After losing to Team Tuttle in mid-May, the Bad News was able to make the necessary adjustments in the playoffs, blanking the team that knocked them out of the bracket last year, winning by a score of 6-0 at the East River Drive fields.
Through four innings, the Bad News operated with the slimmest of margins, thanks to an RBI single from Frank Stingone. But the fifth inning was when the News were able to break the game open: Andrew Vaupel, in his only post-season at-bat, hit a frozen rope to left centerfield. The ball took a mad, crazy hop over the fielder's shoulder and Vaupel ran around the bases like someone was chasing him. After the game, he admitted, "It should have been scored a double and an error." Debatable, but in the Bad News' book, there was no question about putting another three runs up on the board.
Pat O'Leary added his own two-run homer to put the game out of reach, and he, along with Damian "El Capitán" Nash each have four hits and a home run in two post-season games thus far. Also not to be overlooked was the pitching of David "You Can't Hit This and You Know It" Dacosta, who recorded his second shutout in a row.
Last year, the Bad News won the regular-season meeting with Team Tuttle, only to lose to them in the second round of the post season. It's poetic justice (or Chantharaj Prophesy) that after losing to Team Tuttle in this year's regular season, the Bad News was able to complete the symmetry, and triumph in this postseason's second round.
The good times didn't end as the victors trekked through the projects to Royale for some fine burgers and even finer Pork Slaps (that's a brand of beer, what else would it be?). Not sure where the losers trekked. Probably some loser bar that didn't have Pork Slaps.
Next game: The Bad News hopes to continue its magical run through the postseason on Monday at 6 p.m., facing another divisional winner, TBD, at the Coleman Oval.
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