JETFORM PARK — The SweatSox and Knights finally met on the baseball diamond again Monday night for the first time since 2004, back when the current core of SweatSox players were battling what was essentially the parents — and possibly grandparents — of the current Knights roster.
The Knights had won that last meeting 14-7 more than two decades ago, but this latest chapter ended in a hard-fought 8-8 draw after a chaotic opening three innings and four scoreless frames of survival baseball afterward.
The matchup also featured a battle between two managers cut from the same cloth — alumni of the famed Tito Frias school of coaching — with longtime SweatSox skipper Cory Bond squaring off against the young buck Derek Brennan of the Knights.
“I’ve always looked up to Cory and the SweatSox,” Brennan said before the game. “It’s a privilege to finally play against the two-time defending Tier 3 runners-up. For our group, this is a measuring stick game. We’re trying to prove we belong in the upper tiers and there’s no better team to test yourself against.”
Early on, it looked like the Knights were ready to graduate with honours.
The Knights came out swinging — and swinging hard — piling up 10 hits and 8 runs over the first three innings to grab what appeared to be a commanding 8-1 lead. Aaron Botham set the tone early with an RBI double to deep left, while Oliver Varette, Cory and Mark Bond’s second cousin-in-law, chipped in with an RBI double of his own in the second inning.
But the SweatSox are no strangers to staring at ugly scoreboards.
Trailing by seven runs and down to their final out of the third inning, the Sox erupted for one of the strangest and loudest rallies in recent memory. Ten consecutive SweatSox reached base with two outs, producing seven runs and completely flipping the momentum of the game.
By the time the dust settled, the score was tied 8-8 and the Knights contingent at JetForm Park suddenly sounded a lot less confident.
The game then transformed entirely.
After the offensive fireworks, both teams locked things down defensively over the final four innings, combining for four straight scoreless frames. As tradition apparently dictates after tie games, both teams ended up kissing my (Shaun Keay) sister on the way out.
The turning point came once the game settled down, and much of the credit went to a brilliant defensive adjustment from Bond. Searching for a spark, the two-time Tier 3 Manager of the Year had the idea to swap the left side of the infield, moving James Paul to third base and Ron Martelle to shortstop.
“Nobody was technically making errors,” Bond explained. “Everyone was just a step or two off. I wanted to shake things up and try to put everyone in a better position to succeed.”
The move paid immediate dividends. Paul and Martelle both made several key plays late in the game to keep the Knights off the scoreboard and preserve the comeback tie.
One move Bond never considered, however, was touching Jaspreet Sanghra at second base.
Sanghra turned in a defensive clinic, recording a game-high four assists while using his speed to run down several difficult ground balls that looked destined for the outfield.
“I wasn’t worried about any wicked hawps at the Stadium,” Sanghra said confidently. “The better the field is, the better I am, and most importantly the better my body feels the next day.”
Larry Pawelek also anchored the defense at first base yet again, recording a game-high 10 putouts while digging multiple throws out of the dirt to save runners and innings alike.
“If it was up to me, I would’ve been subbed out after the second inning like usual,” Pawelek joked. “But I’m glad Coach kept me in so I could show my son that anything is possible — even playing seven full innings.”
On the mound, Josh Ramage gutted through his second consecutive start, somehow turning a disastrous beginning into a complete-game tie. Ramage surrendered 12 hits and 8 runs while striking out seven and walking just one.
“I’m not really sure why Cory left me in after giving up eight quick runs,” Ramage admitted. “Honestly, at that point I wanted Larry to go in for me. But I’m glad Cory believed in me, and I’m glad I didn’t make him look stupid in the second half of the game.”
Offensively, the SweatSox were powered by “Downtown” Steven Brown, who apparently becomes unstoppable the closer he gets to Downtown Ottawa. Brown finished with a team-high three hits, including two doubles, while driving in three runs and scoring twice.
“I’m getting the hang of this EH thing,” Brown said. “All I have to do is hit nukes, and chirp.”
James Paul, Phil Leduc, and Larry Pawelek each added two hits during the comeback effort.
Andrew Hierlihy also made headlines when his clearly corked metal bat shattered during an at-bat, immediately placing him in the market for a replacement and perhaps placing the NCBL Operations Committee on alert.
Trevor Williams quickly volunteered for recovery duty.
“I offered to sneak through the JetForm ceilings and recover the bat before the NCBL can inspect it,” Williams said. Hierlihy politely declined, opting to take full responsibility for his actions.
Ron Martelle survived one of the more ambitious cardio sessions of his adult life while scoring from first base on Brown’s third inning double.
“I’m glad the legs held up,” Martelle said. “It helped that the ball was crushed and I could just turn on the cruise control at the end there. The greatest thing you can hear rounding third is, ‘Ease up, you’re good.’”
The Knights received stellar work from opening pitcher Brian Kusiewicz and long reliever Liam Kennedy — however the Knights opted not to comment on the decisions that were made, or not made, between those appearances.
Behind the plate, Greg Bono was everywhere for the Knights, blocking what felt like 100 pitches in the dirt while also surviving a memorable collision at home plate involving Phil “Hausen” Leduc.
As Leduc charged toward the plate from 3rd, witnesses reported hearing him yell:
“Mr. Bono, you’re a great ballplayer, and I’d just like to say: you’re standing on the tracks and the train’s comin’ through, butthead.”
Both players left this encounter unharmed, and in good spirits.
The SweatSox now enjoy an extended break before returning to action next Tuesday against the Barons. And judging by recent trends, Josh Ramage is probably making his third straight start whether he likes it or not.
Final SweatSox vs Knights Notes/Thoughts:
- It’s a lot easier to do these recaps when I (Shaun Keay) actually show up to the games.
- Bill has to wait for gameday field updates just like everyone else.
- Once you go black, you’re going to need a wheelchair.
- Al Bundy once scored 4 touchdowns in a single game. Mark is no Al.
- Everybody’s doing something, we’ll do nothing.
- Phil came through on Mike’s “gummy dinosaurs in a ziplock bag” request.
- The Stadium doors open at exactly 5:30pm, not 5:29pm, not 5:31pm. 5:30pm.
- Stadium parking loophole: they won’t give you a ticket if you have a flat tire.
- Ron highly recommends his Hazeldean Leather Guy, but he’s never actually asked if he does glovework or not.
- Why are the new team hats all wet, and really shiny?
- If Trevor can see the ball, he will catch the ball.
- Danhausen is not Van Allen.
- Mark Keeping finally got to live out his lifelong dream of plunking Josh Ramage with a baseball.
- Do you think we can get the Stadium security guy a chair? Maybe a rocker?
- The Carolina cumback sauce on the new Chucks sliders is okay.
- My (Shaun Keay) cousin also broke his arm exactly like I did, except he fell off his bike.
- There should be a banana stand at the Stadium. There’s always money in the banana stand.
- Wait, Cory’s had the gum bucket the entire time?
- Sometimes, you just gotta empty the tank 😉
