🍀 Vipers Softball Night -- Native American National Team @ Reidsville Luckies 🍀
Luckies mercy rule non-league team
The Luckies fought hard, and, led by a powerful offense and the pitching of Asael Quiroz-Castellano and Nicholas Morgan, defeated the Native American NT 11-1.
In the first inning, Edwin Bowman IV and Jacob Trivette made their way home. Here’s an absolutely insane statistic: the Luckies were one at-bat walk away from making it through the entire lineup with three runs and no hits. Even crazier, they’ve already done that once this season, against the other non-league team they faced, the Carolina Ducks!
They slowed down the batting a little bit, before rocketing off five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Justyn Steens, Luke Roberts, Sam Melton, Ryne Rodrigues, Gavin Fleming, and Bowman each got a hit and a run in the fourth, extending the lead to eight runs.
NANT finally put one run up on the board, keeping it from becoming a shutout. However, it was virtually worthless, as the Luckies crushed the spirit of their pitcher in the bottom of the seventh. Gavin Fleming delivered the devastating final blow, sending a 2-RBI double to the right wall to get the lead to ten, which, under ONSL rules, constitutes a mercy rule.
Lucky of the Game: Gavin Fleming — Fleming has progressed vastly with a relatively short sample size. We’re only eight games into the season, and he consistently comes out swinging. You’ve got to love a guy who doesn’t want to accept a walk, but sometimes has to, anyway. Tonight, he went two-for-three, with a single, a double, a walk, a handful of RBIs, and that beautiful walk-off.
Fleming becomes the first-ever two-time Lucky of the Game.
Moment of the Game: Gavin Fleming mercilessly walks it off with a double, mercy rule ensues — A clutch Fleming continued, and simultaneously ended, the pitching woes for the Native American NT. He drilled it to the right wall, and when it bounced off, Melton and Rodrigues came home. The umpire then yelled, “Ballgame!”
Fleming also becomes the first-ever two-time Moment of the Game winner.
Fun Events — The Vipers softball team, coached by Danny Rodrigues, the father of Ryne, and Shane Sawyer, attended the game. They walked out with the players, chased each other around the bases, sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and got autographs after the game. Another fun event was winning.
Notes — This was an all-around great game for the Luckies, from pitching, to fielding, to hitting, to making good decisions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t count in the official league standings, but it’s a momentum-builder into a difficult weekend slate of divisional games.
On-Deck — There are four games straight for the Luckies, with three of them being away games, and three of them being divisional games. If the Luckies win every single game this weekend, which would be incredible, then they would be at the top of the Central Division and likely in playoff position.
For tomorrow’s edition of Extra Bases, I interviewed Ryne Rodrigues, a Reidsville infielder, and his father, Danny Rodrigues, who was there for Vipers Night.
On Saturday, for Extra Bases, I’ll publish the interview I’m conducting with Bernie Carbo, the former MLB player and World Series legend who is the Chaplain of the Old North State League.
Watch the Spinners at Luckies broadcast on Sunday on the ONSL website to hear the team of Joe, Erik, and I, who will be doing commentary.