Fluffy paced furiously checking his watch every few seconds. “Where the heck is he”? He would occasionally mutter. He was waiting for Mon Capitan, his staring pitcher to show up. Unknown to him, Mon Cap’s limo had ran into heavy traffic and it was doubtful if he would be able to make his start. So Mon Cap took matter into his own hands, by shoving his chauffer aside and taking the wheel himself. Using his “How to drive Offensively” manual (written by Nails) he arrived with barley a minute to spare. Still tying his cleats as he headed to the mound he sat down the first 3 batters he faced without breaking a sweat. He got the red-hot X-man to ground out to short, followed by consecutive groundouts by Chap & Kris.
Icehouse should just change his name to Houdini. He continually pitches himself into trouble, but each time miraculously escapes unscathed. He allowed the first 2 runners he faced to reach base. Matt singled, and Mon Cap walked, but like the escape artist he is he got Supe to line into a double play and struck out the Terminator to end the first.
Fluff relived Mon Cap in the 2 nd inning as part of his “8 pitchers for 9 innings” campaign. Ice and Duke both singled with Ice skating to third on Duke’s hit. (ed. note: Duke's blast was originally ruled a 2-run homer, but after Terminator interceded with pesci, Pesc corrested the call to a long songle. By about a foot!)
Newcomer Old Timer Dan ripped what he thought to be a sure hit line drive into short right field, only to be snared by fellow N.C./O.T. Matt who make a fantastic catch. Fluff would then get Lich to ground right back to him, and strike out Marty to end the inning.
Ice continued walking the tightrope in the bottom of the 2 nd. Fluff walked, and then stole second, Hammer singled and then the AARP boys executed a double steal! Despite runners on 2 nd & 3 rd with no outs, Ice once again got out of the jam. He got G-spot to ground out, Marcia “Oh my nose” Olkin to strike out and rookie Robert “Watergate” Woodard to ground to short.
The Pepsi Ones unsuccessfully tried to answer back in they’re half of the inning against G’dik in his first game back from his injury. G’dik proved up to the challenge. Willie ripped the first pitch he saw up the middle for what anywhere else in the world would be a sure single. Unfortunately for him the dome has a five-tool player by the name of X-man who patrols center field and he turned a sure single into a routine 8-3 out. Matt stayed hot with a single and advanced on Mon Cap’s fielder’s choice. Supe then bounced a “fair” ball off the roof of the dome to end the inning. *
Willie took over for Hammer in the 4 th and in a replay from the 2 nd; both Ice & Duke would reach with singles respectively. He was bailed out as Supe snagged a grounder up the middle for an unassisted double play. Willie would need no assistance to strike out Lich to end the inning. Lich would smile to himself as he headed to the dugout knowing the night was young and he would have his chance at revenge.
Matt would take over on the hill to start the 5 th and despite a walk to Marty allowed no runs, as he was helped by another unassisted Supe double play.
The One’s would tie the score in their half of the 5 th inning. Duke was scheduled to pitch, but accidentally swallowed some of his cud, and Mike Miller came in the relive him. Watergate led off with a single, only to be erased as Willie lined out to short for a quick double play. Matt reached base for the 3 rd time, this time via an error and scored on Mon Cap’s mammoth smash to right center field. Supe would then single, and steal second base. Termie walked, but Miller induced Fluffy to ground to second for the 3 rd out. 
After 5 innings the score was tied at 2 a piece as this was setting in to be the best game of the short Domeball season.
Marcia Olkin made his auspicious mound debut in the top of the 6 th and was in trouble from the get go. Mediocre Jay hit a mediocre single, followed by what else but another X-Man single. Chap hit into a fielder’s choice for out numero uno, but Kris would walk to load the bases. Marcia reached down for something extra a struck out Icehouse! Just when it looked like Marcia would get out of the inning, Miller launch a moon shot into left field scoring 2 runs.
Shades of 2-Tee!
Hard throwing Kris Gaida pitched a perfect bottom of the 6 th striking out one batter along the way.
Supe did the same thing in his half of the 7th inning keeping the deficit at 2 runs.
The Pepsi One’s tied the score in the bottom of the inning As Watergate led off with a single off of Chap, and promptly stole second base then scored on Matt’s single. Matt would score on Supe’s single to lock the score at 4 a piece after 7 innings of thrilling baseball action.
Terminator, who had gleefully exclaimed earlier that the nights cookies, a chocolate chip/ Rice Crispy concoction, were “The best cookies ever”, pitched a scoreless 8 th inning giving up a lone single to, who else, X-Man.
Hammer led of the bottom of the 8 th trying to get the good guys back in it. He roped the first pitch he saw towards left field, only to be robbed by a stellar play from Dan, who leapt high in the air and reined in the ball. After a G-Spot fly out, Marcia came back from the training room and bravely stepped up to the plate only to have Chap sit him down with strike out.
Going into the bottom of the 9 th, the One’s faced a one run deficit, and hard throwing closer Lich. Shorty grounded out for the first out, then Watergate took a 3-2 high outside pitch for strike three and the second out. The tying run would reach first as Willie singled, but was stranded as Matt hit into a fielder’s choice to end the threat, the inning, and the game.
A dejected Fluff sat on the bench his head in his hands. Icehouse was seen walking up to him and softly saying “Hey, kid have a Lifesaver”.
* This was the only ball that hit the roof that was called fair all night. (Not that I was counting).
