By Bob Loblaw, Voice Staff Writer
June 25, 2007
LOS ANGELES, CA. — The Marauders (2-2) made their way back up to .500, but it wasn't anything to write home about.
Three starting players were unavailable for the highly-anticipated match-up between MAPP and the undefeated group from CAPS. Another player was sick, two more were returning from the disabled list, and to further complicate things, there were pre-game squabbles over assigned positions in the field. It didn't sound like a formula for success, as much as a recipe for ruin.
Still, after auditioning back-up players at first and third base for two consecutive weeks, the Marauders were prepared for a hard-fought game. "I was ready. We practiced long and hard before the game and we were ready to take [CAPS] on. It was my first game, and I felt great about playing at third," said player/co-owner Binh Tran.
Unfortunately, Tran's first official game ended in disappointment as CAPS (2-1) failed to show for the meeting. The match was officially called a forfeit at 6:20pm, five minutes after game time, when not even a single player from CAPS arrived to take the field.
Starting first baseman Jairo Delgado was more than just a little disappointed. "I wanted revenge on DPS. I wanted to stick it in their faces when we won." Asked to elaborate on what he meant by revenge, Delgado got a bit embarrassed but then revealed that he had once had an altercation - a "miscommunication" he called it - involving DPS.
"Back when I was an undergraduate working at the USC Bookstore," Delgado remembers, "I was going to do some inventory for my boss when he told me to grab a pen from the shelf before heading down to the materials storage area." As Delgado recollects, "When I exited the Bookstore to head down to the basement a DPS officer accosted me and asked me if I had anything in my pocket. I said 'no' and that's when he handcuffed me for 'stealing' the pen!"
"I tried to explain the situation, but my boss was out to lunch. They made me watch the surveillance tapes and then put me in a holding area until my boss arrived to clear me. For six years I've wanted payback, and they didn't even show up!"
Nadia Barosy, who took back her position at second after a week on the DL, was equally annoyed with CAPS ' inability to make a scheduled game. "I wanted to play. My leg felt great and I was back at 100%." The feisty Barosy also described to the paper how she really wished to beat CAPS; however some of her words were unfit to print. Needless to say, the forfeiture stirred up a variety of strong emotions and equally strong language.Not everyone was upset by the forfeiture, though. "I was excited that they didn't show up, " said catcher Meghan McKenna. "It meant more fun time and more practice for us. I prefer it much more than a real game situation." Asked if the automatic win had anything to do with her feelings McKenna smiled, saying, "Well there's that too."
But, hurt feelings or not, the Marauders made the best use of their time - and the open field - to play an intra-squad scrimmage. The team was split with eight defensive players a piece with Shawn Matsumoto playing designated catcher. A three-run per inning rule was put into affect by manager Neil Teixeira to ensure a competitive game.
It ended up being exactly what Teixeira had expected, with the home team coming up in the bottom of the final inning trailing by one run. With two out and two on, Binh Tran came up to bat after having doubled in the first inning and then flying out twice in later innings. The away team shaded towards left and played back, making sure to keep the ball in front of them.
But Tran was determined to cash in the runners, sending a deep fly ball out into right-center that went rocketing past both fielders. By the time the ball was returned to the infield Tran had crossed the plate and the home team had come from behind to win it on the walk-off home run by the third baseman. Players commented to Tran, "It's a good thing we didn't play a game, because we still have you as our secret weapon!"
After the game, team members gathered to discuss their performance. McKenna commented, "I am really impressed with level of competition we showed out there against ourselves. Everyone still had a good time. And it didn't hurt that my team came out ahead!"
Others were a little more down on themselves. Barosy wasn't feeling right out in the field, despite her improved physical status. "I just wasn't in my groove. My hand-eye coordination was off." Strangely, Barosy had a very good practice before game time; however her on-field performance was "something else," according to her. "It could be age," she said sarcastically, "24 is pretty old."
However the players want to look at their individual performance, the Marauders, as a team, are doing just fine at .500 with one more game left to play before their July 14th date with destiny at the USC Summer Softball Tournament.
The MAPP Marauders pose for a picture after Monday's scrimmage at Dedeaux Field.-Photo credit, Doris Pease (click for a high-res image)
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