Party Reminder and Information

This is just a reminder to everyone that the PCF/HH team softball party will be held THIS FRIDAY NIGHT -- 7 p.m. on Mike Copeland's roof deck. Food and drinks will be served.

His place is located at 320 East 34th Street (between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue), Apt. 6C. Below is a map showing the location. It's real easy to get to. If taking a subway, we recommend the 6 train to 33rd Street and walk east from there.

Buzz when you get there. If you don't get a response, call either Mike, Steven, or Brian to get let in. Their numbers were included in the reminder e-mail that went out this week.

See you there!

Finals Begin Today

Defending 2007 champions Gensler will play FXFowle today in the start of the 2008 S.L.A.M. Finals.

According to the league website, the teams will attempt to play a Game 1/Game 2 double header today, meaning the hottest team may come away with the S.L.A.M. championship tonight. The games begin at 5:30 p.m. on Central Park's Great Lawn Field 4.

If necessary, the finals will be concluded using Hecksher Field 4 tomorrow (5:30 p.m.) and/or the same field and time on Thursday.

Great Monday Means Nothing on Tuesday

An inspiring two-thirds of Game 1 wasn't enough to keep FXFowle from sweeping Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton in a best-of-three semifinal last week, advancing FXF to face the defending 2007 champs Gensler. The loss left the PCF/HH team with a bitter taste in their mouths.

PCF/HH mounted a solid 11-7 lead through four and a half innings on August 25 before a controversial call and game postponement took the wind out of the Black and Red's sails. The controversial call came when the head umpire postponed the game without allowing the home team to get the final at-bats of the night. With the sun setting, FXF (the visiting team in Game 1) was allowed to bat in dusk conditions and register their seventh run of the game. Rather than allow the home team to have the same advantage for the bottom half of the inning, the head ump made a judgment call by postponing the game, to be concluded before the start of Game 2 the following day.

August 25 had been a banner day for PCF/HH bats and the team was rollicking from their offensive showing. Every batter in the lineup reached base successfully at least once and scoring no fewer than 2 runs per inning during the four the team batted in. Three players — left fielder Doug Chu, pitcher Juan Monahan, and third baseman Ron Rainone — were a perfect 1.000 from the plate, each going 3-for-3, scoring a total of 3 runs and driving in a combined 5 runs. Eron Ashley was 2-for-3 with 2 runs and 1 RBI. Steven Peterson, Carl Pearson, and Carlos Sagastume went 2-for-4 with a combined 4 runs scored and 4 RBI. Jen Hagan was 1-for-3 with 1 run scored and Leslie Cacciapaglia remained hot, going 1-for-2 with a run scored and 1 RBI.

Picking up the conclusion of Game 1, and playing Game 2, couldn't have gone worse for the Black and Red. In addition to missing slugger J. Strong for both games, PCF/HH lost Chu and Ashley to availability conflicts. This forced manager Brian Ferry to press into service Dwidson Metayer and Mike Copeland — both were still recovering from injuries. To make matters worse, the ace pitcher and red-hot batter Monahan got a late jump on the afternoon because of deadlines, and the team was forced to finish Game 1 without him. Ferry was left to pitch in the wake of Monahan's absence, with occasional batting practice as the only experience under his belt. PCF/HH registered just 2 hits in the three innings remaining to be played in Game 1. While the defense got through six full innings with the score still to their advantage 11-7, Ferry experienced location issues with his pitching and the defense couldn't come up with the plays to bail him out. The manager took the loss, surrendering 8 hits and 5 runs while walking 2 in two innings pitched.

The shock of a 12-11 loss, in the face of such dominance the night before, did much to shake the confidence of the Red and Black. FXFowle jumped out to an early 5-1 lead after one inning and had mounted an 8-3 lead before the midpoint of the game. FXF's road to the finals appeared to be paved as they took a 10-3 lead in the fifth. But PCF/HH showed that they weren't just going to roll over when Peterson (2-for-4 in Game 2) singled in Ferry (1-for-1 in Game 2) for a run in the top of the seventh.

In spite of the scoring depression PCF/HH experienced in Game 2, there were still standout performances by individual players. Pearson was 3-for-4 batting from the No. 2 spot, contributing a double, a triple (that turned into a run-scored on a wild throw to third base), 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. Yusuke Okabayashi went 2-for-3 with 1 RBI and Copeland went 2-for-3. William Work and Hagan also contributed 1 hit apiece in the Game 2 loss.

When all the frustration settles, members of the 2008 PCF/HH team will look back upon a difficult season when a number of players learned to shoulder new burdens and a crop of S.L.A.M. sluggers honed their skills. Pearson led the team in batting average and on-base percentage for a regular starter, with and average an OBP of .682. With zero walks, Pearson was swinging whether he was coming or going. Sagastume produced the most extra-base hits with 7 on the regular season and, accordingly, led the team with a .957 slugging percentage.

Strong had a phenomenal season, driving in 12 runs in 10 games played. Copeland led the team with 17 base hits during the regular season and "The Hammer" Peterson lead off the batting order this season, en route to a team-high 13 runs scored.

But there were major contributions by players who saw limited actions too. Cacciapaglia and Chu are two of the most significant. In four games played, including the playoffs, Cacciapaglia finished 5-for-9 with 4 runs scored and 3 RBI. In the same number of total games, Chu was a nearly-perfect 7-for-8 with 2 walks, 6 runs, and 1 RBI.

It all means that PCF/HH is set up for a big 2009 season.

Stick A Fork In Us ...

... because we're done.

Details will follow, but the combined team of Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton lost their semifinal best-of-three series to FXFowle two games to none. Players are still stewing over the loss.

Check back with The Black and Red Report early next week for details on the semifinal series and scheduling information for the finals between FXFowle and Gensler.

Top Seeds Struggle in S.L.A.M. Quarters

In a bizarre twist that fits right in with the way the 2008 season and post season has developed, No. 8 seed Kohn Pedersen Fox beat No. 1 Holzman Moss/Robert A.M. Stern Architects 8-6, last night, on North Meadow Field 11. It marks the third time in the eight-team bracket that a lower seed has eliminated a higher seed in the single-elimination quarterfinals.

Details of the game itself weren't available at the time this story was written, but KPF has FXFowle to thank for their opportunity to unseat the best team of the 2008 S.L.A.M. season. League rules stipulate that playoff-bound teams boast an above-.500 record, but because FXF beat third-place SOM/Swanke/Cooper in the final game of the regular season on Monday to clinch a post-season bid, the league pulled KPF into the playoffs to create a balanced bracket. Ironically, KPF also beat SSC by a 7-0 forfeit to finish their season just above ninth-seed Ronnette Riley/Davis Brody Bond.

HM/RAMSA was flying high for most of the season, boasting a 10-1 record. But as the start of the playoffs neared, HM/RAMSA seemed to fall into a slump, just beating our own Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton team 5-4 before losing their final game of the season by an astounding 20-7 score to RR/DBB.

This marks the second season in a row that Holzman Moss was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The team finished the 2007 regular season with a strong record and good seeding before facing PCF/HH. In that game, the two teams battled to a 3-3 tie and continued their quarterfinal into an eighth and deciding inning days later, when PCF/HH pulled the game out 7-5. Immediately following that game, the Red and Black began their semifinal match against Gensler Associates, who swept them en route to a 2007 S.L.A.M. championship over SSC.

Even Gensler — the sole remaining team from the top four — struggled earlier this week, having to make a comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Polshek Partnership for a 4-2 final.

Here's how the current standings appear, with regular season standings, winning percentage, and run ratio — runs against divided by runs for — in parenthesis. Eliminated teams are indicated with a strikethrough:

1. Holzman Moss/Robert A.M. Stern Architects (10-1, .909, 1.299)
2. The Philips Group (9-2, .818, 2.159)
3. SOM/Swanke/Cooper (7-4, .636, 1.338)
4. Gensler Associates (7-4, .636, 1.290)

5. Polshek Partnership (5-5-1, .500, 1.206)

6. Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton (5-5-1, .500, 1.108)
7. FXFowle (5-5-1, .500, 0.925)
8. Kohn Pedersen Fox (4-5-2, .455, 1.216)

Defending champions Gensler assume the position of top seed and face a high-scoring KPF team in their best-of-three series. The first two games of that series will be played as a double-header this Monday.

The Black and Red also get to bat as the home team in their best-of-three series against an equally matched FXF team. Their series also starts on Monday, with Game 2 on Tuesday.

Six-Run Third Advances PCF/HH Past SSC

Pitcher Juan Monahan (above) was solid on both sides of the plate, striking out 4

and driving in 3 runs. Right fielder William Work (below) batted 1.000

to help lead his team to a quarterfinal victory. (Photos: Stuart Philips)

It's only right that after a wild 2008 regular season that saw down-and-out teams resurrect their bats and perennial contenders falter in the field, the playoffs should contain a few curveballs.

Playoff dreams for the combined team of SOM/Swanke Hayden Connell/Cooper Robertson began and ended on Monday, as the third-place team dropped their final game of the season 13-9 to seventh-place FXFowle (and opening the postseason to eight teams instead of six) before losing their single-elimination quarterfinal to No. 6 Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton, 11-4, that evening.

The quarterfinal game was as well played by the Black and Red as any this season. SSC jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after one, but PCF/HH knotted up the game at 1-all in the top of the second. SSC threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but pitcher Juan Monahan (2-for-3 with a double, 1 run scored, and 3 RBI) struck out the side to keep the game tied. After that, it was up to the offense.

And did they ever deliver. With Steven Peterson (2-for-3, 2 runs scored) on second base, and two outs, the Black and Red put together seven consecutive base hits to bat around their lineup and blow the game open at 7-1. SSC responded with a run in the bottom of the third, but PCF/HH wouldn't be denied. The team followed their brilliant hitting and base-running performance in the third by capitalizing on more of SSC's misplays in the fourth. Leslie Cacciapaglia (1-for-2, 1 run) and Peterson singled before Carl Pearson (1-for-2), J. Strong (2-for-3) and Monahan each smashed doubles to tack on 4 more runs.

The game was quickly defined by composure by PCF/HH, and a lack of composure by SSC. Three unofficial throwing errors committed by the 2005 and 2006 champions in the third aided in the Black and Red's two-out magic in the third. But errors were never as costly to SSC's momentum and morale as they were in the fourth. When the centerfielder Pearson doubled to score Cacciapaglia, the throw came home to pitcher Scott Habjan in an attempt to catch Peterson running home. It was a misfire, and as Peterson reached the plate safely, Pearson took off for third. With the ball back in his hands, Habjan overthrew third base. Pearson most likely would have made third safely on his slide, but the overthrow allowed him to get back on his feet and cross the plate.

On the other side, PCF/HH outfielders didn't fall for the old tricks, and allowed runners to move from first to third in exchange for a cut-off throw that kept batters to single bases. Overthrows and unnecessary attempts at throwing out base runners were non-existent.

Utility outfielder and infielder William Work was the epitome of PCF/HH's consistency, going 3-for-3 on Monday. Peter LoGiudice went 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, and third baseman Ron Rainone was a dependable 2-for-2 with 1 RBI before being tossed from the game in the bottom of the third for throwing a phantom tag.

… … … …

Playoff matchups were still in the air after Monday's win, but FXFowle played the role of the spoiler again on Tuesday, as the No. 7 seed defeated No. 2 The Philips Group 10-3 in a single-elimination game. FXFowle will now play the Red and Black in a best-of-three semifinal, beginning on Monday at 7 p.m. on Central Park's Great Lawn Field 4.

Gensler Associates (No. 4) also advanced to the semifinals on Monday, defeating Polshek Partnership (No. 5), 4-2. Gensler came from down 2-0 to earn the victory. They will play the winner of tonight's game between No. 1 Holzman Moss/Robert A.M. Stern Architects and No. 8 Kohn Pedersen Fox, held after this story was published.

If any of the non-playoff teams have a bone to pick — and we're not saying they should — it would be Ronnette Riley/Davis Brody Bond. The ninth place team finished out of playoff contention after KPF was seeded above them by run ratio. Both teams had the same winning percentage (RR/DBB had one more victory than KPF, the latter had one fewer loss and two more ties) but KPF would have fallen completely out of playoff contention had it not been for a 7-0 victory by forfeit over SSC in their final game of the regular season. This fact stings that much more for RR/DBB when you consider that the team finished their regular season on a strong two-game win streak.

Equally-Matched Polshek and PCF/HH Tie, Both Advance to S.L.A.M. Postseason

Catcher Leslie Cacciapaglia led the way for PCF/HH in just her first start this

season, going 2-for-3 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI. (Photo: Stuart Philips)

Those looking for answers about the 2008 S.L.A.M playoffs weren't going to get them Wednesday night, as Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton's make-up of a make-up game against Polshek Partnership Architects created more questions than answers.

The answers finally came Thursday morning, as the Commissioner's Office confirmed from Rockefeller Center that both team would reach the postseason after playing out a 5-5 tie the night before.

Originally rescheduled for Monday after a rainout in May, PCF/HH and PPA found themselves without a diamond when early showers and the threat of thunderstorms forced the New York City Parks and Recreation Department to close the Great Lawn ball fields.

Gathering at North Meadow on Wednesday, the two 5-5 teams were looking for any opportunity to give them an edge in what could be one team's final game of the year. Polshek got off to a quick start, going up 1-0 in the bottom of the first. After a few squandered opportunities, third baseman Ron Rainone (1-for-3) hustled out a double to lead off the top of the third. Rainone scored later in the inning when catcher Leslie Cacciapaglia (2-for-3) singled to short centerfield. The Red and Black were on the board.

PCF/HH kept momentum going in their favor, holding PPA scoreless while they tacked on a run in each of the following two innings, to take a 3-1 lead entering the bottom of the fifth. But Polshek wouldn't go easy, tying the game up on three consecutive one-out hits (including two doubles) from the top of the order. Both teams were making errors in the field and everyone soon realized that the game would likely be decided by the team that capitalized most often on these opportunities.

The sun was setting and the tension was palpable as the 3-3 game continued through a scoreless sixth into the final inning. PPA manager and pitcher Steven Chang walked leadoff batter Cate Foster (1-for-3) and Cacciapaglia had the opportunity to play hero again. She again singled to short centerfield and, because of some confusion and throwing errors, Foster was able to score from first and Cacciapaglia found herself 60 feet from putting her team up by 2. She scored from third on the ensuing play, an RBI single by Steven Peterson (2-for-4). PCF/HH tried to keep the pressure on, but centerfielder Mike Copeland (1-for-3) suffered a severely-pulled hamstring while running to first base. The resulting double play slowed the Black and Red just enough to re-open the door of opportunity for Polshek.

With the first two batters on in the bottom of the seventh, PPA centerfielder Danny singled to left-center. The hit scored their runner at second and, while trying to tie the game up from first base, a heads-up play by the PCF/HH outfield saw the resulting throw hit the cutoff at second base and a relay throw to pitcher Juan Monahan (1-for-3), who tagged the runner out at the plate. Polshek still tied the game with a sacrifice fly to Carl Pearson (3-for-4), who slid over from right field to fill in for the injured Copeland, but the put-out at the plate saved the game as Rainone ran down a second foul-territory pop up to end the game two batters later.

Monahan gave up the 5 runs on 15 hits, but a surprising number of those hits were credited to Polshek after fielding mistakes. The PCF/HH starter pitched well, walking just 1 while striking out 2 through seven innings of work. PPA's Chang kept the formidable middle of the Black and Red lineup on their heels, holding sluggers J. Strong and Monahan to a combined 1-for-6.

Yusuke Okabayashi and Peter LoGiudice also came through for PCF/HH. Both went 2-for-3.

With identical 5-5-1 records, it wasn't until the following day that both teams learned they would reach the playoffs, which begin on Monday. Though one remaining regular-season game will be played earlier that day, the Red and Black will face SOM/Swanke/Cooper at 7 p.m. on Central Park's Great Lawn, Field 3 to start their push towards a S.L.A.M. championship. Depending on the outcome of the final regular-season game (between SSC and Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects), which will determine the final number of playoff-eligible teams, the PCF/HH match may be a single-elimination quarterfinal.

Tough Loss to HM/RAMSA Means Postseason Hinges on Polshek Game

A tough 5-4 loss to offense-minded Holzman Moss/Robert A.M. Stern Architects has put the Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton softball team in the unenviable and unfamiliar position of a make-or-break season finale.

The Red and Black's postseason hopes hinge on the outcome of today's game against Polshek Partnership after last week's so-close-yet-so-far-away waivering against an until-then perfect HM/RAMSA team, on July 30.

Early on, the game played out like many of PCF/HH's have when facing the S.L.A.M. league's best teams – shaky in the early innings followed by a valliant attempt to close the deficit. PCF/HH was down 5-1 in the fourth before the rally began. Two runs in the fourth, followed by a scoreless fifth, swayed the confidence into the Red and Black's favor. PCF/HH was finally finding holes with their hitting, and HM/RAMSA looked as if they felt the game could be slipping from their grasp.

A run with one out in the sixth by Doug Chu (3-for-3 with 3 runs scored) narrowed RAMSA's lead to 1, and PCF/HH appeared ready in the dusk to pounce on the win, until the sun set on the team's opportunity with a double play. RAMSA tacked on 2 more unofficial runs in the seventh before the game was called due to darkness.

J. Strong continued his outstanding season, going 3-for-3 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. Peter LoGiudice went 1-for-1 with 1 RBI as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. Steven Peterson, Juan Monahan, Mike Copeland, Carl Pearson, and Ron Rainone all contributed one hit apiece.

Despite the bitter defeat when the game seemed so close, PCF/HH players admitted after the game that it was a strong showing for the team that has had its ups and downs this season (5-5).

HM/RAMSA's perfect season didn't last much longer, as Ronnette Riley/Davis Brody Bond took a surprising 20-7 victory over the first place team the following week. The win by RR/DBB was only the latest indication of what some have called an uncharacteristic roller coaster S.L.A.M. season in 2008. Ronnette Riley's team finished the year under .500 but on a two-game win streak, culminating with an 11-1 victory over a FXFowle team still fighting for a spot in the playoffs.

Still, the last 10 games isn't what's on the minds of PCF/HH players. It's today's scheduled make-up game against PP (5-5). There are a number of possible playoff scenarios, but with the new league standard of only plus-.500 teams making the postseason, the onus is on the Red and Black to earn their spot.

PCF/HH Pulls Off Huge Win Over Gensler

Members of the PCF/HH softball team have the taste of victory on their tongues,

as they celebrate their victory over Gensler last night. (Photo: George Varthalamis)

Celebrations continued into the wee hours of the morning at bars across the Upper West Side, today, in honor of what many thought couldn't, or wouldn't, be done – an 11-5 victory by Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton over 2007 S.L.A.M. champions Gensler Associates. The victory improved PCF/HH's record to 5-4 on the season and improved the team's morale as they face two tough opponents to close their season before, what everyone hopes will be, a long postseason.

It all started off with a strong top half of the first. Though the Black and Red only scored once in the inning, they worked long counts against Gensler's All Star pitcher Jose S. and loaded the bases with smart at-bats.

Things only improved through the first half of the game, as PCF/HH ran up a 9-0 score through two and a half, including a monster home run by Carlos Sagastume (2-for-3, 1 walk). Sagastume, who's in third on the team with plate appearances, is boasting an incredible 1.100 slugging percentage on the year.

Starting pitcher Juan Monahan (2-for-3 with 1 run and 1 RBI) was virtually lights-out through the first three innings, surrendering just 3 hits, no walks, and 1 run while striking out 1. But in the top of the fourth, while singling to the opposite field, the right-hander pulled a hamstring and had to be removed from the game.

The loss of Monahan gave Gensler some temporary life, as they answered PCF/HH's 2 runs in the top of the fourth with 3 runs of their own, closing the score to 11-4. But after a second pitching change, bringing first baseman J. Strong (2-for-4 with a double and 1 RBI) in as a closer, the Black and Red held the league champions to 1 more run over the final two innings.

Improving on their already stellar offensive numbers were several other players. Leadoff hitter Steven Peterson (1-for-2 with 2 walks, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored) has shown patience at the plate all year and currently leads the team in base-on-balls with 5. Batting behind Peterson was Carl Pearson (2-for-3 with a double, 1 run, and 3 RBI), who leads the team with an astounding .750 batting average and on-base percentage. Batting third was Mike Copeland (3-for-4 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI) who leads the team in base hits with 14 and is now tied with Strong for 11 batted-in.

PCF/HH also put together their best game of the season in the field. Leading the way was third baseman Ron Rainone (1-for-2 with a sac fly and 2 RBI) who, among other things, recorded the team's first two outs as the impetus of a 5-5-3 double play in the first and a unique 1-4-5 double play when Rainone tagged the runner at home plate for the final out of the game.

Although the archives are stored largely in the mind of former players, it is believed with near certainty that yesterday's win was the first time a PCF team has beaten Gensler in more than nine years. The Black and Red, as the teams from PCF and HH became known once they merged at the start of the 2007 season, fell to Gensler 12-1 last year, a season in which the Rockefeller Center-based firm lost only once – in the second game of the finals – en route to their second championship since 1980.

It's going to take hot bats and stone-cold defense for PCF/HH to continue their winning ways. The team faces an undefeated Holzman Moss/Robert A. M. Stern Architects team that the Black and Red beat in a one-game quarterfinal playoff in 2007. Game time is 7 p.m. this Wednesday at Central Park's North Meadow Field 11.

PCF/HH closes out the season with a rainout make-up game against Polshek Partnership Architects on August 11.

Carl Pearson takes a familiar position – on base – in a game against RR/DBB earlier this

season. Pearson leads the team with a .750 batting average and on-base percentage.
(Photo: Stuart Philips)

Those Who Live In Glass Houses ...

Perkins Eastman may have to consider hiring Nixon's White House "plumbers" to fix the leaks in their office. Trickled down to my inbox from a number of anonymous, but reliable, sources came PEA's in-house softball update.

According to PEA, they "humbled" PCF/HH on June 19. Furthermore, they must have consulted Wikipedia as one of their primary sources of facts for the game, as they clearly misstate that the game was a "... mercy-rule-shortened, 5-inning contest ...".

In fact, the game was shortened because the permit after ours prohibited the game from lasting longer than five innings. Granted, some of the blame for this has to do with the fact that PEA was able to stay at the plate for long periods of time. But it had nothing to do with getting mercied. Hey, they're S.L.A.M.'s rules, not ours: "If the visiting team is ahead by 11-runs at anytime after the fourth inning, the home team will have until the bottom of the inning to bring within 10-runs. If the home team is ahead by 11-runs anytime after the fourth inning, then the game is over." The score was 13-2 entering the top of the fifth. Neither team scored in the fifth inning before the game was called on time.

We, the management of the PCF/HH softball team, aren't going to make excuses. We're not going to talk about how our starting pitcher was out of town, or how other starters were likewise on summer vacation. We're not going to talk about the fact that the momentum changed the moment we swapped pitchers. You guys remember; Cate Foster, the one that led a teammate of yours to say, "What, did you put in Joba Chamberlain in?"

No, we won't make excuses because we didn't play well. But everyone already knows that because we publish our team reports publicly on this blog. Anything we have to say, we say it in the open. Like the fact that we're 4-4 and currently sit in fifth place while PEA rests in eighth place at 3-5-1.

Being called out in public ... now that's humbling!

This was posted in good S.L.A.M. fun, not out of anger towards PEA.

Win Some, Lose Some: PCF/HH Remain at .500 Through Roller Coaster Season

Above: Veteran PCF outfielder Carlos Sagastume does his best A-Rod

pose during one of his four successful at-bats last week.

Sagastume went 4-for-4 in PCF/HH's victory over RR/DBB.

Below: Pitcher Juan Monahan collides with RR/DBB's first baseman.

(Photos: Stuart Philips)

Momentum continues to swing like a pendulum in the 2008 S.L.A.M. season, as the combined team of Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton fought for a compelling 12-4 victory over Ronnette Riley/Davis Brody Bond last week. The victory was just two weeks separated from a 12-2 thumping the Red and Black took from SOM/Swanke/Cooper.

PCF/HH and RR/DBB met on the fields of North Meadow for their match-up on July 15. Leading off as the visiting team, the Red and Black catapulted themselves into an early 5-1 lead, scoring their first five batters in the first inning. Though RR/DBB closed it to 5-2 in the third, PCF/HH piled on 4 more runs in the fourth, 1 in the fifth, and 2 in the seventh for the complete-game, 12-4 victory.

Pei Cobb Freed veteran Carlos Sagastume and Hart Howerton outfielder Mike Copeland led the offense for PCF/HH. Sagastume went 4-for-4 with 2 doubles, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Mike Copeland batted an equally impressive 1.000 on the day, going 3-for-3 with a triple, 1 walk, 5 RBI, and 2 runs scored. J. Strong remained a rock of consistency for his team, batting 2-for-4 with 1 RBI and 1 run. Both PCF's Dwidson Metayer and HH's Steven Peterson equaled Strong's 2-for-4, with Peterson contributing 2 runs scored and Metayer driving in 1. Hart Howerton's Carl Pearson was 1-for-2 on the day, scoring once and driving in 1.

Pearson, Copeland, and Strong have proven to be the new leaders of the team, each registering a mind-blowing batting average greater than .600 (minimum 10 at-bats). Pearson leads the team with a .692 batting average (9-for-13 on the year). Copeland leads the team with 11 base hits and a third-best .632 average while Strong has driven in a team-high 10 runs while batting .684 from the heart of the lineup all season. Sagastume isn't far behind, batting .588 and leading the team in extra-base hits with 6 in his seven appearances this season.

Defensively, PCF/HH held tight though the game by making a number of outs with RR/DBB runners on the base path. Strong turned an unassisted double play at first base in the second, while the catcher Metayer tagged a runner out at the plate off relay throws from left fielder Sagastume and second basewoman Cate Foster (0-for-3). Black and Red fielders made outs at each of the bases at least once in the game. Pitcher Juan Monahan threw the complete game, surrendering 12 hits and 4 runs while walking 1 and striking out 1.

It was a marked improvement over the team's ghastly 12-2 drubbing at the hands of SSC two weeks earlier. Their July 30 meeting was a game they'll soon try to forget, as it proved to be impossible to develop any kind of consistency on either end of the field. Left fielder Doug Chu (1-for-2, playing in only his second game with the team) and extra hitter Yusuke Okabayashi (2-for-3) scored the only runs of the game. RBI were provided by Strong (2-for-3) and Kenneth Wiland (0-for-2 with a fielder's choice RBI in the second). SSC scored a trio of runs in four different innings to put the game at Central Park's Great Lawn out of reach.

PCF/HH (4-4 on the season) will continue this season's Vegas crap shoot Thursday, when they try their collective luck against a very difficult Gensler team (7-2). Game time is 5:30 p.m. on Hecksher Field 1.

Breaks Aren't Coming For PCF/HH

Nothing seemed to go their way, June 19, when the Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton softball team took their lumps from Perkins Eastman, 13-2, at Central Park's Hecksher Field 1.

The loss underlines the fact that the S.L.A.M. softball league is up for grabs this season, with last year's best teams already losing a handfull of games and teams like Perkins and The Philips Group dominating teams they lost handily to in previous years.

The loss also underlines the fact that, although many players on PCF/HH are slowly adjusting to new positions, the game itself isn't going to show any mercy.

In spite of the fact that none of the bounces seemed to go their way, individual players on The Black and Red showed that they wouldn't be intimidated by the score. Down 13-0 in the bottom of the fourth, PCF/HH finall got on the board with runs from Doug Chu and Ron Rainone, batted in on a single by Yusuke Okabayashi and a sac fly by Carlos Sagastume, respectively. It was Chu's first game with the team this season.

Things seem to only be getting tougher on PCF/HH, as they entertain a very good SSC team tonight at Great Lawn Field 3. The team is without six players who are away because of the coming holiday weekend, in addition to a large number being martyred by the all consuming architectural deadline. For the first time since joining the team years ago, Okabayashi will be playing in the field and batting (he typically serves the team as a designated or 'extra' hitter) and manager Brian Ferry will be starting at second base, covering for Cate Foster who will start in left field for a late-arriving Chu.

Game time today is 5:30 p.m.

Team Looks to Rebound Against Perkins Eastman After Tough FXFowle Loss

After a tough loss to FXFowle that may have been turned around had one or two plays gone a different way, the combined softball team of Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton is looking to right the collective ship against Perkins Eastman, tonight.

After allowing FXFowle to mount a 5-0 lead, PCF/HH players dug their way out of the hole with 1 run in the second, 1 run in the third, and 2 runs in the fourth. Both teams exchanged a pair in the fifth before FXFowle's insurance run in the sixth, for an 8-6 final.

Not all was lost on the game, though, as pitcher Juan Monahan and first baseman J. Strong continued their red hot streak this season. Monahan blasted his second home run of the season (the only two for the team) in the fourth, before knocking in a 2-run double in the fifth. Strong went 2-for-3 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI. It was Strong's third multi-hit game in four he's played this season.

Leading the way for Hart Howerton was Tony "A-Rod" Rodriguez, who went 2-for-2 before injuring his hamstring on the base path. Rodriguez reports that he's ready to go for the Perkins Eastman game.

Also making his first appearance with the team today, S.L.A.M. League veteran Doug Chu will resume his spot at the leadoff position and in left field against his old team. Chu has missed much of the season ... something about raising a child. His addition will help round the team out with both Monahan and Steven Peterson out of the lineup.

An extra special 'thank you' goes out to Kenneth Wiland, who kept the team scorebook while manager Brian Ferry took the field against FXFowle.

Today's game time is 5:30 p.m at Central Park's Hecksher Field 1.

Game Rainout and Site Update

Today's scheduled game against Polshek Partnership has been postponed by the S.L.A.M. Commissioner's office due to rain. The game will be made up at a date and time yet to be announced.

We have the following week off before our next game, June 5, against FXFowle.

Please note that the PCF/HH Schedule on the right side of the page has been updated with all of the scheduled regular season games. That schedule will also be updated once the make-up game against PP is announced.

PCF/HH Improves to 3-1 In Game of Firsts

The combined team of Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton received contributions up and down the lineup, Wednesday, as they pulled out a 12-8 nailbiter over Mitchell Giurgola under a cold, cloudy sky at Central Park's North Meadow Field 11.

The teams exchanged three runs apiece in the opening inning before PCF/HH took a 5-3 lead on runs by Ron Rainone (1-for-1) and Steven Peterson (2-for-3). But some timely hitting in the third by MGA put the Black and Red in a position they haven't seen often this season - trailing as they enter the fourth inning.

It took patience at the plate, provided by Cate Foster (1-for-2), Caitlin Campbell (1-for-2), and Peterson in the form of consecutive walks, and important RBIs, knocked in by Dwidson Metayer (1-for-3), Mike Copeland (2-for-2), and William Work (1-for-1), to get PCF/HH back on top, where they stayed for good.

Maintaining a 8-6 lead into the fifth, PCF/HH put the game away with four straight hits to lead off a 6-hit, 4-run inning. This inning, and arguably the win itself, was made possible largely by the efforts of the substitutes who came in cold off the bench. Rich Haskell (1-for-1), Joe Smith (1-for-1) and Peter LoGiudice (1-for-2) each came up with big hits from the latter portion of the order, scoring on a double by pitcher Juan Monahan (1-for-3), and RBI singles by LoGiudice, Campbell, and Peterson. Campbell, Haskell, and Smith all registered hits for the first time this season.

Defensively, the game all came down to the Monahan's effort in the bottom of the fifth. While the Red and Black hurler didn't have his best game from the mound, surrendering 8 runs on 13 hits, he did strike out four batters while walking just one. With the shortstop Peterson instructing the infield to give up base hits rather than throw wildly for errors, and to give up a run scored in exchange for an out in the final inning, it was Monahan who made the two plays of the game to finish off MGA.

With a runner on first and 1 out, MGA's tough No. 4 hitter Rolando Tavarez scorched a hit to the left side of the mound. Monahan dove to catch the ball on one hop before throwing Tavarez out at first from his knees. Later, with two outs and the bases loaded, a pinch hitter singled to left-center field. Carlos Sagastume (0-for-3) fielded the ball and threw home. With Chris Patneau rounding third and looking for the third run of the inning for MGA, Monahan cut the throw home off half-way down the third-base line and dove to his right, tagging Patneau for the final out of the game.

Peterson finished the game with 1 walk, 1 double, 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Monahan continued his dominance of extra-base hits with his third in seven at-bats this season. Copeland improved his third-best team batting average to a very respectable .667 with his 2 hits, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored. Copeland leads the team with 8 base hits. J. Strong is second on the team in batting average with .750 and leads the team in runs batted in (7), despite playing in three of the team's four games. Strong finished the night 1-for-2 yesterday. Finally, Carl Pearson kept his streak alive, hittg for a single and a double against MGA and keeping his batting average at a perfect 1.000 through 5 at-bats.

PCF/HH, 3-1 on the season, faces a very capable Polshek Partnership team that's 1-0 after two rainouts. That game will be held at Central Park's North Meadow, Field 11, on Tuesday. Game time is 5:30 p.m.

Offense Aplenty As PCF/HH Tops GSA 13-8

The team has a moment to laugh during their 14-2

win over KPF last week. (Photo: Stuart Philips)

Defense was in short supply Wednesday evening, as the S.L.A.M. Softball combined team of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners/Hart Howerton tacked on 12 runs through one-and-a-half innings en route to a wild 13-8 victory over Gruzen Samton Architects, at Central Park's North Meadow Field 11.

After jumping out of the gate with 5 runs in the first, PCF/HH batted around their lineup in the second, scoring 7 more runs with two outs and taking a dozen-run lead over their opponent. But the Black and Red allowed GSA back into the game with some defensive lapses of their own. By game's end, a darkness-shortened four full innings, 16 players had participated in the win, improving the team's record to 2-1 on the year.

J. Strong, Eron Ashley, and Yusuke Okabayashi led the way with three RBI apiece while Carl Pearson batted a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. In all, the team hit for 7 doubles.

Gruzen Samton attempted a comeback in the bottom of the fourth, which was fueled less by one or two individual player errors as it was by a lack of patience and composure once Gruzen got momentum on their side. With two earlier runs awarded on an overthrow in the second, and a single run in the third, GSA players reached base successfully seven times in the fourth, while adding 5 runs to their total before the game was called at dusk.

Juan Monahan improved to 2-0 on the season, pitching the official 4-inning game.

The team's next game will be on Wednesday, May 14, against Mitchell/Guirgola Architects at the same North Meadow Field 11. Game time is 7 p.m.

PCF/HH Scores Big Win Over KPF

The Black and Red quickly put their slow start aside, Thursday, as they piled on the runs during a 14-2 rout of KPF at Central Park's Hecksher Field 1.

Six unanswered runs in the fourth, followed by 4 unanswered runs in the sixth helped put away the team's first win of the season, which came on the heels of a disappointing 4-1 loss to The Philips Group on April 21.

J. Strong went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored, and 5 RBI to lead the way for the combined team of Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton. Veteran PCF representative Carlos Sagastume went 3-for-3 with 2 doubles, 1 run scored, and 3 RBI while Cate Foster went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI. Mike Copeland and Jen Hagan put together strong numbers for HH, going 4-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively. Copeland scored three times and added 1 RBI while Hagan scored once.

Dwidson Metayer and Steven Peterson each contributed one hit in their two registered at-bats, while walking a combined 4 times and scoring 5 runs. Peterson also drove in 1 run.

Juan Monahan recorded the victory, pitching the official game in 4 innings. Monahan surrendered just 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 2 and walking just 1. HH's Melissa Williams pitched 2 innings in relief, letting up 3 hits and 1 run while walking 2 batters. Monahan also hit the team's first home run of the 2008 season during the second inning.

PCF/HH face Gruzen Samton this Wednesday on Central Park's North Meadow Field 11. Game time is 7 p.m.

PCF/HH YouTube Channel and Updates

We're just days away from the start of the 2008 S.L.A.M. season and, to celebrate, we're unveiling our own YouTube channel, found at, you guessed it, http://www.youtube.com/pcfhhsoftball.

To stoke some interest in the channel, here's our 2007 Season-In-Review video, created by Brian Ferry and Dwidson Metayer. All videos have sound, and some have soundtracks, so turn your speakers on or plug in your headphones.



We already have four videos posted; this one shares channel space with a 2007 S.L.A.M. Quarterfinals highlights reel and two good at-bat videos from last season. We're hoping to take video at each of our games this season and post our best highlights on an individual basis, as well as the occasional compilation movie like the one you see here. It's just another feature, and an added benefit of strong play, that we want to reward our fantastic players with.

In other news, the team regretfully announces that shortstop Mark Maljanian will be on the IR for the majority -- if not the entirety -- of the 2008 season. Maljanian, a dedicated PCF merge player and veteran of the S.L.A.M. league, injured his elbow a number of weeks ago and the healing process is taking much longer than Maljanian expected. The injury was re-aggravated during our first practice of the season on April 7.

"My elbow was a mess for days after our last practice and I still wince when I shake hands with someone, open a jar, etc.," Maljanian said in an e-mail from April 17.

The team management is currently exploring a number of options to fill the hole in the infield created by Maljanian's departure. He was thanked for his dedication to the PCF/HH team and advised that, if and when he's healed and ready, he will be welcomed back to the fold.

The All-New PCF/HH Softball Blog

The Black and Red Report is now online.

The Black and Red, a 2007 mid-season nickname given to the combined S.L.A.M. softball team of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Hart Howerton architects (PCF/HH), now have a home on the Internet, complete with the regular-season schedule, current weather conditions in Central Park, and links of S.L.A.M.- and softball-related interest.

In the very near future, this site will be host to images and multimedia from the 2008 S.L.A.M. season, and earlier, as well as exclusive post-game wrap up stories. The site should serve as an out-of-the-office link to the team for players and fans alike, as well as a friendly web portal to forward to friends and family.

To inaugurate the site, click on the picture below to view our new Picasa web galleries of PCF and HH seasons past, including a trip down memory lane with the 1989 PCF team and the S.L.A.M. championship game!



Check back regularly (and bookmark!) for updates. Coming later this week: highlight videos.