It was a muggy and hot day at the Verona 5th Quarter Field when the first place Sand Crabs visited the second place Crawfords in the 45+ division of the MABL of Southern Wisconsin.  It was humid, no breeze, and one of those days when you sweat just thinking.  So we didn’t do any of that.

Mike Starshak and Paul Meyer were the P/C battery for the Crawfords, with Randy Gaber and Chris McGill for the Sand Crabs. The Crabs struck first in the top of the first, when Tom Scalisi hit a 3-run line-drive homer over the left centerfield fence, then slapped a snowman on the Craws in the top of the second to put things out of reach early, sending 13 batters to the dish.  The Crawfords got back one run in the bottom of two when Jason Foskett reached on an error and was knocked in by Andy Winn’s single.

Both teams didn’t score in the 3rd, but the Crabs got 5 in the 4th off reliever Shad Fanta, and the Crawfords got 2 in the 6th off reliever Mike Wallace. 16-3 Crabs.  Wallace got stingy after that, allowing no more runs, and the Sand Crabs tacked on 3 in the top of the 9th when The Legend of Billy Grahn was born on a 2 run triple to right field just out of the reach of a diving Eric Selje, hit off reliever Rob Grether who had silenced the Crabs bats for 3 innings prior to this.   Grahn scored moments later when McGill scored him on a sacrifice fly to deep right.  19-3 Sand Crabs.  This would be the final, we had all sweated enough.

Selje led the Crawfords with two hits, a double and a single, with one RBI.  Starshak, Jeff Knight, and Sean Michael Dargan had their remaining hits.

The Crabs had 24 hits, with Grahn and Troy Galson taking SPOG honors with 4 hits each, Grahn just a homer shy of the cycle. Gaber not only pitched a gem for his 5 innings, but he also had 3 singles and a *stolen base for good measure. Scalisi, Wallace, and Tim McInernay each had 2 knocks. XBH were Scalisi’s dong, Grahn’s triple, Grahn, Wallace, and Randy Olivares with doubles.

Gaber went 5, allowing one unearned run, walking no one, in a 2 hit performance.  Wallace went 4, allowing 2 runs, 4 hits, a walk, a strikeout and two hit batsmen.

Both squads rehydrated at Verona’s 5th Quarter Bar and Grill https://5thquarter.biz and while they don’t carry Schlitz, we all did OK.  Their pizza is really good.

Next week is the regular season finale, if I am not mistaken.  The Crabs face the Rangers and the Crawfords meet the Orioles.  Check your TV guide for local listings.