You may recall recently signed IF Matt Sargent's first game with the Shawnee Punishers, a 16-6 thrashing at the hands of the lowly KCK Giants. Afterwards, several of Shawnee's players believed that they were, undoubtedly, the better team, although the scoreboard told a different story.
Sunday night was the chance to set the record straight.
Playing the entire game with the league-minimum eight players, the Punishers dominated the Giants en route a 10-5 victory. A complete game was turned in by SP Clint, who overcame several errors by SS Nick Reddell, an inside-the-park home run, and a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth inning that threatened the Punishers' control of the game. Bremerton's own Matt Sargent figured into the mix prominently both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
In the error-filled bottom of the first, Sargent hit 3B Dave Warner with a strike on a relay from OF Matt "G" for the first out, which put a temporary stop to the bleeding as the Giants evened the score at two apiece.
In the third, with a runner on, Sargent laced the first pitch he saw through the box into center field for a single, successfully extending his hitting streak to four games. Somewhere, Larry Nedich was heard saying, "You could've hung laundry on that liner!"
Next, in the fourth, Sargent was once again up with a runner on, this time in scoring position. With the count full, he pulled a grounder right inside the bag at first, which seemed a surefire double. Seeing the right fielder bobble the ball, Sargent went wide on his turn at second, eyeing the relay throw. When the relay flew a good three feet over the cutoff man's glove, the race was on....and the play at third was - in the dugout! Sargent trotted home with an inside-the-park dingo (actually a double with three errors).
The bottom of the fifth saw the biggest scare defensively for the Punishers. With none out and the bases loaded, Clint got a swinging strikout to bring up the light-hitting bottom of the KCK Giants lineup. When a full count ensued, the runners were off with the pitch....and a line drive, right to Sargent! Catch and a quick flip to SS Reddell at second base completed the double play, and the all but sealed the victory.
Sargent credited Matt G. for brining Gatorade powder to put in the water cooler for the team's heightened performance. The Punishers are gearing up for a playoff push by pulling within 5 games of first place. The next game is Tuesday, July 29th at Macken Park in Kansas City, Kansas. First pitch is 9PM.
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