'Rakers win two as incredible march continues

CONCORD -- C’mon now, kids, what are you doing to your Humble Correspondent. Don’t you know you’re stretching his limited vocabulary to the max?

Just when you think you’ve exhausted the world’s supply of superlatives, there the Muckrakers go, continuing to defy all reason and common sense in what has become a postseason surge for the ages.

This is simply a team that refuses to die, to take the easy way out, to take shortcuts. The Muckrakers’ run has been pure athletic poetry at its finest, but there is one word our heroes have yet to learn -- and that word is “quit.”

That was all tied together nicely in a bow for all the world to see on Sunday, when the ‘Rakers somehow won twice to delve yet farther into the D league playoffs. What began as a 50-team congregation has been whittled down to a mere eight -- and there the smilin’ Muckrakers sit, simply at the vortex of it all.

They find themselves in that position after yet two more victories on Sunday. Each win was accomplished in separate, yet typical Muckraker style. In Game 1, the ‘Rakers used their “blow them out early and have some fun” style. But sensing their fans craved a little more drama with their playoff softball, the ‘Rakers employed their comeback attack to put yet another stunned ballclub out of its misery.

In Game 1, Upinit won the coin toss and elected to bat last. Big mistake. The ‘Rakers showed right away they were loaded for bear, blasting out of the gate for seven runs in the top of the first. Appropriately enough, it was manager Chris Wagnon who made the loudest statement, smashing a solid drive over a beleaguered outfielder’s head for a three-run home run. And in the three-run fifth inning, Randy Striegel and Mat Petersen clobbered back-to-back home runs, as hapless Upinit barely knew what hit it.
Another big blow of sorts was delivered by Mike Yurkus, who crashed into the third baseman attempting to make third. Yurkus was stopped cold and was called out, but the message was delivered loud and clear anyway: the Muckrakers are here to take what’s ours. Petersen and Wagnon combined for nine RBI as the ‘Rakers rode a 26-hit attack to the relatively easy 19-3 shellacking.

That set up Sunday’s Game 2, an 8 p.m. affair on a dark and windy Field 2. Early on, it appeared the omens weren’t favoring the ‘Rakers. Mike Gale was forced to leave the team to head for his place of employment, leaving the Muckrakers with just nine players. But into the breach stepped a clutch Dwayne Giron, giving the heady ‘Rakers the desired 10 players to do battle vs. The Battle.

A steady wind blowing in assured this one would a closely contested affair. And that scenario played out over the first two innings, the ‘Rakers staking a 1-0 advantage as Petersen singled and eventually scored on Wagnon’s sacrifice fly.

But the playoff winds then seemed to blow against the ‘Rakers, as The Battle put together its best rally of the evening and taking a 5-1 advantage. Surely, the buzz rifled through the stadium, this would be it for the ‘Rakers. Nice season and all, but all good things must come to an end. Nice effort, guys!

Only trouble is, the Muckrakers had an entirely different scenario in mind. And this one was keyed by the defense. After The Battle’s five-run outburst in the third, it scored just one run the rest of the way. The reason? Defense. The infield was rock solid as always as the usual stalwarts continued to come up big.

The outfield was a revelation -- and the team’s savior. Wagnon’s alignment had Chace Bryson in left, Mike Rieger making his debut in left-center, the skipper in right-center and Steve Moscatelli -- yes, THAT Steve Moscatelli -- in right field. Bryson was his usual ballhawking self. Rieger was put to the test on several occasions and aced each exam, gathering in balls after running catch after running catch. And, like the very Muckrakers themselves, Wagnon and Moscatelli answered the call each time the ball was hit their way.

Wagnon’s outfield positioning paid off big time. It killed off The Battle’s hopes and gave the offense time to regroup.

And, brother, did it regroup.

The ‘Rakers began to make inroads in a meaningful way in the fifth inning, breaking Battle hearts with a three-run, two-out rally. Dave Alcorn and Randy Striegel blasted back-to-back doubles in plating the three runs.

All that was mere prelude to the sixth, when the ‘Rakers put their foot down and stamped the game as their own. Nine of the first 10 ‘Rakers reached base, and 13 went to the plate in total. Striegel tripled home three, Rieger singled home one during his 2-for-3, spotless-defense night, and momentum turned solidly on the side of the scrappy Muckrakers. Nine runs came in, and what had been a tightly played affair was blown right open.

The Muck-and-Grinders blanked The Battle one last time in the seventh, and that was it. Another epic day in Rakerville, and another day to break out the dictionary. Words are simply not providing justice to what the Muckrakers are doing to the best D league has to offer.

But as the Muckrakers are well aware, there’s always another dangerous foe lurking. This time it’s Cornerstone, with the tilt set for 6:15 on Field 3 on Tuesday. Wordsmiths, get your writing paper ready.