Muckrakers steam into game No. 3 on Thursday

CONCORD -- With two hard-luck losses to show for the season, the mighty Muckrakers resume the search for win No. 1 on Thursday at 8:25 p.m. on Field 2.

A league-mandated bye week means the 'Rakers will be well-rested and the 8:25 start time might ensure good attendance and a timely turnout.

Those nasty 6:15 games can put a crimp in your style, as the Mucksters found out in a 15-13 loss to old rivals Dianda Plaza on April 17. The Men of Muck took the field with nine players and battled hard for 5 1/2 innings but ultimately fell short by a coupla  runs.

Slow starts have dogged the Muckies in each of  their first two outings. Or maybe it's been the overly enthusiastic starts of their foes that's been the problem -- a bit of the chicken-or-the-egg conundrum, one supposes.  Whatever, the 'Rakers have been forced to play whole games of catch-up, with the ultimate outcomes not pleasing.

Manager Matt Knauff took matters in his own hands versus Dianda Plaza, ripping a home run in the top of the first. But the Rakers didn't start scoring in earnest until the third and fourth, when they piled up three and four runs, respectively. They added three more runs in the fifth and a couple more in the last-gasp sixth.

All this rallying around proved this 'Rakers squad has the winning spirit about it, and it will be heard from before all is said and done.