Temperatures Soar, But 20-Minutemen Do Not

Unlike some of her teammates, Amanda Erickson was not enjoying poolside pina coladas and Celine Dion’s award-winning Vegas show this weekend.

Rockville, Md. | It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The 20-Minutemen suffered three crushing defeats in a steamy tripleheader Saturday at Veirs Mill fields, losing to Examiner 16-6, NBC-4 13-0 and CNN 8-5.

Hampered by the absence of manager/pitcher Ian Herbert and roving outfielder/top hitter Scott McCarthy — who were enjoying a weekend “mancation” and hourly pirate shows at the Treasure Island hotel in Las Vegas — the Minutemen struggled at times to make their offensive mark against three strong opponents.

But despite some unfortunate moments — errant throws, balls through legs, a catch by a CNN outfielder that seemed to surprise even her — the Minutemen still maintained their good spirits even when missed throws to first base repeatedly went through an annoyingly large hole in the fence.

Rather than dwell on such mistakes, the Minutemen instead chose to celebrate small and personal victories, which were numerous. Among the game highlights:

• Amanda Erickson’s first single of the season, a major milestone as chronicled by her column.
• Seriously intense infield plays by Clinton Yates, including an impressive double-play that left league leader NBC-4 quaking in their sleeveless shirts.
• Key management decisions by Dustin Weaver, who not only ably guided the Minutemen but also endured early-morning drunken phone calls by flagrantly absent coach Herbert and his giggly cohort McCarthy.
• Amazing stamina from pitcher Andy Bonior, who managed to take down batters with multiple strikeouts while snagging line-drives, scooping up grounders, smashing several hits and capably entertaining his two children.
• Blood shed by Chip Porter, who once again sacrificed his super-smooth legs for the good of the team.
• Incredible outfield action from Weaver, Porter, Ryan Derousseau, Darren Favello and John Davisson, who snagged fly balls left and right, despite smelly, swamp-like conditions.
• No fear from right field duo Katie Aberbach and Aimee Goodwin, whose swath of outfield saw more action than the past eight games combined.
• No major injuries by Micah Pearson, despite CNN’s best attempt to break his hand with a searing line drive.
• All-around enthusiasm by Dr. Andrea Bonior, always on hand to reliably dispense sage advice and a few good hits.
• Key support by team photographer Holly Morris, who lugged kitty litter to Veirs Mill in the wee hours of the morning to ensure good playing conditions.

When asked for comment, Herbert had nothing but praise for the team. “I know the scores don’t reflect the heart and hard work shown by the 20-Minutemen on Saturday. I could not be prouder that the team carried on, even when I could not be there because it was more important for me to celebrate my upcoming blessed nuptials with bottles of overpriced whiskey and skanky, scantily clad women.

“If I could, I’d call every member of the team personally to thank them for their dedication. Unfortunately, however, it appears my cell phone fell out of my pocket during a lap dance.”