Blues edge Penton, 5-4, improve to 4-1

Game 5: Oxford Blues 5, Penton 4
Riverside Park

July 14, 2014

6:00 PM

Report by Tim Allen, Special to the Blues Blog

In a tense game certainly more thrilling than anything we saw in Brazil over the past month*, the Blues (4-1) managed to overcome Penton’s four-run first inning and hung on to defeat the specialist publishers 5 to 4 in Riverside Park. The park’s dangerous field, which includes a low outfield wall notorious for leaving former Blues players battered and bloody, threatened to become even more treacherous as storm clouds rolled in during the final two innings. Zach Haynes scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, however, and the Blues’ solid defense saved the day, finding a third out with a Penton runner in scoring position on second base.

Coach Robert Repino was reported to have foregone his usual “1-2-3-BLUES!”cheer in favor of a Bastille Day-appropriate “Allez les bleus!” Repino would neither confirm nor deny these allegations.

Catcher Jenny Doster, noted Francophile, was cautioned by the umpire for the haughty French-accented laugh she emitted as each Penton player approached the plate. “Don’t worry, guys,” she said later. “They’ll have to kick me out of this league before I stop taunting the other teams.”

The win gave the Blues a record of 4-1-0 and left the team half of a game out of first place.

The game also marked the final appearance of co-manager* and all-star Dave D’Adonna as an official Oxford Blue.  We wish him tons of luck in his new position and hope that we haven’t seen the last of his infield prowess. Stay Blue, Dave, stay Blue.

*Editor's Note: This is a reference to the World Cup, the international soccer tournament that was played in Brazil this past summer.

*Editor's Note: For an account of Dave's managerial prowess, see here.

Robert (P)

D’Addona (SS)

Coe (3B)

Haynes (LC)

Allen (RC)

Fergus (LF)

DeRentz (RF)

Chesnutt (2B)

McAuliffe (1B)

Doster (C)

Blues Show No Mercy, Defeat Bluewolf 17-5

Game 4:  Oxford Blues 17, Bluewolf 5

Morningside Park

July 1, 2014

Report by Taylor Coe, Special to the Blues Blog

Oxford Blues trounced Bluewolf with a resounding 17-5 victory on a muggy afternoon in Morningside, improving their record to 3-1 on the season. Rob Repino turned in a solid effort at the mound, painting the inside of the plate to great effect, and Kate Cooney started in right field in her Blues debut.

"I got on base!" Kate said.

Game ball went to Joe Cognard, thanks to stellar defensive performance at the hot corner and a 3-run opposite field blast that nearly had Bluewolf outfielders picking through the underbrush out past the track in right field.

Chris Reid doubled twice in the offensive assault. The Blues offense, however, was all-around impressive, batting around the order in the third to knock in 9 runs.   

“I don’t think this has ever happened!” said Coach Repino.

With that cushion of insurance runs, the Blues offered up solid defense for the rest of the game and mercy-ruled Bluewolf in the sixth. 

Blake (SS)

Tim (LF)

Taylor (LC)

Joe (3B)

Rob (P)

Sarah (1B)

Chris (RC)

Jessica (2B)

Jenny (C)

Kate (RF)