Getting Back On The Right Track

It's been an interesting and, at times, difficult couple of weeks to start off the summer for the Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton softball team, but the group pulled themselves together and got back on the winning side last Thursday. The Black and Red were led by outfielder Eron Ashley, who smoked two home runs and 3 RBI en route to a 5-3 victory over Mitchell Giurgola Architects.

After suffering their second consecutive loss to FXFowle, a one-sided 11-3 affair on June 29, and witnessing the team's league-leading fifth rainout on July 2, the team came to Hecksher Ballfields with a purpose. Only they would have to dig deep and fight hard to get back on track.

PCF/HH took a 1-0 lead on Ashley's solo shot in the bottom of the first. MGA quickly tied things up with their own home run in the top of the second. The game slowed down in the third and fourth, as the defenses tightened with a tie score and PCF/HH failed to plate their base runners in the bottom of the fourth.

Finally in the top of the fifth, much to The Black and Red's dismay, MGA was the first team to rediscover their bats, as a two-run home run put the home team down 3-1. Third baseman Ron Rainone (1-for-2) came to the rescue with a 2 RBI single, the team's third consecutive hit, to score Yusuke Okabayashi (1-for-2, 1 walk) and Carlos Sagastume (2-for-3, 1 double) to again tie the game at 3-all.

Quality defense in the field helped PCF/HH keep their opponents off the scoreboard in the final two innings, including a pair of fielder's choice outs made at second base in the seventh, and Ashley gave his team their second lead of the night and an insurance run with his two-run blast in the sixth, scoring Carl Pearson (2-for-3). J. Strong contributed a steadfast 3-for-3 from the plate but wasn't able to factor into the line score through no fault of his own. Strong reached base with two outs in both the first and fourth innings.

The win not only puts momentum back on the side of The Black and Red, but it improves the team's 2009 record to 4-2. This places the team in playoff contention at fifth place. The top six teams qualify for the postseason.

It isn't too early for PCF/HH to start thinking about what it will take for them to make the playoffs, as only three scheduled games remain in the regular season. Rainouts against Gruzen Samton and Gensler have yet to be rescheduled. If those games aren't rescheduled, then the final three matches of the season will weigh heavily on PCF/HH's playoff hopes. If they are rescheduled, there's a chance the permits will need to come from the league's reserves for the playoffs, meaning The Black and Red will need to take on a killer mentality in the event that the early rounds will need to become a one-and-done series.

For now, rescheduled games not withstanding, PCF/HH takes the field again on Tuesday, July 28, against a formidable SOM/Swanke/Cooper team. Game time is 5:30 p.m. on Central Park's North Meadow Field 11.