Double Kill!

After downing the Scorpions, the Wildcards defeat the Colts in dramatic fashion and go 2-0 on double-header weekend.

During one of the hottest days of 2007, the Wildcards proved that they're one of the hottest teams in the Willowdale League.

In game one of their double-header, the Wildcards soundly defeated the Scorpions 15-9 in an abbreviated 7-inning game. Despite a valiant effort on the Scorpions part, the game was never in question as the Wildcards jumped out to an early 5-0 lead to begin the game. 2B Blue San Luis noted that while their opponents had improved, they were still not without their old flaws.

"They're better than before. Offensively they're sharper, but we were able to take advantage of their defensive lapses."

The Wildcards also exploited the Scorpions weaknesses on the mound. At the end of 7 innings, the 'Cards had drawn seven walks, five of which scored.

But the real story of the day was the second leg of the double-header. In a game echoing the competitiveness of their earlier bout with the Warriors, the Wildcards pulled off a thrilling 13-12 victory against their old rivals the Colts in front of a capacity crowd.

"I think everybody wanted that game really badly, just because of the history we have with them." said R Bubba Nisperos. "Even during the game I sensed that there was a lot of tension between us."

Fans may recall that it was the Colts who ran up the score on the Wildcards last season, but the game ultimately ended in a forfeit due to use of illegal bats.

After the game was tied in the top of the 9th on an inside-the-park homerun by Meat, SS Franchise Fernando backed his self-proclamation. With OF r3z Salehoun at first base and two out, the Franchise hit a deep fly to the gap in right field. Most thought that the ball was gone, including Geebs Chong.

"My heart stopped when the ball was in the air. I thought it was a homerun, which would've been awesome. But when I saw that it wasn't caught, I knew it was over."

Outfielder Ray Mierins looked to have a beat on the ball, but seemed to have trouble once he neared the warning track.

"He looked like he was going to get it, but it looked like he sort of let up in the end." C Kiddo Wong noted. "I think he had trouble playing it off the wall."

After the game, the Franchise described what was going through his head as he was at the plate with two out and the game on the line. "I kept telling my self, 'Don't mess this up, don't mess this up.' I just saw my Mahkmuud (Salehoun) on first, and knew I needed to hit a ball hard to give him a chance to score. Honestly though, I would have been just as happy if anyone else hit that winning hit because I really just wanted to win the game." The Franchise also broke his streak of games without an extra base hit at four. He finished game two at 3-for-5 with a single, double, and triple, including the game-winning RBI.

The game marks the second time the Wildcards have held an offensive powerhouse to just 12 runs. It is exemplary of a defence that incited frustration all afternoon long, as seen on the faces of Mierins, Meat, and Ichiro.

Despite being a hard-fought contest, the Colts only led the game for half an inning. They scored three runs in the top of the 7th to take a 10-8 lead. However, the Wildcards have in the past displayed a propensity to respond quickly. In the bottom half of the inning the Wildcards answered to the tune of four runs.

"They're pitching was having trouble adjusting to our hitters." notes outfielder Sixty Chan. "They're good defensively but we got the pitches we wanted. And I don't know how they do it, but some of our hitters: Franchise, r3z, and Chokolate, placed their hits into those gaps." It's a feat Sixty himself accomplished, as he finished game two 1-for-2, including a triple and 2 RBI's.

And so, as the dust settles on double-header weekend, the Wildcards remain standing as one of the last undefeated teams in the league.

NOTES: My apologies for the lack of pictures; my source's camera battery was near dead. Stats will be updated later.
Not even halfway through the season, the Wildcards have now matched their all-time best win total, and have surpassed last year's abysmal mark of four. SS Sinbad Sinclair missed his second game in a row, while OF/1B Nocks Sunga missed his first game of the season with flu symptoms. The Wildcards continue their homestand next week against the Scorpions.