Tuesday evening brought dark clouds and sparse rain, but the beginning of the first matchup between Jarrettown and the New Life Kings went off without a hitch.
On this particular night, the Kings’ habit of plating several runs in the first inning went unbroken. All 11 Kings in the lineup took their cuts, going on a run of 7 hits in 8 at-bats following the first out. New Life had taken a six run lead, but it remained to be seen if the Kings could put together another rally later.
Jarrettown chipped away at the lead – Gregg plated a run in the first; after Tim worked a leadoff walk in the second, Jake and Rich helped cut the lead by two; Dan’s triple in the third narrowed the margin to 6-4.
As the fourth inning began the sky darkened further, and with one out and a runner on first, the umpire sighted lightning and put the game on hold. Some players searched for radar to get a sense of how likely a return to action was, while others referenced league rules. (A refresher: if a game is called due to weather or darkness before five innings are complete, the whole game must be replayed.) Given the number of May rainouts, neither team particularly wanted to have to reschedule yet another game. Fortunately, the storm lessened, and the teams returned to action from 2018’s first rain delay as the time approached 8:00.
After resuming play in the fourth, the Kings only managed one hit by Stoney, his second of three in the contest. It looked like Jarrettown might cut further into the lead in their half of the inning, but a rare Johnson & Johnson double play (right field to first base; Bret and Dan, respectively) killed the rally.
A beautiful, full rainbow emerged beyond the trees in the outfield after the return to play, and players observed that the one remaining pocket of rain seemed to be directly over the park. The dark orange-ish hue of the sky set the stage for a fifth inning that saw neither team set down quickly.
Kings bats had new life in the fifth, and hits by John S, Bret and Dan J extended the lead to 5. Jarrettown wasn’t about to go down without a fight, and seven consecutive hits nearly erased the margin, as the sixth inning opened 9-8.
New Life’s top 5 batters all reached base, and Andy’s hit plated the fourth run of the inning. The umpire announced the sixth would be the final inning, as the delay had pushed the game closer to dark, and the Kings went into the bottom of the sixth with a 5-run lead to protect.
There was to be no climactic comeback. Brandy set down each batter in the inning and the Kings walked away with a 13-8 victory.
Each Jarrettown batter reached base. Dan and Jake both batted 2-3 with a triple; Dan and Tim led offensive production by contributing 2 RBI.
Every Kings batter secured at least one hit, with Stoney (3-3, 1 BB) leading the way. Mark quietly produced 3 RBI, matching Bret for the team lead, while Brandy, Josh, and Dan J each brought home 2 runs.
Up Next:
New Life (5-2) hosts Glenside Bible (4-3) this Friday, 6/8, for their second matchup. The Kings won the first tilt, 6-4.
Jarrettown (0-7) faces off against Calvary PCA (1-6) next Tuesday, 6/12, hoping to even the season series.