This week on "As the CCSL Turns"

It was a rough start to our double dip in the league this week, as we struggled to pull together a full roster for Monday's match-up against our arch-rivals, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Blame Philly Beer Week, blame the routine scheduling conflicts that life brings, blame the perceived lack of fun involved in a game against the Grumpy Griffons. Whatever the cause, we were a few jangles short of a full tambourine and narrowly avoided an embarrassing forfeit. Thanks to newcomer Julia and the second coming of Max -- Heroes, both! -- We made it onto the pitch, down an outfielder but with our dignity, our pride, and our competitive spirit intact.

WHAT. A. GAME.

It was a defensive struggle early, with neither team able to cross the plate in the first three innings. We loaded the bases in the second on a series of dinks and dunks, but couldn't quite push anyone across. PMA had a lead-off batter thrown out while trying to stretch a double into a triple on an excellent relay from the outfield. Both pitchers were "effectively wild" and it looked to be shaping up to be a tight, low-scoring affair.

Then the 4th and 5th innings happened. PMA struck first, exposing some chinks in TGT's defensive armor, and a couple of well-struck drives went for extra bases. When we stepped to the plate at the "halfway" mark it was 3-0 Griffons. At the end of the 4th, it was 5-3 TGT. At the end of the 5th, it was 7-6 PMA.

These were dangerous waters. The PMA bats had come alive, and missing some of our own sluggers, we needed to stiffen up our defense to stay in the game. We held them scoreless in the top of the 6th, then evened up the game in the bottom half, when Special Sauce brought home Sir Adam with a booming double. At first and third with one out, we had a chance to retake the lead -- but failed. Alas. A quick and scoreless 7th inning for both teams meant extra frames. Free softball!

Farties Frank and Ray hit back-to-back two-out triples in the top of the 8th to score the first run in extras, but Julia -- Hero, I say again! -- struck back for TGT with a clutch two-out base hit of her own to drive in Sir Adam for the equalizer. And onward we went, through a scoreless ninth and to the fateful 10th.

Dusk was upon us, the cooler was nearly empty. I believe that both teams were becoming a bit fatigued. The Art Museum had the heart of their batting order up, but it seems some of the poor fellas were too tired to even swing the bat, taking some close (and a few not-so-close) pitches to garner a pair of walks in the inning. Our friend Frank, with the bases loaded and nobody out, couldn't even lift the bat to his shoulder. It dangled listlessly between his legs while the ball floated by, before he trudged down to first with a free pass and an RBI that put the Art Museum in front for good. Against the players that tried to hit the ball, our previously stout infield defense faltered, with nearly everyone making at least one fielding, throwing, or catching error in the inning, and our undermanned outfield was exploited as well. It was the classic big inning that wins CCSL games.

When the dust settled, PMA had scored 6. We took our hacks in the bottom half, but were unable to make up the deficit.

CONTROVERSY!

It wouldn't be a real TGT-PMA game without at least a smidge of soap-opera theatrics, but it all came out in the wash at the end. PMA vigorously protested a close play at second, and we more privately expressed our skepticism regarding a call at first a bit later in the game. Both teams tried to walk off the field prematurely in separate innings, and there was a brief delay late in the game while PMA complained about the location of home plate and we moved it for them.

All in all: ten innings, seven ties or lead changes, all the drama you could want in a beer league rivalry game, and not more. While there may have been some petty squabbles and disagreements on the field, nobody resorted to sophomoric name-calling or threats of physical violence -- at least not publicly. It was, dare I say, fun. And that, friends, is a WIN in my book.

...Except that we actually did lose. We'll get you next time, PMA! (shakes fist at sky)

FINAL SCORE: PMA 14, TGT 8 (10 Innings)