HMA ROLLS TO 3-0 WITH BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS

After a somewhat rocky start to the season against RRA/DBB, HMA/RAMSA has once again taken its familiar spot atop the SLAM League standings. There had been many whispers through the trees of Central Park that HMA/RAMSA would suffer a mental hangover from the bitter disappointment of last season’s SLAM finals. If that’s the case, it sure hasn’t shown on the field…yet. And some members of the team will say there’s a new edge to the Orange Crush this season--a chip on their collective shoulders for coming up short each of the last 2 post seasons.

GAME ONE RECAP (April 15th): The final score of the first game of the season (14-7) doesn’t do justice to how close and competitive the first game actually was. Down 1-0 after the top of the first inning, HMA/RAMSA started the 2010 campaign with a bang as they put up 4 runs in the bottom of the first inning for a 4-1 lead. Included in the hit parade was former ROY Mike Sargent’s homerun to deep left center, marking the second time in two seasons that Mike homered in his first AB of the year. After a scoreless second, RRA/DBB continued to pound the aging two-time pitcher of the year, with 4 runs in the third inning, followed by one run each in the fourth and fifth to take a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the 5th inning…when the HMA/RAMSA bats woke up from their slumber.

After the leadoff men got on base in the 5th inning, Doug Neri came through with a 2-RBI single up the middle to put the Orange ahead 8-7 (a lead that would not be relinquished). Two batters latter, aging pitcher David Solomon who couldn’t get it going with his arm on this day, decided to find redemption in the form of his bat with a 2-run HR down the leftfield line. Scouts clocked his time around the bases somewhere around 45.5 seconds, a new personal record.

HMA/RAMSA tacked on 4 more runs in the 6th inning to secure the 14-7 victory. Game balls were handed out to Doug Neri (3-3 with 3 runs and 3 RBI, one awful defensive play)

GAME TWO RECAP (April 19th): With a new starting pitcher and revamped batting order, HMA/RAMSA shook off the Game One rust and returned to 2009 form as they dominated MGA with an 11-0 victory on the Great Lawn.

Doug Neri made his SLAM League debut on the mound as David Solomon could only watch from the sidelines in this one. Neri did nothing to disappoint as he threw 4 innings of shutout softball, walking only one and relying on his stellar defense behind him. Offensively, HMA/RAMSA controlled the game as they have so many times in the past few seasons with runs early and often. With 3 consecutive doubles from the middle of the lineup, HMA put up 5 runs in the first inning yet again; and followed that up with another 4 runs in the second inning to stake a 9-0 lead. From there, the defense and pitching took care of the game as Neri continued to baffle the MGA bats.

Game balls were handed out to CF Brian Barney drove in 5 runs on the afternoon with his 2 hits and RF Pete Garofalo scored 3 runs on his 2-2 afternoon.

GAME THREE RECAP (May 6th): After a very heated best-of-three playoff series in 2009 which saw all three games decided by one run, HMA/RAMSA and FxFowle renewed their rivalry on Thursday afternoon. Unlike so many of their recent regular season matchups however, this one was pretty much over early as FxFowle was clearly without several starters from a year ago, including pitcher Manny Morales who arrived late to the field and missed the first inning (and by that time the damage had been done).

After scoring 22 first-inning runs a year ago, and 9 already in their first two games this season, HMA/RAMSA sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning, setting a team record for runs and AB’s in an inning. It was not a pretty inning all around with 4 walks, 2 reached on errors and a few hits sprinkled in. When the dust had settled HMA/RAMSA plated 8 runs. An inning later, with 2 runs already scored in the inning, Mike Sargent stepped to the plate and hit a booming 2-run HR to left center for a 12-0 lead. It was Mike’s second homer of the young season.

In the field, things were just as sharp as HMA/RAMSA kept FxFowle off the scoreboard thanks to some flawless defense and timely pitching. It marked the first time in the team’s history that back-to-back shutouts had been thrown (no less by different pitchers) as HMA moved to 3-0 atop the SLAM league standings.

Next up on the schedule: The Big Red Machine of Gensler (also 3-0) in a battle of unbeatens on Monday, May 17th. The World will be watching.