After the rematch was delayed twice by rain/Winnemac, the Hounds were finally able to rectify an earlier season loss, blanking and no-hitting the Blazers in a shortened 13-0 win.
Steve Szymanski (P), who at last rejoined the club after a vacation and a bout with covid, started the game and shined. The rookie fired 8 strikeouts over 2 walks in 4 innings of work.
The Hounds took a lead early on a Tim Riggenbach (CF) RBI single, scoring teammate Arron Kruse (SS/3B) who reached on a single of his own. The run would be the only run the Hounds would require, but Riggs would eventually knock in 4 more anyway, leading the team in RBIs for the day. The Doggos cracked in wide open in the 2nd, scoring 7 runs when they sent the entire lineup to the plate once in the inning (i.e. “batting around”… or is it?). They took advantage of free bases, a single by Matt Burch (DH/EH), and an opposite field double by Riggenbach (breaking his 2022 extra-base hit drought). Amongst other runs, sophomore Jules Cantor (EH), while not securing his first hit just yet, notched 2 runs and an RBI on his improving hitter’s eye.
Brian Lehman (EH/P) provided pitching relief and kept the no-hitter Steve started intact. “Party Charlie” performed in his usual fashion, firing for a high percentage of strikes (82%) and collecting 3 Ks of his own. Pitching in to seal the no-hitter was a big effort play by right fielder Japheth Bandi who covered the distance and snagged a shallow pop-fly in the last inning.
After the game, the Hounds made sweet love to Winnemac Park, thanks to supplies (and landscaping materials) brought in by Big T Correa. Gently guided by C “Sodfather French, the amateur grounds crew filled in holes at the mound, home plate, first base, and everywhere else while patient fans waited for their “men” to finish. Big T even whacked weeds around the bottoms of the fence, before handing over the whacker to Tim Riggenbach, who never whacked a weed in his life. The Hounds go at it again tomorrow morning, meeting the Marlins at Southwest Park.