TPG Ties HMB/RAMSA in a 6-6 Pitcher's Duel

Them (HMB/RAMSA):  Two-time defending champions, 40-4-2 regular season record over the past five years, new team jersey with championship banners embroidered on their sleeves.

Us (TPG):  Just trying to make the playoffs every year (and only succeeding about 50% of the time), 25-21 regular season record over that same 5 year time frame, angry that RAMSA's new team jersey was unveiled before our eyes.

Basically, Rocky 1.  The only people who gave us a shot, were ourselves.  But we had fight.  We had spirit.  And we were ready for battle.

It is not every day that a 6-6 game can be called a pitcher's duel.  But with exactly 1 earned run between the two teams over 8 full innings of play, that is precisely what RAMSA Pitcher David "I lost track of how many pitcher-of-the-year awards i have won" Solomon and TPG Pitcher Derrek "The Mouth" Blocker gave us.

The game started out bleak for TPG, as RAMSA scored 3 in the the first (1 earned) on sloppy play by the defense.  Unable to muster any offense against their "I don't have enough room on my mantle for all my pitching trophies" pitcher, TPG was scoreless after 3 innings.  RAMSA tacked on 3 more in the bottom of the 3rd on yet more errors and defensive miscues.  It would have been easy to give up having just staked the defending champions to a 6-0 lead.  But give up was not a word in our vocabulary...

In the top of the 5th TPG rallied.  2B Louis "Baseball is in my DNA" Herrera and RF Josh "Shufflefoot" Ginsburg started us off with back-to-back singles, and ended up scoring a on a series of errors by the usually stellar RAMSA defense. We had hope, and now trailed only 6-2.

Time to unleash the secret and not-so-secret weapons.  Princess "It is impossible for a pitcher to throw me a strike" Salvacion led off the 6th with a walk, followed by back-to-back errors bringing up the early season front-runner for team MVP SS Tommy "Guns" Anderson with bases loaded down four runs.  Tommy would not disappoint as he crushed a line drive over everyone's head for a game tying grand slam.

 
After the game, David Solomon commented that this was the first time in his entire SLAM career that he gave up a 6-run lead.  Our heart cries for you David, really.  That sound you hear?  The smallest violin in the world playing in sympathy just for you.

Our team photographer, Vu Tran was in attendence again, and you can see the rest of his photos from the game here:  https://plus.google.com/photos/109111179680946945239/albums/5742398289459189905?authkey=CKum17rfo-TIUQ

Game balls go to Derek Blocker for only giving up 1 earned run over 8 innings, Josh Ginsburg for another 3-3 day, and of course to Tommy Anderson for the hit of the season, a game tying grand slam - his 3rd HR this season in as many games.