Majors: 5/17/03
Carman 8, Moppert 4

  First of all, congratulations to Carman for clinching the regular-season championship of Media
Little League for the 2003 season. Hoo!---Rah!
Second, congratulations also to Moppert Brothers for one heck of a gutsy performance, holding
Carman to the closest margin of the year. The Carman players and staff all offer a "tip of the
hat" to Moppert's valiant players, and coaching staff.

Top of the first, Moppert batting, Clifton pitching. Rabena drew a leadoff walk (and guess what
happened later? Yes, he did come around to score.) After a K of the second batter, Nieves also
walked. Rabena scored on a wild pitch, as Clifton rung up two more. 1-0, favor Moppert.
Bottom of the second, Nieves pitching. As has been the case of late, Carman's first batter get
rung up looking at a pitch a bit off the plate. McGough reached by E3. Still walked. Both advanced
on a wild pitch. Matt Snow hit a sac-fly to deep right, and both runners scored, after a bad hop
at the plate. Nieves got the final out on yet another K. Carman 2, Moppert 1.

Top of the second, Clifton was throwing darts, as he added three more K's.

Bottom of the second, Nieves was just as effective, as after allowing a leadoff single to Andrew
Snow, he added another K, Kotkamp was HBP (don't make a habit of it, Scotty!), Snow was erased at
the plate when he inexplicably started jogging home after a throwback to the pitcher, and an
unassisted FC5 ended the inning. Score held.

Top of the third, Moppert added one more, as Rabena singled, stole a couple of bases, and scored
after a botched rundown play between 3rd and home. Clifton added 3 more K's to his total.

Bottom of the third, and Carman worked some more of its two-out-magic. First, Nieves got a fly-out
to Left. McGough walked. Then another flyout to left, for 2 down, no damage done. Matt Snow singled.
Then Troy Clifton dropped a sweet bunt, which was overthrown at first, into the deep right corner,
allowing 2 to score. Clifton himself came around on an errant throw. Andrew Snow walked, stole second
and third, but was stranded as the third batter of the inning flew out to left (as leftfielder Nick
Hetland recorded all 3 outs of the inning). Carman 5, Moppert 2. Close ballgame.

Gillen relieved to start the 4th, and sandwiched Ryan Donovan's "Texas-Leaguer" to right between 3 K's.

Nick Hetland took over the pitcher's duties for Nieves, and stared down the baseball gods, by walking
Kotkamp. Then he got his first K, as the batter watched the pitch sail wide of the plate, but was
nonetheless judged a strike, as Kotkamp advanced to second, and then third. Young Mr. Heltand then
walked the next two batters to load the bases, before getting a "backwards K" (the batter afterwards
commented that he would have had to catch a bus to get anywhere near that pitch) to end the inning.
Leadoff walk, yet no score added.

Gillen pitched again in the 5th, and went K, walk to Rabena, and then K, K.

Hetland dared the baseball gods again to start his stint in the 5th, walking Clifton to lead off the
inning. (Yes, he did score this time). Andrew Snow was HBP, and then Jerry "Hammer" Boyer absolutely
hammered one to right-center, scoring two, as he himself then scored on a muffed relay. Hetland
escaped further damage by getting a groundout to first, a 4-3, and a flyout to first. Carman 8, Moppert 2.

But Moppert never stopped clawing and fighting, as they battled back in the top of the 6th. Andrew
Feuerstein singled to leadoff, then Davis walked. Gillen next got a K. Then Remy drew a walk. Allison
hit a sacrifice to first, which was juggled by Still, who dove on the loose ball, then stretched out
while lying in the dirt and tagged first with it, as one run scored. Another squibber to first ensued,
which also eluded being fielded cleanly, as another run scored. Gillen calmly ended the game on a
come-backer to the mound, which he speared and then tossed to first for the game-ending out.

For Moppert, Nieves went 3, with 3 K's and 3 BB's. Hetland went 2, with 2 K's and 4 BB's.

For Carman, Clifton went 3, with 9 K's and 3 BB's. Gillen went 3, with 7 K's and 3 BB's.

        1 2 3 4 5 6  R H E
Moppert 1 0 1 0 0 2  4 2 3
Carman  2 0 3 0 3 -  8 3 1