Dynamite First and Last Innings Power Stars To Heartbreaking Loss

Puppies!

The Super Channel Stars scored the maximum seven runs in their first at bat, then followed it up with an astounding eight runs in the top of the seventh inning. It's the intervening five innings where the production faltered, as the Stars eventually dropped a 22-19 to Le Franco (or, as translated into French, 22-19). If you're doing the math at home, that's :

19 runs total (19)

minus (-)

7 runs in the first inning (7)

minus (-)

8 runs in the seventh inning (8)

equals (=)

4 runs over the course of the second through sixth innings (crap)

Still, the game was not without its highlights. Steven, after having many a homerun sail over, past, and around him in right field all game, managed to even the karmic baseball balance with only his second home run....um....ever, and his first one hit right handed. Brad made up for his, in his own words, "worst ball game of his entire life"* with a couple solid pokes into the outfield. Arthur had some rotten luck, having many of his best pitches socked far into the outfield, and then having many of his best hits at the plate caught unexpectedly by unexpectedly unsuspect infielders.

The field at Velma Baker also left a bit to be desired, as the recently aerated grounds left hundreds of pellets of dirt, making the playing surface feel akin to gravel. But then, it is Millwoods.

The Stars will next see action on Tuesday, July 29.

Mudville Has Nothing On Us

Brad and Thom put in their best rendition of "Casey at the Bat"

With their regular pitchers Cowie, Harnaik, Arthur, and John out of the lineup, and with only a stable of requisite belly itchers from which to draw, the Stars struggled in a 26-8 loss to the Modern Rock Missionaries on Monday night. Nick took the loss on the mound, taking over from Steven after the latter had one of softball's more inept pitching debuts. However, with Nick on the mound and not able to make the same stellar defensive plays as he made last Thursday....well, truth be told, the ball mostly went over third base. And over second base. And don't think Thom in right field was being ignored, either, as the Stars surrendered more than a few large hits, responding in kind by striking out as a team at least three times. Two of those strikeouts were immortalized in digital celluloid as viewed above for all to enjoy.

Back on the horse, though, eh, gang? The next game is tonight at 7:...er, 6:45 PM at Velma Baker #1 against Radio-Canada.

Extra Inning Is Extra Crap For Stars

A cat plays baseball against a pitcher with no fingers

For anyone watching last night's Super Channel Stars' game (as if we have ever had enough people come out to a game to allow someone to stand by and watch), they would think that the most shocking and appalling aspect of the game was Reg Hagerman's strikeout in the bottom of the seventh, leaving the winning run roughly 122 metric feet away from home plate.

But, no, it got worse.

The Stars succumbed to some defensive miscues and what must obviously have been some late steroid reactions on the part of the CTV Sweatsox' batters, as every CTV batter crushed every ball pitched their way into the outfield and beyond, scoring 10 runs in the top of the eighth inning on their way to a 24-16 win over the Stars.

The game started poorly and ended poorly for the Stars. They allowed the first 10 runs of the game before getting on the board with a single run in the bottom of the second. But, lo! The Stars managed to claw their way back, eventually taking a 13-11 lead with Arthur's grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Sweatsox scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a one-run lead into the bottom half of the inning. After the Stars managed to push one run across to tie the game at 14-14, and with Brad on second base, eager to score the winning run, Reg did the unthinkable. He struck out swinging for the first time since John Turner was Prime Minister, leaving Brad stranded on base, and setting the table for the calamity that was the extra inning.

Thus, the Stars' winning streak is halted at one (1) again, but the squad will have a couple attempts to get back on their feet next week, when they play TWO games in TWO nights - Monday against the Modern Rock Missionaries, and Tuesday vs. Radio-Canada (although we're still waiting for confirmation about that Tuesday game....).

Ringers Help Stars Snatch Victory From The Jaws of Default

Thanks to some late day heroics in patching together an actual lineup for Super Channel's game against Koch, the Stars eked out a 20-18 (or was it 20-16?) victory in 7 innings (or was it 8?) over the Koch Kaotics. Jeff Cowie made his first start of the season from the mound, striking out two batters in one inning in a masterful performance. Celeste Hunka started her first game of the year, playing first base. Jannette Hurshowy also played in her first game of the season, proving to be a rock at 3rd base, and her husband, Brad, ever a reluctant convert to softball, manned home plate and socked a couple balls long into the outfield.

And all this after the game was, during the course of the day, off due to rain, then on, then off due to a lack of players for the Stars, then off again for no reason whatsoever, which meant two offs in a row, which meant it was on (in sports, two offs make an on. Trust me).

Matching the Stars' best ever winning streak (one game), the Stars look to take this season to the next level (roar!) when they play the CTV Sweatsox on Thursday, July 17, at Argyll Park.

Baseball!

The Guys (and Girls) Get Shirts - That's Just The Way It Is

Several games (and several postponements) into the season, the Super Channel Stars finally had a jersey to call their own, as the team was resplendent in their orange and white (and, for some reason only known to United Cycle Team Sales, blue) jerseys for their game against Gigantor.

The jerseys were nice and bright, yet the main complaints were that their small fit and lack of breathability. If only the new duds were as porous as the Stars' defence on this night, as Gigantor found the holes in between the octet of Super Channel fielders to pace their way to a mildly convincing 34-10 win.

After Amanda's dangerous turn at second base early in the season resulted in her having to artfully dodge several line drives, her lesser half Terry fared worse at third base on this night. Terry's arms and upper body looked as bruised and battered as a losing fighter on Super Channel Fights!.

Although only 8 players managed to make it out for the game, your humble manager (who is pictured above, posing with no sense of irony or sarcasm) promises that NEXT game on Monday, July 14 will be different, with Art Chin, Jeff Cowie, and others back in the lineup, etc......well, we'll believe it when we see it.