out to Alexia in foul territoty. Risers down to their last out. Mushinksi keeps things alive with a single into right, bringing up the top of the order. Franzen fights off a hard inside fastball, but is only able to ground it right back to Hughes on the mound - who picks the perfect time to pickup his first blank frame. Sinkers blow a big lead, but come back and hang on to win 17-15!
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
R |
H |
|
| 6 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
17 |
16 |
|
| 2 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
15 |
11 |
| Sinkers (2-0) | | Risers (0-2) |
| OFFENSE | | OFFENSE |
| Hughes | 2-5, BB, Sac, RBI, 2 R | |
Franzen | 0-4, 2 BB, Sac, RBI, 2 R |
| D. Braden | 5-7, 3 HR, BB, 6 RBI, 6 R | |
Tomlinson | 2-5, BB, 3 R |
| Alexia | 2-7, BB, 3 R | |
Seto | 2-4, HR, BB, Sac, 5 RBI, 3 R |
| Phillips | 4-4, HR, 2 BB, 3 RBI, 4 R |
| Constanti | 4-6, HR, 4 RBI, 4 R |
| Roszell | 3-5, HR, Sac, BB, 7 RBI, 2 R | |
Mushinski | 3-5, 2 HR, BB, 5 RBI, 3 R |
|
| PITCHING | | PITCHING |
| Hughes | 15 R, 11 H, 4 HR, 5 BB, 4 K | | Seto | 17 R, 16 H, 5 HR, 6 BB, 3 K |
| Standings |
|
W |
L |
|
| 2 |
0 |
|
| 1 |
0 |
|
| 0 |
1 |
|
| 0 |
2 |
It looks like the Sinkers and Risers got together and decided to play a football game. 32 runs, 9 home runs. Chandler Phillips went 4-4, yet still is likely not the player of the game for the Sinkers: Dylan Braden's 5-7, 3 HR, 6 RBI and 6 R performance, as well as Chris Roszell's 3-5, with a sac fly and 7 RBI performance trump even perfect set of plate appearances. This was a slugfest, no, a firefight. Both teams hit, and hit... and hit. The bottom of the order threw most of the punches for the Risers. Constanti went 4-6 with a HR, 4 RBI, and 4 R, while Mushinski dug into the five-spot well going 3-5 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 3 R. The difference in the game was at the top of the Risers order, which again after the change still could not produce: getting only 1 RBI from the 2 top spots.
This Sinkers win guarantees their shot to play for the fall championship against the 12 2 6 Curves. Their win over the Cheese in game one gives them the tie-breaker if both teams end up 2-1, so only the 12 2 6 Curves can win over the Sinkers. The Risers fall out of contention with the loss today, but have one game yet to play against the Cheese for third place. No matter the result of next week's Cheese vs. Curves game, the head-to-head tiebreaker means both game five (Cheese vs. Risers) and six (Curves vs. Sinkers) will decide third and first place, respectively.
TOP 50 NWLA ALL-TIME TEAMS 
