Rivarly Matches on Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend was quite a weekend for rivalries old and new in the MAVBBL this past week. The Elizabeth Resolutes renewed their longtime rivalry with the Gothams from New York, while the Old Dominion Club from Virginia started a new one with one of its sister clubs, the Chesapeake Nine from Baltimore. What was probably the biggest match of the weekend though featured the Cecil Club of Chesapeake City playing their rivals, the Eclipse BBC of Elkton.

In a match that saw two of last year’s playoff clubs, it was highly anticipated on both club’s schedules. In the first game of the day, the Eclipse shook off some cobwebs and after a 3-3 tie after 4 innings, the Elkton Nine broke out the bats with 5 runs to take a 8-3 lead after 5 innings. The Eclipse added on run after run until the final score at the end of the first game was 20-10 in favor of the veterans from Elkton. In the second game of the day, the Cecils jumped out to a 6-1 lead and it looked like they would cruise to a series tie. However, the Eclipse kept chipping at the lead until it was 9-6 going into the bottom of the 7th inning. The Eclipse showed that they could play under pressure and scored 3 aces to tie it up after 7 innings in what was to be a 7 inning game. After holding the Cecils scoreless in the 8th, Glyn “Hammer” Richards was up first in the bottom frame. One the first pitch, Hammer drilled it over 370 feet and ran safely to all four bases in a game ending home run to sweep the match.

Gothams-Resolutes

On a wonderful day for base ball, the Gotham BBC inaugurated their home field with a match against their long time rivals the Resolutes BBC. Needless to say the Resolutes were resolutely on the field long before the slow Gotham players. The logistics of getting to the field on time by ferry, cart, walking, horse, carriage, and perambulator proved daunting for even the most timely of Gotham player, Bugs. Eventually, the Gotham players showed up and we had a match.
Game 1 1864 Rules The Gotham BBC started the match at the line. Wickets hit a screeching hit to short stop who threw it away to 1st base. Wickets would eventually end up at 3rd base. He scored an ace on Sleepy’s legitimate 3 base hit. Bugs and Stacks left him standing there. In the bottom of the frame, the Resolutes scored 0 aces. In the top of the 2nd frame, Weed got on base but was left at 2nd base by Hanky and Muffin-Ben. In the bottom of the 2nd frame, the Resolutes scored 2 aces. In the top of the 3rd frame, Scratch hit a 2 base hit and came home on Keystone’s 1 base hit. In the bottom of the 3rd frame, the Resolutes did not score. By the end of the 3rd frame, the score was Gotham BBC 2 Resolutes 2.
In the 4th frame, Sleepy scored an ace on a 1 base hit, stolen base and an out by Smoke. The Resolutes scored 1 ace in their half of the 4th. That was the last frame the Gotham BBC scored. The Resolutes scored 2 more aces in the 6th frame. The final score was Gotham BBC 3 Resolutes 5.

After a brief respite the teams were rejuvenated for another match. Wickets used his omniscient skills of a master field general and assigned Keystone the responsibility of creating a lineup. Keystone used his intense research skills and knowledge of his teammate’s batting prowess to place the impressive, yet light hitting, Smoke as the Gotham BBC’s table-setter. Smoke took to the challenge and didn’t get on base all game. However, Keystone’s idea of putting Scratch at 5th was brilliant.
The Resolutes scored 0 aces in their half of the frame. Keystone having seen Smoke fly out to 1b, hit himself aboard, stole 2nd, 3rd and came home on Wickets 1 base hit. Wickets scared his teammates silly by stealing 2nd and 3rd. Sleepy relieved his teammates by smacking a massive 4 base hit that allowed Wickets to stroll home. Scratch hit a 1 base hit, stole 2nd and 3rd base. He was thrown out at 4th base trying to get home on Weed’s 1 base hit to left field. Nice play by the Resolute left fielder. The Gotham BBC scored 3 aces that frame. The Resolutes scored 0 aces in their half of the frame. In the 2nd and 3rd frame both teams were kept off the board. By the end of the 3rd frame, the score was Gotham BBC 3 Resolutes 0.
In the 4th frame, the Resolutes scored 0 aces. In the bottom of the 4th frame, Sleepy hit a 1 base hit, stole 2 bases and scored an ace on Scratch’s 1 base hit. He stole 2 bases and came home on Weed’s 1 base hit. Neither team scored an ace. In the 6th frame the Resolutes scored their 1st ace. In the bottom of the 6th frame, Keystone got a 1 base hit, stole 2 bases and came home on Sleepy’s 2 base hit. Sleepy stole 3rd base and came home on Scratch’s 2 base hit. At the end of the 6th frame, the score was Gotham BBC 7 Resolutes 1.
In the 7th frame neither team scored. In the 8th frame, the Resolutes did not score. In the bottom of the 8th frame, Wickets on 2nd base watched Sleepy hit a massive 2 base hit to right field and strolled to 3rd base! Gadzooks! Run! Please! No Gotham scored an ace that frame. The top half of the 9th frame, the Resolutes scored 2 aces and that’s all they could muster. The final score was Gotham BBC 7 Resolutes 3.

Chessies-Old Dominions

Under beautiful skies and warm–but thankfully not too warm–weather this past Sunday (May 27) at Jerusalem Mill Village, the Chesapeake Nine of Baltimore opened their home season on the right side of the ledger with two victories over the brand new Old Dominion Nine of Northern Virginia: 7-5 and 11-2. Both matches were very well played, spirited, sportsmanlike, and enjoyable to take part in, as well they should since the contests were essentially a friendly “family squabble.”

It was a total team effort on Sunday with all Chesapeakes contributing at the dish, in the pitcher’s box, and out in the field. Of special note, in the first match, Silver Fox cleared the bases with a majestic, three-run single to right field. ‘Twas Mantle-esque. In that same match, Vassar, from her position behind the dish, threw out two aspiring OD base thieves in the same inning! In the second contest, Spanks, occupying the hot corner, closed out the match in style. Hoping to extend OD’s final at bat, the OD striker sent a blistering one hopper to the hole between third and short. Spanks lunged out and with one hand speared what looked like a sure hit to left. He then doubled up the OD runner trying to advance to second. Two outs in as many ticks of the clock. Huzzahs to all!