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Playoff Game Recap for Tuesday August 26, 2003:

"Angels defeat Bargo's 7-6, meet the Rangers in Loser's Bracket Finals"
Players of the Game: Team effort - Angels
Angels - The Angels sent another team home Tuesday as they continue to clean house through the loser's bracket. The Angels scored first with 2 runs in the 2nd and one more in the 3rd. The Bargo's didn't allow the lead to stand for long as Bryan Braswell knocked a 3-run HR to right to tie the game at 3-3. The Angels, though, were unphased and continued to score with 2 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th and 6th to garner a 4-run lead. Braswell took the hill for the Barmen and struck out 10 Halos in 4 innings surrendering only a hit to Tony Davis to silence the Angels' bats. The Barmen rallied with 3 in the 9th before TJ Miller closed the doord on the game and their season. A mighty tip of the cap for a game of the ages. Tony Davis went 3 strong innings with 3 K's, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks. Jeremy Cunningham followed with 5 1/3 innings, striking out 6. TJ Miller got the final 2 outs striking out 1 for the save. Cunninham (1-4 RBI), Eccles (1-5 RBI), Newlen (1-5 2B), Dalton (2-5 2B), Miller (1-4 RBI), Roehl (1-4 2B), Davis (3-4 2B, 2runs 1RBI), C. Imes (2-4 run), Vietz (1-4 RBI), Thygerson (0-2 run, walk, sac). Time to gear up for a 5th crack at the Rangers!
Bargo's - In their first season in the MVABL, Bargo's Barmen had more ups and down than Son of Beast. The clutch hits and solid hurlers were finally put to rest by the circus fielding. Throughout the entire season, Bargo's searched feverishly for a cure for the Error Bug. Last night, the antidote was no where to be found. Kraft and Braswell played the role of Superman on the hill, but ironically the men behind them were the Kryptonite. Kraft pitched a solid 5 innings allowing 7 runs, less than half earned. Braswell earned another MVP trophy for the already-overloaded mantel, relieving Kraft in the 6th with the bases loaded and no outs. It took him 11 pitches to strike out the side and minimize the damage. Braz recorded 10 strikeouts in only four innings of work, but his mammoth 3-run dinger overshadowed the aspirins he whizzed by the waving bats. Solid Angels pitching, fielding and hitting were the difference as the Barmen entered the bottom of the 9th down 7-3. After a leadoff flyout, the Barmen bats finally awoke. Grif and Dalton laced singles, Hutter ripped an RBI single. Champ followed with his usual 0 and 2, 9th inning hit, good for 2 more RBI. Walker battled and won, singling giving the Barmen the tying and winning run on base with only 1 out. But like any attractive female the Barmen approach at a bar, the rally vanished in a blink of an eye, giving the Angels a hard-earned, 7-6 victory. In conclusion, worry no more Barmen fans, come 2004 we'll be back ready to battle...with stronger arms, better hitters, prettier uni's, less E's (errors and excuses), and a better attitude.

Playoff Game Recap for Sunday August 24, 2003:

"Angels inch closer defeating Astros 12-6"
Players of the Game: Eccles, Newlen, Johnson - Angels
The Angels once again come out swinging with a 5-run first. The Astros chipped away to make it 5-4 after 3 innings. The Halos answered with a 5-spot in the 4th. Each team pounded in 2 more runs on the way to a 12-6 final. TJ Miller went 4 innings in his 1st start giving up 3 hits, 4 walks, and 2 K's. Cliff Johnson came in and guided the Halos to the win with 5 innings pitched, 4 hits, 2 walks, 2K's and 2 runs. Offensively, the Halos pounded out 16 hits. Matt Eccles (3-4 walk), Justin Newlen (3-4 2B, 3B 2RBI), Chris Imes (2-4 2B 2RBI), Tony Davis (2-4 2B, run, RBI), Joe Dalton, Miller, Roehl, Vietz, Thygerson, Johnson, and Cunningham all drove in 1 run. This was a team effort by the Halos. Good luck Jason Joyce, the league will miss you and thanks for your contributions!

Playoff Game Recaps for Tuesday August 19, 2003:

"Woodpeckers silence Rangers' bats, win 6-2"
Player of the Game: JT - Woodpeckers
JT picked up the complete game victory for the Woodpeckers holding the Rangers to just 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 8. Shawn Schmitt started for the Rangers and gave up 5 hits while walking 7 and striking out 3. Adam Gnepper came on in relief and retired all 6 batters he faced. Denzil Turner pitched the ninth and gave up a run on two hits. The Rangers offense never really showed up for this one. Scott Sundermeyer provided the only RBI for the Rangers as he drove in Rick Dansby with a single to right field in the 8th inning. Steve Marshall scored the last run for the Rangers in the ninth on a wild pitch after leading the inning off with a triple. Steve finished with 2 hits, as did Clint Wolf who also doubled. The Woodpeckers were led by Gabe Thomas who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI. John Forman and Matt Klaus drove in runs with sacrifice flies and Taylor Fisher drove in a run with a single in the 2nd. Fisher also walked twice and scored both times. The Woodpeckers advance to the championship game, whereas the Rangers await the winner of the Bargo's and Astros/Angels game.

Playoff Game Recaps for Tuesday August 19, 2003:

"Woodpecker's win Battle of the Arms III 5-4"
Players of the Game: Matt Klaus/Ian Baltzer/Chaz DeShayes - Woodpeckers
This game lived up to all of it's hype. "Braswell vs Klaus"
Both pitchers through gems for their teams. Not only was the battle on the field but battle of radar guns trying to keep up with the fastballs from both Braz and Matt. With the big game starting and fans fighting for seats in the stand,scouts and reporters talking with players up to game time, coaches scuffing around to finalize lineups things were tense. The game started with the highest fly ball in history only to be missed by the Woodpeckers placing Tyson "I can't believe Klaus throws that hard" Swartz on second to leadoff the first. Ryan Kraft then laced a single into leftfield. Swartz was gunned down at the plate by Chaz "Old man Strength" DeShayes from LF. After being warned, Kraft tries to score on another single to leftfield from Dalton. Again, DeShayes fires a seed to Jaynes for second out of the inning. After a single from Braswell, Klaus has a big strikeout to end the inning. The Peckers score 1 in the first on a couple of errors from the barmen. Woody's boys added 3 runs in the 2nd to go up 4-0. Another run in the 3rd made it 5-0 before Bargo's chipped away in the 5th,6th, and the 8th to bring it to 5-4. Braswell recorded 12 strikeouts in 9 innings of outstanding work. Klaus had 15 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings of his great pitching display. Ian Baltzer came in the 9th with two runners on to earn a huge save. Scott Jones chased down a flare into centerfield for the final out to preserve the victory. Chris Ranstead lead the offense for the Woodpeckers with a pair of hits. Bargo's was lead by Swartz, Grif, Champ all collect 2 hits for the Barmen. This was an awesome game and the fans were standing until the very last out. Hats off to both teams on a great game and fun match-ups through the series.

"Astros stay alive, knock out Royals 10-4"
Players of the Game: Tony Walters - Astros
The Astros beat the Royals 10-4 on Tuesday night ending the Royal's season. Tony Walters picked up the win for the 'Stros. Gregg Foster had 3 hits to lead the offense. Rob Johnson, George Lesko and Levi Castle all had 2 hits each.

"Angels almost pull off upset, fall short of Rangers 9-7"
Player of the Game: Scott Sundermeyer - Rangers
The Angels and Rangers played a well-fought game amidst questionable officiating. The Angels outhit the Rangers 11-10 and won the battle of indecisive strike zone calling, walking 6 times to the Rangers 5. However, a key Halos miscue in the bottom of the sixth proved costly as the Rangers went ahead for good, hanging on to a 2-run victory.
The Angels scored first as Jeremy scored on double play ball and Justin drove in Danny. But the Rangers answered in their first at-bat as the first 6 batters reached base. Clint Wolf and Artie Caudill contributed RBI singles in the frame and Brian Smith and Mike Siegman each drove in a run with RBI doubles. The Rangers, however, mustered only 1 hit for the next four innings. All the meanwhile, the Angels piled on 3 more runs to go up 5-4 halfway through the game. Matt Eccles drove in 2 with a single and a fielder's choice, while Danny stung an RBI triple for the 5th run of the contest. In the sixth inning, Artie and Brian reached on singles bookended by a couple of strikeouts. But with a full count and runners going, the Rangers came up with the night's "Frisch's Big Boy Big Play of the Day". Scott Sundermeyer laced a 3-2 fastball into left center, scoring Caudill from second base. Shawn Schmitt followed with a high flyball into the thickening hazy night sky towards centerfield which was ultimately dropped allowing the go-ahead and insurance runs to score. The Rangers scored 2 more in the next inning on a bases-loaded walk and another on a wild pitch. The Angels fought back with 2 of their own in the top of the 8th on Mark's second triple of the night and scored on Tony's single.
Rob Hoover started for the Rangers and pitched 5 innings giving up 5 runs, 3 earned and struck out 4. Scott Pollak picked up the win in relief following up Hoover's night with a scoreless 6th inning. John Kriner came on and pitched 2 innings giving up 2 earned runs. And Adam Gnepper closed out the game for the save striking out 1. Jeremy pitched well for the Angels striking out 6 in 6 innings of work.

Playoff Game Recaps for Sunday August 17, 2003:

"Angels upset Astros 8-3, advance to face Rangers"
Players of the Game: TJ Miller/Joe Dalton - Angels
The Angels came out swinging, knocking in 4 runs in the 1st inning and then 2 more plated in the 3rd. The Astros answered with 1 unearned run in the 4th only have the Halos counter with a run of their own in the top of the 5th. Two more unearned runs score in the 6th for the 'Stros but the Halos chip in one more for good measure in the 8th. Cliff Johnson went a solid 6 innings for the Angels giving up 3 unearned runs while striking out 9 and walking one, surrendering only 3 hits. Tony Davis struck out one in a single inning of work and closer TJ Miller struck out 5 in 2 innings for the save. Offensively, Matt Eccles (2-3 walk, double, 2 runs), Justin Newlen (3-4 2 doubles, 2 runs), Joe Dalton (2-4 double, 2 runs, 3 RBI), TJ Miller (3-3 walk, 2 runs, 3 RBI).

"Bargo's squeak past Royals 10-9, advance to play Woodpeckers"
Player of the Game: Bryan Braswell - Bargo's
True to a prediction on the Woodpeckers website, Bargo’s outplays and outclasses the Royals to send them to the Losers Bracket in the 2003 MVABL Tourney. Anyone who witnessed the season series between these two clubs must’ve felt they were watching the classic Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner cartoon episodes….as the Royals crept closer and closer each try, but could never conquer the Barmen.
Jason Griffith had some trouble hitting the strike zone, but battled his demons and managed to get the win. Tyson Swartz collected 2 hits late in the ballgame, as the second hit was a clutch RBI triple to tie the game. Witnesses say they heard Swartz mutter “Beep! Beep!” as he wheeled around second base towards third only adding more irony to the Roadrunner/Coyote comparisons.
Ryan Kraft baffled, perplexed and mesmerized the Royals hitters to close the game out in the 9th. Kraft also had a game-winning groundout RBI that sent the Royals back to the filled-up drawing board. The Royals were happy to see that Bryan Braswell did not take the mound, but he hurt them with his bat ending the day a perfect 4-4 (1-2B, 3 RBI, 3R).

Playoff Game Recap for Thursday August 14, 2003:

"Royals win Play-In game, defeat Outlaws 13-5"
Player of the Game: Neil Lynch - Royals
In the humid nightcap, the Royals and Outlaws battled for the Playoff wildcard berth. Neil Lynch took the mound for the Royals after his last 10-inning appearance against the Bargo's. Royals runners scored early and often throughout the entire game. The Outlaws were bitten by the "BB" bug, serving up 11 walks in total. Eight of 10 Royals hitters recorded at least one hit, led by Jason Errett (3-5 2 runs scored). Dave Rooker and Eric Jameson also worked Outlaw pitchers deep in the count tallying 7 walks between them. Lynch pitched a 9-inning CG, giving up 1 earned run, 4 walks, and striking out 7 to lead the Royals into the playoffs.

Game Recaps for Thursday August 14, 2003:

"Angels master Masterson, beat Sox 4-3"
Players of the Games: all Angels players
Tony Davis went the full 7 matching the Sox's secret Ace. All ten Angels played key roles for the comeback win as they played as a team and pulled out an old Rockies win (last minute but hard-nosed and ugly). Cunningham (1-3 triple), Eccles (1-4 run, rbi), Newlen (1-3 rbi), Miller (1-3 rbi). Vietz and Dalton each scored a run.

Game Recaps for Sunday August 11, 2003:

"Rangers sneak past Angels 8-6 and 6-4"
Players of the Games: Matt Caraway,Denzil Turner - Rangers / Cunningham,Newlen - Angels
The Rangers win both ends of a doubleheader and their 16th straight game to earn back-to-back regular season 1st place titles.
Game 1 - The Angels struck early scoring 3 runs in the first inning and building a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the 5th. The Rangers pecked away at the lead as Clint Wolf shot a 2-run double in the left-centerfield gap, Shawn Schmitt followed three batters later with a 2-run single and Matt Caraway followed him up with a 2-run single of his own to help the Rangers take the lead for good. Joe Staten hit his 3rd homerun of the season to add an insurance run in the 6th. Shawn Schmitt pitched a complete game to bring his season record to 7-2. Shawn struck out 7. Cliff Johnson pitched 4 1/3 strong innings for the Angels before tiring out in the fifth. Johnson finished with 4 K's. Joe Dalton followed Cliff up with 2 2/3 giving up a solo HR. Jeremy Cunningham went 2-4 with a double and 2 Runs scored. Chris Imes also had a double and an RBI. Matt Eccles had 2 hits including a double. TJ Miller scored twice.
Game 2 - The Rangers scored all of their runs in the 4th inning. The Angels attempted to comeback as Justin hit a 2-run HR in the bottom half of the 4th and the Angels scored one run each in the next 2 innings on errors. But Scott Pollak came in and pitched a 1-2-3 7th to pick up the save. Denzil Turner started for the Rangers and went 6 strong innings, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 6. Adam Beltz pitched 3 innings for the Angels striking out 3. Joe Dalton pitched another 4 innings of relief giving up 3 earned runs and walking 1. Justin Newlen went 1-3 with a 2-run HR.

Game Recap for Tuesday August 5, 2003:

"Bargo’s Sleeps Their Way to Victory, (12-10)"
Player of the Game: Mike Hutter (in absentia)/Bargo's
In the sleepiest game East of the Mississippi, Bargo’s out-uglied the Royals in a 10-inning anti-climatic thriller. At the historic Howell field, the Barmen looked and played as if they were on a 3-day binge. Fumbling plays, tripping over their feet and not catching the ball were common occurrences throughout the game. To spare the ugly, boring and downright trodden details, the score went back and forth in a game of leapfrog. Finally, in the top of the 10th, the Barmen were able to muster a couple runs for Bryan “There’s a sniper in the outfield grass” Braswell (2H, 2RBI), to close the game out. Offensive stats for the game: Ryan “Blue, you’re my boy” Kraft (2H, 5R, 2SB, RBI), Chaz “I bleed Barmen maroon” Deshayes (2H), Brent “You scare me when you drink” Dalton (2H, 3R, 3RBI), and Tyson “Consider hanging up the spikes after your performance tonight” Swartz (2H, 2R, 2RBI).

Game Recaps for Sunday August 3, 2003:

"Bargo’s Shocks the World, Stuns Woodpeckers Taking Both of Twinbill (6-3, 3-2)"
Players of the Game: Ryan Kraft/Bryan Braswell - Bargo's
Game 1: The scene was set. The Barmen, after an all-night marathon of watching Hoosiers and Rudy, were ready to take on the league-dominant Woodpeckers. For the Barmen, it was payback time, after the Woodpeckers embarrassed them in their first meeting. With the theme of Rocky playing in their ears and a fresh miracle victory in their rear-view mirror, the Barmen took the field and never looked back. Facing the crafty left-hander, Dave Pearson, the Barmen came out swinging and took an early 5-1 lead. The Peckers, refusing to give up, fought back to within 2 runs, but the Barmen added an insurance run to seal the victory. Ryan “Coach, maybe I should pitch the second game” Kraft shut down the hot-swinging Pecker bats. Tyson “I Flunked Base-running Fundamentals” Swartz led the offensive charge going 2-3.
Game 2: Bargo’s, number three in the standings, number one in your hearts, took to the field with a hop in their step. The best pitching match-up in the league was scheduled as Matt Klaus squared off against Bryan “Butterbean” Braswell. Braswell, fresh off a deck-building injury, fought through some 1st inning Barmen BlundersÔ as the Woodpeckers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Remembering Rudy and refusing to give up, the Barmen fought back to within 1 run until the rain came and forced a 20-minute delay. Some clutch hitting by Jason Griffith and Braswell gave Bargo’s the needed insurance to slam the door. Mike “Hitting ain’t no thing, but a chicken wing” Hutter, tired from his week-long media tour (reference: Bargo’s/Angels write-up on July 27), handled the Pecker pitching going 2-3 with some clutch hitting. After the game, the Barmen took to their sponsor’s establishment and enjoyed some tall boys. At the time of this editorial, two Barmen were still unaccounted for and the establishment had the most profitable night in its history.
Thanks to the Peckers for arriving early and working on the field so both teams could enjoy two hard-fought games of baseball.

"Royals outslug Angels 17-10"
Players of the Game: Joe Dalton/Justin Newlen - Angels
The game started out with the rambunctious Royals knocking in 3 runs in the bottom of the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Halos answered with a 2-run HR from Joe Dalton in the top of the fourth and a sac fly in the top of the sixth, only to have the Royals pop off 3 more in the bottom frame. In the 8th, all heck broke loose for both teams. The Angels, with two outs, delivered back-to-back HRs from newcomer Newlen and lame-armed Tony Davis. Then, two singles later, Joe "Daddy" Dalton smacks his 2nd HR of the day. But the Angels weren't done. After a walk by TJ Miller, Chris Imes decided it was time to end his homer drought and knocked a 2-run shot to dead center after missing one the previous inning by a foot. The Halos are suffering from the injury bug again as Tony Davis' arm said "no mas" and is done pitching for the season, as well as Matt Eccles who took a cleat in the forearm and is done as well, giving the Angels more injured than a MASH rerun. The Royals smacked around Scotty "who me" Falkowski in the bottom half of the inning for 8 more runs to get the final score. Imes admits that "in hindsight I should have gone to the closer in the 8th, but it's my choice and ultimately my loss." Offensive stats: Davis (1-2 HR), Cancieno (2-3 2R, 2SB), Eccles (4-4 double, 2SB), Dalton (2-4 2HR, 5RBI),Imes (2-4 HR, 2RBI), Hall (2-4), Newlen (2-2 HR). Dalton pitched 4 innings striking out 3.

Game Recap for Friday August 1, 2003:

"Woodpeckers whip Soxs 11-2"
Players of the Game: Josh Thomas/Gabe Thomas - Woodpeckers
The Beavercreek Soxs got a taste of the hometown boys! Gabe and Josh Thomas bleed beavers blood but, show Beavercreek they are not just legends in their own minds. Josh pitched a complete game to earn the victory. He struck out 9 while giving up 7 hits. Gabe Thomas broke out the whoppin stick going 4-4 with 3 SB. Jeromy Jaynes went 1-1 with 2 walks, Ian"I'm not only a pitcher" Baltzer added 2 hits (2B-1B) and had 3 RBI's to help the Peckers win there 16th league match-up.

Game Recaps for Thursday July 31, 2003:

"Rangers dominate Royals 10-1."
Players of the Game: Shawn Schmitt/Steve Marshall - Rangers
The Rangers pitching was once again a stronghold as Shawn Schmitt pitched 6 dominant innings, allowing 3 hits and struck out 8. Denzil Turner pitched the 7th striking out 1, lowering his ERA to 0.90. The Rangers finished the month of July 9-0 allowing only 23 runs total. Leadoff hitter Steve Marshall led the offense with a pair of doubles and a triple, scoring 3 times and driving in 3 more. Mike Siegman, Clint Wolf, Scott Pollak, and Schmitt each added doubles as well. Clint also finished with 3 RBIs.

Game Recaps for Tuesday July 29, 2003:

"Rangers blank Angels in first matchup of the season."
Players of the Game: Jonmarc Lippincott/Scott Sundermeyer - Rangers
Rangers - Rob Hoover, Scott Pollak, Shawn Schmitt, and Jonmarc Lippincott combined on a 6-hitter to shutout the Angels in the first matchup of the season between the two ballclubs. The Rangers' first 8 batters reached base as Jonmarc, Brian Smith, and Rick Dansby all doubled in runs in the first inning. Scott Sundermeyer singled in a run in the 3rd and the 5th. Aaron Armstrong hit a sac fly in the 4th, followed by a double by Steve Marshall, and an RBI triple from Lippincott. Sundermeyer ended up 3-for-3 on the evening. Jake Kingsolver scored 3 times and rapped his 5th double of the season.
Angels - Christian Imes was forced to the mound due to injuries and AWOL pitchers. After the first inning where he had trouble loosening up, the Rangers loosened up the stitches on the baseball knocking in 5 in their first go around. Chris later settled down keeping the Rangers off balanced as much as he could with his knuckleball speed, without the knuckle, giving up 4 more the rest of the way. The was entertaining to say the least as Christian flopped around on the mound snagging two of four hit near him, but the greatest was the stumble and fall in the top of the 6th as the pudgy man tumbled down the first baseline on a groundball out. Some likened the sight to a buffalo shot down in the prairie. Offensively, the Halos didn't do much, scrapping together 6 hits: 2 by Eccles and Stolicker, 1 by Imes and newcomer Newlan.

"Astros defeat Royals 13-3"
Players of the Game: Tony Walters - Astros
Tony Walters got the start and allowed just 1 earned run in 4 innings of work. Mike Flanagan picked up his first win of the season in relief working a perfect 5th. George Lesko and Gregg Foster came in to close the door on the mound. Steve Louis, Jason Joyce, Levi Castle, Dan Flanagan, and Mike Flanagan each had 2 hits on the night for the 'Stros.

Game Recaps for Sunday July 27, 2003:

"Bargo's Takes Season Series from Angels with Heroic 7-5 Win"
Players of the Game: Joe Dalton - Angels / Mike Hutter - Bargo's
Angels - Both teams were without their top pitcher and the Angels were missing some key players, but the game was a nail-biter nonetheless. The Halos scored in the bottom of the 1st and the Bargo's quickly answered in the top of the 2nd and again in the 3rd. The Angels tied it up in the bottom half of the inning. Bargo's put up a two-spot in the 5th and one in the 6th, only to have the Angels come back with 3 in the 7th. The Barmen, however, finally put it away in the top of the 9th to end an exciting game. The Angels used a bevy of pitchers; only Jeremy Cunningham pitched a solid 4 innings with 6 K's and 2 ER. TJ Miller picked up the loss in the 9th. On the offensive side, the Halos were led once again by cagey Joe Dalton who went 1-3 with his 2nd homerun of the season. Mark Roehl had 2 RBI. Cunningham had an RBI and a Run Scored. Joel Hall, Rick Imes, and Falkowski all scored one run. Bargo's - In a game for the ages, the Bargo's Barmen took a 7-5 win over the Angels with a dramatic 9th inning victory. After falling behind 1-0, the Barmen put some runs on the board to take a 5-1 lead and then squandered it away to put the game at 5 apiece. In the top of the 9th, the Barmen loaded the bases with no outs for their 3 and 4 hitters. Good Angels pitching led to two strikeouts and little hope for the Barmen. That is until Mike "Do You Believe in Miracles" Hutter stepped to the plate. Fighting the weather, darkness and stunted growth, Mike stepped to the plate with an aura of confidence. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Hutter laced a 2-run single past the diving third baseman to seal the victory for the Barmen. Although Hutter was not available to the media after the game, he was overheard as saying, "Yeah I started the day 0-4, but that's my game. Lull them to sleep and pounce like a tiger." And pounce like a tiger he did, as he drove off into the sunset in his Honda Accord. Ryan Kraft came out for the bottom half of the inning and shut out the game 1-2-3 while concurrently, but not surprisingly, talking trash with the opposing team. Also adding support to the cause were Dino "the Dominator" (2-4, 2B), Ryan "Blue, You're Taking the Bat Out of my Hands" Kraft (2-5, RBI, SB, Run), Jason "Big Red" Griffith (2-5, 2B) and Tyson "Insert Joke Here" Swartz (2-4, 2B, 3B, 3R).

"Rangers win 12th straight, sweep 5 inning twinbill from Outlaws"
Players of the Game: Adam Gnepper/Scott Pollak - Rangers
Game 1 - The Rangers took the opening game 17-0 as the Outlaws threw in the towel after the 5th inning. Adam Gnepper (4-1) started for the Rangers taking a perfect game into the fifth before giving up a double with 1 out. Adam finished with 2K's giving up 1 baserunner. The Rangers pounded out 12 hits to go with 6 walks. Mike Siegman got his maple mojo working with a 2-run HR in the first inning, his 1st HR as a Ranger. Joe Staten hit a 3-run HR in the 3rd, his 2nd of the season. And Jonmarc Lippincott hit a 2-run blast in the 4th. Jake Kingsolver added a triple, and Brian Smith added a double. Siegman, Smith, Lippincott, and Artie Caudill each had 2 hits.
Game 2 - The Outlaws snatched the momentum away from the Rangers to start the second game, but the teams got 5 innings in before the rain gods told us it was time to go home. Scott Pollak pitched the complete game for the Rangers striking out 3, improving his record to 2-0. Rick Dansby led off the game by reaching on an error, stealing 2nd and 3rd, and coming home on a throwing error from the catcher. The Rangers' bats found pine tree territory again in the 2nd inning as Artie Caudill and Brian Smith each tagged Outlaws pitching for homeruns. Brian was the only Rangers player with multiple hits, as he was able reach base in all his plate appearances on the day. The Rangers won 5-3 in the nightcap.

"Astros beat socks off of Sox 8-3 in Game 1 and 6-2 in Game 2"
Players of the Games: Mike Flanagan/Brian Girard - Astros
Game 1 - Levi Castle pitched a complete game allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 7. Mike Flanagan led the Astros offense going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and 3 runs scored.
Game 2 - Brian Girard took the hill for the 'Stros and pitched 5 2/3 of 3-hit baseball until the rains came and ended this one early. Steve Louis and Levi Castle each had a pair of RBIs to lead the Stros to the 6-2 victory.

Game Recaps for Thursday July 24, 2003:

"Angels shoot down Outlaws 13-8"
Players of the Game: Joe Dalton/Chris Imes - Angels
The game started hot for the Angels who answered the Outlaws 1 run in the opening frame with 12 of their own. Those 12 runs stood up the rest of the night as they squeaked out one more run in the 4th inning. The Outlaws fought back scoring in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. The Outlaws had a never-say-die attitude and kept coming as hard as they could, but ultimately fell short when Danny Cacieno took the hill to put out the fire in the 7th. Tony Davis, still fatigued from his gem on the previous Sunday, followed it up with 5 IP and 8 K's for the win. Falkowski pitched 1 inning giving up 2 runs striking out 1. Offensively, the force of Dalton and Imes continued their hot hitting. Dalton went 2-4 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI. Imes was once again 2-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Other notable hitting stats: Cancieno was 2-3 with 2 runs and a walk; Mark Roehl was 2-4 with 2 runs; TJ Miller was 2-3 with a double. Davis, Beltz, and Falkowski each drove in runs. All 11 starting hitters scored at least once.

Game Recaps for Sunday July 20, 2003:

"Bargo's Complete Season Sweep on Sox, win 16-9"
Players of the Game: Jason Griffith/Brent Dalton - Bargo's
In a game where the score was very close through 6 six innings, Bargo's blew it open throughout the last 3 frames. Jason Griffith pitched a solid 8 innings earning the victory and co-player of the game with Brent Dalton who was 2-3 with a 2B and HR (3 RBI, 3R). Ryan Kraft missed making it a trio of Bargo's players earning Player of the Game by dropping a line drive which was more lazy than several Barmen not attending today's game. That miscue helped the Sox tack on 4 unearned runs. He gained some redemption back by going 3-4 with a HR (4RBI, 1R). Also collecting multiple hits were Mike Hutter (2-5, RBI, 3R) and Tyson Swartz (2-4, 2RBI, 2R).

"Rangers take pair from Royals 7-6, 17-4"
Players of the Game: Clint Wolf, Jake Kingsolver, Shawn Schmitt - Rangers
In game 1, the Royals took an early 2-0 lead with a double from Neil Lynch and an RBI single from Mark Franklin. Jake Kingsolver led off the top of the 2nd inning with a solo HR to cut the deficit in half. The Rangers tied up the ballgame in the third when Aaron Armstrong led off with a triple and scored on a double from Scott Pollak. The Rangers scored 4 more runs in the next two innings only to have the Royals sneak back with 4 runs of their own in the top of the 6th inning. The Rangers' deciding run came in the bottom of the 7th when Scott Sundermeyer led off with a single, advanced to second on an error by the 3rd baseman and eventually scored on a walk-off double by Steve Marshall. Shawn Schmitt pitched a complete game for the Rangers, striking out 13 on route to his 5th win of the season. Neil Lynch went the distance for the Royals and pitched extremely well, walking one and striking out 4.
In game 2, the Rangers took advantage of Royals pitching early and often. The Rangers sent 16 batters in the 2nd inning, scoring 11 runs, highlighted by Clint Wolf's 3-run blast. The Rangers batted around again in the next inning scoring 6 more runs. But the Rangers bats were silenced from then on as Royals pitchers retired 12 of the next 13 batters. Scott Sundermeyer was the only Rangers player with multiple hits. Scott also drove in 3 runs. Adam Gnepper picked up his 3rd straight win and Scott Pollak finished out the game.

"Woodpeckers keep hold of first place with two more victories beating the Astro's(8-2),(20-7)"
Players of the Game: Dave Pearson/Josh Thomas - Woodpeckers
Game 1 - Dave Pearson just keeps getting the job done. He added to his win total with a good pitching performance over the Astro's hot bats. Pearson gave up 2 runs in the first inning and then shut down the Stro's to pick up a win in his complete game, allowing only 4 hits while walking 5 batters. Josh Thomas put on a hitting display going 3-4 coming up only a homerun short of the cycle.
Game 2 - JT came out smoking again going 4-4 with a double and a monster homerun to centerfield. Josh pitched well for 4 innings to add to his outstanding day. (Josh would like to thank his hitting coach Ian Baltzer for all his success) Ian Baltzer pitched 2 innings and struck out 4 batters before making way to the "Intimidator" Josh Jaynes. Josh and his laser fastballs kept them baffled for a least 2 batters. Chris Ranstead hit his first career grand slam. Chaz DeShayes went 3-4 with a walk. Chad Jaynes reach base three times in one game! The Woodpeckers total 17 hits in the 20-7 win.

"Angels outduel the Outlaws; win 10-0 and 8-5"
Player of the Game: Tony Davis - Angels
Game 1 - The game started out good with both teams staying quiet until the top of the 3rd when the Angels scored 3 runs to get the ball rolling. Tony Davis came through big time after being AWOL for three weeks and pitched a complete game shutout, scattering 8 hits, striking out 5 and walking only one to beat the Outlaws. Offensively, the Angels were led by Josh Burelison (1-2, 2BB, 3R), Chris Imes (2-3, 3RBI), Matt Eccles (3-4, 2RBI), and Mark Roehl (1-3, 2R, double). TJ Miller went 2-3 with a double and an RBI as well.
Game 2 - This game started off good for the fiesty Outlaws as they showed no quit and got on the board in the first with a lone run to make it 1-0. The Angels answered with 2 in the top of the 2nd only to have the Outlaws tie it back up in the bottom of the 3rd. The Angels answered that attack with 2 in the top half of the 4th only to be answered in the bottom of half by the never-say-die Outlaws. Then, the critical moment in the top of the fifth, Chris Imes came up with a big bases loaded, two-out single to clear the bases. The Outlaws could not recover, only scoring 1 more run in the bottom of the sixth off of closer TJ Miller, who picked up the save. Adam Beltz went 5 strong innings keeping his team in it by giving up 6 hits, 1 BB, striking out 5. Miller pitched 2 wild innings striking out 3 while hitting a batter and walking another. The Angels were led once again by the Doughboyesque Chris Imes who went 2-3 with 3RBIs. Joe Dalton woke up from the first game to go 3-3 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. Mark Roehl went 2-4 with a run scored.

Game Recaps for Sunday July 13, 2003:

"Rangers win 8th straight, take over 2nd place with 2 wins over Bargo's"
Players of the Games: Shawn Schmitt/Clint Wolf - Rangers / Tyson Swartz - Bargo's
Bargo's - In a close first game of the twin-bill, the Bargo's Barmen were only able to muster up 3 hits as a result of solid Rangers pitching. Five errors gave the Rangers bats too many extra outs as they took advantage of the miscues. In the second game the circus continued as Bargo's created a surplus of inventory for The Silver Spur with their 9 boots in the game. Too many extra opportunities for the Rangers hitters led to a 13-7 defeat. The feeble Bargo's hitters were only able to obtain 5 hits in the game. Tyson Swartz ended the day a home run shy of the cycle (1B, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, Run). Rangers - In game 1, Shawn Schmitt continued to impress on the mound as he won his 4th straight start striking out 6 over 6 innings. Denzil Turner pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the save. Mike Siegman and Steve Marshall collected 2 hits a piece. Artie Caudill and Joe Staten added doubles. In game 2, the Rangers mounted a 7-2 lead going into the sixth inning, until Tyson Swartz laced a bases-clearing triple down the right field line to bring the Barmen to within 1 run. But the Rangers added 6 insurance runs in the top half of the seventh to stave off any other type of scare. Adam Gnepper started for the Rangers and collected the win giving up no earned runs over 5 innings and striking out 3. Rob Hoover came in to relieve in the sixth and finished out the game with the save. Clint Wolf went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a SB. Artie Caudill went 2-for-2 with a double and 2 hit-by-pitches and also drove in a pair. Jonmarc Lippincott went 3-for-3 with a double. Steve Marshall went 3-for-4 with a double, 3 runs scored, and an RBI.

"Woodpeckers shoot past the Outlaws with two wins. (5-0 & 10-1)"
Players of the Game: Dave Pearson, Matt Klaus - Woodpeckers
With injuries and MIA players the Woodpeckers played with 9 players the first game and only 8 for the second. Dave Pearson continued his great pitching, going 7 innings chalking up 10 k's, 3 hits, 2 BB in his complete game shutout. If you witness the game to clarify any misunderstandings it was not Johnny Bench catching! ( Taylor Kunz was the masked man)
Game 2 - Player of the game- Matt Klaus Matt Klaus showed his stuff again in only 6 innings of work he struckout 12 while allowing 2 hits and 1 run with only 2 outfielders. Chris Ranstead closed the game out with 2 k's of his own and allowing no one to reach base as the Peckers added plenty of runs to secure a victory. There are rewards for several Woodpeckers if anyone has info leading to the finding or arrest of Mr.Alkie, Mr.Irresponsible, Mr.No-Call.

"Astros sweep Royals 10-5, 17-3"
Players of the Game: Brandon Long, Tony Walters - Astros
In game 1, Brian Girard pitched 4 strong innings allowing no earned runs. Levi Castle got his first win of the season in relief. Brandon Long and Dan Flanagan were each 3-for-4.
In game 2, Tony Walters pitched 4 strong innings allowing no earned runs. George Lesko pitched 3 innings in relief allowing just 1 earned run. Tony also led the Astros offense with 4 hits and 3RBIs. Brandon Long also continued his hot hitting going 3-for-3 and reaching base in all 5 plate appearances, bringing his daily total to 8 consecutive times on base.

"Beavercreek Sox hold on to beat Angels 10-7"
Players of the Game: Joe Dalton, Matt Eccles - Angels / Koiser - Sox
Angels - Sloppy defense in the first sank the Angels with 4 unearned runs. The Sox slugged in six more runs. The Angels battled back slowly to make the game 10-7. The climactic finish to a great game came in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs and a full count -- only to have the Angels batter watch strike three cross the plate. Dalton and Eccles continued their hot hitting as Dalton homered and Eccles connected for a pair of doubles. Joe finished with 3 hits and 3 RBIs. Matt was 4-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Chris Imes was 2-for-4 with 1 RBI. Adam Beltz pitched 5 solid innings giving up 3 earned runs and struck out 9. Josh Burleson added a strikeout in 2 innings of work. TJ Miller closed the game out with 2 K's and a popup.
Sox - The Beavercreek Sox won their 4th game to go .500 for the season so far. Spencer started the game on the hill and had 11K's in 7 innings. Travis Kimbrell had 3 RBIs and Koiser had 5 RBIs, including a 345-foot two-run HR. That ball was tracked by NASA, it went so high. Spencer and Kulke each had 1 RBI. Fruhwirth scored 2 runs. Defensively, the Sox were almost flawless in the field, only committing one error.

Game Recap for Tuesday July 1, 2003:

"Rangers keep rolling, shutout Sox 13-0"
Player of the Game: Joe Staten - Rangers
The Rangers knock out their 6th straight victory as Scott Pollak and Rob Hoover shut down the Sox offense. Rangers pitchers allowed 4 hits and 4 walks over 6 innings striking out 3. The Rangers offense was led by Joe Staten, coming off a month hiatus, who rocketed a 405-ft solo HR to straight away center field. Artie Caudill raised his team high batting average to .682 with a 3-for-3 3RBI performance. Clint Wolf walked twice and tripled twice and drove in 3. Clint now has 4 triples on the season. Mike Siegman, Rick Dansby and Joe Staten each finished with 2 hits.

Game Recaps for Sunday June 29, 2003:

"Rangers sweep season series from Astros, win 14-7, 9-2"
Players of the Game: Artie Caudill, Jake Kingsolver - Rangers
Game 1 - Adam Gnepper started his 1st game of the season and picked up his first win striking out 8 in 5 innings of work. Tony Walters suffered the loss as he struck out 7 in the complete game defeat. The Rangers got a 5-for-5 effort from 3B Artie Caudill, including a double and 3 RBIs. Jake Kingsolver had 3 hits including his 2nd HR of the season and also contributed with 5 RBIs. Scott Sundermeyer and Rick Dansby had 3 hits a piece, and Brian Smith and Jonmarc Lippincott added 2 hits each. Scott Pollak hit his first triple of the season. Steve Lewis added a double and a solo HR for the 'Stros in Game 1.
Game 2 - Shawn Schmitt picked up his second consecutive complete game victory striking out 7 Astros batters. The Rangers pounded out 10 hits off of Astros starter George Lesko, and 5 of them went for extra-bases. Rick Dansby, Clint Wolf, and Brian Smith each had 2 RBIs.

"Woodpeckers come out swinging to take pair from Angels"
Players of the Game: Mark Roehl - Angels / Chaz DeShayes, Dave Pearson, Josh Jaynes - Woodpeckers
Angels - The Angels were never really into either game of the twinbill. The offensive juggernaut called the Peckers steamrolled to a victory over the broken-winged Angels. Suffering from a depleted starting core from vacations and the injury bug took its toll in the second game which the Angels were forced to call after 5 innings due to injuries. This is to take nothing away from the hitting display the Peckers put on the fallen Angels. No Angel pitching is worth noting to protect their families. The lone defensive highlight was Mark Roehl robbing Toby Stewart of a homer in left. Offensively for the Angels, Mark Roehl went 2-for-4 with a BB and 2 runs. Jeremy Cunningham went 2-for-5 with 2 SB. Matt Eccles had 3 hits, Joel Hall had 2 singles, and Chris Imes went 1-for-3.
Woodpeckers - Game one-Woodpeckers 9 - Angels 3
After heavy training the night before with the Bargo's Barmen, Chaz Deshayes training pays off going 4 for 4 (1-2b) to lead the Peckers past the Halo's. Dave Pearson had another strong outing only giving up 1 earned run in 7 innings of work.
Game two-Woodpeckers 18 - Angels 2 (4.5 innings) Chaz continued his daydream by making it 5 for 5 on the day before getting plunked on his next at bat. Then on his next at bat he got revenge going yard and making it a 6 for 6 day. Sound pitching from Matt Klaus and Chris Ranstead along with lots of hitting from the entire Woodpeckers team brings the birds another victory and a doubleheader sweep over the Angels.The Peckers attack was lead by Chaz DeShayes, Josh Jaynes, and Dave Pearson all collecting 3 hits. Dave was a homerun short of the cycle.

"Bargo's Continue To Be A "Royal" Pain For Foes, Win 15-6"
Player of the Game: Jason Griffith - Bargo's
If the score of this game was guaged by trash talking, the outcome would've been a lot closer. Both teams jawed back and forth throughout, as the game was delayed over an hour. Several Bargos players were plunked by pitches but that didn't stop their bats as they banged out 15 runs on as many hits to go with 16 stolen bases. Jason Griffith pitched a solid 6 innings earning the victory and added a triple. Mike Hutter led the attack with 3 hits while Ryan Kraft, Tyson Swartz, Dino, and Chris Fullenkamp added a pair each.

Game Recap for Tuesday June 24, 2003:

"Rangers hand Woodpeckers first MVABL loss, win 8-5"
Player of the Game: Shawn Schmitt - Rangers
The Rangers finally found a way to preserve a lead against the Woodpeckers. After blowing the lead in the final at-bat in the previous two outings against the Woodpeckers, the Rangers made sure they scored enough early on to survive another comeback. The Rangers got on the board in the 1st when Rick Dansby scored on a wild pitch. James Robinson hit a sac fly in the second to score Mike Siegman. Siegman produced an RBI single in the 4th to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead halfway through the game. The Rangers tacked on 2 more in the top of the 6th as Clint Wolf and Artie Caudill led of with singles. Wolf scored on a Jake Kingsolver sac fly, and Caudill came across with an RBI single from Jonmarc Lippincott. The Woodpeckers got their bats rolling in the bottom half of the frame when Matt Klaus drove a long double off the left-center field fence scoring Ranstead. With the score holding at 5-1, the Rangers added some much needed insurance runs in the top of the 7th inning. Aaron Armstrong led off with a pinch-hit single to left, and after Steve Marshall reached on a fielder's choice, Clint Wolf and Artie Caudill hit an RBI single and double, respectively to make it an 8-1 game. As it has been in the past, the Woodpeckers put on their hitting shoes in their final plate appearance. After a leadoff strikeout, the Woodpeckers rang out 4 straight hits, capped by a 2-run double from Chaz DeShayes. Fortunately for the Rangers, the Woodpeckers could only muster 4 runs in the 7th as the Rangers held on to win by a score of 8-5. Shawn Schmitt got the complete game victory for the Rangers, striking out 10. Clint Wolf had 3 hits and Artie Caudill and Mike Siegman each had 2 apiece. Six Rangers players drove in a run. Scott Jones took the loss for the Woodpeckers as he struck out 4 in 7 innings of work. Offensively for the Woodpeckers, Matt Klaus was the only player with multiple hits including his RBI double. Taylor Kunz and DeShayes each added doubles as well.

Game Recaps for Sunday June 22, 2003:

"Astros defeat Outlaws 13-5"
Player of the Game: Brian Girard - Astros
Brian Girard picked up the win for the Stros working 6 strong innings allowing just 2 earned runs. Dan Flanagan, Steve Louis, Rob Johnson, George Lesko, and Tony Walters each had two hits on the day.

"Rangers pound Sox 19-2"
Players of the Game: Rick Dansby, Steve Marshall, Clint Wolf - Rangers
The Rangers continue to score runs at a rapid pace, having done so in 16 of their previous 17 innings of play. Steve Marshall continued where he left off from Tuesday's game by scoring in his first two at-bats (the 7th straight at-bat that he has found home plate). Marshall added a double and a walk and scored 3 times. Rick Dansby was a homer short of a cycle, scored 3 runs and drove in a pair. Clint Wolf added a double and a triple and also scored 3 times and drove in 2. Scott Sundermeyer added 3 singles, and Aaron Armstrong and Jake Kingsolver each had 2 hits. Rob Hoover picked up his first win of the season. Adam Gnepper and Scott Pollak pitched perfect relief combining to give up no hits and 3 strikeouts in the final 3 innings of play.

"Woodpeckers shutout Bargo's 10-0"
Players of the Game: Bryan Braswell - Bargo's / Matt Klaus, Josh Jaynes - Woodpeckers
Bargo's - The stage was set. #1 vs. #2. A pitcher's duel. Hot-hitting Bargo's throwing their ace. The league-leading Peckers bringing their top hurler and their vicious bats. Clutch players show up for big games. Who would win? As it ended up, the Peckers played solid defense, outstanding pitching by Matt Klaus (18 K's), and collected some clutch hits (2 HRs). As for the Bargo's team, someone forgot to tell them this was a baseball game and not a tryout for Barnum Bailey. They looked like a bunch of clowns booting more balls (9) than in the World Cup soccer finals. Every position player had at least 1 error except P, C, RF, and SS. Braswell pitched a gem allowing only 3 earned runs against the top hitting team in the league. He showed why he's among the leagues elite pitchers. The game can be broken down into 4 categories. 1) Miserable Bargo's Fielding 2) Great Peckers Pitching 3) Timely hitting for the Peckers 4) No bats for Bargo's. Tyson Swartz collected 2 hits for the team that just got a hefty reality check.
Woodpeckers - Mr.K (Matt Klaus) added to his strikeout totals by fanning 18 Barmen, in the pitching duel. Klaus allowed 5 hits in the game and reached 80 strikeouts for the season in only 43 innings. Bargo's pitcher (Bryan Braswell) threw a tough game but,errors and timely hitting lead the Woodpeckers to a big win. Josh Jaynes had 2 hits one being a towering shot over the left field fence. Scott Jones hit a 3 run HR to secure the win. The Ohio Woodpeckers and Bargo's Barmen look foward to a great rematch doubleheader late in the season.

"Angels sweep Royals in doubleheader 11-8 and 9-8"
Players of the Game: Josh Huff, Jeremy Cunningham, Tony Davis, Rick Imes - Angels
Angels - Game 1 was exciting with the lead going back and forth early on. Poor defense allowed a bloated score. Josh Huff (Huff Daddy) pitched his first complete game since overcoming cancer two years ago. He pitched 7 innings giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 2. Offensively for the Angels, Jeremy Cunningham doubled and scored 3 runs. Josh Burelison went 3-for-4 with a triple and 3 runs as well. Chris Imes broke out of a mini slump and went 3-for-4 with 3 singles and a pair of runs and 2 RBIs. Joel Hall also had 3 hits with a double. It was a nail biter in the 2nd game where the Royals scored 4 runs in the top of the 7th to tie up the ballgame only to have TJ Miller bloop a base hit in to score Cunningham in the bottom of the frame. The Angels stole 19 bases. Fan Favorite Rick (Rhino) Imes makes a rare appearance in a game and goes 1-for-1 with a single and a walk and, get this folks, 3 stolen bases! Yes, your'e reading it right...3 steals for this larger than life character. No one offensive performance really stood out, but here we go.. Cunningham (2-4, triple, 2R, 3SB), Rick Imes (1-1, 3SB), Tony Davis (3-3, 2R, double, 4SB), Scott Falkowski (0-0, 2BB, 2R, 4SB)

Game Recaps for Thursday June 19, 2003:

"Astros blank Outlaws 15-0"
Player of the Game: Tony Walters - Astros
Tony Walters pitched a complete game shutout Tuesday night against the Dayton Outlaws. In 7 innings of work, Tony allowed just 4 hits, no walks, and struck out 9. Jason Joyce was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs to lead the Astros offense.

"Bargo's Bats Stay Hot, Streak at 5"
Some new faces for Bargo's helped contribute to a comfortable victory for the Centerville team. Bargo's extended it's win streak to 5 with great pitching from newcomer Joey Lingg. His 5 pitch "tryout" before the game earned him the start and the victory proving to be the right call. Considering Lingg was on a 4 year layoff, he showed great control and velocity. Offensively, Bargo's was led by RBI machine Jason Griffith. Griffith was 2-4 with a 2B and 3B and 5 RBI. Bargo's also got multiple hits from Tyson Swartz (ho-hum) (2-4, R, RBI), and Mike Steiger (2-4, 2R, 3 RBI). The offense for Bargo's was capped off by substitute utility player Chaz DeShayes (2-3, R, RBI) who filled in since he was in the area at the Beavercreek Senior Center renewing his Gold Card.

Game Recaps for Sunday June 15, 2003:

"Woodpeckers take twinbill from Royals"
Players of the Game: Toby Stewart/Josh Thomas - Woodpeckers
Good hitting and outstanding pitching leads to two more victories for the big birds. The Woodpeckers showed their deep pitching rotation by throwing 6 different pitchers in the twin bill victories over the Dayton Royals. The Peckers won game #1 18-1 with Paul Coultas (2-0) picking up the win in relief. Toby Stewart collected three hits, and was a home run away from a "cycle." In game #2 the Peckers downed the Royals 7-1. Josh Thomas (1-0) picked up his first win of the season and career with the Peckers in relief while striking out 6 in 3 innings.

"Bargo's defeat Angels 12-2"
Players of the Game: Matt Eccles - Angels/ Ryan Kraft - Bargo's
Bargo's extended its win streak to 4 straight with a convincing 'redemption game' against the Angels, 12-3. It was a team victory with many offensive contributions and solid pitching from first time starter, Ryan Kraft. Kraft went the distance maintaining control and composure throughout. He showed mental toughness battling back to strikeout the side after an injury to his neck trying to follow the Home Run he served up to Matt Eccles of the Angels. Kraft recorded 15 strikeouts to only 4 walks earning him the victory. Offensively, the broken record continues to play, with once again Tyson Swartz collecting multiple hits (2-5, 2B, Run, SB, RBI). Jason Griffith continues his hitting groove after tattooing 3 balls - (3-4, 3 1B, 2 runs, SB). Chris Fullenkamp kept his hits rolling with a solid effort at the plate - (2-3, 2BB, 3 Run, 2 RBI). And yes, Bargo's do have other players on their team who show up, hustle, and try to contribute besides the individuals mentioned in this (and every other) write-up. Offensively for the Angels, Matt Eccles went 2-for-4 with a homerun, Jeremy Cunningham went 2-for-2 with 2 stolen bases, a walk, and a run scored, and Tony Davis pitched 4 innings for the Angels striking out 5.

"Rangers score 20 in win over Outlaws"
Players of the Game: Steve Marshall - Rangers/ Fred White - Outlaws
The Rangers scored in every inning but the 6th inning on their way to a 20-3 win over the Outlaws on Sunday. Leadoff hitter Steve Marshall went 5-for-5 scoring 5 times and drove in a pair with a 2-run HR. He also added a couple of stolen bases to his stats. Steve set a Rangers record by collecting a hit in 6 straight at-bats. Scott Sundermeyer added 4 hits of his own including a pair of doubles. Jake Kingsolver added a 2-run HR, his 20th of his Rangers career, which ties him with Jonmarc Lippincott for 1st on the franchise's all-time HR list. Clint Wolf tripled and scored 4 times. Shawn Schmitt picked up his first win of the season striking out 5 in 5 innings of work. Fred White had 3 of the Outlaws' 7 hits, including a double.

Game Recaps for Sunday June 1, 2003:

"Woodpeckers sneak past Rangers 7-6"
Players of the Game: Chris Ranstead - Woodpeckers / Rick Dansby - Rangers
The Woodpecker's win a close one 7-6 with a comeback through some clutch hitting. It was a pitcher's duel for the first half of the game. Neither team scored until the 6th inning. The Rangers scored 3 runs in the 6th, keyed by a bases clearing double by Rick Dansby, and the Woodpeckers answered with 3 runs in the 7th. Then it was a 3-3 tie in the 8th before the Rangers leftfielder, Clint Wolf, hit a solo HR over the wall. The Rangers added another run for insurance making it 5-3 heading into the Pecker's final at bat. John Forman hit a double to lead off the inning. Josh Thomas reached on an error, putting two runners on. After a strike out, Chris Ranstead stepped up to blast a homerun over the right field wall. Matt Klaus,Taylor Fisher, and Chaz DeShayes each followed with singles to add one more run. With the Woody's now leading 7-5 going to the bottom of the 9th. LHP Ian Baltzer made easy work of the first two batters before giving up a walk and a single. After an error and one run scoring (7-6), Dave Pearson came in to record a save and a tough victory for the Woodpecker's! HATS OFF TO BOTH TEAMS FOR A HARD FOUGHT GAME! Kunz-2 hits (1-2B),Klaus-2 hits,DeShayes-2 hits,Forman-2 hits,Ranstead 3 run HR. Dansby-3hits, 4 RBI, Wolf-2 hits, solo HR.

"Angels and Astros split twinbill"
Players of the Game: Brian Girard, Steve Lewis - Astros / TJ Miller, Josh Huff - Angels
The Astros fell 5-4 in extra innings despite a strong pitching performance from Brian Girard. Brian worked 8 innings allowing just 3 earned runs while striking out 8. Steve Lewis, Evan Tennery, and Jason Joyce each had 2 hits for the 'Stros. But the Angels capitalized on 5 costly errors and a few bad base-running decisions to take Game 1. Josh Huff started the game for the Angels after a two year hiatus due to cancer. He pitched 3 strong innings striking out 3 and walking 4. Mark Roehl went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored. The Angels played small ball with key bunts by Roehl and Danny Cacieno which allowed the lead run to score on an Astros' error.
Game 2 saw the 'Stros bats wake up early. The first six Astros batters scored to take an early 6-0 lead. The Angels countered with 3 in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 6-3. But the Astros continued to pound out hits leading to an eventual 13-5 win. Steve Lewis continued his hot hitting going 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 4 RBIs. Mike Flanagan and Rob Johnson each added 2 hits and George Lesko picked up the win working 5 innings allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 7. Vincent Terek came in to close the door for the 'Stros striking out 6 batters in just 2 innings of work. Angels' starter Adam Beltz failed to record an out in the first inning and was relieved by TJ Miller who struck out 11 in four innings of work. Jim Stolicker went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and 2 runs scored. Miller also contributed at the plate with a triple. Chris Imes had a double and an RBI.

"Bargo's pound Outlaws 24-9"
Player of the Game: Tyson Swartz - Bargo's
Bargo's extended their win streak to 3 with an explosive hitting performance from the whole team. The home opener at Schoolhouse park witnessed 23 hits, 24 runs, 9 extra base hits for team Bargo's. Joe Walker pitched 6 strong innings earning the victory. The hitting barrage was led by Tyson Swartz paying tribute to Arby's going 5 for 5 (2 RBI, 4 R). Fortunately, his offensive outburst overshadowed his Ryan Dempsteresque pitching. Jason Griffith connected for a homer, making it two straight games with a bomb. (2-4, 1B, HR, 2RBI, 3R). Also collecting multiple hits were Chris Fullenkamp (3-4, 2-1B, 2B, 5RBI, 2R), Brent Dalton (2-4, 3R), BJ Reed (2-3, 2B, 3B, 3RBI, 2R), Mike Hutter (2-4, 1B, 2B, 5 RBI, 2R), Ryan Kraft (2-4, 1B, 2B, 1R), and Joe Gliemmo (2-3, 3R).

"Beavercreek Sox win first, defeat Royals 13-5"
Player of the Game: Eric Fetzner - Royals
Unearned runs kill Royals again....After the Royals month-long hiatus, the Royals showed some rust. They started out on fire scoring 3 of their runs in the top of the first. Then held the Sox to 1 in the bottom, but then the error bug hit. Giving up 7 crucial errors over the remaining course of the game did the Royals in. Each occurred at the most opportune time allowing 1-2 runs to score as a result. Pitching for the Royals, Lynch and Jameson combined to only allow 5 ERs. Offensively, the Royals were unable to knock the baserunners in leaving 10 runners stranded. Eric Fetzner went 3-for-3 with a triple, walk, and a run scored.

Game Recap for Thursday May 29, 2003:

"Bargo's continue shutout streak, blanking the Sox 8-0"
Players of the Game: Bryan Braswell, Jason Griffith - Bargo's
Last night Bargo's continued to show their true potential handcuffing the solid young Beavercreek Sox team 8-0. The main stories of the game were Bryan Braswell's pitching and Jason Griffith's hitting. Braswell didn't allow a hit until the last frame, while recording 12 K's for the game. He only surrendered 2 hits. Griffith showed his power going 2-3 with a triple and an inside the park Home Run. And he connected with men on base picking up 6 RBI. Braswell also went 2-3 at the plate with a single and a towering double hit so high it altered the flight path of three 747s. Braswell has pitched two consecutive complete game shutouts.

Game Recap for Tuesday May 13, 2003:

"Woodpeckers blank Outlaws 38-0"
Player of the Game: Dave Pearson - Woodpeckers
The Woodpeckers welcomed newcomers, the Kettering Outlaws to its home field (Springboro High School-Woodpecker Field)with a pitching gem from Dave Pearson and a awesome hitting display by the Woodpeckers squad. The green and gold pounded out 30 hits in five innings. Pearson added his two cents(2 hit shut-out) to make the season home opener a success.

Game Recap for Thursday May 22, 2003:

"Bargo's shutdown Rangers 3-0"
Player of the Game: Bryan Braswell - Bargo's
Bryan Braswell took his stint away from minor league ball to shutout the Dayton Rangers by a score of 3-0. Braswell gave up 4 hits and finished with 13 strikeouts. The Rangers staff countered with 5 strikeouts and gave up only 3 hits. The Rangers were bit by the walking bug though, surrendering 9 walks in the ballgame.

Game Recap for Tuesday May 13, 2003:

"Angels defeat Bargo's 12-8"
Players of the Game: BJ Reed, Brent Dalton - Bargo's/ Tony Davis, TJ Miller - Angels
Bargo'sBargo’s suffered a 12-8 loss at the hands of the Angels last night. Bad News Bear fielding, key players missing and timely hitting by the Angels contributed to the loss. Leading the attack for Bargo’s was BJ Reed, 2-4 (1 2B, 1 1B) and Brent Dalton, 2-4 (2 1B).
Angels The Angels find redemption in comeback win. Poor defense and timely hitting spotted Bargo's 3 runs, only to have the Angels match that in their following at-bat. Bargo's then put up 4 more runs with more pourous defense on the Angel's behalf, which put the Angels at an 8-5 disadvantage. In the 5th inning, the Angels rolled off 4 unanswered runs to make it 9-8 and then added 3 more for good measure in the following two innings to get the final score of 12-8. Tony Davis pitched 5 solid innings of relief for Adam Beltz giving up 1 earned run and striking out 6. TJ Miller led the offense going 3-for-3 with a double and 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. Davis also had a pair of hits driving in 3 runs.

Game Recap for Sunday May 4, 2003:

"Astros defeat Angels 9-1"
Players of the Game: Tony Walters - Astros / Tony Davis - Angels
AstrosTony Walters Picked up the win for the Astros allowing no earned runs in 7 strong innings while striking out 9. Vincent Terek struck out 5 batters in two scoreless innings of relief. Ron Chestnut, Ron Walters, Larry Schulte, and Greg Foster each contributed two hits for an Astros lineup that pounded out 12 hits on the day.
Angels Chris Imes 1-for-2 with a single; Matt Eccles 2-for-4 with 2 singles and a run; Jimmy Stolicker 1-for-3 with a BB and 2 SB; Joel Hall 1-for-1; Tony Davis 3 innings pitched with 6 K's and 0 ER.

"Bargo's defeat Outlaws 5-2"
Player of the Game: Joe Walker - Bargo's
Another league Rookie for Bargo's stepped up and took home Player of the Game honors on Sunday. Joe Walker pitched a gem against the newly formed Outlaws. Walker pitched a complete game 5 hitter with 15 Strikeouts. He had a shutout rolling until the last frame when the Outlaws threatened, but a nifty double play by SS Ryan Kraft all but closed the door. Although injured with a pulled groin, Tyson Swartz once again provided the majority of the offense for Bargo's going 2-4 (1-1B, 1-2B). The Gimp also added a Run and 1 RBI. Walker's most impressive stat was the fact that he recorded 15 K's to only walking 1 batter.

Game Recap for Tuesday April 29, 2003:

"Astros nip Bargo's 4-2"
Players of the Game: Jason Griffith - Bargo's / Mike Flanagan - Astros
Bargo's -- The Astros were dominated by league rookie Jason Griffith who struck out an amazing 78% of outs recorded (14-18). Griffith surrendered only 5 hits to the Stros while Bargo's scattered 13 hits. Tyson Swartz led the offensive attack for Bargo's going 3-4 (2-1B, 1-2B, 1 Run), while Chris Fullenkamp added a pair of hits and 1 RBI. Joe Walker has had multiple hits in both games played adding a pair of singles, while Brent Dalton had a couple singles as well. On paper, Bargo's dominated every offensive and defensive category except the one clutch hit that proved to be the difference. The Astros bases loaded triple was the clutch hit while Bargo's left 11 runners out to dry (bases loaded twice). The future rematches between these two clubs will surely be catfights with Bargo's looking for redemption.
Astros -- George Lesko picked up the win for the Astros, allowing just 2 runs in 5 solid innings. Bargo's got an excellent pitching performance from their starter as well, striking out 14 Astros batters in 6 innings of work. The big hit of the night came off the bat of Mike Flanagan. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Mike tripled to left center to clear the bases and give the Astros a 4-2 lead. Brian Girard came in and shut the door working 2 scoreless innings for the save.

Game Recaps for Sunday April 27, 2003:

"Rangers win opener over Astros 7-2"
Players of the Game: Rangers pitching staff
The Rangers rotation kept the Astros bats at bay, while the hitters took advantage of some costly Astros' errors. Shawn Schmitt started and threw 3 shutout innings, striking out 6. Denzil Turner followed with 3 shutout innings of his own. Rob Hoover gave up a couple of runs in the 8th inning keyed by Greg's leadoff double. Adam Gnepper finished with a 1-2-3 9th. Rangers pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts on the afternoon. Tony Walters pitched 7 strong innings for the Astros allowing just two earned runs while striking out 7. But 7 costly errors allowed the Rangers 5 unearned runs. Brian Girard worked two scoreless innings in relief for the 'Stros. The Rangers offense was led by Artie Caudill, Shawn Schmitt, and Scott Pollak who each had 2 hits a piece.

"Woodpeckers shutout Angels 12-0"
Player of the Game: Matt Klaus - Woodpeckers
WoodpeckersWoodpecker's starter Matt Klaus pitched a complete game (shortened by run rule) 3 hit shutout at Rotary Park to open the season. Matt also recorded 12 strikeouts while only walking 1 batter. Mike Sizemore led the pecker's attack collecting 3 hits.(2-1B,1-2B) While Chris Ranstead(1-2B,1-3B) and Klaus(1-1B,1-2B) both added 2 hits each. The Angel's starter "Tony" pitched well early after a rocky first inning,giving up three runs in the first. He came back to hold the Woodpeckers in check til the sixth inning. Then the Woodpeckers broke out with 5 hits,some errors, and a walk led to a 5 run sixth inning. That was plenty of room for Klaus to cruise to victory.
AngelsChris Imes 1-for-2 and broke up the no-no. Tony Davis pitched 6 innings giving up 4 earned runs striking out 4. Gary Labianco 1-for-2 with a single and Doug Roster was 1-for-1 with a double.

"Bargo's win slugfest 16-10"
Players of the Game: Ryan Kraft - Bargo's / Eric Jameson & Neil Lynch - Royals
Bargo's - Comprised mostly of washed up Centerville Alum, Bargo's glided to victory against a scrappy bunch of Royals. Bargo's didn't waste anytime, putting up a 7-spot in the second inning. From there it was great defense and timely pitching that allowed Bargo's to win 16-10. Joe Gliemmo pitched 5+ innings and got the Win. League Rookie Ryan Kraft (Bargo's) turned many heads showing the league he belongs in an elite bunch after going 3-4 (1-2B, 2-3B). His second triple came with the bases loaded. Kraft contributed 4 RBI and showed great range at Shortstop playing textbook defense in helping earn him Player of the Game. The Royals had 14 hits for the game with Adam Taylor, Mike Hutter and Joe Walker each adding a pair. The Royals threatened in the last inning loading the bases but another league rookie BJ Reed made a highlight reel diving catch in right to end the game. Neil Lynch provided the majority of the Royals offense with a towering Grand Slam.
Blooper of the Game: Although two of Bargo's players were beemed at the plate, neither was hit as hard as Chris Fullenkamp (Champ) by his own teammate Tyson Swartz. Fullenkamp, playing 2B was 15 feet in front of Swartz when Swartz attempted a hard throw from Right Field to the bag. Fullenkamp, directly in the line of fire never saw it coming pelting him square in the back. The thud was heard by everyone.
Royals - The Royals and Bargo's opened the season with an all out slugfest. Royals rookie starter Brad Spencer did his part getting Bargo hitters into ground balls and flyouts, but the devastating sun made the job tough for the left fielder and third baseman. Both were unable to track the ball leaving the bat leading to a few costly errors. Bargo's rallied 12 runs off Spencer (2 2/3 innings with 2 K's). Royals made a move to the pen to bring in veteran Eric Jameson to stop the hurt. Jameson pitched well the remaining 5 1/3 innings, giving up 4 runs with 5 K's and 1 BB. The Royals were able to get the men on base and cash in early recording 6 runs in the 3rd led by Neil Lynch's grand slam, ending the 3rd inning at 12-8. Over the rest of the game, Bargo's pulled away recording 4 more runs, while the Royals left 12 men on base over the final 5 innings. Notable hitting for the Royals - Eric Fetzner went 3-4, while Chad Campbell, Lynch (2-for-3, 1 run, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR). Jameson went 2-3.