The Hounds took the game, the series, and the K’s cup Monday night in an exciting and hard fought game at Winnemac by a final score of 8-4.

Mike DiCola, filling in for a rush-hour constrained starting pitcher, made his manager look smart, tossing 3 innings of 2-run ball before giving the ball over to Colin French to finish the game.

The Electrons wasted no time capitalizing on one of the Hound’s several miscues on the day, taking an error to the bank for 2-runs in the top of the first. But, a strong, on-target throw to the plate from Cole Thompson (LF) put an end to the inning and the bleeding. The Hounds took one back on a blasted RBI double by Alberto Martinez (EH), who perhaps got an overinflated sense of his speed from his weekend performance, as he was caught trying to stretch it into a triple. The Electrons were held to no runs in the 2nd, though they left the bases with the maximum, and were foiled by a down-broadway backwards-K of the 3 hitter. The Doggos tied it up in their half of the third with a sacrifice fly by Brian Lehman (SS), scoring the Tony Correa (C) who reached base on another swinging bunt (his earlier intentional bunt was unsuccessful). The bottom of the fourth brought some control issues for the Trons starter, and a heating-up Phil Zelenka (3B) drove in the go-ahead run. Tony Correa would also knock in one on a FC, and “Veteran Presence” Brandon Jessee (CF) drove in one more to take the score to 5-2.

C-French continued to keep the opponent silent over the next two frames (with some help in the form of a 4-6-3 Rondón-Lehman-Burch DP), while the Hounds tacked on 3 more thanks to a Cole Thompson opposite-field RBI and a opposite field ground ball hit by pinch-hitting Tim “May be better for me to just hit” Riggenbach (RF). The final “Matt Burch Insurance Run” came courtesy of Jessee’s second RBI to put the score at 8-2. A deflated Electrons squad managed to score two in the twilight but were finally halted with a swinging K for the 21st out, sealing an 8-4 victory for the Hounds.

The Doggos benefitted from a healthy and loud fan section, a chorus comprised of a pair of Adrianas (+Ana Leticia), Emma, Melanie, Susie, and Anne (+Gloria), their cheers unperturbed by neither almost being struck by a pop-foul nor an overly friendly dog walker. Post game, they and their “men” mozied over to K’s Dugout and helped themselves to a handful of buckets, a tray of shots, and a couple of “borrowed” pizzas. The marathon will continue as the Hounds will play a game a day until Thursday in the lead up to post season weekend.