Dynamoes 'Smash and Grab' leaves BatPak empty on gas.

By Dave Lee Travis.

BatPak 12 - 18 Dynamoes

Softball journalism around the world has often remarked that the first inning dictates sets the trend for the remainder of the game. Never has this been more true than in the first clash of the season between Ireland's two representatives at the ECCS in Slovenia in August, BatPak and Dodder Dynamoes. The weather was ideal for softball, a clear blue sky, bright sunshine and a light breeze giving the two teams the perfect environment in which to play.

The Dynamoes arrived at a warm and sunny St. Annes Park with a 3-2 record, having unexpectedly lost games early in the season to Blazzers and Marlay. With a turnout of sixteen players giving the captain Emma Kilbride a selection headache that lasted all of three minutes, the time it took to confirm the 10 names of the starting team and take an Anadin Acti-Fast, surely BatPak were set to continue their form and remain the only team in the Premier Division with an unbeaten record?

Alas no. Dynamoes lead-off Ken McCarthy hit a line drive over a somewhat flat-footed left-field's head, and so started the initial rout that created a lead eventually proving too much for BatPak to pull back. Dodder ran in six runs in the first inning, to which BatPak could only respond with a solitary run from first-base Elaine Kiely. The two teams exchanged a shut-out and two runs in the second & third inning, leaving the score at 3-8 going into the fourth inning.

An early substitution saw BatPak's Dominican import Carlos replace Ben Emerson, in as catcher while Niall Byrne took his regular position at third-base. Surely the fourth inning, where BatPak have been strong several times in previous games (some would suggest it takes them three innings to wake up and realise they are playing softball, others would suggest the involvement of Asian Betting Rings and that the fourth inning would seem to be the preferred choice for highest inning score), would be the chance to close the gap. The Dynamoes added four runs to reach double figures, while BatPak could only respond with three.

Another four runs in the fifth inning gave the Dynamoes a 6-14 lead heading into the bottom, two more substitutions had seen Tom Ryan and Julie Walsh take third-base and right-field respectively, with both players making different positive contributions later in the game through a long triple over right-centre that resembled a SCUD Missile flying along Route 8 into Baghdad (Tom) and a catch (Julie) out of the 'MLB PLay of the Day' book, picking the ball out of the air close to the foul line, hence preventing a certain home-run. Drew Hennessy caught the Dynamoes right-centre napping with BatPak's only home-run, scoring a goal at the same time. A second shut-out in the top of the sixth gave BatPak a small boost, but could only respond with another solitary run from the Captain, leaving BatPak to chase nine runs in the bottom of the last inning. This was too much to ask, and while the first three batters scored to give a slight glimmer to the black and golds, a ground out and two fly balls ended the game and gave the Dynamoes their deserved win. Whooping and hollering ensued, predominantly from one or two of the male members of victorious Dynamoes, the BatPak players rueing not having brought their VuvuZelas to drown out the high pitched screams.

Dynamoes played well, BatPak did not! Some unusual dropped catches, laxadasical fielding and once more some erratic base running gave the visiting team several runs that without would have made for a much closer score. This is the first of at least 5 times these two teams will meet throughout the season, with League, ECCS and Cup fixtures remaining. BatPak will certainly be looking to avenge their first League defeat of the season the next time, which if the rumours are true will be in the quarter-finals of the Brian Walshe Cup.

Other LLPD Week 6 Results;

Marlay 38 - 6 Castleknock Bearcats
Oddsox Greens 16 - 8 Blazzers
Sluggers 6 - 22 Renegades Red