Game Day Gazette
July 23, 2026
Congratulations to the Blue man group as they ascended to the top of the standings in this topsy turvy 3rd session with a resounding win on Thursday. The big Red machine’s abbreviated stay at the top was cut short as they went down in a hard-fought battle , details of both games to follow…
Game 1 8:00 a.m. Gray (4-3-0) vs. Blue (4-4-0)
First & Second Inning Recap:
Gray-welcomed back manager Peter Atkins to the fold as Gray looked to keep pace with co-leader Red in today’s action. Gray picked up three mercenaries for today’s tilt including Paul Rubin, Patrick Schmidt and Barry McRee as Phil Stanch, David Safely and Jeff Broussard were still missing in action. Scott Wright led off the ballgame with a line single to right. Peter Atkins followed with a bloop single to center. Mike Carroll’s single to left center loaded the bases with nobody out. Mr. Clutch, Gary Coyke, smacked a single through the 5/6 hole to plate two runners and stake Gray to an early lead. Ray Pilgrim flew out to left center for the 1st out. Lynn Simpson ground into a force at 2B for the 2nd out. P Tommy DeLeon avoided any further damage as he got Larry Coons to fly out to center to end the inning. 2nd – Margarito Canava reached on an infield single that hugged the 3B line to open the 2nd. Paul Rubin lined a single to left but was erased on Patrick Schmidt’s grounder to 2B. Barry went down swinging for the 2nd out. Unfortunately for Gray, Scotty, pinch running for Margarito, was standing on 3B when it was his time to bat so he was called out to close out the frame.
Blue– the Blue team has been ravaged by injuries and as a result had to draw five mercenaries for today’s game including Jack Adams, Ken Brown, Terry Thompson, Tom Kelm and Bobby Hawthorne. Not too shabby! Tommy DeLeon kicked this one off with a looping double down the right field line. Donnie Janac was retired on a nice catch by Lynn Simpson as he back pedaled to catch up to a ball that looked like it might go over his head. Raul DeLeon smashed a line drive to 2B that Peter knocked down and recovered to get the out at 1B. Blue refused to go down quietly and ripped off five straight hits to complete their five-run inning. Henry Flores, Daniel Baladez and Dave Berra all singled to left center to push two runs across. Jack Adams liner to right center produced a 3rd run. Ken Brown smacked a ball up the middle for a two-run double to complete the inning.2nd– the mercenaries continued to have success at the plate as Terry Thompson, Tom Kelm and Bobby Hawthorne all singled to plate the 1st run. For the day, Blue’s hired guns were perfect at the plate with nine hits and one walk. Back to the top of the lineup, Tommy slapped a single up the middle to drive in the 2nd run. Donnie got into the action with a line single to center to bring in the 3rd run. Raul followed with a booming double that gapped the fielders on the right side to drive in two more runs. To Blue’s credit, there were no cheap hits as they were smacking the ball all over the field.
End of 2nd Score: Blue 10 Gray 2
3rd Inning Recap:
Gray– Scotty led off the 3rd with another sharp single to right as Gray looked to cut into Blue’s hefty eight-run lead. Pater bounced into a fielder’s choice for the 1st out. Mike grounded out to 1B on a nice play by Tom Kelm for the 2nd out. Gray managed to put together a mini rally as Gary walked and Ray drilled a single down the 3Bline to push across the 1st run. Lynn’s walk loaded the bases and Larry followed with an RBI single to center for the 2nd run. Margarito went down looking to end the inning.
Blue– Henry led off the 3rd with a single but was erased on Daniel’s groundball to short. Dave bounced into a fielder’s choice to short, but Peter’s relay throw to 1B to complete the double play went up the line and clipped Dave on the elbow. Fortunately, he was ok but had to leave the game and was replaced by Jack Spellman in the field in the next inning. I don’t recall who pinch ran for Dave but whomever it was, he was cut down at home plate on Jack Adam’s double to right. It took a good relay from Larry to Peter and a strong throw to the plate and a great catch from Margarito to complete the play and get out of the inning.
End of 3rd Score: Blue 10 Gray 4
Fourth Inning Recap:
Gray- Paul beat out an infield hit on a very close play at 1B to open the 4th. Patrick flew out to center for the 1st out. Barry fouled out and there were quickly two outs. Scott picked up his 3rd hot of the day to move Paul to 3B but was left stranded as Peter flew out to medium deep center to end the inning. Not to pick on the mercenaries but Gray’s trio was a combined 2-6 as opposed to Blue’s perfection in ten trips to the plate. Makes a difference.
Blue– pretty much put this one on ice with another five-run outburst to extend the lead to eleven (11) runs. Ken opened the inning with a walk; Terry singled to left and Tom singled to right center to load the bases. Bobby ripped a single to left to drive in Ken with the 1st run. Tommy grounded one back to the box and Ray threw to 2B to get the force. With Ken running from the plate, Scotty knew he had no chance to complete the traditional double play. He pivoted and made the throw to home that just beat the runner to complete the unorthodox double play. Donnie grounded a ball just inside the 3B line to drive in the 3rd run. Henry’s single loaded the bases for the 2nd time in the inning. I was playing shallow in left center and could only watch as Daniel drove the ball over my head for a two-run double to complete the scoring for Blue.
End of 4th Score: Blue 15 Gray 4
Fifth “Open” Inning Recap:
Gray-little confusion in what turned out to be the open inning. Home plate umpire Bruce Barnett left to do the draw for the upcoming game and set his lineup etc. Bubba Barnett stepped in to replace him in the previous inning. Apparently Bubba made the open or buffet inning call but no one on the Gray side heard it. There was still lots of time on the clock, so we all assumed this was the last five run inning. This probably had no impact on the outcome as Blue clearly outplayed Gray in this game, but it could have been better communicated. In any case, Gray stepped up for what proved to be their final at bat. Mike led off with a single and scored as Gary scorched a ball to left center for an RBI triple. He scored on Ray’s groundout to short for the 1st out. Tommy retired Lynn on a grounder to 2B and Larry on a bouncer to short to end the ball game.
Final Score: Blue 15 Gray 6
Game 2 9:00 a.m. Red (4-3-0) vs. Orange (3-4-0)
First & Second Inning Recap:
Red- P Terry Thompson, picking up just where he left off from Monday’s near shut out performance, held Red to no runs on two hits in the initial two frames. Terry Watts greeted him with a single to center field to start the game. Patrick Schmidt grounded into a force at 2B for the 1st out. John Flowers was robbed on a nice catch by Jim “Stabber” Foelker on a drive to right center for the 2nd out. Ken Brown smacked a single up the middle, but Mike Mordecai went down on strikes to retire the side. 2nd– Bobby Hawthorne fouled out leading off the 2nd. Butch Barber was retired on a comebacker for the 2nd out. Gene Nelson hit a flyball to deep right but Greg Tolander was positioned perfectly and made the catch for the final out.
Orange- feeling good after Monday’s thrashing of Green, Orange jumped out to an early lead with six runs over the first two frames. Terry Thompson walked to open the inning. Jack Adams grounded to 3B, and Mike Mordcai threw low to 2B trying to get the force. Tom Kelm made a great play to secure the ball, but umpire Dave Berra ruled he was off the base, so the runner was safe. Jim Foelker followed with a booming drive that gapped Patrick and Bobby and rolled to the fence. With his teammates and 3B coach egging him on Jim went all out for the inside the park home run but Ken’s throw to the plate beat him by a step for the 1st out. Steve Kendig ground out to short for the 2nd out. Adam Gordon and Barry McRee had back-to-back singles, but Terry Watts made a great running catch on a sinking liner off Jerry Mylius’ bat for the final out. 2nd– Bubba Barnett’s grounded to short leading off the 2nd. Greg Tolander singled but was forced out on Luther’s grounder to short for the 2nd out. Jack Spellman, Orange’s lone mercenary, slashed a ball past 2B that got by the outfielders for a run-scoring triple. Terry T, singled to right to bring Jack home with the 2nd run. Jack Adams singled to left to keep things rolling. Jim F. continued his big day at the plate with another drive to left center (this one over Patrick’s head) for a two-run double. Steve was retired for the final out.
End of 2nd Score: Orange 6 Red 0
Third Inning Recap:
Red- proving he is human after all, Red lit up P Terry T. for five runs in the 3rd to get back in the game. Jack Kelly led off with a well-placed pop fly to left center that fell in for a leadoff hit. Tom Kelm bounced into a force at 2B for the 1st out. Ray Pilgrim smacked a single to left center to move the pinch runner to 3B. He scored on Terry W.’s sacrifice fly to right center. Patrick grounded a single up the middle to put runners on 1B and 2B. John drilled a shot to right center that the “stabber” could not quite stab as the ball sailed over Jim’s outstretched glove for a two-run triple. Ken drove him in with an infield single for the 4th run. Mike singes and Bobby walked to load the bases. Butch came through with a big two-out single to score Ken with the 5th run.
Orange- P Jack Kelly kept his team in this one by shutting down the potent Orange lineup without a run in the 3rd. Adam and Barry both grounded out to short (seems like Ken had about twenty balls hit to him at short today) for two quick outs. Jerry and Bubba had back-to-back singles, but Jack got Greg to ground to Mike M. who made an unassisted put out at 3B to end the inning.
End of 3rd Score: Orange 6 Red 5
Fourth Inning Recap:
Red- was able to knot this one up with a run in the 4th. Gene led off with an infield hit that he stretched into a double as the throw to 1B went astray. Jack K. popped out to 2B, and Tom grounded out to short for two quick out. Ray delivered with another line single to left center to drive in Gene’s pinch runner. Terry W. singled but Patrick popped out to the catcher (nice defensive play by Luther) to retire the side.
Orange- picked up three runs heading into the open inning to take control of this one. Luther and Jack S. each reached on infield singles to open the inning. Terry W. dropped in a single to shallow center to plate the 1st runner. Jack A. slashed a single to right center to score his fellow Jack with the 2nd run. Jim was finally retired on a flyball to center for the 1st out. Steve singled down the 3B line to drive in the all-important 3rd run before Jack retired the final two batters in the frame.
End of 4th Score: Orange 9 Red 6
Fifth “Open” Inning Recap:
Red– chasing three, Red came up short and fell out of first place in the session standings. John led off with a single. Ken, looking for extra bases, hit a flyball to deep right but again, Greg was in perfect position to make the catch for the 1st out. Mike grounded to 3B and Adam got the force at 2B for the 2nd out. Bobby walked for the 2nd time to put runners on 1B and 2B. Butch delivered again as he line a single through the ¾ hole to bring in a run. P Terry T. got Gene to foul out to end this exciting ball game.
Final Score: Orange 9 Red 7
Current Session Standings:
|
|
ASSL C league 2026 3rd Session Standings |
|||||||
|
|
Win |
Loss |
Ties |
Win % |
Scored |
Given up |
Diff. |
Games Behind |
|
Blue |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0.556 |
103 |
90 |
13 |
– |
|
Orange |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0.500 |
74 |
62 |
12 |
0.50 |
|
Red |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0.500 |
69 |
68 |
1 |
0.50 |
|
Gray |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0.500 |
64 |
82 |
-18 |
0.50 |
|
Green |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0.429 |
83 |
91 |
-8 |
1.00 |
Congratulations to the Blue as they have risen to the top of the heap with today’s thrashing of the Gray team. We have three teams tied for 2nd with identical 4-4 records and even the lowly Greenies are only a game out of the lead.
Season-to-date Standings:
|
|
ASSL C league 2026 Season to-date Standings |
|||||||
|
|
Win |
Loss |
Ties |
Win % |
Scored |
Given up |
Diff. |
Games Behind |
|
Gray |
19 |
11 |
1 |
0.613 |
344 |
305 |
57 |
– |
|
Green |
15 |
10 |
0 |
0.600 |
323 |
263 |
68 |
1.50 |
|
Orange |
13 |
13 |
1 |
0.481 |
280 |
249 |
19 |
4.00 |
|
Blue |
12 |
15 |
0 |
0.444 |
237 |
310 |
-86 |
5.50 |
|
Red |
8 |
18 |
0 |
0.308 |
237 |
294 |
-58 |
10.00 |
Next Games: Monday July 27, 2026
Game 1 8:00 a.m. Green (3-4-0) vs. Red (4-4-0)
Seems like these two never play each other so let’s just see what happens.
Blue has umpiring duties for this one.
Game 2 9:00 a.m. Blue (5-4-0) vs. Gray (4-4-0)
Rematch of Thursday commanding victory by the Blue team. Can Gray regain their championship form or are we seeing a changing of the guard.
Green will be taking on the umpire responsibilities in this game.
Orange will have a bye on Thursday so there players will have priority in the draw.