Summer Co-ed Softball at Irving Park Monday/Wednesday

Spirits were high and uniforms were clean and neatly pressed for opening night softball at Irving Park. The second game scheduled for the evening was team Where My Pitches At? vs. Underhanded Compliments, two teams looking to make a name for themselves early in the season. Underhanded Compliments bats were hot from the get go, scoring 9 runs in the first innings and never looking back for the rest of the game. Their defense was just as strong, led by the left center fielder Steven Novak. His eye for the ball and making timely outs was on display for the entire game. Nothing could stop Steven dominating the basepath and scoring runs at will as well...not even a knock to the noggin by a throw from left field while crossing home plate.

Steven's solid skills and great sportsmanship were witnessed by all...thanks for bringing your style of play to Underdog softball.

Catcher...an often overlooked and underappreciated postition in softball. The responsibilities are endless...calling the pitches, directing the positioning of the defense, shutting down runners at home plate and protecting the umpire to name just a few.
Charlotte Morrow of team Electroluminators does not have years of experience behind the plate, yet her ability to catch on quickly ensured her team a victory in the 6:00 game vs Bad Mittens. Her pitch selection and ability to keep her pitchers calm and on point was on full display for the entire game.
Fans, family members, a young male heckler in the stands...Charlotte's skills and obvious enjoyment of the game was witnessed by all at Irving Park on Wednesday.

A defensive star was born during the 7:00pm game between Underhanded Compliments and Electroluminators at Irving Park on Wedneday evening. Was it a left fielder with one amazing catch after another to rob potential extra base hits...negative. Perhaps it was a shortstop who turned an unassisted triple play to end a potential game changing rally...wrong again.
The defensive wizard for the evening was Dave Backen of the Electroluminators, a pitcher well known for his curveball and pinpoint accuracy. He took his game to a new level this evening, knocking down ground ball after ground ball, throwing out runners from every possible angle on his knees and backside. Dave's effort and skills with the leather was appreciated by all who witnessed this evening.

The much anticipated game between Underhanded Compliments and Therminators lived up to all of the hype and then some at Irving Park on Wednesday. Both teams were evenly matched on paper & battled each other for seven amazing innings on a night sure to be remembered by the players involved.
Leading the charged for team Therminators was Patrick F, a veteran player whose pinpoint accuracy and defensive skills on the mound kept his team in the game until the very end. A four run bomb in the top of the 7th capped an all around terrific game by a man who embodies what is best about Underdog softball.

The knuckleball...a pitch attempted by many and master by few in the game of softball. The 6:00 game at Irving Park featured Mike Stone, pitcher for PECI Kiler Watts whose concern regarding his ERA came in a distant second to his passion for mastering this pitch of all pitches. At times a thing of beauty, at times barely making it halfway to the plate..the pitch definitely kept Therminators on their toes throughout the game. Even though his team came up short on the scoreboard, Mike's affection for the pitch inspired many at the ballpark on Wednesday night.

Now this guy is just a leader... You don't know this, but he was absent last week because he was at a pitching camp to be able to lead his team better from the mound. He pitched them inside, outside and even some up the middle and he made huge plays. What a leader this guy is...I think they taught him some other things ass well because his hitting tonight was on the money, big hits and big defensive plays wow amazing. And best of all his lovely wife was there supporting him through it all...He did lead by example (ok the pitching camp wasn't true it just seemed like it cause he played soooo well) Great job!