Griffleball Week Two Game Recaps

Bird Gang (1-1) at Taka Drivers (1-0) Game One

THE JANKE CAGE - Both teams fought against the horrid conditions to start the week but, ultimately the Bird Gang were able to break through in extra innings for the win. The Taka Drivers were possibly going to be without their manager, Jackson Buzea. He came to the cage on crutches due to issues with his knee but, he was able to play through the pain to try and help his squad. He made a difference on the mound by pitching four shutout innings over the course of the game. On the other hand, the Taka Drivers (as well as the Bird Gang) had trouble finding areas to hit the wiffle ball. Every ball both teams put in the air was an automatic out. This did not effect Lucas Baker, who finished the game five for eight. The wind and cold pushed the ball down and caused both teams to go scoreless through six innings. In the seventh, the Bird Gang finally began to barrage the Taka Drivers with a bunch of singles. Their strategy of keeping the ball down and keeping it away from the Taka fielders took shape. After loading the bases, Matt Zurawski singled to score the games first run. Then later in the innings, Andrew Felde walked to give Bird Gang a 2-0 advantage. They were able to fight through the weather to steal game one from the Taka Drivers. 

FINAL/7 - Bird Gang 2 Taka Drivers 0

W - Lucas Baker 1-0

L - Mark Miecznikowski 0-1

Bird Gang (2-1) at Taka Drivers (1-1) Game Two

THE JANKE CAGE - After falling in game one, the Taka Drivers' Jackson Buzea, was able to end the game with one swing. Once again both teams struggled to find consistency on offense. In the first inning, neither team reached base. With the weather being a factor, it would not take much for either team to jump in front. In the second, Bird Gang had their first chance to strike. With men on first and third, Chris Bartley was able to strike out Matt Zurawski. Then in the bottom half of the inning, Taka had an nearly identical chance at scoring. With men on second and third, Andrew Felde struck out Bartley.  Both starters Chris Bartley (Taka) and Andrew Felde did not allow a run. Which was a common theme all day between the Taka Drivers and the Bird Gang. After two innings, both team were scoreless and it would stay that way until the fifth. It seemed that Griffleball fans were in for more free wiffle ball but , the Taka Drivers had other plans. In the bottom of the fifth, Bartley led off the inning with a single to put the pressure on Bird Gang. Standing at the plate, injured and possibly in pain, Buzea was able to send Taka home with a victory. Buzea smacked a pitch down the line and over the cage in right to seal the deal. After not being able to score in eleven consecutive innings, the Taka Drivers only needed one swing to split their series with the Bird Gang. 

FINAL - Taka Drivers 2 Bird Gang 0

W - Jackson Buzea (1-0)

L - Lucas Baker (1-1) 

Nighttime Ninjas (2-0) at Gashouse Gorillas (0-1)

THE JANKE CAGE - With one walk-off already in the books for Week Two, the commissioner (Jeremy Ratajczyk) added a second in extra innings to give the Gashouse Gorillas their first victory of the season. After two scoreless innings, the Nighttime Ninjas struck first. In the top of the third, the Ninjas were able to load the bases by going station to station. Making his season debut, Sammy Krucek singled in the games first run to give the Ninjas a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Derek Revis, also singled to make the score 2-0. With the way the day was going that may have been all the Ninjas needed but, Gashouse fought back. In the bottom of the third,  Ryan Galiher doubled in a run to cut the Ninjas lead in half. Then, Ratajczyk singled to tie the game at two. Both teams scored in the third and neither of them would score for the next four innings. Gashouse had a amazing opportunity to end the game in the seventh. With the bases loaded, Derek Revis struck out Ratajczyk to wiggle his way out of the jam. In the bottom of the eighth, this time Ratajczyk would get the best of Revis. After a single by Galiher to lead off the inning, Ratajczyk sent one to the corner of the cage. The ball made it over by inches and gave the Gashouse Gorillas their first official win of the season. 

FINAL/8 - Gashouse Gorillas 4 Nighttime Ninjas 2

W - Jeremy Ratajczyk (1-1)

L - Derek Revis (0-1)

Nighttime Ninjas (2-1) at Gashouse Gorillas (1-1)

THE JANKE CAGE - After a hard fought victory in game one, Ryan Galiher made it a bit easier for the Gashouse Gorillas to take game two. Already down 1-0 after the first via a Sammy Krucek lead-off home run, Galiher went to work. He lead off the bottom of the first with a triple. Then he singled in that same runner to tie the score at one. In his next at-bat with men on first and third, he homered to make the score 4-1. In Galiher's last at-bat of the first inning, he homered (again) with a man on to give Gashouse a 6-1 lead. Galiher ended the inning 4/4 with two home runs and six runs batted in. He followed that up in the second inning with an equally impressive showing. He led off the inning with a solo home run to give Gashouse a 7-1 advantage. After a few walks by Sammy Krucek, Galiher doubled again to score another run and was responsible for scoring the Gahouse Gorillas first eight runs. Jeremey Ratajczyk would add an RBI single in the next at-bat to give Gashouse an insurmountable 9-1 lead after two innings. Galiher had an impressive feat of hitting for the cycle in less then two innings. After all of that, the Ninjas could not respond against the duo of Galiher and Ratajczyk on the mound. The score remained the same throughout the rest of the game and the Gashouse Gorillas brought the brooms to end week two.

FINAL - Gashouse Gorillas 9 Nighttime Ninjas 1

W - Ryan Galiher (1-0)

L - Mike Kubacki Jr. (1-1)

Stallionaires vs. Ducks on the Pond Games One and Two

THE GRIFFLE GROUNDS - Both games were postponed due to inclement weather. The rain fell before the start of the series and the temperature also became a factor. Right before set-up for the night-cap began both managers agreed to play another day. Games will most likely be made up on an off week or before each team play each other again later this season.