How Sweep It Is

The Saints wrapped up the 2009 season in grand fashion by sweeping a doubleheader Saturday afternoon with a 10-1 romp over Grace Evangelical and a 7-3 grinder against Holy Communion.

The stud among studs for the day was Owen, who went 5 for 5 with two home runs and six RBI in the split twin bill played at Holy Communion.

The noon game was no contest as Grace Evangelical struggled to put metal on the ball, striking out eight times in the three-inning game. The Dragons only managed to put five balls in play.

The Anchormen had no such trouble. Nino got things started with a bleeder to second, and the Reds jumped out to an early lead when Owen stroked his first dinger of the season to straight-away center. Whit grounded out to the shortstop on a bang-bang play, and T-Dog legged out anubber to the pitcher. After Brian popped up to the mound, Berent brought his three-at bat hit streak to the dish and smashed a RBI double to right. Eubank whiffed to end the inning.

The Dragons whiffed their way out of the first.

Khalid fanned to start the Saints' half of the second and Avery -- on loan from the Hubermen -- beat out a grounder to short for an infield knock. Nino nubbed another one to second that he beat out while the second baseman tried unsuccessfully to tag the speedy Avery. Owen hit a shot to third base that resulted in an overthrow at first, scoring Avery, moving Nino to third and allowing Owen to stroll to second. Whit scooted one by the first baseman for a RBI single. Walk whiffed and Brian stroked a single to center, scoring Owen. Berent extended his hit streak by legging out a slow roller to the pitcher. Eubank popped up to the pitcher for the final out.

The Dragons threatened to get something started when their first two lumbermen got base knocks, but the next three batters fanned.

Khalid led off the top of the third with a K and J.D. -- another loaner who replaced Avery in the lineup -- pounded a double to left. Nino scorched one to short and beat it out for his third infield hit of the day. Owen stroked another one to third, and then took second on an error by the first baseman. Whit dumped a RBI single into center and after Walk whiffed, Brian hit his second consecutive RBI single to center. Berent kept the rally going with his sixth consecutive hit, scoring Whit. Eubank whiffed to end the inning.

With the score 10-zip, the Dragons had been slain. But they took their final at-bat and bravely started a rally. They started the inning with yet another K, but the No 2 hitter swatted a double to left, stunning the Anchormen momentarily. Brian botched a grounder at second, but he hung tight and atoned for the sin on the very next batter with a strong 4-3 putout, which scored Grace Evangelical's only run. The game ended, appropriately, with a strikeout.

Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

With the next game an hour away, the Saints surprised the coach with a birthday cake, an autographed baseball and a fungo bat. After stuffing their faces with cake and ice cream, the studs christened the fungo with a very productive practice before the back-end of the doubleheader.

The final game of the season pitted the Saints against the Holy Communion team that they had beat 8-0 in the second game of the season.

The game started ominously when Holy Communion's first batter put the ball in play and Nino booted it at second. T-Dog pounced on a roller to the mound for a 1-3 putout that moved the runner to second. Another roller to second was bobbled and the runner took home aggressively while the batter remained at first. The next batter smoked one to Whit at shortstop and he raced the runner to second, making the putout despite a textbook take-out slide by the Holy Communion speedster. After a hard shot to third put runners on first and second with two outs, Whit scooped up a grounder and fired to first for the third out.

But the Anchormen had been put on notice: Holy Communion was going to hit and run aggressively and play a hard-nosed brand of baseball.

As usual, Nino got things started with a shot to third that he legged out for his fourth infield hit of the day. Owen, who was really on top of his game, erased the 1-0 deficit with a two-run dinger to center, his second of the day. Whit followed that with a stroke to center. Walk K'd but Brian dumped another one in center. And Berent extended his at-bat streak to seven with a RBI single to center. The rally ended with Ks by Eubank and Khalid.

Holy Communion led off the top of the second with a K, but their No. 8 hitter slugged one to center that scooted by the defending Angel in the outfield for a home run, making the score a very uncomfortable 3-2. But two Ks sandwiching an infield single ended the inning.

With a 3-2 lead, the Anchormen realized they were in for a dog fight. And when Jack -- the third loaner from the Hubermen -- was robbed on a liner to second, the fun and games came to an abrupt halt on the Saints' bench. Nino went to work with a single to center and Owen tapped one to second that he legged out for a base knock. With runners on first and second and a frightening one-run lead, Whit relieved his teammates, coaches and fans with a bases-clearing three-bagger to center. Walk ended his mini-slump by legging out a roller to the mound, scoring Whit. Brian imitated Walk with another tapper to the mound.Berent ended his seven-at bat hit streak with a whiff, but Eubank picked him up with a slow roller to second that scored Walk. Khalid's struggles continued with a K.

The 7-2 lead was better than 3-2 but was not secure by any means. A six-run mercy rule inning by the hot-hitting Holy Communion batsmen could end the Anchormen's season on the sourest of notes. And when the leadoff batter smoked a double to center, followed by a infield hit to second and a line drive single to left by the third hitter of the inning, it was suddenly nail-biting time again. But a K, a 1-3 putout and another K ended the game.

Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

Thus, the Saints finished a splendid season at 8-1. A season nobody wanted to see come to an end. It was a scrappy team that always played hard, continued improving throughout the season and displayed the best of sportsmanship in the face of some lopsided victories. The one loss of the season was arguably the best game the studs played because they showed a never-say-die attitude that fans on both sides of the diamond were forced to notice and admire.

A tip of the hat and a wink of the eye to these boys of summer. Great things will surely follow them in seasons to come.

Go Saints!