Feb. 27, 2007 — Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis picked the wrong night to make his season pitching debut when he took the ball for 40 Caliber against the two-time defending champion Seaborne Stealers Monday night at the D.C. Canegata Ball Park.
The peaking Stealers showed no mercy, as they hammered 40 Caliber 19-4 in a 10-run mercy-ruled contest.
The Stealers, mired in the middle of the pack for most of the season, have been slowly building momentum as the playoffs draw near by knocking off some of the league’s elite teams.
On Monday night 40 Caliber, who had beaten the defending champs earlier in the season, joined that group.
Displaying the defensive and offensive skills that won them last year's championship, the Stealers are showing the Bob Owens slow pitch softball league that the road to the championship still goes through them — despite what the record shows.
Batting first, the Stealers got on the board right away with a solo shot off the bat of Enrique Soto. 40 Caliber answered with one run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single off the bat of Robert Ramsingh to even the score.
The Stealers erupted for 11 runs in the top of the second to take a 12-1 lead and never looked back after that. The scoring included a grand slam by Soto, a three-run blast by Owen Pimentel, a two-run home run by Eric Flyn and solo homers by Eustace Davis and Wayne Biggs. 40 Caliber had no answer in the bottom of the inning.
After a scoreless third, the Stealers added two unearned runs in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 14-1. 40 Caliber showed a little life in the bottom of the inning by scoring three runs on a two-run shot off the bat of Luis Cintron and a solo shot by Sylvester Blake to trail 14-4 after four complete innings. It would, however, be the last time they'd score that night.
Meanwhile, the Stealers continued their offensive onslaught in the top of the fifth by scoring five runs on RBI singles by Soto, Davis, and Michael Schjang, along with two runs on 40 Caliber errors to now lead 19-4.
It would be the final score as the game was called after 40 Caliber went quietly in the bottom of the inning.
Stealers ace Samuel Ramos picked up the win on the mound, while Francis took the loss for 40 Caliber.
Leading the way for the Stealers was Soto (3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs), while Pimentel (3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs), Davis (3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs) and Ronald Schjang (4-for-4) added to the onslaught.
For 40 Caliber, Cintron was 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs, and Blake was 1-for-2 with a home run and one RBI.
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