{"id":2694,"date":"2021-07-06T21:17:54","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T01:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sweatsoxbaseball.com\/blog\/?p=2694"},"modified":"2021-07-06T21:49:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-07T01:49:49","slug":"were-in-the-multiverse-now-opening-day-vs-team-cuba-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sweatsoxbaseball.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/06\/were-in-the-multiverse-now-opening-day-vs-team-cuba-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re in the Multiverse Now | Opening Day vs Team Cuba RECAP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GLOUCESTER<\/strong>– The SweatSox opened the 2021 NCBL season, and our quest to defend the 2019 Tier 3 Championship, with a 9-1 victory over Team Cuba last night at Trillium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SweatSox opened the scoring in the 1st with 2 runs, added 4 more in the 4th, and never looked back en route to the 8-run win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josh Ramage got the start for the SweatSox, and threw 6.33 innings of 0-hit baseball before Jose Olamendi blooped a single to shallow left (or deep short depending on who you ask)<\/em> that ruined The Green Bastard\u2019s first solo no-hit bid. 2 batters later, Paul Septimo ruined the Arsonist\u2019s shutout with a hard hit ball to the Trillium fence that ended up being a long single. The Hero of Hydration ended up with a complete game, limousine riding, jet flying, soul stealing<\/em>, wheelin’ n ‘dealin 2-hit son of a gun; not bad for a guy who hadn\u2019t picked up a baseball before this game since Fall Ball 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kent Johnston, picking up right where he left off as our 2019 Finals MVP, led the SweatSox offense with a 1st inning double, and 3 of our 5 total hits, knocking in 3 runs while scoring once himself.\u00a0 Before the game, Johnston noted that this year wasn\u2019t official in his personal record book, and that it was an \u201cexhibition season in my mind\u201d…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marc Lett, who arrived at the game with no regrets and left the field with some, had the other 2 of our 5 hits, including a hard hit double to left, an RBI, and a run scored. The soon to be VOML was also a key factor in motivating Chris Lidstone to keep-on swinging during his 3rd inning 10-pitch at bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Craig Cornell was also an important part of the SweatSox opening day offense with 2 runs scored, after reaching base in all 4 of his plate appearances on 2 walks and 2 hit by pitches (with 1 uncalled elbowing penalty).\u00a0 Sexy Eyes was also in charge of making sure nobody started talking about Ramage’s no-hitter out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A little bit of history was made in our first game of 2021:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Kyle Stewart became the 147th player to suit up and play in an actual game for the SweatSox.\u00a0 The Man in the Red Dress first crossed dressed<\/s> paths with the SweatSox all the way back in 2007 when he debuted in the NCBL with our bete noires, the Outaouais Tribu.\u00a0 Now playing for the Black Sox, who opted-out this year, Little Kicks is on loan to us for the 2021 season, and made his SweatSox debut last night: 0\/1 with 1 shattered bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, it was a record setting opening day crowd at Trillium last night (if you don\u2019t believe us, check the COVID fan log)<\/em>.\u00a0 Spotted in the stands just behind the dugout was the Table Saw herself: Mrs. Eric White (aka Ms. Hyjinx 2019).\u00a0 Further down the line, making a rare appearance at the diamond, on her anniversary no less, was the OG Ms. Hyjinx: Kelly One.\u00a0 Seated next to her, socially distanced of course, and making her SweatSox fan debut was Brooklyn Winchester, who may need to come to all our games now when her Mr. Winchester is on the bump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, John Groves set a SweatSox record, maybe an NCBL record, and possibly an overall baseball record by reaching base twice in a game via a wild pitch third strike; hey, whatever works right!?!\u00a0 Speaking of the now VOMG, we learned that during our baseball hiatus he\u2019s been catching up on all things Marvel.\u00a0 We know he\u2019s a fan of Loki and Wanda, but he\u2019s not that big on the Guardians of the Galaxy; word is he kinda likes Rocket, Gamora, and Groot, but he\u2019s very much anti-Drax<\/em>. Noted comic book enthusiast Chris Lidstone isn’t yet sold one way or the other on the MCU’s interpretation of Drax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I have to note the great defense the SweatSox played last night.\u00a0 While the scoreboard noted 0 SweatSox errors, that hardly told the story of how non-routine the plays we made on D actually were to help preserve the no-no as long as we did:<\/p>\n\n\n\n