Washington Post 4, Express 3
Discovery Channel 8, Express 3
Photos to come. Sideways-World was Purgatory????
New pitcher Mark Giannotto channels Arnie Applebaum.
Silver Spring, Md. | Plagued by sub-par fielding, weak hitting and other self-inflicted wounds, Express fell to National Press Club, 19-4, and was blanked by Gazette, 6-0, Saturday. The sweep effectively eliminates the 20-Minutemen from MMSL playoff contention.
The day’s game conditions affected play early and often. Sarah Joestl was forced to leave the first game after swallowing airborne dirt and all morning, sunglasses were a must to block debris. “Since when do we play in Oklahoma?” Aimee Goodwin said. “Those fields were ‘Grapes of Wrath’-worthy dust bowls! White T-shirts are the best.”
The highlight of the day came from Mark Giannotto, who pitched for the first time this season and displayed solid reflexes, snagging a line-drive shot up the middle against Gazette. “Considering the hurricane force winds, I thought Mark did heck of a job in his pitching debut,” Andy Bonior said.
In Game 1, after jumping out to a 1-0 lead, things crumbled for the 20-MM. NPC coupled smart baserunning with a steady diet of hard-hit balls to jump out to a 9-1 lead. Chip Porter’s 3-run homer in the 4th cut the deficit to five, but a 10-run Big Blue inning killed any chances for a comeback by Express.
Continued …
NPC 19, Express 4 (5)
Gazette 6, Express 0
Click on the image of Capitalview/Homewood for a paltry assortment of photos.
USA Today 8, Express 6
Click on the epic image of the epic high-five for more epic photos of this epic day.
Sliding: Such poor sportsmanship!
Silver Spring, Md. | Steadied by slick fielding and timely hitting, Express played to another split Saturday, losing to USA Today 8-6 and handling Comcast SportsNet, 7-4. The hot day made for a feisty environment on the diamond and the first scorcher of the season provided quite a bit of high-intensity media softball drama — if there is such a thing.
In Game 1, Express jumped out to an early lead with a 4-run first against the vaunted USA Today squad. Katie “I Got Engaged So My Boyfriend Could Play On the Team” Aberbach set the tone for the 20-MM in the field with a fantastic snag in left against to rob a likely triple, but in the end it wasn’t enough. The Gannetoids proved why they are a perennial MMSL contender with a strong showing of hitting fundamentals that powered them to eight runs and the victory.
In what was easily the most entertaining matchup of the year, Game 2 featured a few 20-MM webgems and absolutely no shade at all. The nattily attired and clearly overmatched Comcast SportsNuts couldn’t manage the moxie to handle the psychological juggernaut of Express.
Continued …
Sarah Joestl shows the savage spirit of Express women.
Silver Spring, Md. | Beset by absences and no-shows, a makeshift 20-Minutemen lineup managed to stay out the slaughter rule zone Saturday, falling to Fox 5, 14-8 and ABC News, 17-6. With only eight players to start with, Express displayed some major grit to make the day respectable.
“The women of Express were in a league of their own today: base knocks, solid D and super effort,” interim coach Chip Porter said. “Props to Darona [Williams] for not only making her Minutemen debut, but also for getting a single in her very first at bat.”
James “McCarthy Who?” Romoser handled left field effectively on his own, tracking down balls all over the outfield after biking eight miles to the field just to play. “In hindsight, I should have brought my bike with me [on the field], because it would have come in handy when chasing down line drives,” he said.
With an assist from Fox, Jen Sumnick volunteered to play with the 20-MM, filling in nicely at third base.
Continued …
FOX5 14, Express 8
ABC 17, Express 6
The camera ate its memory card and I was unable to download any of today’s meager photo crop to my computer. My TV, however, was able to read the card. Click the picture of Endy on my TV to have your mind BLOWN.
James “Scott McCarthy” Romoser and Chip Porter share the secret Express handshake.
Silver Spring, Md. | With winds howling and temperatures dipping into the 50s, Express (2-2) earned a split in its first round of division games, beating National Press Club 7-3 and falling to Associated Press 6-5.
A tinkering of the lineup produced solid results in the heart of the order, while temporary coach Chip Porter led the 20-Minutemen with 5 RBI and 2 homers on the day. “I’m so glad I started him in my MMSL fantasy league today,” Nathan Martin said.
Newcomer James Romoser steadied the outfield with a strong performance in centerfield. “James’ outfield play saved us probably 4 or 5 runs alone,” Andy Bonior said. “The rest of the outfield came up huge as well in those insane winds.”
Continued …
AP 6, Express 5
Express 7, National Press Club 3
Several factors have contributed to the dearth of photos so far this season. One: My camera isn’t working that great. Two: I would like to spend some games kicking it with Endy and Auden, and gossiping.
Auden, however, has stepped forward and offered to shoot. Click his shot above to see the rest of the day’s photos.
Express 5, ABC 4
Fox5 12, Express 8
Click picture to see this round of photos.