Game 9: H-W Demons 16, DT Tattoo 9

Even without their spiritual leader between the white lines, the H-W Demons continued their dominance of Division V at Moorman Main. With DOB out due an knee injury suffered earlier this week during noon ball at the Y, the Demons trudged on and kept their hopes of a dream season alive against a pesky DT bunch.

The Demons put up five spots in the first two innings, held off a Tattoo surge in the middle of the game and put it away with a four-run top of the seventh to push their record to 9-0 and eliminate the Tattooists from the title running, dropping DT to 5-3.

With three games left to play, the Demons have a 2 1/2-game lead on the Merry Beavers depending on what the Beavers (5-2) did in their game Thursday against a tough Uncle Bob's outfit. If Uncle Bob's helped us out, we've clinched at least a tie for the crown and can clinch the title next week.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves before talking about Thursday's festivities. Although there was a lull in the middle innings, the offense was solid again. Shawny continued his torrid hitting, going 4 for 4 with four runs scored from the clean-up spot.

Hitman Hart dumped the losers at the "Footloose" show, where he's playing guitar, and went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI. Nobody puts Rodney in a corner. (I realize that's a "Dirty Dancing" line but aren't all crappy 80s dancing movies the same thing.)

Even though we tripped at home plate twice - Grape Ape and Marky Mark - we survived.

The DT boys had a game plan against Grape Ape: Take as many pitches as possible and hopes he walks everyone. Grape walked six batters, but threw enough meat for them to swing at. He was backed by a rock solid Demons defense. Hitman was solid at short, using all 7 foot, 2 inches of his frame to go up and grab a line drive. He also turned a nice double play to end the second inning.

After filling in miserably for DOB behind the plate (he dropped an easy pop up), the Weamster saved Kriss Kross' bacon in right center field. He made several catches and turned right field into the place where doubles went to die alongside Nick the Quick, who made several catches of his own on a breezy night.

Kriss Kross' suspect play in right-center field (can you say E-10 twice) led to the best line of the night by Shawny.

"You got outplayed by your brother tonight."

Truer words haven't been spoken.

A close second for line of the night goes to the flustered Tattoo member after one of their players was thrown out on a silly base-running play who told Rob Base and I: "This is what's wrong with our team. We have guys who don't come to practice and then complain about why they don't play."

Paging, Allen Iverson.



Thanks for the answer, AI.

By the way, The Demons don't practice. It's really against Division V rules, isn't it?

We'll try to crack the champagne next week when we meet up with Phil Craig Roofing at 6 p.m. at Moorman Main. Barring a setback, DOB should be good to go after a week off. Jazzy Jeff, who injured himself running the bases, could be out and we know we'll be without Chuck D and Big John Studd. Hopefully, we can pull Jim Dandy away from watching his surging Cubs to get him to the park.

Until next week.