Storymania - 2013 Youth League Baseball And Softball Season by Winson Thai

2013 Youth League Baseball And Softball Season (1)
Winson Thai

In 2013, Jamie Wang and Allison Holiday, whose relationship ceased a year earlier due to Jamie’s clinginess and immaturity, rejoin Youth League Baseball and Softball after a three-year hiatus, having bad lives outside of sports and the players’ spirit of wanting to play in them, as Jamie returns to the New York Subways, who took the title in 2010, but lost in postseason in 2011 and 2012 and their softball counterpart closed with losing records in those years. Allison lives at California and joins the Eureka Eagles as closer.

The Subways lose 2012’s last four games, including being swept by the Whales at Tampa, but get the league’s second-best record at 91-59. Tampa wins the wild card on the last day after trailing the Salem Warlocks by nine games to start September. The eventual champions Minneapolis Wizards win the ladies’ wild card on the last day after trailing the Philadelphia Hawks by 8 ½ games on September 2. Tampa trails 2012’s finale 7-0, but scores six runs in the eighth off of two pitchers. On its last strike, Mandy Ly homers off of Jim Hardy to tie the game. Lilian Augustin’s shot in the 12th off of Ned Alan wins it. Salem’s Nikita Gorbunov in the ninth gives up three two-out hits and two runs in a walk-off loss to the Vermont Rip Tide.

The Subways begin 2013 with a six-game road trip to Tampa and Vermont. They get swept by the Whales, then sweep the Rip Tide, losing a match 17-1, scoring their only run in the fifth on Loren Pierre’s two-out double after a single off of Tampa’s starter. He is the only Subway runner left on. Their only other hit came in the first by Marion Ramirez, who is caught stealing second. They take another match 16-1 and hit the home run cycle. Ken Longoria’s tying double in the second off of Jude Song is Vermont’s only run.

The New York Motorgirls play their home opener versus the St. George Angels with Kathie Petite shutting out the Angels for five innings as her team scores six runs off of Deana Benner in that stretch and two more off of Dominique Era in the sixth. Lindsey Dean allows Natalie Wilson’s blast in the sixth. Next inning, Daisy Ricardo permits three leadoff hits. Ex-Motorgirl Bonnie Kozminski hits a one-out, 0-1 pitch into right for a grand slam. Now a save situation, newly acquired closer Veronica Rivera is brought in and retires the next two hitters. New York loses the next game 6-1 with Anne Smith allowing a two-run shot to Natalie Wilson in the second, three-run blast in the third to Janine Tanner, and solo blast to Kaitlin Ross in the fourth. Starter Taryne Mowatt loses her bid at a shutout when Jolene Wallaby’s RBI single scores New York’s one run in the fourth. They score six runs off of Kasey Southern in the first three innings of the last game. Carol DeVito gives up a three-run homer in the fourth to Janine Tanner and two-run blast to former Motorgirl Shelby Catalina (the 2012 softball MVP) in the fifth, but New York scores four runs in the sixth off of Jo Wei on Dana Thompson’s one-out shot and Sherri Johnson’s home run after two hits to win 10-5.

The Subways lose to the Auburn Warriors in their home opener 11-2, but win the set’s next games 2-1 and 4-0. They also drop 2014’s home opener to the Eureka Eagles after taking 15 of their last 16 ones.

Allison Holiday has 18 saves in the first eight weeks of 2013 and her team is 27-15 for first in the west when they play a four-game set against the Motorgirls in New York in late May. In the seventh of the second one with Eureka up 1-0, Holiday allows Dana Thompson’s triple. Kara Rau’s double ties the game and Sherri Johnson’s RBI single gives her team a 2-1 win. Holiday suffers not only her first blown save of 2013, but first in her career where she fails to get one out. New York sweeps the set. Eureka plays them at home in June for the second and final time in 2013 and lose the first game 3-2 after Holiday’s error scores the winning run in the seventh, but she does not get a loss. In the fifth, both teams score two. Eureka wins the next one 9-1 (New York scores its only run in the seventh in Crystal Lewis’ double after two walks off of Anita Casablanca, while Arielle Kerrigan allows just a hit and walk in the first six innings) and last 7-3.

Holiday's next blown save is in July in an interleague home set against the Subways. Eureka wins the first two games as she throws the seventh of the third with them up 1-0, allowing a one-out single. Her ex hits the 0-1 pitch into left for a shot. The ball was hit so hard, everyone right away knew it would leave the field. Eagle fans visibly show their anger. Dick Weaver doubles for his team’s sixth hit of this game to fit the number of hits Eureka gets. Holiday escapes the inning after a walk. Jim Hardy, who the night prior blew a save by allowing two runs in the seventh and give Eureka a 4-3 win, (but they are outhit 9-3, score two runs in the first and New York three in the fifth, strand two and hit into two double plays) retires them 1-2-3 this time. Holiday’s blown saves wasted great starts by Arielle Kerrigan, costing her wins each time.

The Subways fight the Motorgirls at Transit Stadium. Crystal Lewis hits an RBI double off of Jim Hardy in the first after a leadoff single. Joyce Camp’s single after a walk and strikeout scores Lewis. After a walk, shortstop James Cooper’s error at Joan Meadows’ ground ball makes it 3-0 Motorgirls. After Kara Rau’s single puts her team up 5-0 (the last run unearned), Hardy, who lasts 1/3 inning, the shortest start of any Subway pitcher in history, is pulled from the game. Meadows’ blast in the third off of Hugh Anderson makes it 6-0 Motorgirls. Sherri Johnson’s two-run double in the fourth puts them up 8-0. The Subways get on the board on Dick Weaver’s shot off of starter Kathie Petite in the bottom half. They get men at second and third in the sixth with no outs off of her as his single scores a run, then Cooper’s one-out single scores another. Dana Thompson in the ninth hits an RBI single with two on off of Zane Serena. In the lower half, Mario Ruiz hits a two-out RBI single off of Erica Beach before a strikeout ends this game. The Motorgirls win 9-4. Each team gets 12 hits and fight each other at Chase Field the next night. Jamie Wang hits a two-run shot in the second off of Erica Beach. Alex Morocco’s shot off of Bernie Hales cuts the Subways’ lead to 2-1 in the third. In the sixth after two relievers walk a man each, Alina Maroz permits Kris White’s RBI single. The Subways win it 3-1, but both teams get four hits. In both games, the losing team got no walks.

The Subways fight the Auburn Warriors 10 times in 2013. They sweep a three-game set in May at Auburn, then get swept in a four-match set there in July for the first time since 2004. The teams play three at New York in September. New York wins the first. The next one is tied 7-7 until Auburn hits three blasts for four runs in the 13th off of two relievers. In the bottom half, Andrea Bianchi’s bases-loaded wild pitch, Mario Ruiz’s sacrifice fly and Henry Williams’ two-run shot tie the game. The Subways win it next inning on first baseman Robin Lo’s bases-loaded, two-out error on Ruiz’s ground ball. The Warriors win the last.

In the first game of three at home versus the Colorado Racers, Jason Lieu for New York and Ariel Chung of the Racers (both Chinese) permit three solo homers each, Lieu to Sandy Myers in the third, fifth and seventh innings and Chung to Edward Edith in the fourth, James Cooper in the fifth and Dick Weaver in the sixth. The game is tied 3-3 when fellow Chinaman Jamie Wang ends it in the ninth with a solo blast off of Sydney Craig. New York wins the next one 13-6 with Mario Ruiz in the fifth hitting a game-busting grand slam. They lead 3-1 in the final one when they load the bases with one out off of two pitchers in the fifth, forcing Coach Gary Will to bring in Christian Finley, spouse of retired Youth League Softball player Jennifer Finley. He strikes out his close friend Jamie Wang, but Mario Ruiz sends the 2-0 pitch into center for a grand slam and be the first Subway to hit one in back-to-back games. They load the bases again after that, but Finley ends the inning by getting Edward Edith, who has only one grand slam in his entire career despite strong numbers with the bases loaded, to pop out. Colorado gets those runs back off of starter Jude Song in the sixth on Julio Rios’ single and Mandy Ly’s homer, both scoring two, but New York scores two in the lower half off of Sydney Craig via RBI singles from James Cooper and Dick Weaver to win 9-5 and finish the sweep. New York outhits Colorado 9-8, gets ten walks, strands 11 men and one is hit by a pitch.

New York plays a three-game set versus the Racers in Colorado a week later and take the first 6-5 on Marion Ramirez’s three-run blast in the ninth off of Ariel Chung. The next one features the debut starts of rookies Otto Sanders of the Racers and Luis Montana of New York. Montana allows a shot to Cameron Toller and double to Mandy Ly in the first, both scoring two, but his team in the second ties the game with Jacky Martinez hitting a leadoff shot. They lead 6-4 in the third on Hank Rutenberg’s blast and Martinez’s infield RBI single and knock Sanders from the game. The Racers tie it in the fourth on Sammy Bass’ two-run double off of Montana, but Martinez hits another leadoff shot in the fifth off of Eric Braun. New York leads 8-6 in the sixth on Kendrix Miller’s RBI single off of Braun and 10-6 via Marion Ramirez’s two-run homer in the seventh off of Sydney Craig. Colorado scores a run via Julio Rios’ fielder’s choice off of Jim Hardy in the bottom half. The Subways score four off of Craig in the ninth. With Colorado down 14-7 and an out, Coach Will shockingly has right fielder Rick Hague pitch for the first time in his career rather than go to the bullpen. He retires both men he faces as the Racers are retired in order in the inning’s lower half. Braun takes the loss, but Sanders and Craig suffer the bulk of the damage with each allowing six runs in 2 1/3 innings. The Subways fail to sweep the season series versus the Racers, though, losing the finale 16-2.

New York scores three runs on three hits in the second off of Terri Bell of the Philadelphia Hawks and besides a two-out single in the third, she retires them 1-2-3 in the other four innings she pitches. Carol DeVito throws five scoreless innings, allowing singles in the first and fourth. New York in the sixth scores five runs on seven hits off of Meghan Bore. Philly gets all of the runs back on three hits, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch off of DeVito and two relievers in the lower half, but New York wins the game 8-5 and series.

Jamie Wang homers in the first off of Blair Barbier versus the Storms in Chicago. His team scores four runs in the fourth off of him. Dylan Ike’s shot and Ricky Ting’s two-run shot in the lower half (where Chicago gets five hits) off of Zane Serena make it 5-3 Subways, who get those runs back in the fifth off of Ned Alan on James Cooper’s bases-loaded, on a hit and two walks, groundout and Marion Ramirez’s two-run double. Chicago cuts the lead back to two in the bottom half after two leadoff singles via Ike’s double, Devon Caruso’s single, and Erdinc Guney’s sacrifice fly off of Luis Montana as two walks load the bases, but they fail to score. Kendrix Miller’s three-run shot and Ramirez’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth off of Dakota Miranda put their team up 12-6. Miller’s shot after a two out walk next inning off of Stanley Baker puts them atop 14-6. The Storms score a run in the bottom half via Guney’s sacrifice fly off of Jude Song. His team scores two on Ramirez’s double in the eighth off of Joan Len and Miller’s third shot of the game next inning off of Bobby Eliot to win 16-7, but just outhits Chicago, who makes three errors, 15-13.

New York trails 8-3 versus the St. George Angels in Utah, but loads the bases in the seventh off of Bill Lee with one out. Mario Ruiz hits an RBI single. In relief, Michele Fey gets the second out, but Hank Rutenberg hits the at-bat’s 10th pitch into right. It just clears the outfield wall for a game-tying grand slam. Jacky Martinez hits a two-run shot in the eighth off of Timmy Hudson. His team scores two more runs off of Ethan Applegate that inning to win 12-8. Their starter Zane Serena allows six runs on three hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings. Michael Santiago gets the fourth’s last out, allows two runs on four hits in the fifth and hurls a 1-2-3 sixth. Three other relievers allow two walks, but no runs or hits for the rest of this game.

The Motorgirls face the Colorado Racers male team at home. In the fourth, Alex Morocco homers after a leadoff double off of Otto Sanders, but shots in the fifth by Sandy Myers and Cameron Toller off of starter Maria Abraham tie the game. Abraham after a single walks three two-out men. Laura Lee allows in the seventh two two-out singles. Myers hits a two-run double off of Veronica Rivera. The Racers win 5-2.

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