Lady Lancers Slay Gryphons!

Good day fellow followers!

The Irate Italian is back and boy am I excited to report on what I can safely say was a absolute thriller on a beautiful, fall Sunday at the ball park. I'm talking the Lady Lancer and Guelph Gryphons, who did battle at Turtle Club. To my shock, and definite embarrassment, these ladies can play. Below is my article on one heck of great day and I would like to thank the Ladies for not s**tting the bed when a person who is reporting on them is in the stands. (It happens more often than you would think). Without further adieu here is what you have all been waiting for!

Click, clack! Click, clack! 

Here we go Lancers!

That noise was all I heard when I bestowed my presence upon the Lady Lancers Fastball team and their game against the Guelph Gryphons. The original idea of covering a version of baseball that saw ladies play instead of men, the ball replaced with one the size of a mango and the pitcher deliver the pitch underhanded, was not exactly how I pictured spending my early Sunday afternoon. But with the sun shining and a promise needed to be kept, I hopped into my truck and made my way to Turtle Park. This is where the Lancers call home. This is also where the grounds crew had to use a shovel and a hose to remove my jaw from the shale ridden soil surrounding the diamond. What I saw on the field Sunday was not only a shock but I found myself caught up in a game that an hour earlier made no sense to cover. 

Ladies were firing softballs on a line, back and forth with not even a sense of hesitation in their steady preparation for battle. Starting pitcher Kelsey Schincariol was busy warming up by pounding the catchers mitt with fastballs many guys couldn't mimic while throwing overhand. All along the constant click, clack, click, clack, could be heard resonating into the bleachers and stimulating a feeling within that was reminiscent of playoff baseball across the river. I was jacked up and the game was just about to begin.

A rough start for the Lancers as the Gryphons grab an early 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. Schincariol would settle down and strikeout the final batter for the third out. One of seven strikeouts on the day. The Lancers put the hard hats on and went to work. Sam Sidoli decided, that with a reporter in the stands and a lead to snatch back from the Gryphons, to go deep to right center for a two RBI double  bringing in Schincariol and Sarah Meeke. That would be it for the Lancers but a 2-1 lead is nothing to complain about.

Now at this point in the contest, I am absolutely taken aback as to the skill level these ladies are playing at. This is definitely not your average Thursday night beer league softball game where people are lobbing meatballs that would make my nonna envious, but rather a league where the ladies take a no bulls**t approach to their preparation and play, in the field and at bat. These ladies are for real and realizing this, I adjusted accordingly. (The nice way of saying I stopped screwing around and got down to business)

After Guelph laid an egg in the top half of the second, the Lancers once again took full advantage of a Guelph pitcher that had trouble locating her pitches. The term "Juuuuuuuuust a bit outside!" came to mind multiple times as she couldn't hit a bull in the a** with a shovel. A rough going to say the least.

Up in the bottom half of the second was the rugged left fielder that the girls call "Ruccs". Erica Ruccolo stands all of 5'2"but the artistry she displays with a bat in her hand would make Dustin Pedroia proud, as she fouls off three legitimate strikes to finally bloop in a single to right field. After Steph Manson drew a walk, Schincariol once again helped out her own cause by driving a double to right and scoring Ruccolo with ease. With Meeke back at the dish, she triples to the gab in right center as if to say to Schincariol, "anything you can do I can do better ;)". The triple brings in Manson and Schincariol and that would be all the damage the Lancers could inflict on their opponents. 

With a slight lead and her teammates swinging the hot sticks, Schincariol was doing her part on the mound as she made the Gryphons' job absolutely excruciating. With two down in the third and the third batter sitting on a 2-2 count, Schincariol unloaded a nasty changeup that had the Guelph batter looking like she was swinging a garden hose. Strike three it was and the infamous "three up, three down!" line could be heard around the ballpark, it just happened to come from my mouth. I was into the game and these Lancers were putting on a show. 

Thanks for coming out, strike three!

Unfortunately that show was delayed as the Gryphons decided to come to life and hold the Lancers in the bottom half of the third. With Sidoli on first and one out, Ruccolo once again made her presence felt. She took a 2-1 offering to the deepest part of the park in left, slamming a double to put ducks on the pond at second and third. It was what followed that could have easily turned the tide in the contest. Steph Bouchey drilled a hanging breaking ball back to the pitchers feet where she snags it for the out. She really had no choice or she probably would be missing her tibia which for those who are not caught up on their anatomy, is the load barring bone in you lower leg.The instinctive Ruccolo takes off like a fat kid eyeing a bag of Skittles at third but it isn't until she is halfway that she realizes Sidoli didn't leave the three bag. She is doubled up at second and the inning is over. The inner Gronkowski almost came out of her as she wanted to slam the helmet, but distribution of funds obviously prevented that.

Ahh.. bye!

As both teams did absolutely nothing in the fourth inning, the fifth inning was where the winds began to blow. As the Lancers take back to the field an aroma could be smelt that most athletes recognize. That odour was fear, it was weakness, it was their opponent gasping for life. But instead of letting their feet off the accelerator, the Lancers cut their opponents deep and watched the blood spew all over. The killer instinct, the winners perfume, the sweet smell of the last stand from Guelph and it was up to their defence to lead the charge.

A bloop single and a bunt put a runner on second for Guelph. The next batter drove a ball to left. Ruccolo fields it on one hop and the madness begins. The batter rounds second and the attention turns to the runner at third. Schincariol holds the ball and baits the runner on third to stay. As this happens she rifles the ball to first gets the runner in a pickle and grabs the out. As the out is recorded the runner on third darts for home. Bouchey gets the ball at home and blocks it like an offensive lineman stifling the rushing defensive end. Double play and the Lancers could smell the blood in the water and they were the sharks! With a stab at shortstop to secure the third out, the bats went back to work.

The Gryphons had one last breath in them as they held the Lancers in the bottom half of the fifth. Schincariol went to work in the top half of the sixth with a nasty change up for a called third strike. This almost caused a death in the ballpark as the pitch was so dirty I almost choked on my applesauce. A couple groundouts had the Lady Lancers one inning away from a victory.

When the bats went south in the bottom half it was the leather that put the Lancers head over shoulders above the Gryphons. With Schincariol out for the seventh to close out what can be described as nothing short of a gem, Guelph tried to sneak their way back into the contest. With a runner on the first, a Guelph batter connects on a 1-0 offering and sends it to the fence in right. The ball rolls under the fence. The right fielder digs it out and throws it in. The umpire calls time with runners on second and third. Almost instantly the Guelph bench boss begins to leverage against what the umpire did. He claims the runner should advance as she could have taken home. The Lancers felt when the umpire called time, the defence stopped playing. To be fair, the relay was to first and without the stoppage, there would have been a play at the plate. After a controversial ruling the runner was awarded home plate.

I got this ladies!

Schincariol was not happy but she did not display her displeasure with the call, she instead bunkered down and unleashed a flurry breaking balls and inside fastballs that painted the corners and had Guelph hitters swinging the white flag. A strikeout, followed by a groundout and a pop out secured the 5-2 win for the Lancers.

Asked after the game if she was unhappy with the call Schincariol said that "the ump called time and you can't reverse time. Their coach baited him (the umpire) into changing his mind. Like, not a big deal as we refocused and got the next couple outs."

At this point I was toast, I was in awe. I was left speechless as to how these ladies could play and I totally underestimated them. What can be said is that as I left Turtle Club that day I left with a piece of humble pie tucked away nicely in my backpack and the sound of cleats going to work in the background as the Lancers prepared for their second game. Click, clack! Click, clack! That's the sound of a Lancer program ready to change the view of many like they did mind. That's the sound of Lady Lancer fastball!

I would like to thank the Lady Lancers for their outstanding play while I was at the ballpark and I encourage everyone reading to check them out this Friday in Forest Glade under the lights. Game time is set for 5 and 7pm at Tom Wilson field. I'll see all of you there!

As always leave your comments here on the blog or on Facebook. I always love to hear feedback!

This is the Irate Italian signing off! Cheers knuckleheads!