Muckrakers conquer Conquistadors

CONCORD -- Damn, Muckrakers! Damn!

Normally, your humble correspondent does not traffic in expletives, but there comes a time and place to break out the language not normally uttered in polite society.

So here goes, one more time: Damn!

There. We got it out of our system. And it feels good!

Speaking of feeling good, there's what the Muckrakers are doing to the competition in Concord D Fall League. Not just winning, mind you. Try ... dismantling.

The latest ballclub to feel the lash of the 'Rakers whip was perhaps the most surprising. The poor unfortunates were the Conquistadors, the self-same outfit that hung the lone Fall League loss on the Mucksters, a 7-5 decision a week earlier.

Well, that must have gotten under the skin of the Men of Muck; a burr in their saddle, if you will. For the Muckrakers administered a memorable butt-kicking, as well as took over first place, with an Oct. 4 29-9 crushing of those same Conquistadors, who by this time probably wish they'd never beaten those Mucky guys in the first place.

The 'Rakers had 34 hits in 55 at-bats in as complete a bum-rushing as this reporter can recall.

It's almost funny in retrospect, but this game was playing out pretty much to the book most of the way. The Muckrakers went scoreless the first two frames, put across three in the third inning and four more in the fifth, taking a 7-5 lead going into the sixth inning.

Then all holy heck broke loose.

The Mighty Mucksters scored nine runs in the sixth inning and an incredible 13 more in the seventh, tallying 22 of their 29 runs in the last two innings. Such shock and awe has rarely been visiting upon D League, one would think

It probably had to impress Muckraker rookie Justin Boyd, who did some impressing of his own in his 'Raker debut. He went 4 for 5, scoring three runs and driving in three from the 10-hole.

It was just the latest in the long list of fine recruits by manager Matt Knauff, who didn't have a bad day himself: three hits, five runs, three RBI. But then, you could hardly swing a dead cat without hitting a 'Raker with a multiple-hit game, as nine 'Rakers had two hits or more, and eight Mucksters had three safeties or greater.

There was winning pitcher Chris White, who had a 'Raker game for the ages at the plate, going 6 for 6, with six RBI and four runs, including a homer and a triple among the carnage. White and Marshall Murray (4 for 6, five RBI) authored back-to-back homers in the fifth inning.

Mike Gale, the 'Raker returning to the fold, slammed four hits, and Scott Brama, Eric Leithliter and Dave Taxier all had three hits, and Randy Striegel (coupla hits) and Matt McCall each contributed a couple runs scored as well as solidified the Muckraker infield.

It was quite an enterprise from all involved and as impressive an outing as you're bound to encounter at Willow Pass Park. Anyone stumbling upon it could only have one reaction:

Damn!