Feb. 13, 2007 — The National Guard Hummers made short work of the Divi Dolphins Monday night in the Bob Owens slow pitch softball league by dispatching them in a 10-mercy-ruled five innings, 17 – 5. The hitting star for the Hummers was their unheralded extra hitter Donald Woodley, who in the third inning not only hit his first home run of his career (to the delight of his teammates and Hummers fans), but also crushed the game clincher in the bottom of the fifth to have the 10-run mercy rule enforced at 17-5.
After the Dolphins failed to score in the top of the first, the Hummers came up with three runs to lead 3-0 after one inning. They scored three runs on a two-run shot by Neal Davis and a solo shot by Edgardo Sanes.
The Dolphins again failed to score in the top of the second, and the Hummers came up with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning on a couple of Dolphins errors to lead 5-0 after two innings.
The Dolphins finally got on the board in the top of the third, the only inning they would score in the game, with five runs on two, two-run home runs by Juan Burgos and Lebbius Gittens and a solo shot by Juan Ayana to briefly tie the game 5-5. But the Hummers erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the inning on two-run home runs by Sanes and Wade Roserie, a three-run shot by Woodley and an RBI-single by Randy Nelson to lead 13-5 at the end of three.
After a scoreless fourth, the stage was set for Woodley’s game-winning blast. After the Hummers scored one run on Nelson’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, the next batter, Woodley, hit the first pitch he saw over the right centerfield fence for the game winning, three-run blast.
Roy Vialet pitched the win for the Hummers, while Roman Cruz took the loss for the Dolphins. Top hitters for the Hummers were Woodley (2-for-3, with two home runs and six RBIs), Sanes (2-for-3, two home runs and three RBIs), and Nelson (3-for-3, with three RBIs). For the Dolphins, Gittens was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and Ayana was 3-for-3, with a home run and one RBI.
Game 2: Cartel 16, Wyatt Heat 13
The Cartel knocked the Heat out of first place Monday night with an upsetting, 16-13 win in a seesaw battle. Troy Lee Ling pitched a strong game to pick up the victory for the Cartel, while Bill Harris took the loss for the Heat. Top hitters for the Cartel were Rocky Belardo (3-for-4, with three home runs and nine RBIs), Stanley McIntosh (3-for-3, with a home run and three RBIs), and James Smith (2-for-3, with a home run and two RBIs). For the Heat, Steve Rosario was 4-for-4, with a home run and three RBIs; Spencer Hendrickson went 4-for-4, with a home run and two RBIs; and David Gonzalez was 3-for-4, with a home run and one RBI.