GAME RECAPS

The June 4th early match was a defensive nailbiter between small but mighty iterations of the Credit River Rainbow Trouts and the Rouge River Ballsheviks, ending in a 11-10 victory for the Trouts – their first of the season. Don’t let the low score fool you: bats were firing on both sides. An early ground-rule double for Andy Smith and a three-run homer for Umar Saeed of the Ballsheviks were supplemented by tons of singles to load the bases and drive in runs, with Shelagh Pizey-Allen and Rachele Clemente finding perfect holes in the field. The Ballsheviks were robbed of more than a few scoring opportunities due spectacular catches by the Trouts’ outfielders, with Alex Brant making – in this writer’s humble opinion – the most jaw-dropping scoop of the game. Another weird and wonderful defensive highlight belongs to Lainie Basman and Ness Dixon of the Ballsheviks, who worked together to handle a pop-fly close to the third base line. Trout bats were firing on all fronts, with a pair of home runs by Johann Juarez and doubles by LJ (“Laser-Jay”) Robinson and everyone else batting at least one single – none sweeter, though, than TH Vega’s wicked lefty walk-off (Robyn Letson – Credit River).

A rainy morning couldn’t keep the Dreamers off the field on June 4. The Humber River Hustle and the Don River Mastodons faced off in the second game of the night on the slippery field, in a high-action game. Defensive plays featured spectacular dives in the outfield: notably a dive by Craig Fortier from the Humber River Hustle, who lunged fearlessly towards a flyball hit by Noah Adams in the second inning, barely missing it. Then, in the bottom of the third inning Matthew Poggi and Devin Clancy displayed their own defensive chops, diving to catch the Hustle’s flyballs twice, almost succeeding.

The Mastodons dominated second base, with Annalies Cooper posting outs three innings in a row, Karen Campbell posting two outs at first, and Jessica Duarte posting two outs at second in a single inning! These outs are attributable to a perfect display of teamwork, with impeccable fielding on the part of short stops Darren Puscas, Matthew Poggi, Terrance Luscombe and Ryan Hayes. The Hustle dominated the offense with hard-hit balls that were burning gloves all night. One of the highlights of the game came at the top of the sixth with bases loaded, the Hustle maxed out the five-run rule with an inning-ending longball hit by Richard Peters, with the crowd roaring. The lights on the field went out before both teams went home in high spirits, as another night of our favourite team sport came to a close (Jessica Duarte & Karen Campbell – Don River)

See the game box scores here

See player stats here

See league standings here

MILESTONES

ODDITIES

Symmetrical Lines
Robin Smillie (Credit) – 7 hits in 14 at bats with 3 runs scored and 3 runs batted in

Symmetrical Lines
Katie German (Humber) – Currently leads the league with 16 at-bats this season!

Near Perfect Start
Jessica Duarte (Don) – First player in league history to start their career 9/10 in hits!

Set It Up and Rack Em
Jennifer Mussell (Don) – Becomes latest player to begin career scoring each time they reach base (6 times!)

Singles Bar Specialist
Annelies Cooper – leads all players this season with 12 singles!

 

GAME RECAPS

 

The hot sunny day game saw the tenacious Humber River Hustle face the formidable Rouge River Ballsheviks in a rematch of week 2.  This game featured our first two substitute players of the season as Jean McDonald and Graeme Bacque made their Field of Dreamers debuts for the Humber River squad! Amidst clouds of marijuana smoke and a festive regalement of hippies and disc enthusiasts, the western and eastern river rivals played a back and forth affair marked by a titanic home run by Richard Peters, some stellar defence by the Rouge River comrades and a game tying RBI single by Katie German!  Katie represented the winning run and on a sharp line drive to the outfield she rounded third on her way to score the winning run, but alas, an incredibly beautiful relay and a superb catch by Lainie at home beat Katie to the plate by a half-step!  The game ended historically in the first tie in Field of Dreamers History! 11-11! (Craig Fortier – Humber)

With dance music from surrounding Frisbee players setting the tone for a fun match-up between the Credit River Rainbow Trouts and the Don River Mastodons, players tried their best and made some fantastic plays over an hour and a half. As the season and the weather heat up, teams are coming together and skills of all players are noticeably improving.

The crowd in the stands got their money’s worth, with stellar plays from both teams. The Don River Mastodons continue to be power hitters, with at least three balls flying down to the dog pit, out of reach of the Credit River Rainbow Trouts. Credit River, on the other hand, ramped up their team’s defense abilities, catching fly balls in the infield and outfield, and putting up a good fight. In the end, we were all winners: it’s not about the destination, it’s how you get there, and we’re getting better every day.

Ok, I guess there are some winners in baseball. The Mastodons were the winning team, with 19 points scored vs the Rainbow Trouts’ 9. The Mastodons remain undefeated, and the Trouts remain defeated, but hopeful and confident that a win is in their grasp. (Robin Smillie – Credit)

See the game box scores here

See player stats here

See league standings here

MILESTONES

FIRSTS

At-Bats

Graeme Bacque (Humber) (4)

Hits
Linda Swanston (Credit) (3)

Doubles
Gita Madan (Rouge)
Andy Smith (Rouge)
Jennifer Mussell (Don)
Jean McDonald (Humber)

Triples
Peter Demakos (Credit)

Runs
Kate Uffelman (Rouge) (2)

ODDITIES

Double Trouble

Erika Pulfer (Don) has recorded 4 runs scored in 2 career games!

Lots of Mileage

Richard Peters (Humber) – with 4th home run on season, currently has as many home runs as singles!

Adrian Rodill Who?

Karl Gardner (Rouge) – going 3/3 last game, Karl takes over the all-time lead in career batting average (.761) for qualified players (Min 50 AB)

If I’m On, I’m In

Gita Madan (Rouge) remains the only person to have scored each time they have reached base safely -streak is now 4!

ALL TIME PLAYER STATUS*
Yogi Acharya (Humber) – 34th player in league history to record 50 career at-bats

*Reaching 50 at-bats meets the threshold to be placed in the hall of career players for the Field of Dreamers Cooperative Softball Association.

GAME RECAPS

On a windy Sunday evening at 8pm, the Don River Mastadons and the Humber River Hustle returned to Trinity Bellwoods Park to face off for the second round of games in league history. Energy was high as both teams came off of first game victories. Humber River led off at bat and set the stage for a game that featured several innings of hitting the mercy cap of 5 runs by both teams. Humber’s hitting was formidable with first career doubles from Janine Caster, Leigh Kittson, Katie German and the first career triple from Yogi Acharya. However, Don River was able to shore up their defensive play and contain Humber’s score, holding the lead going into the final inning. In particular Terrance Luscombe played a spectacular inning at short stop single handedly forcing a 3-up 3-down on Humber. Don River’s Ryan Hayes also scored a breathtaking Grand Slam Home run! Humber would go down with a fight however, scoring 11 runs in a ‘no mercy’ final inning to take the lead. However, that come from behind rally was no match for Don River who was able to score enough runs to take back the game with a final score of 24-23 and remain undefeated in the league thus far (Annelies Cooper – Don River).

The late game between Rouge River and Credit River was a showdown between two teams looking for their first win of the season. Both teams knocked the ball all over Trinity Bellwoods Park in this high scoring affair. In the end, Rouge River came out on top by a score of 18-11. The 29 total runs scored in the game were the product of many career firsts! Rachel Small set the tone for the game by leading off for Credit River in the first inning and hitting their first career home run, later Umar Saeed of Rouge River would launch their first career home run too! Three players on Rouge River (Gita Madan, Rachele Clement, and Kate Uffelman) recorded their first career hits and two players (Alex Brant and Niloofar Golkar) on Credit River recorded their first extra-base hits! While the scorecard shows that Karl Gardner hit for the cycle, it does not describe just how deep into the trees his home run ball traveled (that ball did not come back). Also not portrayed on the scorecard is Lainie Basman’s spectacular grab in the infield! All and all an exciting game to wrap up week 2 that gives both teams a lot to look forward to heading into the training week next week (Colin Hastings – Credit River).

See the game box scores here

See player stats here

See league standings here

MILESTONES

 

FIRSTS

First Career Hit

• Gita Madan (Rouge)
• Rachele Clement (Rouge)
• Kate Uffelman (Rouge)
• Jennifer Mussell (Don)
• Erika Pulfer (Don)
• Brianna Greaves (Don)

First Career Double

• Alex Brant (Credit)
• Niloofar Golkar (Credit)
• Janine Caster (Humber)
• Leigh Kittson (Humber)
• Katie German (Humber)

• Yogi Acharya (Humber)

First Career Home Run

• Umar Saeed (Rouge)
• Rachel Small (Credit)

First Career Run Scored

• Shelagh Pizey-Allen (Rouge)
• TH Vega (Credit)
• Robin Smillie (Credit)

First Career Run Batted In

• Michelle Roseman (Credit)

ODDITIES

Everything Comes in 3s! 

• Richard Peters has a 3 home run 9 RBI performance!

Everything Comes in 4s!

• Karl Gardner hits for the cycle with 4 runs scored and 4 runs batted in — Cycle = 1 single, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 home run

Same Same But Different! 

• LJ Robinson & Jenny Chan reach 90 career hits on the same night!
• Colin Hastings & Annelies Cooper both start the season after 2 games with 6 hits in 6 at bats
• Reena Reddy – achieved 20 runs batted in and 10 runs scored on the same day! DOUBLE MILESTONE!

GAME RECAP

On a cold, damp, Sunday night, Trinity Bellwoods Park was home to baseball history. It was there that the Credit River Rainbow Trout faced off against the Don River Mastodons in the inaugural game of the Field of Dreamers Cooperative Softball Association. In that night match the Humber River TBD faced off against the Rouge River Ballsheviks. The tone for the games, the season, and the new league was set by a pre-game ceremony that asked players to reflect on the significance of leaving and returning to home and acknowledging the land upon which the game would be played.  Ryan Hayes (in Game 1) and Richard (Giibwanisi) Peters & Janine Caster (in Game 2) put down tobacco to acknowledge the land and thank it for giving us this field to play.

Then, after over a year of organizing and anticipation, forms, and political lobbying, it was finally time to play ball! The first game was a spirited affair with ample offensive prowess displayed by both teams. In the end, the Mastodons came out on top by a final score of 12-8. The game brought out a number of new players take to the field for the first time ever, as well as many veteran players who reached important career milestones. In the second game, Humber River played a defensively strong match to outpace the Ballsheviks in their attempt to shift the balance of power by a final score of 10-5.  The two teams featured dozens of players who came from the Uncertainty team and a number of first time players who added to the league!

See the game box scores here

See player stats here

See league standings here

Milestones

Credit River

• 100 career runs, 2nd on all-time list – Johann Juarez
• 66 career hits, 10th on all-time list – Colin Hastings
• 60 career hits, T-12th on all-time list – Devin Clancy
• 50 career at-bats, 33rd on all-time list, Annelies Cooper
• 3 career hits, in 8 career at-bats, TH Vega

Don River

• 30 career hits – Noah Adams
• 95 career runs scored, 3rd on all-time list  – Ryan Hayes
• 11 career doubles, T-8th on all-time list – Terrance Luscombe

Humber River

• 50 career at-bats, 34th on all time list – Natalia Saavedra
• 40 career hits, T-20th on all time list – Jo Jefferson
• 180 career RBIs, 1st on all time list – Craig Fortier
• 165 career at-bats, 5th on all time list – Jenny Chan
• 55 career at-bats, 28th on all time list – Rocio Velasquez
• 5 career doubles, T-15th on all time list – Yogi Acharya
• 29 career at-bats, 40th on all time list – Richard Peters

Rouge River River

• 60 career hits, T-12th on all time list, Karl Gardner
• 50 career hits, 14th on all time list, Lainie Basman
• 64 career at-bats, 24th on all time list – Merle Davis
• 95 career runs scored, 3rd on all time list  – Ryan Hayes
• 44 career hits, 17th on all time list – Nav Sidhu

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Firsts

First at-bat in Field of Dreamer’s History

Rachel Small (also drafted 1st overall in 2017)

First career Home Run

Ness Dixon (Rouge); Natalia Saavedra (Humber)

First career Triple

Andy Smith (Rouge)

First career Double

Robyn Letson (Credit); Darren Puscas (Don); Matthew Poggi (Don)

First career Hit

Leigh Kitson (Humber); Laura Pin (Humber); Jessica Duarte (Don); Karen Campbell (Don); Robin Smillie (Credit); Katie German (Humber); Michelle Roseman (Credit); Brianna Greaves (Don); Alex Brant (Credit); Shelagh Pizey Allen (Rouge); Umar Saeed (Rouge)

First career At-Bats

Gita Madan (Rouge); Linda Swanston (Credit); Rachele Clemente (Rouge); Niloofar Golkar (Credit); Kate Uffelman (Rouge); Jennifer Mussell (Don)

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Oddities

Productivity in Limited Action! 

• Peter Demakos – has 7 career runs batted in with only 8 career hits

Fastest to Break their Own Records

• Janine Caster – with 3 hits in first game, broke personal record for hits in a season (2)! That new record is going to be HUGE!!

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