Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Veteran's Day: Yomtov and Kogan Lead Bullets Past The Daily Show

The third time's the charm, as the DC Bullets finally upended The Daily Show, 11-4, in Monday evening softball action. Each of the past two seasons found The Daily Show squad triumphing over the Bullets in walk-off fashion. This year, after falling into an early deficit, the comic book makers scored eleven unanswered runs to win the game going away.

The bats, however, started sluggishly. In the first, Nel Yomtov and Mike Lorah singled with one out, but both were left stranded. Sal Cipriano led off the second inning with a rifle-shot single to left, but never advanced past second base. Jon Stewart's minions seized the early advantage, plating three runs in the bottom of the first (a three-run bomb by only their third batter of the game) and one more in the second, carrying a 4-0 lead into the third inning.

The second time through the line-up, the Bullets found their mojo. Five consecutive one-out hits propelled DC to the lead. Nel bashed a triple to the opposite field, scoring easily on Mike's ground single into left. Clean-up hitter Jay Kogan followed with the team's first home run of the 2012 season, a game-tying smash into deep right center. Back-to-back singles by Pat Brosseau and Sal set up to the go-ahead run. Laura Demoreuille grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Sal at second, but Pat took advantage of an inattentive defense and sprinted home with the lead run. Allison Dugas-Behan grounded out to end the rally, but DC never looked back.

After a long fly out by Blake Kobashigawa to start the fourth, Neil Hiremath singled through the middle. Nel Yomtov shot a double down the right field line, and Neil raced home from third when the throw back to the infield bounced off Nel's back. Nel took third on the ricochet and scored on Mike's ground out. Jay added a two-out single before Pat grounded out to end the frame.

Batting around in the fifth, the Bullets added four more runs. Sal singled, Laura grounded out, and Alli singled. Then Blake demolished a towering fly to deep left, which skipped off the end of the leaping fielder's glove, scoring Sal easily. Neil and Nel each plated another run with singles, and after Mike's roller to third forced Neil there, Jay hammered a two-out RBI hit to left. Pat grounded out to wrap the inning.

A final run tallied in the sixth, as Sal singled, advanced on Alli's one-out grounder, and crossed the plate on Blake's base hit. Wrapping the offensive output, Jay continued his torrid hitting, collecting a one-out double, the Bullets' only seventh inning baserunner.

Pitcher Pat Brosseau and the Bullet defense held The Daily Show down for the final five innings, preventing a single run from scoring. Neil and Jay, in particular, ran down several well struck flies to squelch TDS rallies, and Pat came off the mound like a cat to field several infield choppers. Also, well wishes to rehabbing Bullets star Andrew Arnold, whose lower back seized up during pre-game warm-ups.

The Bullets (2-0) meet Random House on Thursday at our home field, North Meadow #2 in Central Park.

Bullet Box:
CF Neil Hiremath - 2-5, R, RBI
SS Nel Yomtov - 4-5, 3 R, RBI, double, triple
3B Mike Lorah - 2-5, R, 2 RBI
LF Jay Kogan - 4-5, R, 3 RBI, double, home run
P Pat Brosseau - 1-5, R
2B Sal Cipirano - 4-4, 2 R
1B Laura Demoreuille - 0-4
C Allison Dugas-Behan - 1-4, R
RF Blake Kobashigawa - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, double

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