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Team Bridesmaid? Ruckus Takes 2nd In States & Nationals!
Ruckus Slideshow
Ruckus wins 1st two games, despite looking extremely flat and slightly nervous... then falls the next 2 games. The only consolation is that the 2 teams that beat us finished as co-champs. We just haven't had much success in ASA... ever!
USSSA Spring to Summer Tournament Recap
5/30/09
Game 1:
Ruckus 31
So Cal Thunder 14
The first game of the day always comes with lots of butterflies. New faces, a new lineup, and some higher expectations result in a slightly uptight and nervous team that doesn't perform very well. This was definitely the case in the early innings against Thunder, a team from San Diego. The first 7 guys found holes in the 5-man infield, and 8 runs would score as Ruckus couldn't get a break or position the defense properly. They were splitting holes perfectly and exposing an infield that was still adjusting to the 5-man concept. At least 3 balls went off the tips of gloves, and a horrible hop continued a rally that should have been cut short. Kenny Maples’ RBI double in the 1st was the only offensive highlight in the first 4 innings. However, down 12-6 going into the 6th inning, Ruckus was not about to give up. A quick huddle got the team going, and they responded with a barrage of singles and walks that changed the momentum of the game. Ryan Howard's double was the only extra-base hit of the 11-run inning. Robert Gerard would go 2 for 2 in the inning with a 2-run and a 1-run single. Now, with a 3-run lead going into the 7th, Ruckus wanted some insurance. They got plenty. The 7th inning started with back to back triples by Jayson Stocking and Andy Litteral, and a 2-run double by Howard two batters later -- one of 3 consecutive 2-baggers for the big guy who also was outstanding on the 'bump' as the Ruckus pitcher. They would bat around once again, with Kenyon Humphrey blasting a triple off the wall for his 6th hit of the game. The 14-run 7th inning completely deflated Thunder, and they went down quietly in the 7th. The 31-14 comeback victory had Ruckus feeling extremely proud, and excited about what could be ahead for the team that has had a rough year so far.
Players of the game:
Kenyon Humphrey - 6/6, 4R, 5RBI
Robert Gerard - 4/5, 4 R, 4RBI
Jayson Stocking – 4/5, triple, 4R, 4RBI
Game 2:
Beacon 12
Ruckus 10
The last time Ruckus saw Beacon, it was the Sunday morning at Bat Wars, and we were beaten before with even stepped on the field. That morning, we were disappointed about a very tough loss the night before, and had extremely low morale. This time, it felt completely different. Ruckus carried a slight swagger into this game, and the 5-man had Beacon baffled, as they could only score 2 runs through 4 innings, and Ruckus held a 4-2 lead. However, Beacon started splitting gaps and scored 6 and 4 runs in the 5th and 6th, respectively and they took a 12-6 lead into the bottom of the 7th. Ruckus was flat, but wasn't going down quietly. Lit's leadoff single was followed by Kenyon’s 2nd triple of the day. A base-knock by Kenny Maples and a double off the bat of JB LaCombe were followed by Robert Gerard, Andy Giovanetti, and Ryan Combe loading the bases for Greg Schoen. The tying run was on 2nd with 2 outs, and the ump made a bad call on a high strike, putting 'Schoener' in a tough position. He would be forced to swing at a bad pitch, and hit a routine chopper to the Beacon 3rd baseman, who ended the game and sent Ruckus to the loser's bracket with a 12-10 loss.
Player of the game:
Andy Litteral - 4/4, 2b, 2R, 2RBI
Game 3:
Ruckus 17
West Coast Express 10
Ruckus saw Express only 2 weeks ago at ASA's Bang 4 Bucks tourney, and fell short on the Sunday morning game. Express would go on to win that tourney. It was a different story this time around, thanks to a huge 4th inning. Eight of the first 9 batters got on base, highlighted by RBI doubles off the bats of Humphrey (1 of his 4 doubles in the game), Howard, Bret Cowan Andy Giovanetti, and Jayson Stocking. Ruckus would score 9 runs in the inning, but could only muster 3 more runs over the next 3 innings. It was plenty, thanks to a maturing 5-man infield, a solid outfield (despite losing Andy Litteral's legs and glove to a hamstring strain), and great pitching from Ryan Howard. The stingy D would only allow 1 run over the last 4 innings, and the 17-10 victory was in the books.
Players of the game:
Kenyon Humphrey - 5/5, 4 doubles, 3R, RBI
Ryan Howard - 4 runs allowed in last 4 innings
Game 4:
Ruckus 21
The Unit 13
Ruckus has played this team twice before, with each team winning one game. Although there was a friendly feel, there was a competitive undertone between the 2 teams who were both in the top 3 E teams in '08. This game would end up being far more intense. Tempers flared after comments were made about the fact that our opponents' bats were absolutely disgusting. Despite not having 1 player bigger than Ruckus' smallest player, the balls were rocketing off the Unit's bats much more powerfully than Ruckus. A hot shot off Robert Gerard's shin was a dangerous reminder of the unfair advantage a hot bat can give a team. Benches cleared twice and the umps threatened to end the game. The game was tense and Ruckus was fired up and ready to erase the 11-8 deficit. Fight or play ball? It was a tough decision. We knew what we needed to do, and decided on the latter. The team's response at the plate was awesome. The bottom half of the order knocked 5 consecutive shots, including Greg Schoen's 2-run double. The top half would join the rally, forcing the Unit to go to a 5-man defense. That didn't work for them at all, and the gaps were huge. Humphrey, Howard, Giovanetti, and Maples all hit triples in the inning, and Ryan Combe beat the shallow-playing right fielder with an in-the-park home run.
The big inning and all the conflict on the field took the Unit out of their game completely. They became more focused on starting a middle war and getting their asses kicked that they forgot there was a game going on. Ruckus is not the team to pick a fight with. As Andy Giovanetti said, "I'm much better at fighting than playing softball", and he's a pretty good softball player, so if things ever get ugly... Well... Let's hope we don't ever have to see him put his skills on display. All that crap aside, we let our bats and gloves do the most talking and walked away 21-13 win... But not before tempers flared once again as we 'shook' hands. Good times.
Players of the game:
Andy Giovanetti - 3/4, 3R, 2RBI, 3b
Ryan Combe - 4/4, HR, 2R, 2RBI
Kenyon Humphrey - 5/5, 3R, 3RBI, 3b
Bret Cowan – 4/5, 2R, 2RBI, 3b
Game 5:
Ruckus 25
Victory 7
Ruckus has quite a history with Victory. When they were known as No Limit in the E division in '08, the two teams faced each other twice in an epic tourney in Lancaster. Flashback: That was the tourney where Ruckus lost the first game of the day before going on a ridiculously dominant 7-game run through the loser's bracket before destroying No Limit in the championship game. However, ruckus needed to double dip them in that tourney, so an 'if' game was needed. The blowout in the Championship game left Ruckus underestimating No Limit in the 'If' game, and we lost despite an awesome 7th inning rally that left the winning run on 2nd as the game ended.
Flash forward to February '09: The next time these 2 teams played each other, it was in Simi Valley, and the 2 teams would face each other twice in a tournament once again -- and they would split the 2 games once again, with a much-improved Victory team eliminating Ruckus from the tourney when we played on a field with 200' fences and light poles right in the middle of the outfield.
Flash forward once again to today's tourney: Victory had just watched a fired-up Ruckus team beat the Unit in an emotional loser's bracket semifinal game. Victory, a vocal and confident team, was sucked into a quiet and awkward mood after the previous game's drama. Still, they were ready to play. Gapper lost the toss in this game, after winning 2 of the previous 3 tosses. However, Ruckus wanted to carry the hot hitting over to the next game, so Gapper's lost toss was actually welcomed by some. Sending 9 hitters to the plate in the 1st inning seemed to prove that feeling to be right. The inning would have continued if it weren't for a great throw nabbing Andy at the plate for the 3rd out. Let the record show that Andy would have been safe if he slid, but the entire team would agree that we didn't even want to see what kind of damage Andy would have done to the field or himself, that the team yelled 'Up!' so that he wouldn't slide and risk the delay that would have been required to bring a truckload of dirt back to the field and pick up all the tattoos off the ground. (Just messin' Cappy!). So 4 runs crossed, and Ruckus took a lead that would never be lost. They scored at least 3-runs in every inning but 1. The biggest inning was the 3rd, when 9 runs scored on 12 hits, including JB's double and triple in the same inning. The assault continued throughout the rest of the game with highlights such as Jayson Stocking’s 2-run double in the 4th, Ryan Combe’s 2 run triple in the 5th, and JB LaCombe’s 3rd double of the game in the 6th, which scored 2 more. JB’s stat line (4/5, 3 doubles and a triple, 3R and 5 RBI) resulted in a 1.800 slugging percentage for the game. Fantasy softball owners would be salivating… if there was such a thing as fantasy softball. The bats were on fire this game for everyone, and balls were popping off the bats in the colder air, unlike anything we had seen throughout the day. Even Greg Schoen hit a HR for an out! The defense was on point, and although Ryan Howard was starting to feel the fatigue that is expected after pitching 5 games in a day, he was outstanding – holding a very powerful offense to only 7 runs. Greg Schoen added to the defensive performance when he came in and closed the game out with a perfect 6th inning for the save, in the mercy-rule victory over Victory.
Players of the Game:
Ryan Howard and the entire defense for shutting down a very good hitting team.
JB LaCombe – 4/5, 3 doubles and a triple, 3R and 5 RBI
Ryan Combe – 5/5, 2b, 3b, 2R, 2RBI (Both players were an HR short of hitting for the cycle)
Game 6:
Beacon 24
Ruckus 8
Beacon was dominating the tournament and enjoying long breaks all day, but they definitely did not want to underestimate Ruckus, who gave them their best game of the day in their previous meeting today. They played hard and aggressive at the plate and in the field. In each of the 3 games that Beacon and Ruckus have played, their pitcher has done an outstanding job of keeping us off balance, and their defense is been surprisingly solid, despite a 4-man infield. There is not much to write about in this game, except that Ruckus was just ‘out of gas’. That’s sort of a lame excuse because we were pretty fired up after our 2 previous wins, and our bats were hot. Beacon just deserves credit for quieting our team and completely taking all of the momentum and confidence away from us. Their 12-run 3rd inning would have been all they needed to win the game, but they scored every inning on the way to the Mercy rule championship victory. There were really no highlights, except for Ryan Combe’s ‘almost’ catch in right, but that’s really just a blooper of a play.
Player of the Game:
Greg Schoen – 2/2, 1R
Tournament Recap:
Tourney MVP: Kenyon Humphrey
All Tourneys: Andy Giovanetti, Ryan Combe, Andy Litteral
With some internal tension starting the night before the tournament, there was a strange feel going into Saturday morning’s game. Unfortunately, some words were exchanged on the team smack board that should have been handled privately. Regardless, the team ignored it and was ready to play. All season, we have constantly found ourselves going into scoreless funks in the middle of the game, then coming out with a huge inning. However, we reduced those funks, and had a more steady approach, and scored runs in 58 of the 68 innings we played. Our only losses were to the team that won it all, and they have our number so far this season. We will figure them out sooner or later. We hit an awesome .635 as a team, and played much better defense than we have played all season. We continue to improve, and every team in the D's is starting to take notice that Ruckus is going to be a threat to win every tournament from now on.
Player recap:
What do you say about Ryan Howard? He’s definitely coming into his own as a solid pitcher, and he is getting extremely comfortable with the 5-man defense he has behind him. His average this tournament might be lower than we usually expect from him, but his run production is outmatched For the record, Ryan would have hit a solid.565 if sac flies didn’t count as at-bats. Although we never want to encourage making an out to score a run in softball (unless it’s a very tight game in the late innings), Ryan has very productive at-bats and his team-leading 15 RBI speaks highly of him – and of the table-setters who are scoring runs in front of him.
Everyone was excited to see if all the hype about Andy Litteral was justified, and without a doubt, it was. His hamstring pull definitely slowed him down on the basepaths the rest of the day, and he was unable to play OF, but he was awesome at the leadoff spot all day. Plus, 9 RBI from the leadoff spot is outstanding, and shows that the bottom of the order is doing a great job at rolling it over to him.
Andy Giovanetti has had his struggles last tournament, and the reduction in BP appeared to have taken its toll on his batting average. He got back to work and had a great round of BP on Thursday, and the improvement on Saturday was obvious. He hit over .700 for the 2nd time in the last 3 tourneys, and made some good plays at 1B. “I’m a better fighter than I am a softball player”? If you’re hitting .739 in softball, somebody’s gonna be TOOFless and broken if we end up fighting!
Bret Cowan did a great job locking down CF all day, despite not being able to rest after Lit’s injury. His positive attitude and hustle has been a huge factor in turning this team around. Always hustling and constantly taking the extra base, he can create havoc for a lazy defense that faces him.
Kenyon was absolutely unstoppable. He hit .857 with 6 doubles and 4 triples and 14 RBI and 17 runs. That’s ridiculous. He’s also getting much more comfortable at 2b, and played virtually error-free ball on Saturday. Regardless, when you hit like that, you can make all the errors you want.
JB LaCombe’s move to 5-man appeared to be exactly what the doctor ordered. He toyed with batters and kept them guessing constantly, and was also a terror at the plate. Nobody hits more lazers for outs than JB. Atom balls directly at the right-center fielder (and almost take off his glove) are common, but he’ll quickly adjust and find the gap the next time.
Robert Gerard was steady, as always. He constantly hovers at the .600 mark, and has been one of the best 2-out hitters on the team all year. He has also played an outstanding hot corner, and gloved some ridiculous lazers on Saturday night.
Kenny Maples is steady, just like Robert. His consistency at the plate bumped him up to the 4 spot in the lineup. He appeared slightly uncomfortable at that spot in the order, but still had a solid tourney with
Ryan Combe had a great start to the season, and was batting well over .700 after the first 4 tourneys. Then he goes into a funk which included 2 tourneys below .400. Saturday was his return to confidence at the plate, and the .792 average this tourney bumped him back above the .600 mark. However, I must note that it is much, much easier to hit all day and have success when you don’t have to run all over the place on defense. A .600 average from an outfielder is as good as a .800 average from a well-rested DH/C. Just keepin’ it real for myself.
Jayson Stocking’s biggest asset has always been his glove. He makes some amazing plays, such as the ridiculous backhand play in the 5-6 hole when Andy made a great scoop at first to get the out. Always making diving and leaping catches and squashing rallies before they start, makes his bat less of a requirement. Despite hitting below .500 in 8 of the 10 tourneys so far, his glove remained an asset, but improved production at the plate was definitely a requirement for this team to win games. Jayson responded to the pressure by hitting at a solid .545 clip with 9 runs and 11 ribs. He split gaps and hit balls off the walls, and came through in the clutch with 2-out hits – which has been one of his struggles this year. Keep working hard, Jayson.
Greg Schoen has been a solid addition to the team. A versatile outfielder and backup pitcher, he has accepted any role that he is handed. Patience at the plate and pitch selection is definitely his weakness, but that’s a very easy fix. He saw a few bad strike calls on Saturday, which took the bat out of his hand, and he never got comfortable going ‘his way’ to the right side. We all know that he can do much better than his .435 average this tourney. He’s a competitive guy, and will surely take some BP and be ready to improve. His perfect inning of relief against Victory shows that he’s got a little extra value on this team as Howard’s emergency backup.
And how can I forget Michael Gapper? Despite all the crap he is given constantly for wearing a protective cup, suspenders, and a Bluetooth earpiece while on the field, the guy is starting to evolve into the leader that this team needs. His coin tosses and stat totaling still need some work, but his confidence in pre-game meetings with the umpires and his Tony Robbins speeches are improving. He still wants that at-bat that has eluded him for the past 2 seasons, and he’ll surely get it before this season is over… if he can swing the bat without looking like he’s having birth pains. Keep your head up, Gapper! You’ll get yours. The dark jerseys definitely did you good too, bud!
Hitters AB R H RBI AVG
Kenyon Humphrey … 28 … 17 … 24 … 14 … 0.857
Ryan Combe … 24 … 6 … 19 … 9 … 0.792
Andy Literral … 28 … 19 … 21 … 9 … 0.750
Andy Giovanetti … 23 … 9 … 17 … 7 … 0.739
Robert Gerard … 26 … 8 … 16 … 7 … 0.615
Kenny Maples … 25 … 7 … 15 … 10 … 0.600
Brett Cowan … 27 … 8 … 16 … 5 … 0.593
JB LaCombe … 28 … 8 … 16 … 14 … 0.571
Jason Stocking … 22 … 9 … 12 … 11 … 0.545
Ryan Howard … 28 … 8 … 13 … 15 … 0.464
Greg Schoen … 23 … 7 … 10 … 5 … 0.435
TOTALS 282 … 106 … 179 … 106 … 0.635
The next 2 tourneys will definitely be on 6/20 and 6/27, and will hopefully be our only back-to-back tourneys all year. We’re not sure which tourneys will be playing on those 2 weekends, but we’ll most likely be in Poway on 6/20 for U-trip’s last NIT, followed by the ASA Bang 4 Bucks tourney the following weekend in West Covina. There’s a slight chance we’ll play at Quakes on 6/20, but we should really make the trip down to Poway to win our berth. Andy Litteral will appreciate that one being close to home.
Let’s roll, fellas!
Ruckus Wins NIT, Berth to Worlds in Michigan
Game 1:
Ruckus 16
Enforcers 9
Ruckus has only played Enforcers one time before, and it was not pretty. On the 2nd day of an 'E' N.I.T. tourney, they put a hurting on Ruckus, with a dominant mercy-rule blowout. A little over a year later, and both teams were now bumped to D's. Ruckus came out solid, shutting them down quickly in the 1st, then batting around and scoring 7 in the bottom of the inning. Kenyon's 2-run triple started to scoring, which would slow down for the rest of the game. Enforcers came back with a big 2nd inning, however. Two infield miscues should have ended the inning, but resulted in 6 unearned runs. Once the bleeding was stopped, ruckus settled down and played great D the rest of the game. A 4-run 4th, highlighted by Trevor Francis' 2-run knock and a 3-run 5th, with Jerry Boyd's 2-run double would put the game away.
Player of the Game:
Jerry Boyd: 4/4, , 2 2b, 4R, 2 RBI
Game 2:
Ruckus 14
Pendleton 4
Pendleton is a team of marines, built by softball sponsor Chaney, with the pieces needed to win a Military World Championship. They had just come away from a dominant win over Beacon, a team that has beaten Ruckus all year long. Knowing this had to cause some concern in the Ruckus dugout. This may have been a problem early, with the military team jumping out to a 4-0 lead going in the bottom of the 2nd. The Ruckus 5-man D got really tough after that, however, and no further runs would score. Jayson Stocking's double plated 2 runs in the 2nd, and Andy Giovanetti did the same in the 3rd gave Ruckus enough runs to win the game, and back-to-back triples by Kenyon and Trevor extended the lead. For good measure, Ruckus sent 10 guys to the plate in the 6th, and Bret Cowan knocked in the game-ender for the mercy-rule victory.
Player of the game:
Kenny Maples: 3/4, R, 2RBI
Game 3: Undefeated Game
Ruckus 13
Hitmen 2
Hitmen, a Rancho Cucamonga league night opponent, is a team that is very familiar to Ruckus. The 2 teams split the season series, with each team blowing the other out in their respective wins. Hitmen was known for being a very good hitting team, but if they had a weakness, it their void on the mound. They filled that void by picking up the most coveted pitcher in So Cal - Billy Zapata. They came out to this game fired up, and quickly shut Ruckus down in the top of the 1st. With a loud and boisterous dugout, Hitmen had a definite intimidation factor going. After a walk, double, and triple, they scored 2 runs with 1 out. A couple home run outs ended the inning, and effectively ended all Hitmen scoring - for the rest of the game. That's right. Two of the 1st 4 batters scored, but they could not crack the tight 5-man and lightning-fast outfield. In fact, not a single runner would even touch 2nd base in the 2nd through 5th innings. Similarly, Ruckus didn't get a runner to 2nd until the 3rd inning, as the bottom of the order started a 4-run rally. The 5th inning deserves an article of its own. With a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the 5th, the 1st 2 batters (Dan Sandoval and Andy Litteral) went down quickly and quietly. Then, Jerry started making a little noise with a single to left center. Trevor and Kenny followed with singles of their own, and 2 of them scored on Kenyon's single. Then, consecutive singles by Bret, Kyle, Andy G., Ryan, Jay, Dan, and Andy L. continued a rally that knocked 9 runs in. This amazing 2-out rally featured 11 straight singles! Every Ruckus hitter had one. Unbelievably, Ruckus had 22 hits in the game - and not one of them was for extra bases! Meanwhile, Hitmen did not live up to their name, and had only 5 hits all game. The 13-2 victory was the 2nd consecutive mercy-rule victory for Ruckus, and sent them to the Championship game.
Player of the game:
Andy Giovanetti: 3/3, 2R, 2 RBI
Game 4: Championship Game:
Ruckus 21
Hitmen 7
After losing to Ruckus and only scoring 2 runs in their previous game, Hitmen had to dig deep just to survive a battle with South Baze Finest in the losers' bracket finals. They took a 14 run lead into the 6th inning, and their offense was on fire. But, they almost gave the game away, and found themselves trailing by a run going into the 7th. They took the lead back in the top of the 7th, and slammed the door on their opponent to win an exciting and emotional game.
That excitement died quickly when they faced the reality of playing Ruckus again. Ruckus held Hitmen scoreless in the 1st, then made a huge statement in the bottom of the inning. After not hitting one extra-base hit in the previous game, 'Lit', Trevor, Bret, and Kenyon each went for extra bases in the 1st. Each of Ruckus' 9 hitters hit lazer base-knocks to start the game. Ruckus batted around and came out roaring to an 8-0 lead. You could already feel that Hitmen were emotionally defeated, and realized that this was Ruckus' day.
Hitmen managed to put a couple small rallies together in the 2nd and 3rd, scoring 7 runs, but that was all they could muster all game. Ruckus went on to put a bunch of nails in the Hitmen coffin, with the help of Bret Cowan's two run-scoring doubles, Lit's 2-run triple in the 4th, and Greg Schoen's pinch-hit single in the 5th. His fellow substitute outfielder, Dan Sandoval, knocked home the tourney-winning run with a 2-out single that scored Kenyon from 3rd to end an awesome Ruckus performance.
Despite missing pitcher Ryan Howard, 3b Robert Gerard, and 5-man JB LaCombe, Ruckus won their biggest tourney in the team's history.
Jerry Boyd's return from injury was a huge factor coming in, and he picked up right where he left off with an outstanding tourney at the plate and in the field. He took home the tourney MVP award.
Andy Giovanetti had been struggling through the first 6 tourneys of the year. Then, the Vegas NIT woke up his bat, and he hasn't looked back. This was his 2nd consecutive All-Tourney award.
Ryan Combe - see above. Almost identical story as Andy G., as the two team leaders appear to be inspiring one another at the plate. 2nd consecutive All-tourney award as well.
Kenny Maples has flourished at the cleanup spot. He quietly earned his All-Tourney. Until he actually visits this site and posts a message on the board, I'm not going to waste my time with his highlights. Same goes for Greg Schoen.
Jayson Stocking's bat continues to improve. His patience at the plate is key, and his ability to split gaps and pepper the fences is often utilized just at the right moments. His glove at the middle spot was great, and he'll return to the more familiar SS position when JB returns.
Andy Litteral also healed quickly and he showed what big impact he can have in CF, and at the leadoff spot.
Bret Cowan has been awesome in the OF for the last 2 tourneys. He has made a huge impact, and filled the voids left by injury. This weekend, we also got to see how good he is at Shortstop. It's so nice to have guys like him who can play anywhere.
Kenyon Humphrey had one of his worst tourneys ever, biut he was still solid by most people's standards. He continues to improve at 2b as well.
Subs at this tourney:
Trevor Francis was outstanding on the bump. He (and the great D) never gave up double-digit runs. Former Cub prospect Kyle Boyer failed to make a play at 3b, but he crushed the ball all day and hit a bunch of home run outs.
Dan Sandoval is flat-out f-a-s-t. His attitude was great, and he understood his role. He hit very well until the championship, when he struggled before redeeming himself with the game-winner.
All day, the defense was nearly perfect, and the bats were unstoppable. The rise of Ruckus continues, and everyone is talking about us as a team to watch for the rest of the year.
Awards:
MVP: Jerry Boyd
A/T: Andy Giovanetti, Ryan Combe, Kenny Maples
Ruckus is still respected at ASA nationals
Ruckus places in the top 10 of ASA Nationals
September 6th and 7th, 2008 Big League of Dreams in Cathedral City, CA
With Ruckus scheduled to play in USSSA Worlds in Arizona, in two weeks from this tournament, and with ASA calling up Ruckus and inviting us to play, this would be a good tune up for us for Worlds.
First game was at 9:00 am on Fenway, vs. Good Times.
Good Times is an Arizona team that Ruckus was unaware of who they actually were. We think G.T. brought their weather with them. It was atleast 90 degrees with the forecast of weather to be in the upwards of 113. The hottest it has been here in Cathedral City in over a month. With the scouts among the Ruckus players, we were unsure of how G.T. hits, or fields.
Ruckus starts things out right by sending Mike Gapper to the plate as a manager to visit with the Blue. Gapper calls heads in favor of player Andy Giovanetti, and wins the coin toss. Ruckus chooses home and the game begins.
Good Times started their hitting off with a couple of base knocks and scores 2 by ending the inning with a the first of two strikeouts during the game, by the help of Ruckus own pitcher Mike Reed. Ryan Howard the other team’s pitcher is playing the outfield. Never knew you had the skills biggens.
Ruckus is now up and needing to get some scoring done and jump out early. Brandon “Pork Chop” Medrano starts of our inning with a triple. Who knew this guy could run so fast. Mike Reed scored Pork Chop with a hard shot that nobody wanted to get in front of. Ruckus ends the inning with the score of 2-1 in favor of Good Times. G.T. sends 5 players up and Ruckus sits them down just as fast. Ruckus sends 8 batters to the plate and scores 4 runs to give Ruckus the lead at the bottom of the second, its 5-2.
We go to the top of the third and G.T. begins to put something together by scoring 3 of their own but not before Ruckus turns a Double play that would have made the highlight reel of any sports stations. With the score now tied, it was time for Ruckus to wake up. Ruckus scored in their next 3 at bats and scoring 2, 3, and 3. Ruckus shutting out their opponent for two consecutive innings and allowing G.T. to only score 1 run in the top of the 6th, inning. To score 3 in the bottom of the 6th, by rules of ASA Ruckus just mercies their first opponent of the tournament, and Ruckus sent their first opponent to the loser’s bracket. Ruckus wins 16-6. It is worth mentioning that the entire Team of Ruckus hit very well.
Chops 3-4
Robert 3-4 / 3 RBI
Mike 3-4 / 2 RBI
Howard 2-4
Andy 2-4
Kenny 2-4 / 1 RBI
Frankie 3-4
Combe 3-4 / 2 RBI
Bird 3-4 / 2 RBI
Jason 2-4 / 1 RBI game ending
Trujillo 2-3 / 2 RBI
Game 2 vs. Keystoners at 2 pm
Some how the tides had begun to turn. With Keystoners winning the toss, Gapper had no choice but to take sticks first. Ruckus sent 7 batters to the plate and scoring 3 runs thanks in part of Robert, and Mike’s singles with Howard adding his double and Kenny duplicating it. Keystoners sent 6 batters and scored 2 runs. Nothing too surprising. Ruckus started out the second inning by Combe hitting a HR for an out! No HR’s allowed here! We think the wind got a hold of it and helped it out of the park, right Ryno. Anyway, with Bird getting a hit and stealing 2nd, Ruckus has a guy in scoring position but can’t get him home, scoring 0 in the top of the second inning. Keystoners broke out the sticks in the bottom of the second. They sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 11 to take the lead 13-3. With Ruckus coming up top at the of 3 - Ruckus managed to score 1 by Howards second double of the game and scoring Chops all the way from first. The rally ended by Kenny hitting a HR for an out and leaving two men on base. With Ruckus shutting out Keystoners at the bottom of the third, it was now another chance for Ruckus to get some runs. Frankie started of the inning with a shot for a double, now this big man can hustle. It was Ruckus’s 4th double of the game and it looks like Team Ruckus can make a comeback. We fall short only to score 1 run that inning. Keystoners came up in the bottom of 5th, and scored 2. They could have ended the game at this point but came up short to end our misery. Ruckus has one last opportunity to make something happen, but it was mostly do the heat 115 atleast on the field, and Team Ruckus’s inconsistency at the plate for Ruckus to have accomplished anything else this game. Ruckus is now being sent to the loser’s bracket and come back at night to play.
Players of the game
Ryan Howard 2-2 / 3 RBI
Game 3 on Pawtucket at 7pm
Ruckus is now to play host to L.A. Pitbulls
It seems whenever Gapper goes to the plate and has the chance to call the coin flip, 9 times out of 10 he wins it. Gapper again calls heads and wins. Ruckus chooses to be gloves and the L.A. Pitbulls has to be the team to hit first. They do and only score 1 run. They should have scored a couple more but could not get the job done. It was now Ruckus’s turn to come up and hit. Ruckus sends 7 batters to the plate and scores 3. Some how our 3rd base coach sends our guy home who is only tagged out for the 3rd out. This is not something to mention except when it happens 3 times in a game, 2 of which ends the inning. So the top of the second inning and Pitbulls score 2. Ruckus scores 1 to keep the lead of 4-3. This must have woke up the LA team. They send 10 batters to the box and come away with 6 runs. Ruckus answers with their own rally. Sending 9 batters to the box and scoring 6 of their own runs. Score is now 10-9 in favor of Team Ruckus. But wait the LA Pitbulls are up and has a chance to go ahead starting their inning off with a single, the outfield; unknown to Pitbulls; that Team Ruckus has guns holstered to their gloves for throwing capabilities of turning double plays from the outfield. And that’s exactly what Team Ruckus did. Kenny Maples ran down a fly ball and doubles up the runner. With no runners, coming across home was huge for Team Ruckus. Ruckus comes up scoring 3 runs, and would have scored more but 3rd base coach sends Jason home only to be tagged out and Team Ruckus left 2 men on when the third out is made. Score is now 13-9 in favor of Ruckus. Now being the top of the 6th, the LA Pitbulls decide to try and go middle hitting a shot up the middle right by our pitcher who almost gloved it. The next batter hits into a fielders choice almost into a double play. Again, up the middle goes the next batter. This batter decides to have words with our pitcher, which is a big mistake. Something you don’t want to do is awake the sleeping giant. In addition, the next guy decides to hit middle too. The pitcher thinking the game is over throws the ball to the catcher, not at the batter what the batter had thought, and advanced toward the mound. Now at this point this guy should have been ejected. In almost any other affiliation, he would have been. However, the umpire saw no threat of this diminutive of a man advance toward the mound where Team Ruckus’s pitcher stood. A bench clearing session began with no punches thrown it was probably a good idea for the LA Pitbulls. Team Ruckus was now heated. The score 19-10 the bottom of the 6th and all Ruckus needs is 1 run to end the clemency of this team. With Frankie hitting the ball deep, to right, the player makes a catch to give them one out. Ryan Combe comes to bat and hits a triple into the gap of the right center. Now new cumber Rafael, aka: Bird; all he has to do is score Combe from third. He does just that with a sac fly and to send the LA Pitbulls home for they are done.
Again, it is worth noting the players who stepped it up a notch this game.
Porkchop 3-4 / 1 RBI
Robert 4-4 /
Mike 4-4 / 3 RBI
Howard 2-3 / 4 RBI / double / sac
Andy 4-4 / 3 RBI
Kenny 2-4 / 3 RBI / triple
Frankie 2-4 / 1 RBI
Ryno 3-4 / triple
Bird 2-3 / RBI / game ending sac
Jayson 3-3 / 2 RBI / double
Trujillo 1-3 /
Game 4 - Yankee at 9 pm vs. Never Was
Ruckus made their way to the Yankee ballpark to face their next opponent = Never Was. Team Ruckus wins the coin toss by the thanks of Gapper and Team Ruckus takes home field advantage.
Never Was begins the game by scoring 2 runs and Ruckus answers with 3 winning the 1st inning. Patience and base runner’s is what wins ball games mixed in with solid hitting performances by Andy Giovanetti. This guy went 4 for 4 the past two games and his two doubles are worth noting for this game alone. Sac flies get the runs to score when somebody is on third. Ruckus had 5 sac’s this game. Too bad they had to be outs.
Top of the second, Never Was scores 0 and Team Ruckus scores 2 to bring the score to 2-5 in favor of Team Ruckus. The third inning, N.W. scores 1 and Team Ruckus answers with 1 too 3-6. N.W. scores 2 in the top of the fourth and Team Ruckus ends their chance by putting up a big goose egg. Score is still in favor of Team Ruckus 5-6. Top of the fifth inning, and N.W. puts up another deuce to give them the lead for the first time of the game. Ruckus answers back with two runs of their own, to get the lead back, which is 7-8. Then the sticks wake up for N.W. They score 4 in the top of their sixth inning. And N.W. takes the lead for the first time of this game. Ruckus goes to bat and puts thre up and three down. Ruckus is now in between a rock and a hard place. Score is 11-8 in favor of N.W. With a prime opportunity for N.W. to come up with some insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Team Ruckus decides to cancel the insurance premium and sit down N.W. with a big fat zero. With Team Ruckus now being fired up after a long day of softball in the heat, and the possibility to come back in the morning for day #2. It was up to Team Ruckus to make something happen. With Team Ruckus being home team, thanks to Gapper, all we had to do is score 4 runs. Something we hadn’t done all game. Here we are fatigued, sore, and just a little bit burned out. But this is when a Team comes together. Team Ruckus stepped it up by Mike, Howard, getting singles, Carmichael pinch runs for Mike. Then Andy, hitting his second double of the game, scoring both runners. Kenny follows suit by a single of his own, and Frankie hitting a sac fly to score Andy. Ryno draws a walk and Bird hits into a FC scoring Kenny who is standing on third. Team Ruckus scores 4 runs in the bottom of the seventh to end the game of 11-12.
Players of the game
Andy 4-4 / 2 RBI / 2 doubles
Ryno 3-3 / 2 RBI / sac
Robert 3-4 / RBI
Howard 3-4 /
Mike 2-3 / RBI / sac
Frankie 2-3 / 3 RBI / sac
Game 5 - September 7th, 2008 day #2 at 9:00 am on Yankee vs. AZ Bandits. It shall be another hot day for the players in the desert climate. The temperature is expecting to be 109 today. At game time, the weather was not that hot, but one can sure feel the heats a coming, and I am not talking about Team Ruckus sticks either.
Team Ruckus plays its second AZ team in this tournament. With AZ Bandits calling the coin flip, and winning the stupid toss, it was up to Team Ruckus to begin where they left off the night before. Team Ruckus sends their first two batters to the box only to fly out and begin the inning with two outs. Mike hits a solid shot up the middle and Howard hitting a double to the wall scoring Mike. Andy comes up with a shot of his own scoring Howard. That is all Team Ruckus can muster, 2 runs with 2 outs. AZ comes up sending 6 batters up scoring 3 but ending the inning with a double play turned by Jayson and Robert. Score is 2-3 in favor of AZ. Both teams come up empty handed in the second. Team Ruckus sends 14 batters to the plate for their next approach, and scoring 9, including a in the park HR for Adam (who brought this guy). That is what I call Teamwork. AZ is now up at the bottom of the third inning with Ruckus leading 3-11. Well it was no thanks to the umpire, who blew a double play call, at first, that would have gotten Team Ruckus out of the inning and undoubtedly, Team Ruckus would have won the game. AZ got a major gift, and that call put an end to Team Ruckus morale. Team Ruckus would get to bat another 3 innings but could not muster a run to save their lives. Team Ruckus in the top of the seventh had a chance, with bases loaded Trujillo grounds the ball to first who steps on the bag to end Team Ruckus misery, and giving AZ Bandits a win they sure didn’t deserve.
This tournament was a nice tune up for Team Ruckus who should have all motors running for Worlds come September 19-22, in Peoria, AZ.
I hope the world is ready to see what Team Ruckus can do. We will overpower and destroy, showing no mercy for the weak, and pillaging just for fun. And we will laugh when we have conquered and have won.
Team Ruckus hit for the tournament as follows.
Andy .722
Mike .706
Howard .632
Ryno .706
Robert .632
Frankie .588
Porkchop .474
Bird .500
Kenny .529
Trujillo .375
Jayson .500
Adam .750 but only played on Sunday
Team .579
Ruckus Takes 5th in Worlds with An Amazing Defensive Performance
Full Article to be written soon. See 2 Slideshows below:
Slideshow 1:
Worlds Slideshow 2:
Ruckus plays their worst Tournament all year!
Ruckus made an early exit on their worst tournament they have played all year!
Written by Michael Gapper
This tournament had the title of 2008 Far West Championship by USSSA held at the Big 8 Sports Complex in Lancaster, CA. Played on Sat. 8/23 and Sun. 8/24. With 28 teams entered into the tournament Team Ruckus expected to do well.
Game 1-11:00am
Slapdix was team Ruckus first opponent for the day. Ruckus started out with Coach Gapper winning the coin flip and chose to be home. Slapdix sent 5 batters up and with no runs, Slapdix was out. It was now Ruckus’s turn to hit. Ruckus sent 10 or their 11 batters to the plate, scoring 6. Top of the 2nd inning Slapdix sent another 4 batters up and 3 down, mostly thanks to Team Ruckus middle infield, SS, Jason Stocking and 2B, Robert Gerard and our rotating first basemen, Frankie Diaz, and Andy Giovanetti, who ended both the first two innings with Double Plays. Team Ruckus struggled scoring only 2 runs this inning, sending 6 batters to the plate. In the third inning, Slapdix began the inning w/ 2 fly balls, then Slapdix got lucky, scoring 2 runs to end the inning. This must have woke up Team Ruckus. They used discipline to put on a hitting exhibition, sending 15 batters to the plate and executing clutch-hitting performances and scoring 11 runs. Slapdix tried to rally or put something/anything together to attempt and rattle Team Ruckus, but to no prevail, Slapdix just was no match for Team Ruckus on this day. Ruckus went on to score another 7 runs and by the games end, Team Ruckus had sent their first opponent to the losers bracket by the final score of 26-2.
Players of the game
Ryan Towning 4-4, 2-2b, 2 RBI
Kenny Maples 4-4, 3 RBI
Frankie Diaz 4-4, 2b, 3 RBI
Ryan Combe 3-3, 2 RBI SAC
Chris Trujillo 3-3, RBI
Game 2-2:00pm
Next opponent was Viejos. With Viejos winning the toss, Coach Gapper had no choice but to accept the lineup card from the blue and take sticks to start the game. Team Ruckus started out well and had won both of the first 2 innings scoring 2 runs. Viejos only managed to score 1 run in each of their first two innings. But the third inning Viejos had put a stop to Ruckus scoring capabilities, leaving the score to be 4-2 in favor of Ruckus. In the bottom of the third, Viejos had put together a little rally scoring 2 runs tying the game at 4 runs apiece. No runs scored in the 4th inning for either team, taking us to the top of the 5th inning. Team Ruckus had awoke a little bit by scoring 4 runs and sending 8 batters to the plate. Viejos almost matched Ruckus, but fell short and scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 5th. Score now 8-7 top of the 6th. Team Ruckus had the chance to score an insurance run or two, but could not buy a run. Making The Viejos look much better than what they really are. Team Ruckus hit the ball hard but hit into 2 DP’s in the final 2 innings and giving a total of 4 DP’s for the game. Viejos scored one in the bottom of the 6th, and one more in the bottom of the 7th. Team Ruckus was now heading to a not so familiar place, the losers bracket. Ryan Howard and Chris Trujillo both had some shots hit at them playing the P position. It just was not enough to stop this team. Viejos tied up the series vs. Team Ruckus to 1 and 1.
Players of the game
Brandon Medrano 4-4, 2 RBI
So here, Team Ruckus stands 1-1 and now in the loser’s bracket preparing to play until we die. Scheduled to play back to back to back until 11pm and it is only 5 pm now. But whatever it takes to get the job done and get a W in win column.
Team Ruckus new opponent was the Park Bumbs. An unfamiliar team, even the scouting report had nothing on this match up.
Team Ruckus started things off right with Coach Gapper winning the coin toss as he did with the first game of the day. Tails never fails.
The Park Bumbs opened the first two innings with 3 runs apiece. Team Ruckus came up short hitting into a DP to end both of their first two innings. Have you ever heard of Déjà Vu? This did not fair well with Team Ruckus. With The Park Bumbs scoring 0 in the top of the third, allowing Ruckus to wake up maybe for one time. Ruckus sent 10 of their 11 batters to the plate only scoring 4 but left the bases loaded which ended a fearsome rally that would have given Team Ruckus the lead had their inning not have fallen short by a ending the inning with a fly out. Top of the fourth inning the Park Bumbs must have gotten scared. They completed the inning sending 16 batters and scoring a whopping 12 runs which now makes the score 18-4. Ruckus was now on the brink of extinction for the day. A mercy which has not happened ALL YEAR was about to take place.
Ruckus started the bottom of the 4th inning off right, scoring 4 doubles and 5 runs to cut the Park Bumbs lead to 1/2. Now the score is 18-9. Park Bumbs did not slow down a bit scoring another 4 runs in the top of the 5th. Team Ruckus came up short in their final two innings, scoring 0 in the bottom of both innings. Park Bumbs finished off Team Ruckus by scoring 3 more runs and sending Team Ruckus home for an early exit.
Player of the game
Chris Trujillo 2-2, 3 RBI
However, do not worry, Team Ruckus was knocked down but WE WILL get up again, and when we do, lookout! We do not plan to have any more showing 2 loses and going home without even placing in the tournament. This is the first and last time this will happen to Team Ruckus this year.
Team Ruckus will be playing in Cathedral City on Sat. 8/6/08 for ASA Rings. Then to Arizona- 9/19-21/08 for USSSA Worlds. So Be Ware of Team Ruckus. We are coming for ya. Taking names and asking questions later.
So Sweep The Leg RUCKUS! Do you have a problem with that?
Ruckus Takes 2nd In State!
Written By: Mike Gapper
This was a two-day tournament that started out sluggishly for Ruckus. Slow starts and quite bats resulted in taking the first two games to extra innings. Ruckus had lost the toss and was Visitor in both games, which is a huge disadvantage in extra inning games. Needless to say, we showed Diligence to the very end.
By night's end, with hours in between our games, Ruckus was happy just to take our 4th place with our berth to Worlds, and go home without returning the next day. They considered not showing up and taking the forfeit... but No! It was brought to the team's attention however that it might be in Ruckus’s best interest to show up instead of possibly losing our berth for the no-show. Therefore, the team decided that they'd get a few hours of sleep and come back to play 6 hours later. By the time the players returned home, showered and got a little shut-eye, they had to get up again and return to the field.
On Sunday, we came out swinging. We completed the two-day tournament and came out as 2nd place. Out of 30 teams in the E division of this USSSA Sates, tournament-held at the Big League Of Dreams in Mira Loma, CA. You can be sure RUCKUS is a TEAM to reckon with. They will be making noise all the way to worlds in Peoria, Arizona on the weekend of September 18-21, 2008. Next Stop is USSSA National Championships in Lancaster on August 23.
Get your motor running - TEAM RUCKUS!
Your leg.... Consider it SWEPT! Ruckus Wins Dramatic Tournament!
May 31, 2008
Game 1:
Changos 11
Ruckus 12
As usual, Ruckus started the day with the earliest possible game time, on the worst field. However, unlike our customary early struggles, we started out with an unusual bang. As home team, a couple solid defensive plays shut our opponents down in the 1st inning, and our bats were alive early as we batted 10 guys in the first and scored 4, while leaving the bases loaded. Ruckus would continue to control the game, despite only having a 3 run lead in the 4th, and Changos closed it to 7-6 in the top of the 4th, until after Andy Giovanetti’s 2-run triple in the bottom of the inning would help us pull ahead 12-6. Changos would then awaken and begin to chip away at the lead, one inning at a time, while Ruckus couldn’t score another run. Changos would close the lead to 12-11 in the final inning with 2 outs and the tying run on base. A deep shot to left threatened to create a lead change, until Chris Swavely’s diving, over-the-shoulder catch ended the game in dramatic fashion.
Player of the Game: Kenny Maples 3/3, 2 R, 2 RBI
Game 2:
Diezel 8
Ruckus 13
Diezel had a lot of familiar faces, as they were previously known as Ryzing. Ruckus played this team at Bat Wars, and that Ruckus victory kick started a memorable buzzsaw run through the losers’ bracket. Once again, Ruckus controlled the game thanks to consistent hitting. The lead was highlighted by Kenny Maples’ 2-run double, followed immediately by Frankie Diaz and a 2-run triple, followed by some demands for oxygen! Diezel was not going out quietly. A bases-clearing 2 out triple past a diving Chris Swavely would help give Diezel an 8-7 lead and some confidence. That confidence was quickly crushed by an outstanding double play started by Jayson Stocking and turned by Robert Gerard in the 5th, and another incredible backhand play by Jayson and another double play in the last inning ended all threats. All of this defensive brilliance came only a few days after Stocking separated his shoulder diving for a ball in league night. Mad props to a Ruckus soldier with tons of heart.
Player of the Game: Kenny Maples: 4/4, 2 doubles, 4 RBI
Game 3:
Thugs 13
Ruckus 19
Many Ruckus teammates looked forward to this game, against many of their old teammates and friendly rivals. Despite Ryan Howard’s 2 RBI double in the 1st, and Ryan Towning’s solo in-the-park home run in the 2nd inning, Ruckus appeared to be collapsing under the pressure, falling behind 12-7 after three innings. Former Ruckus teammate Jesse led the Thugs with consistent hitting to give them the advantage… until the bottom of the 4th inning, when Ruckus would wake up and pour on the offense. Two consecutive hits would start the inning, but Robert Gerard’s liner to the 1st baseman would result in a double play, and things were looking bleak for Ruckus as the clock was winding down quickly. Then, an onslaught of 10 straight hits, including a bases loaded triple off the bat of Brandon “PorkChop” Medrano would lead to a 12 run outburst. A Stocking-Gerard double play in the final inning was capped by another brilliant play by Stocking that ended the game in style. Ruckus was now 3-0, and headed for the undefeated game.
Player of the Game: Brandon Medrano: 4/4, 3B, 5RBI
Game 4:
Ruckus 10
Tazmanian Devils 23
Tazmanian Devils were an unfamiliar team to us, but a quick look at the tourney bracket to see their dominance over their first 3 opponents made it apparent that they’d give us the toughest challenge of the day. They were an annoyingly enthusiastic team that set off quite a few nerves, as they took a 10-3 lead after 2 innings. Ryan Combe’s 2-run double in the 4th, and Robert Gerard’s 2-run single helped tie the game at 10 apiece. Then, all hell broke loose and Ruckus had its most nightmarish inning of the season. Twelve straight batters came to the plate and none were retired, thanks to a barrage of hits and a seemingly equal amount of errors. The faltering defense made Ryan Howard’s job more difficult than ever, as the rallying opponents sent many shots in his direction, despite their lead. Howard made the decision to have Chris Trujillo come in to pitch, just to switch things up, and the move was quickly proven to be an effective short-term change of pace, as 2 batters were quickly retired. The next batter would hit a ball towards Trujillo, causing him to tweak his ankle, and end his day with an injury. Howard would return to close them down, but the damage had already been done. Ruckus couldn’t even muster a single hit to respond to their opponent’s rally, and they were sent to the loser’s bracket with an aggravating 23-10 loss to a corny bunch of clowns who had a little bit too much fun at our expense.
Player of the Game: Ryan Howard: 3/3, triple, 3 R
Game 5:
Ruckus 19
Punishment 10
Ruckus was playing angry, and obviously less than happy to be in the loser’s bracket. Knowing better than to look past Punishment, Ruckus still wanted nothing but revenge on our previous opponent. The lack of focus resulted in a 10-10 tie after 5 innings, and the aggravation still loomed, although Ryan’s Howard’s 3-run home run gave Ruckus some life, while the previous loss continued to stew in the back of everyone’s minds. There’s no better way to vent that anger, than to bat 13 guys in the 6th to plate 9 runs. The big inning was highlighted by Frank Diaz and his 2-run in the park HR (OXYGEN!), and Brandon Medrano’s 2-run triple (More oxygen!). The inning was capped when Kenny Maples brought his ridiculously hot bat to the plate with bases loaded and 2 outs. He would smash a base-clearing triple into the gap to put an exclamation on the victory, and Ruckus was headed for the championship game with a 4-1 record.
Co-Players of the Game:
Kenny Maples: 5/5, double, triple, 3 RBI,
Ryan Howard: 5/5, HR, 4 RBI.
Game 6: Championship Game
Ruckus 27
Taz Devils 14
These guys had no clue how fortunate they were to be given such a gift in the previous game. If they knew the potential of the sleeping giant in the other dugout, I doubt they would have celebrated their previous victory so loudly. They would learn a little bit about the real Ruckus, with a non-stop pounding for 5 innings. Ruckus spun a wheel and scored 8 runs in the 1st with Andy Giovanetti’s 2-run single and Jayson Stocking’s 2-run trip around the bases for an injury-plagued triple. His hobbling around the bases was symbolic of all of the pains that the entire team was feeling after a long day of ballin’. The biggest highlight of the game, however, was in the 2nd inning, when Chris Swavely approached the plate with 2 outs and Andy, Kenny, and Frank on base. “Rico” Swavely promptly launched a ball into the deep gap of Fenway park, and he raced around the bases for a rare in-the-park Grand Slam. This created some major excitement in the Ruckus dugout, and the pounding would continue when Andy Giovanetti’s bases-loaded 3-run double capped an outstanding 6 RBI personal performance, to force a very late night Championship “If” game.
Co-Players of the Game:
Frank Diaz: 5/5, 2b, 2 RBI
Andy Giovanetti: 4/5, 2b, 6 RBI
Game 7: Championship “If” Game
Ruckus 39
Taz Devils 26
This game alone is worthy of a complete novel - but how can words ever do this game justice? Ruckus dominated, then blew an 11-run lead in one inning. Benches cleared and their pitcher was ejected after getting all pissy for taking a shot in the nuts off Ryan Combe’s bat. Regardless, a 20-9 lead was gone, and the fireworks created by Ryan Towning’s 3-run homer (and the team batting around in 3 of the 1st 5 innings) were quickly forgotten as Taz put up 11 runs in an endless bottom of the 5th inning. “Is this really happening?” was a common thought, as the game began to slip away in the wee hours of the night… ok, we were actually well into Sunday morning at this point. Our opponents were putting a pounding on us with legit hits following one after another. They painted the wall, they split the gaps, they went middle, they hit the 5-6 holes, 3-4 holes… EVERYWHERE… until a liner to Gerard and a nice play at 3B by Medrano finally stopped the bleeding.
Ruckus would have to answer with some runs immediately, or things would not be pretty and they’d be headed for another bridesmaid finish. Nope. Ruckus had no answer. No runs in the 6th. Taz would then go right back to their hitting machine, and batted around and scored 5, while leaving the bases loaded thanks to another great play by Jayson Stocking. Much of this credit was also due to Chris Swavely’s sliding play, as he was able to hold the runners to one base on a shot down the left field line. Ruckus was on the ropes, and trailing for the first time in the game, 25-20 as we headed into the 7th.
The dugout was quiet as Brandon Medrano led off with a single. Consecutive walks to Gerard and Howard were followed by run-scoring singles from Giovanetti and Maples. The dugout was still reserved, yet focused. Then 3 consecutive doubles from Diaz, Swavely, and Combe resulted in a lead change, but that was meaningless, knowing that Taz would have another chance to win the game in the bottom of the 7th. Stocking lined out to the 2nd baseman, who nearly turned 2 – and things were still feeling rather unstable. Then Towning got the momentum going again with another double, and the next 5 batters would follow with smashes in the gaps and through holes and Ruckus still wasn’t even close to being done. Swavely walked to load the bases for Combe, who poked a ball into the left center gap to score 3 more. Stocking and Towning singled, then Medrano drove in 2 more with a hard single through the 5-6 hole. This was his 3rd hit in the inning, and Gerard, Howard, and Giovanetti would each follow with successful plate appearances to each go 3 for 3 in the inning as well. The 25-minute, 19 run marathon would finally end when Maples, the hottest hitter on the team, would quietly ground out to 2nd. Our opponents were visibly, tired, defeated, and demoralized and now trailed 39-25. Their spirit was broken, just after a turn-around where the trophy was basically theirs.
A leadoff liner was snared by Medrano, then a couple hits were followed by another snagged liner by pitcher Ryan Howard. A meaningless run would quietly score, just before a lazy fly to Swavely would close out the game, and put a stamp on Ruckus’ first tournament Championship of 2008!
Players of the game:
Brandon Medrano: 8/8, 7 runs, 3 rbi.
Robert Gerard: 8/8, 5 runs, 5 rbi
Andy Giovanetti: 7/8, 2 runs, 6 RBI
Ryan Howard: 7/8, 4 runs, 6 rbi
...and every single player on the team contributed to this game, and ultimately to the Championship.
Tourney Wrap-Up:
After many top 3 finishes, but no championships, Ruckus finally wins their 1st title of the year in very impressive fashion. We outscored our opponents 139 – 105, which is not a huge margin (4.85 runs per game), and were only 1 run from averaging 20 runs per game, while allowing 15 runs per game from our opponents.
Player Notes:
• Kenny Maples was 21 for his 1st 22 at-bats and he was the first Ruckus player to bat over .800 this season. He is now hitting .694 on the season and leads the team with 67 RBI, as he continues to earn his way up into the heart of the lineup.
• In his 1st tournament on the mound since his gruesome injury, Ryan Howard led his team to a Championship. He has now won 13 of his last 14 games pitched (going back to the amazing tourney in Lancaster), and he is now 16-5 on the season. He also led the team with 18 RBI.
• Jayson Stocking played heroically, only days after separating his shoulder and spending an evening in the ER. His average was not up to his standard, but his awesome defense was a major factor in this championship. His grit and determination to fight through an ankle injury would set the tone for the team as well.
• Chris Swavely’s catch to end the first game was one of many defensive highlights on the day. His signature sliding stops repeatedly held runners to 1 base on balls that could have gone to the wall and cleared the bases. His 2-out grand slam in the Championship game was probably Ruckus’ greatest offensive highlight of the day.
• It was back to the old Frankie Diaz, on Saturday. Opposing pitchers had fear in their eyes, as he hit countless lasers up the middle and was among the team leaders in extra base hits. He hit over .700 for the 2nd time this season.
• Andy Giovanetti enjoyed hitting 5th in the lineup, and he produced great numbers. He was 2nd on the team with 17 RBI, and repeatedly hit the gaps and came through with clutch 2-out hits.
• Robert Gerard continues to be the most consistent performer on the team. His .781 mark in this tournament extended his lead in the hunt for the team batting average crown, as he is the only batter above .700 on the season. He always seems to lack RBI due to his early spot in the lineup. Not this weekend, though. He tied Howard for the team lead with 18. His 8-hits in the final game are a team record that he and Brandon Medrano will likely share for quite a while.
• Speaking of PorkChop- after struggling to start the season, he has completely returned to the hitting form that we have all learned to expect from him. His 3 consecutive tourneys over .700 are a team best and he is now hitting .631 on the year. His play at 3B was far beyond what we would expect from a regular outfielder. Always willing to “wear one” to keep the ball in front of him, and also showing flashes of brilliance with some diving plays, he filled a void that was left due to injuries.
• Ryan Towning showed his versatility in the field once again, playing a solid Left Center, while filling in for an injured Stocking at shortstop. On paper, he would appear to be struggling a little over the last 2 tourneys (35 for his last 70 for a .500 avg), but his performance at the plate is far more valuable than the numbers show. His 3 in-the-park homers in the tournament were extremely impressive for a tourney with no bombs allowed.
• Ryan Combe started off the day in a fog, struggling to hit consistently, but always finding a way to get on base. He leads the team in walks and is 3rd on the team in RBI (4 behind the leader, Maples), despite having 24 fewer at-bats. That’s a big credit to the batters in front of him in the lineup, however. A very hot night (12 for his last 14 at bats) at the plate turned an ugly day into a .667 tourney.
• Chris Trujillo’s day was cut short with an injury, but he hit very well through the first few games. His absence was felt heavily when we needed to briefly switch things up on the mound and give Ryan Howard a much-deserved rest, but Chris definitely hit better while he was not on the hill.
Tourney Awards:
USSSA Tourney MVP: Ryan Howard
All Tourney Awards: Kenny Maples, Brandon Medrano, Robert Gerard, Frankie Diaz
Once again... Ruckus Takes The Long Route to a 3rd Place Finish
April 21, 2008 – 03:00 PM
We might as well just no show up for the first game of every tournament. Let’s just sleep in, and show up for the first game in the loser’s bracket so we can just start on a positive note, and send teams home all day.
It sounds ridiculous, but the loser’s bracket has been our friend all season, as we are now 16-3 in the loser’s bracket over the last 3 tournaments.
Team Ruckus’ opening game performance at Bat Wars in West Covina exemplified everything that this team is about this year:
1) Come out flat in the first inning of the first game.
2) Wake up late in that game and give our opponents a little scare.
3) Fall short and head to the loser’s bracket.
The next step in the process is actually quite impressive: Dominate the loser’s bracket and send a bunch of teams home with Mercy-rule victories. SWEEP THE LEG! Of those 16 loser’s bracket wins, 11 have been by a mercy-rule margin of 12 or more! Quite an amazing feat.
Tourney summary:
As mentioned above, we came out flat against Never Was, and lost to a team that we Mercy Ruled in our previous meeting. They hit the crap out of the ball while we walked way too many guys and had a few bad breaks on defense, but we were beaten pretty soundly: 16-9.
Then, we sat around ALL DAY, waiting for our 7 pm game against Fear Da Fatt. Thankfully, their better pitcher (Pollard’s pitcher) was playing 3B, and we beat up on their chosen pitcher with an dominant 18-3 performance.
We had an early start on Sunday morning, with another 8:00 game. Our opponent was HMS/Ryzing, who had won their previous 2 tourneys, and was fresh off winning an NIT in Lancaster. We were flat, as always, in the morning, as our outfield got beaten a couple times by balls that cleared their heads and stayed in the yard. Then, our defense tightened up and we shut them down for the 12-6 victory.
Next came Cocky Athletics, who eliminated us from the USSSA Opener. They beat us on February by a score of 14-11, but they saw a different opponent today. Ruckus to a 22-7 mercy rule victory.
Wasted Talent was the next victim of John Kreese’s fury, as we showed No Mercy. They were handled 26-11, and had to head home. We had far less mercy for IV Syndicate, who exited the tourney after an embarrassing 20-0 shutout thrashing by the Ruckus Mothafuckas!
Speaking of No Mercy, what a perfect name for our next opponent. Somebody forgot to tell them that we don’t just look like a football team, WE SCORE LIKE A FOOTBALL TEAM! We stomped them 21-7 to move on to the loser’s bracket finals.
This is where our empty tanks were exposed. Everyone was clean out of gas, and that is not a good combination when you’re playing a team as good as Crunch Time. This is a solid team with great defense, and they held us to 17 fewer runs than we had been averaging all day. Props to them for a great tourney, and for double-dipping Team G.O.B. from Bakersfield to win the tourney.
Speaking of Props – Congratulations to Brandon Medrano (.765) and Kenny Maples (.714, 20 RBI!) for getting All-Tourney recognition. Their names will be mentioned in the next issue of Softball Magazine, so be sure to grab a few extra copies if you see them anywhere. Robert Gerard deserved an All-Tourney nod as well, but he prefers to pass the notoriety to one of his unrated teammates. Kenny’s been awesome lately, anyways. Chris Swavely had an outstanding tourney also, hitting .710 (thanks in part to his patience at the plate: 11 walks). Frankie was solid with a .625 average and 17 RBI. All of these victories came despite our leadoff and #2 hitters having tourneys below their average. This is what’s great about this team. When some guys are down, there’s always 5 other guys to pick them up. Props to us!
Tourney Summary: A 6-2 finish resulted in a 3rd place finish. We hit an awesome .640 as a team and outscored our opponents 133-64 for an average score of 17-8.
Tourney Stats:
Name AB R H RBI AVG
Brandon Medrano 34 18 26 9 .765*
Robert Gerard 36 16 26 10 .722
Kenny Maples 35 16 25 20 .714*
Chris Swavely 31 18 22 13 .710
Ryan Combe 14 6 9 6 .643
Frank Diaz 32 11 20 17 .625
J.J. Moreno 32 14 19 13 .594
Andy Giovanetti 29 9 17 13 .586
Jayson Stocking 37 17 21 5 .568
Ryan Towning 37 14 18 12 .486
Totals 317 139 203 118 .640
*All-Tourney Selections
Ruckus Battles Through Loser's Bracket With 7 Straight Wins
March 8, 2008
After coming out flat and narrowly avoiding a mercy rule loss to Pa La Calle (Some players from the 2006 E World Champs - 'Crudos'), Ruckus got angry and sent 7 teams packing. The Winds Blew and the Wins piled up as the team battled through the losers' bracket in horrible conditions in a horrible city.
After the ugly loss, some guys were worried while others never lost a bit of confidence. "Chalk that first loss up to puckered buttholes." said Coach Giovanetti. "We'll be fine.". He was correct, somewhat. Ruckus was much better than 'fine'. They were unstoppable. With outstanding pitching from Ryan Howard and the ridiculous spark plug leading off (Ryan Towning), surrounded by 9 other very hot bats, Ruckus would completely dominate the competition while winning 7 straight. Four of those 7 wins would come by Mercy Rule, and each of them were satisfying, as they would result in another team going home.
Most satisfying of all was the team's chance to get revenge on Pa La Calle, and avenge the game 1 loss. "You guys are a much different team tonight than you were this morning." said PLC's 3rd baseman. "I'm impressed." A win in this game sent Ruckus to the Championship game against an undefeated No Limit team. That undefeated status didn't last for long. Ruckus gave them a wake-up call that they'll never forget with a Mercy Rule victory, sending the teams to the 'If' Game. This time around, Ruckus came out flat and both teams scrapped for a few runs and the game was close. Then, an error-filled 5th inning allowed No Limit to put up 9 runs to take a 6-run lead. Ruckus scrap for a couple runs in the 6th, and would need 4 runs in the 7th to tie. They loaded the bases with 2 outs, with the tying run on 3rd and the winning run on 2nd. Unfortunately, a shot back at the pitcher was snared, and No Limit would sneak by with the Tournament Championship and their paid berth to Worlds.
Overall, it was an amazing Tournament for Ruckus. MVP Honors were awarded to Ryan Howard for his outstanding pitching and his .675 batting average. All-Tourneys were not awarded yet, but one will definitely go to Ryan Towning for having the top average on the team while piling up a ridiculous 32 hits in a single tournament (.780, 17 RBI). Also deserving consideration was Frank Diaz, who went 27/38 (.711, 16 RBI), Ryan Combe (.714, 24 RBI), and Robert Gerard (.667, ). JJ Moreno was amazing at the bottom of the order, constantly coming through in clutch situations and rolling over the lineup. After a slow start, he caught fire and hit .636. Andy Giovanetti started the day hot and stayed consistent all day with a .576 avg, while Jayson Stocking set an all-time record for walks on his way to a .634 avg. Kenny Maples had a solid day, hitting .559, while also making one of the greatest catches ever as he slammed into the fence in the Championship game. Pork Chop Medrano (.525) and Chris Swavely (.529) would normally be proud of those numbers in a U-trip tournament, but today the rest of the team's stats made those numbers seem sub-par.
The team would end with a 7-2 record on the day and will receive a very nice prize package from USSSA. The .640 team batting average and 19 runs/game are numbers that will be difficult to improve on. The 2nd place result will definitely keep the team hungry as we continue the road to Worlds in Peoria, Arizona in September.
Congratulations on an amazing performance and an outstanding day of softball in the Armpit of So Cal, Lancaster!
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