'Rakers' Season Comes To End With Playoff Loss to I'd Hit That

CONCORD -- The season that began with a hail-out ended with: hell....out.

The Muckrakers were battered and bloodied, and yet they refused to quit and they fought on to the bitter end. And that's just Randy Striegel.

As they have all year, the Men of Muck gave a valiant effort, but this time their efforts fell a little short in a 13-11 loss to I'd Hit That on Field 3 last Friday. It was the second loss to the playoffs for the Muckrakers, who were thus eliminated and forced to call an end to an eventful 16-game campaign.

Yer Heroes, you'll be proud to know, did not go down quietly or compliantly. Rather, the Masters of Muckdom battled IHT -- which bore an uncanny resemblance to their first-place friends from D-League South, The Guys -- to a 9-9 standoff after the regulation seven innings. IHT rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth to take a 13-9 lead. But it was nervous times for IHT in the bottom half, as Rick Browning walked with one out, Dave Alcorn singled, and both eventually came around to score on Striegel's double. But somehow IHT managed to hold on and advanced in the tournament, perhaps knowing in their heart of hearts that maybe they got away with one on this night.

Certainly, the most inspirational athlete on the field this night was Striegel. Starting at shortstop in this one, Striegel was bopped in the head by an errant IHT toss in going for a double in the third inning. Blood flowed from Striegel's ear as a result of the toss. But leaving the game was never an option for the sturdy Striegel, who went 4-for-4 in the game, lacking a home run for the cycle.

Striegel and the 'Rakers were at their best in the first inning when they poured it on for five runs on the strength of home runs from Chris White and Matt Knauff.

In the fourth, Luke Abbott doubled and scored on Browning's single as the Mucksters make it an 8-5 game in their favor. But feisty IHT went ahead 9-8, the 'Rakers tied it in the sixth on Bob Brindley's single plating Striegel, thus setting the stage for extra-inning heroics from both sides. Yet, for the Muck-N-Ators, it was not to be.

And yet, there was little fault to be found in a season that saw the Muckrakers make their triumphant return to the land of the postseason. Not that that looked like a sure bet after the team got off to a 1-4 start. But the 'Rakers, as they always seem to do, pulled together and made it better. They got to work and made it a season to remember. And that's softball, the Muckraker way. May there be several more seasons sill to come.

Maurading Muckrakers Shatter 9 Mugs and a Pitcher for Fifth Consecutive Win

CONCORD -- You want to know when you're cool, hip and happening? When you've got a beer named after you, that's when.

So fill up that pitcher with Muckraker Ale, courtesy of Luke Abbott Brewery, gather 'round the hitchin' post, and let's all recount with gusto the mighty Muckrakers' latest in a string of triumphs, a 20-12 mauling of their personal punching bags, 9 Mugs and a Pitcher, last Thursday on Field 3.

Lately, the drinks have all been on the house and have gone down so smoothly at Ye Olde Muckraker Tavern. The Men of Muck continue to knock down the best D League-South has to offer, having now won an astounding five games in a row. The team that once stood at 1-4 with little postseason hope is up to 6-4 and feeling pretty good about its chances, although more work needs to be done with two regular-season games remaining.

Something about 9MAAP gets the 'Rakers' juices flowing. Yer Heroes blasted three home runs vs. 9MAAP after piling up 27 runs against it in the last encounter. Chris White, Dave Alcorn and Bob Brindley all went yard in this one as the Muckrakers pulled away for the decisive victory.

This one was a slugfest early, with pitcher Dave Taxier gumming the works somewhat with his Worst Start Ever. The 'Rakers led 13-11 after three innings, but 9MAAP tallied only once more the rest of the way, thanks to fine long relief work from White. Meanwhile, the offense continued to do its thing, applying the dagger with a five-run seventh inning. Brindley, he of the high-visibility florescent yellow hat, landed the big blow, a two-run jimmy-jack to cap off his 5 for 5, four-run, two-ribbie evening.

White, who'd homered in the first, led the RBI parade with five. Shortstop Reed Johnson turned in a 4 for 5 effort, and Matt Knauff and Jose Gomez contributed three safeties apiece to the 29-hit attack. Rick Browning returned to the lineup and bashed a couple hits and scored four times.

After it was all said and done, it was over to Master Luke's abode for some good eats and brew. Sure, it was all fine and grand, but that's what happens when you're the D-League South cock of the walk. Strut proud, Muckrakers, strut proud.

Muckrakers stay hot

CONCORD - The weather may have cooled off on Thursday from a recent heat wave to hit the Bay Area, but it couldn't cool off the red-hot Muckrakers.

The Muckrakers beat the first place Guys 9-6 to win their fourth consecutive game.

The surging Muckrakers (5-4) played perhaps their best defensive game of the season which was highlighted by some clutch hitting in the sixth inning.

After the Guys rallied to score three runs in the top of the inning to tie the game 6-6, the Muckrakers responded with three runs of their own. With two outs Dave Alcorn (3 for 4) stepped up to the plate and calmly singled to score pinch-runner Chris Wagnon at a close play at the plate for the go-ahead run. Then Reed Johnson singled to plate Luke Abbott and Alcorn.

The top of the seventh proved to be just as dramatic for the Men of Muck. It looked like the Guys were set to have a rally of their own having ducks on the pond with just one out. The Guys' No. 5 hitter hit a chopper to first baseman Abbott who decided to go home to Brian Kroll to record the second out. Then it was noticed that the Guys' batter came up lame out of the batters' box, so Kroll threw the ball back to Abbott to complete the game-ending double-play. That's 3-2-3 for those scoring at home.

The game looked as it was going to be a slug fest out of the gates. The Guys scored three runs to start the first, and the Muckrakers answered by batting around in the bottom half of the frame plating six runs highlighted by Chris White's two-run triple.

Then it was defense and more defense. White pitched a great game in place of Dave Taxier and was supported with some nice glove work from Alcorn at third base, Matt Knauff (3 for 3) who made a nice diving catch in left-center field and Wagnon, who caught several lasers in right field.

The second-place Muckrakers will try and stay hot next week against Nine Mugs and a Pitcher.

Muckrakers Use Epic Inning To Shatter 9 Mugs And A Pitcher

CONCORD -- Dave Taxier was struggling. The (R)aging right-hander had been staked to a four-run lead in the top of the first, but, partly because of his ineptitude and maleficence, was in the process of giving it all back in the bottom half of the frame. Indeed, 9 Mugs And a Pitcher came out of the first inning tied 4-4.

That's about when 'Raker first baseman Chris White told Taxier, "that's OK, we'll get those runs back."

Perhaps not even White realized just how right he was.

In the most fabulous frame in Muckrakers history, the Mighty Mucksters piled up an incredible 18 runs in the top of the second inning, powered along by five home runs, on their way to overwhelming 9 Mugs (and so forth and so on) 27-15 for their second victory of the season, snapping a four-game losing streak.

The 'Rakers rewrote the record books partly because they recognized the prevailing meteorological conditions on rarely played-on Field 5. Dave Alcorn led off the soon-to-be-famous frame by lofting what looked to be a routine flyball to right. Except the ball kept sailing, sailing, sailing over the outfielder's head, and the drive went for a home run by the trailblazing Alcorn.

Thus informed, the 'Rakers launching drive after drive to the right side, the result being four more homers and a whole passel of runs. Before the top of the second was done, 22 'Rakers had batted and Chris Wagnon, Luke Abbott and White had blasted round-trippers. Alcorn also tripled in the frame, and darned near hit for the cycle in the second inning alone.

The lead was so huge not even a struggling Taxier could give it back. Thus, the Muckrakers emphatically got into the win column, thanks to what turned out to be a 32-hit offense, perhaps another stat for the 'Raker record book.

After a series of close-but-no-cigar defeats, it had to feel good for the Mucksters to enjoy a rare laugher victory. Any kind of win would have felt good at this point, but to put up 27 runs on a day in which everybody hit well, well ... oh my.

Reed Johnson blasted the ball all five times up and went 5 for 5. Abbott, about to embark on an Australian walk-about, said farewell by going 4 for 5 with a career-high seven RBIs. White hit with might (4 for 5, five RBIs). Ben Enos made his '11 'Rakers debut a memorable one, taking ownership of the leadoff role and going 4 for 4 with three runs scored. Alcorn finished 4 for 5 with five driven in, and Chace Bryson and Rich Browning each contributed three hits. Jose Gomez had a two-hit game and stood out again at second base. And Taxier even struck out a guy -- and didn't strike out himself, fortunately.

The take-away from this one is, with six games left in the regular season, Los Muckeros still have time to cause great upheaval in the standings. Let those 27 runs signal a warning shot to the rest of the trembling D-League South.

Muckrakers derailed by Trainwreck

CONCORD -- Oh, how the Muckrakers want it. They've gone without it. They yearn for it. They call out for it in the dead of night. And yet it eludes them.

"It" of course, being D-League victories, which the Muckrakers ballclub has been trying to re-secure ever since opening the summer season with a 17-9 thumping of Nine Mugs & A Pitcher.

Unfortunately, last Thursday was not that night, as the Mucksters fell short for a second week in a row, this time an 18-14 shading at the hands of Trainwreck.

Hitting, runs and effort have not been the Muck-N-Ators' problem. Nor has good, old-fashioned desire. One only had to hear Luke Abbott's plaintive wails of "Hit it here! Hit it here! Thank you!" from the nether regions of right-center to realize that.

Yes, the Men of Muck want it. And they nearly get it. Problem is, their noble opposition has been just a tad better the past two weeks, thus a two-game losing skein.

In this one, Those Mucky Guys had relatively quiet frames in innings one through four, in which they scored five times total. But the 'Rakers really let it flow in the fifth, when they plated four comrades, then they went just as nutty in the sixth, when four more 'Rakers reached home base.

Alas, Yer Heroes scored again in the seventh inning, but scored only once, and that didn't get it the job done. When Dave Taxier feebly made the final out, the 'Rakers' chances of winning were as dead as the party at Osama's.

Yet the Mucksters' constant surges made it certain Trainwreck would enjoy few comfortable moments. There, for instance, was the Trainwreck runner who got bopped in the ol' noggin by a Muckraker throw in heading to third base, which has been something of a re-occurring theme in 'Raker games this season.

Another constant this season has been offense. Hits, runs? No problem for the Muckrakers. They rolled out a 21-hit attack in this one, with each 'Raker collecting at least one safety. Chace Bryson made his first out of the season, but it took a phenomenal catch in right to end Bryson's steak, and he still ended up going 4 for 5 and is 8 for 9 on the year. Leadoff man Dave Alcorn continues to do fine work at the top of the order, going 2 for 2 with three runs scored. The enthusiastic Abbott was 3 for 3 in addition to being a softball magnet in the outfield, and Randy Striegel (four RBI, Rick Browning (two ribbies), Chris White (pair of RBI) and Chris Wagnon (2 for 4) were quite productive.

No, in the final analysis, it wasn't enough, but Trainwreck had known it had been in a scrap. And there should be more summer nights, perhaps even as soon as this Thursday (6 p.m., Field 1) when the 'Rakers will get what they're looking for. Got it? Good.