SEEING RED: HMA/RAMSA TAKES DOWN GENSLER 10-3 ON NORTH MEADOW #11

Though it seems like it’s been raining for 2 weeks straight, the heavens parted on Tuesday evening to allow Gensler and HMA/RAMSA renew their rivalry on the softball field—in fact, some have even suggested that God himself parted the clouds to watch two of the elite teams in the SLAM League. A year ago, HMA/RAMSA defeated Gensler 7-6 to start the season but infamously fell short in the playoffs while Gensler went on to repeat as league champions. As the great philosopher Ric Flair famously proclaims: “In order to be the man, you must beat the man…..WOOOOOOO!”

HMA/RAMSA scored yet again in the first inning—their 12th first inning run of the season—to take an early 1-0 lead as Pete Garofalo came around to score the first of his three runs on the day. After getting retired 1-2-3 in the first inning, Gensler struck back in the second with a couple of hits and a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 1-1. The floodgates were opened in the 3rd inning as HMA/RAMSA scored three unearned runs on a pair of groundball errors by normally sure-handed 3B Robert Fuller to take a 4-1 lead.

From that point in the game, HMA/RAMSA never looked back as they tacked on 3 more runs in each the 4th and 5th innings. Doug “I Used To Play SS” Houstoun, in his second game back from a wrist injury, doubled in the 4th inning to drive in his first 2 runs of the season. In the 5th inning, Gensler pitcher Joe Sopiak, who had fallen behind hitters all day long, struggled to find the plate as he walked the first two hitters of the inning. Those baserunners eventually came around to score on a rope by LF Eric Hofmann, who bloodied his knee earlier in the game sliding into third base. (It took that long for a bloody knee?) Gensler added a run in the 4th and 7th inning to bring the final score to 10-3.

It was the third consecutive win for the Orange Crush who have now moved their record to 5-1 on the season. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for HMA/RAMSA with upcoming games—weather permitting of course—against the first place and only undefeated team remaining in the SLAM League, PCF/HH (3-0) and then belated fireworks on July 6th against the mighty warriors of SSC.

GAME BALLS…..We can’t single out any 2 people who contributed to the win so we’re handing one out to the entire team for timely hitting, excellent defense and just enough pitching to quiet the Gensler bats for one evening in Central Park.

Until we meet again, Big Red….perhaps this year in the playoffs