Blues: 17, Debevoise & Plimpton: 5

Back to back wins. As feelings go, it's a nice one to have, especially because it doesn't get old quickly. But the Blues, facing off against an old rival, did just that on a recent Wednesday in Morningside Park. In fact, after scoring eleven runs in the first inning, the team from Oxford continued to add to their lead until the umpire called the game early in their favor.

On the defensive side, Ebin made his inaugural appearance of the 2010 season by playing first base like Eddie Murray, while David managed to turn a double play at shortstop. Meanwhile, in the outfield, Elyse, Taylor, Ozzi, Brian, and Andy held big hitters to singles, when they got on base at all. It was a great effort from the whole dugout in spite of bad playing conditions.

As for the offense, it's worth noting that the plucky Blues ended up with one of the highest scoring innings in their relatively short history. Quite an accomplishment given the fact that their opponents have not been reluctant to pile on runs in the past. Taylor ultimately delivered the game-winning RBI—a hit heard round the league. The Blues did learn a valuable lesson that night, however: you can in fact wait too long for your pitch.

After the game most of the team headed to the Village Pourhouse (Uptown) for beer, food, and an enormous fishbowl full of rum. A few people even stuck around to take advantage of the $3 Natty Light can special. It was just like the good old days, only better. Rae kindly documented most of the proceedings, but be warned: some of the images are NSFW.

Blues: 18, Rats: 9

It was bound to happen. After years of battling for respect from the bottom of the league, the Blues won another season opener—the second in franchise history—last Friday night. Playing on the road at a ballpark that hasn't been kind to them in the past, the team came out swinging and never looked back.

Rain threatened to cancel the game initially and the umpire was late to the field, but the Blues wore determined expressions in their dugout, and batted and fielded with resolve under the lights at DeWitt Clinton. With Robert as the leadoff hitter, Oxford brought in five runs in the first inning, five more in the third, and added six runs for good measure in the sixth. Ozzi, Joe C, and rookie David each swatted home runs past the NPG defense.

And the Blues looked good in the field, too, keeping the Rats from scoring more than three runs during any of their at-bats. Newcomer Taylor pulled down a few great catches in right field, Andy continued to play like an MVP in left, and Michelle made an impressive tag at second to stymie a double. NPG also learned an important lesson before the umpire called the game in favor of the visiting team: Nobody takes an extra base on The Gator.

Fittingly, all 14 athletes as well as three devoted fans wandered down to the Bull Moose to celebrate their victory and await the arrival of a missing coach. They arrived too late to order the burger special, but the Blues made the most of the evening anyway, inventing a new drink in honor of their pitcher. Will 2010 bring further success to the Madison Avenue Marauders?

Blues: 9, IBI Destroyers: 8

Four double plays. After a hard-fought season that very well could've ended in a playoff berth, the Blues finished with a win. And yes, four double plays.

Matched against a team with a better record, the Blues looked strong as they took the field, in spite of the fact that they would be closing out 2009 at a place that had thwarted their aspirations on past occasions. Fortunately, it was a different story on the 18th of August this year. Three innings of solid hitting and smart baserunning were complemented by excellent defense that held the Destroyers née Swingers scoreless during their final at bat.

Ned at shortstop, Joe C. at third, and Robert on the mound kept their heads in the game, each contributing to the aforementioned double plays at first. Meanwhile, Brian, Andy, as well as Ozzi made some big catches in left, while Rachael, Ninell, Martin, and Joe J. quickly got the ball from right field to Michelle at second, keeping their opponents to singles. Inspired by a man with "the least marketable skill in America," Oxford also looked good at the plate, scoring five runs in the third to establish a lead they wouldn't give up.

Although KT missed the chance to celebrate with his former teammates at the Bull Moose Saloon that night, he would do them proud three days later by ordering a gin and tonic at approximately 3am. Details from that outing including pictures, awards, and some final thoughts on statistics will appear in this space very soon. In the meantime, ponder the coincidence of this tag, spotted by Tanya in Midtown Manhattan on a rainy summer evening.

Blues: 9, Fuel: 10

Everybody likes winning streaks. Impressive to behold and quite difficult to maintain, they are something that many teams aspire to and few achieve. Last Thursday night, on Manhattan's Upper West Side... Rae and Wright added two more wins to their beer pong record and doing so, extended a streak that stretches back to last season. The Blues, alas, were toppled by Fuel at the bottom of the seventh inning after rallying to break a 6-6 tie.

The last time these two teams met—back in the spring of 2006—the Blues left the field with heads held high, but it appears as if some rebuilding and favorable draft picks produced a more competitive opponent three years down the road. Their win did not come easily however. The Blues put the first point on the board, fell behind early on, tied the game at the top of the fifth, and took a 9-6 lead in the seventh. Rob went 3 for 4 at the plate (not half bad for a pitcher), Ozzi delivered a pair of RBIs, and Brian demonstrated the fundamentals of excellent baserunning with a textbook slide into third.

In spite of a couple of missed outs, the defense did their part too, holding Fuel to two consecutive scoreless innings. Ebin snagged a shot that came screaming down the first baseline, Dayne made a tough grab at right center, and, in a moment that will surely go down in the annals of softball, Andy and Robert pulled off an exceptional double play to escape a bases-loaded, no outs jam. Certainly a much closer contest than last season's Game Three.

Jake's cheap pitchers proved once again to be the salve that mends all wounds. Click on this handy link to see Rae's photo recap of the night.