The Mob
Clapham Softball Club
Match report, 26 May
Following the disapointment of the first couple of games of the season it was clear that we really needed something from this game to keep us in the league hunt. The first inning opened with Sam leading off. The first play of the game rather set the tone for the whole affair; the ball trickled off the end of Sam's bat and landed just in front of him. The catcher for
the Kamikazes hadn't even picked up the ball by the time Sam made first base. We scored four runs in the first with some solid hitting and baserunning. The Khazi's replied with three. We continued our solid offense in the second, scoring three and increasing our lead by one.
Top 3rd: Mob 7 - 5 Khazi's
Things really kicked off in the third for us offensively with an eight run inning, sparked by a 3 run homer from Sam. Later in the innin with two mobsters (including the author) on base, Kendell decided to embarass the Khazi's pitcher with a fantastic three base hit which brought home a few more of the visiting team. Heaping insult upon injury we managed to keep the Kazi's to no runs in the bottom of the third. At this point Martin produced the catch of the evening: the batter popped the ball up such that it fell about 2m behind Tom. Martin, seeing that neither Tom or I (playing 2B at the time) had moved, made an amazing diving catch to embarass us both..
Top 4th: Mob 15 - 5 Kazi's
With Tom on base at the top of the fourth, Erika came up to bat. The second 3 base hit of the night for one of the Mob's female batters was made to look easy and Tom was brought home. I think it was at this point that Martin had possibly his most memorable and shortest at bat. Later, Martin explained that he was going for a shot down the left field line and so was
trying to hit the ball early. From my position on the visitors touchline I remember thinking that the pitch looked like it was going to be a bit short, in fact it landed six feet short of the plate. Despite this, Martin had decided that this was his pitch and lunged forward at the ball and missed as it bounced. There was a moment of silence as Martin knelt on the ground in front of home base with a look of shocked disbelief before everyone started cracking up. I heard one of the Kami's yell "good eye".. The next pitch was a bit of a gift and Martin dispatched it in his usual manner, lashing it past all of the Khazi's outfielders for a home run. We gave up four runs in the bottom of the fourth, there was some argument with the Kazi's as to what the score was however we were winning by quite a lot at this point so arguing whether it was 18-8 or 18-9 seemed a bit prissy..
Top 5th: Mob 18 - 9 Kazis (Al thinks this should be 18:8)
The fifth was our weakest inning offensively, we scored only one on a magnificent homer by Mark. The Kazi's replied with a homer of their own, if I recall correctly it was the ginger scottish bloke with the glasgow accent. We held them to just the one despite them getting several on base, our fielding was excellent. On one hit Mark made a great play to get the ball in from deep right field to make what could have been a triple into only a single. Martin, despite the continued jokes "its not a shovel!", made the stop of the evening by throwing himself on another decent Kazi's hit and not allowing the runners to advance.
We scored three more in the sixth, which the Kami's answered with another solo run. I can't remember what else happened, I think we saw some mistakes from the Kamis slightly over enthusiastic short stop and another play which sort of defined the game. Their short stop made the stop on a hit and ran ten meters to second base for an out instead of throwing to their inexperienced second baseman who was waiting for the throw. It highlighted to this author the fact that the Kami's seemed to have absolutely no confidence in their female players.. Contrast this to the
Mobs women who outclassed the guys in this game..
Top 7th: Mob 22 - 11 Kazis
So we're ten runs up with an inning to play, time for an epic mob collapse right? Wrong. The Kamis heads had gone down and the Mobsters exploded for nine more runs, not since the time last season when I was all three outs in an inning have I seen the team bat so well. Well done guys! The highlight of this inning was Tom's inspired and insane baserunning. Not content with having made it to second on a decent hit, Tom decided to go for third... and made it. But by the time he'd stopped he was a few feet past the bag and the third baseman had the ball so Tom decided to go for home in a ballsy but ultimately suicidal move as the Kamis easily made the
throw to home and tagged Tom out.
Mid 7th: Mob 31 - 11 Kazis
Could the Kazi's come up with an epic twenty run comeback in the final inning? No. In fact they came up with a strikeout and a couple of weak shots straight at Tom to end the game.
Mob 31 - 11 Kazi's - FINAL
I hope this has been a suitably epic match report for an epic bit of Mob offense. Joint star players for the Mob - Erika & Martin. I noticed this morning that every time they batted they made it all the way round for a run; 6 each! Good work guys.
Martin gets a mention too for his cricketing prowess.
by Dave
the Kamikazes hadn't even picked up the ball by the time Sam made first base. We scored four runs in the first with some solid hitting and baserunning. The Khazi's replied with three. We continued our solid offense in the second, scoring three and increasing our lead by one.
Top 3rd: Mob 7 - 5 Khazi's
Things really kicked off in the third for us offensively with an eight run inning, sparked by a 3 run homer from Sam. Later in the innin with two mobsters (including the author) on base, Kendell decided to embarass the Khazi's pitcher with a fantastic three base hit which brought home a few more of the visiting team. Heaping insult upon injury we managed to keep the Kazi's to no runs in the bottom of the third. At this point Martin produced the catch of the evening: the batter popped the ball up such that it fell about 2m behind Tom. Martin, seeing that neither Tom or I (playing 2B at the time) had moved, made an amazing diving catch to embarass us both..
Top 4th: Mob 15 - 5 Kazi's
With Tom on base at the top of the fourth, Erika came up to bat. The second 3 base hit of the night for one of the Mob's female batters was made to look easy and Tom was brought home. I think it was at this point that Martin had possibly his most memorable and shortest at bat. Later, Martin explained that he was going for a shot down the left field line and so was
trying to hit the ball early. From my position on the visitors touchline I remember thinking that the pitch looked like it was going to be a bit short, in fact it landed six feet short of the plate. Despite this, Martin had decided that this was his pitch and lunged forward at the ball and missed as it bounced. There was a moment of silence as Martin knelt on the ground in front of home base with a look of shocked disbelief before everyone started cracking up. I heard one of the Kami's yell "good eye".. The next pitch was a bit of a gift and Martin dispatched it in his usual manner, lashing it past all of the Khazi's outfielders for a home run. We gave up four runs in the bottom of the fourth, there was some argument with the Kazi's as to what the score was however we were winning by quite a lot at this point so arguing whether it was 18-8 or 18-9 seemed a bit prissy..
Top 5th: Mob 18 - 9 Kazis (Al thinks this should be 18:8)
The fifth was our weakest inning offensively, we scored only one on a magnificent homer by Mark. The Kazi's replied with a homer of their own, if I recall correctly it was the ginger scottish bloke with the glasgow accent. We held them to just the one despite them getting several on base, our fielding was excellent. On one hit Mark made a great play to get the ball in from deep right field to make what could have been a triple into only a single. Martin, despite the continued jokes "its not a shovel!", made the stop of the evening by throwing himself on another decent Kazi's hit and not allowing the runners to advance.
We scored three more in the sixth, which the Kami's answered with another solo run. I can't remember what else happened, I think we saw some mistakes from the Kamis slightly over enthusiastic short stop and another play which sort of defined the game. Their short stop made the stop on a hit and ran ten meters to second base for an out instead of throwing to their inexperienced second baseman who was waiting for the throw. It highlighted to this author the fact that the Kami's seemed to have absolutely no confidence in their female players.. Contrast this to the
Mobs women who outclassed the guys in this game..
Top 7th: Mob 22 - 11 Kazis
So we're ten runs up with an inning to play, time for an epic mob collapse right? Wrong. The Kamis heads had gone down and the Mobsters exploded for nine more runs, not since the time last season when I was all three outs in an inning have I seen the team bat so well. Well done guys! The highlight of this inning was Tom's inspired and insane baserunning. Not content with having made it to second on a decent hit, Tom decided to go for third... and made it. But by the time he'd stopped he was a few feet past the bag and the third baseman had the ball so Tom decided to go for home in a ballsy but ultimately suicidal move as the Kamis easily made the
throw to home and tagged Tom out.
Mid 7th: Mob 31 - 11 Kazis
Could the Kazi's come up with an epic twenty run comeback in the final inning? No. In fact they came up with a strikeout and a couple of weak shots straight at Tom to end the game.
Mob 31 - 11 Kazi's - FINAL
I hope this has been a suitably epic match report for an epic bit of Mob offense. Joint star players for the Mob - Erika & Martin. I noticed this morning that every time they batted they made it all the way round for a run; 6 each! Good work guys.
Martin gets a mention too for his cricketing prowess.
by Dave
The Mob Roster
Al Morin, Dave Stock, Mark Carroll, Martin Harrod, Sam Gibb-Cohen, Tom Getgood
Erika Hertel, Kendell Kennedy, Sarah Hamnett, Sarah Giles, Stephanie Hawkes
Man of the Match:
Erika Hertel, Kendell Kennedy, Sarah Hamnett, Sarah Giles, Stephanie Hawkes
Man of the Match: