4/20/06: The Game

April 20, 2006

Where were you at on Thursday, the 27th day of April, 2006 at 4:42 PM Pacific Standard Time? That is a question that was asked worldwide after one of the most improbable finishes in sports, no, make that one of the greatest feats in the history of man. A “rag tag” group of disc jockey flunkies one-upped even a story like David and Goliath and every other underdog story that fell well short of the scene that took place on the hallowed ground we know as intramural field one.
When the sun rose on the field that morning and melted away the dew on the grass, no one could have imagined the spectacle that would take place that afternoon. As the two teams approached the field and began to warm up, even the people who know nothing of the game could notice that the KEOL 91.7er’s were out of their league against this muscular, athletic, and experienced Slugger team. What the Sluggers did not know was that only people who knew that KEOL had a chance, was KEOL.
The first inning began with a bang as the Sluggers took an early three run lead due to “faulty maintenance” and “uneven ground” as stated by the 91.7er manager after the game, which turned into four quick early errors. Even with the sloppy fielding, which was not the players faults I must add again, the 91.7er’s left the opening inning with a commanding 6-3 lead off a Miguel Valdez grand slam.
I use the term “commanding” loosely because that lead was erased in about ten minutes after a six run second inning by the Sluggers. The 91.7’ers Cinderella opening seemed to be just that, just an opening, as they were outscored seven to three over the next three innings. The team everyone wanted to see win, “America’s Team” if you will, seemed to be out of gas, in a game that only lasted five innings. But what do the best teams do in pressure? Good. Good is the answer, and that’s just what KEOL did on that day.
With a look that would terrify even Bobby Knight on their faces, the 91.7er’s were determined to win over this highly classless bunch. Shakespeare himself could not have written a better ending to a game full of taunting and constant ridicule of the underdog. KEOL found themselves in quite a hole in the bottom of the fifth and final chance with a seven run deficit, 16-9. Despite the Sluggers 23 man roster, KEOL only had 10 players and all would bat in this final inning. James Mayfield and Richard Abrams would combine for five early RBI’s which was amazing, but second to the incredible speed exhibited by James Hatch beating out a bang-bang play to first base. That short 60 yard run will be remembered as the turning point of this game.
So after five runs were scored and no outs were on the scoreboard, which has yet to built but in this case we’ll run with the cliché, the Slugger’s looked a bit worried and KEOL began to think why just get two more runs? Let’s go for the whole thing and win it. With that determination and drive, I like to think I set up one of the greatest single plays in the history of modern intramural softball. I hit a strategically planned ball through the tiny gap between short and second base, and by strategic I mean I closed my eyes and swung the bat and the ball went somewhere. The rally seemed to be at an abrupt end when Devin Smith and Ryan Quarles followed my hit with consecutive fly-outs to center field, which were not even deep enough to advance a base runner with speed like mine. So KEOL was down to their last out and backed in a corner, but this seemed to be the fuel they needed.
Valdez and rookie Cody Riggs followed with timely singles to load the bases. So it was all down to this, the bottom of the last inning, opening day, does it get any better than that? Yes. Obviously, but for ten guys who have no talent when it comes to softball, this was the moment they had been setting up their whole softball lives for. Nick Smith approached the plate with a confident look and with sheer determination took the first pitch he got, rules say you can only have two, and sent it deep to left field in the air. A routine play it seemed, but just as smart players are suppose to, Valdez, Riggs, and myself all began moving around the bags, and it’s a good thing we did. We can call it a gift from the softball gods, maybe we just deserved it, or maybe a bug flew in the left fielder’s eye, whatever the case, the ball was bobbled and dropped. This set off mayhem, I crossed the plate, Valdez soon followed with the tying run, and Riggs appeared to be stopping at third, but he shocked us all and did not. With a grin that could only be appreciated by a blind man, Riggs rounded third and shocked us all. The throw came into home and Cody slid, and for the second time in that one play the ball was dropped.
It seemed to be the longest 20 seconds of my life, but from when the play started to the end, it was unforgettable. When that ball hit the ground, I think the celebration that would follow might have been heard in Portland. It was our home field which made the celebration even sweeter, we’ve never lost at home and the streak continues, or maybe because this was our first game ever. Whatever the case maybe, we, the KEOL 91.7er’s, the team that no one believed in, the little guy won the game, 17-16, an immaculate eight run last at bat.
We may lose every game for the rest of the season, which we will not, but if we do, we will never forget what happened that beautiful Eastern Oregon afternoon, when ten regular guys did immortal feats. Whether it was the winning slide, winning hit, game changing run to first, or Scott Jensen’s two strikeouts against his own team, we will always have April 27, 2006. Smith put together an emotional impromptu post game speech that maybe side to side with the Gettysburg Address someday. He said clearly to all the DJ’s, “Let no one forget what has taken place on this field today! For the rest of the year let everyone know what has happened!” With this story I believe I have done a small part. I thought it was going to be difficult to express the emotion I felt on the field that day, but I believe I got the feeling across. If you would like to see what heaven looks like in motion and in the present, just make yourself to field one and watch one of the KEOL 91.7’er games, satisfaction is guaranteed. I’ll conclude with the irony that in the last issue I wrote about another underdog in George Mason University and their final four run, I had no idea I would ever see something more incredible and be a part of it. I believe I ended the last one with when picking a winner, “Go with your heart, and don’t forget about the Cinderella.” Well for KEOL, midnight has yet to strike.