verdugo288

Okay….we’re 3-0 and playing a perennially weak team in Valley South. In 1990…they were known as “Valley ET” (Encino-Tarzana) and we beat them twice that season as well as blowing them out on the ten run rule in 1991.

But this was (to me anyways) a huge game. As we had all experienced in Legion…it was kinda like the NFL….”on any given Sunday….anybody can beat anybody” so while worried …I was confident.

This was a Saturday game on the road (nine innings)….and we had to play Encino-Crespi for nine innings Sunday evening at Stengel.

To give you an idea of how confident I was, we started the game with Hagge, Turner, and Bull Oxen on the bench. I could have DH’d any of those guys as well to hit for Jim Parque who got his first start on the mound for Verdugo….but did I?

HELL NO I didn’t! I played the lineup National League rules-style….letting Parque hit for himself in the nine-hole.

And what happened? We shut them out and picked up the win….Final score: Verdugo 7 Valley South 0….,,

Vo stepped up. Threw a great game. He shut them out for seven innings on only 76 pitches and “B” Cowsill pitched the 8th and 9th to pick up the save….and Verdugo was 4-0!!!!

Haggs, Turner, and Bull all played that day as well….but came in late in the game. It was another win where we all contributed.

No attitude whatsoever from Haggs…Turner….or Bull when they started the game out on the pine. We were all having a great time in the dugout that day!!!!

Jon Gabrielson led off for us…played the whole game at first base. Jon reached base three times, had a couple of base-hits, stole a base, and scored a couple of runs.

Wiley Jackson was roaming the tundra for us out in right field….hitting in the six-hole….drawing a walk and moving a runner over on a sacrifice and hauling in a couple of fly balls.

Dan Bir played the whole game in left field that day, and picked up his first hit in his Verdugo career with a seventh-inning single.

Kasey Canale started at second base for us and drove in a run.

Vo scattered two hits and two walks through seven innings….again….only 76 pitches….and struck out five.

Hack Workman had three hits, two of them doubles, and scored a couple of runs.

Brendan Cowsill singled….and stepped up to the plate in the third inning and bombed a two-run HOMER.

Thunder (Dave Fielder) ripped a base hit in the third inning and caught a great game for us.

Kirk Hagge came into the game in the 6th inning, played a couple of innings at second base and caught the final two frames when Cowsill had the ball.

This was a fun day. Everybody got in some work. We took it easy again with Bull because he was gonna be on the mound the next day against Crespi. Bull played the last couple of innings at second base and didn’t even get to hit this game.

Robb Turner came into the game in the 6th inning as well, and picked up a base-hit in his first plate appearance. We shifted him around from right field to third base when “B” took the mound.

Good times….Verdugo 4-0. Everybody’s playing. Everybody’s loose.

Honestly I was expecting to ten-run mercy-rule these guys but it’s okay. We played nine….no injuries….

We got the two things I was looking for….number one, the win…..and number two….Bull Oxen was fully rested for Crespi. Crespi had Jeff Suppan. I didn’t know if he was going to pitch against us or not. And honestly? With Bull rested….I didn’t care who they threw at us.