The defending champions, Set it Off, in what appeared to be a grudge match against the Lumberjacks, crushed their opponents in four innings by way of the 15-run mercy rule.
The second of three scheduled Bob Owens Slow Pitch Softball League games Tuesday night at D.C. Canegata ballpark was supposed to be the marquee matchup of the night, but after the champs exploded for nine first inning runs it was all but over for the young Lumberjacks.
“They talk much,” said Set it Off manager Antonio Cruz while making the talkative sign with his hand. “They said they ‘want Set it Off,’ so, we wanted to beat them bad.”
Set it Off, after the big first inning, erupted for eight more runs in the third on their way to the lopsided shellacking. The Lumberjacks, a powerful team in their own rights and no strangers to pummeling other teams, just could not do much with the champs’ ace pitcher, Julio Carmona.
Set it Off finished with 23 runs on 24 hits and three errors, while the Lumberjacks had six runs on nine hits and three errors. The winning pitcher was Carmona, and Gregory Miller III got the loss for the Lumberjacks.
Top batters for the winners were David Samuel (2 for 3 with two homeruns and three RBIs) and Carmona (3 for 3 with a homerun and three RBIs). Samuel’s second homerun was one for the ages as it landed in the middle of the roof of the ballpark’s recreation center far back of the center field fence.
Top batters for the Lumberjacks were Kai Miller (1 for 2 with a homerun and four RBIs) and Otheniel Periera (2 for 2 with one RBI).
In the night’s other contests, the National Guard Hummers beat the Anchor Dive Pirates, 19-9, and the Seaborne Stealers made short work of the Colianni & Colianni Enforcers, 14-1.
