Madness at Mullens

Dirty Swingers complete comeback with walk-off win, 26-25

MENANDS, N.Y. – Austin Lawrence lifted the Dirty Swingers to an improbable, 26-25, come-from-behind victory over McDermott's Garage, on Thursday night at Mullens Field. Trailing for virtually the entire game, the Swingers capped a three-run bottom of the seventh to walk-off for their first win of the season.

Working back for deficits of 8-0, 16-5 and 20-11 as late as the fourth inning, the Swingers out-slugged McDermott’s 10-5 over the final three innings for the win. They never led until Lawrence came through with a two-out, walk-off triple that brought home courtesy runner Jimmy Stickel and Aaron Leeds all the way from first base.

The Swingers entered the bottom of the seventh down by a pair saw lead-off hitter Perry Laskaris line out to left center to open the frame. Third baseman Erich Kaempffe followed by reaching on an infield ground ball, setting up Stickel, who ripped a line drive back to the McDermott closer, who had it pop out of his glove. Kaempffe was able to scramble to second to avoid the double play, but with two away, the hill to climb was steep.

In stepped Chris Farish, who just an inning earlier, injured his hamstring, prompting a courtesy runner and a change of position from left field to first base (Laskaris took over in left). Farish kept the Swingers alive with a line drive single to center, scoring Kaempffe from second to draw within 25-24.

Leeds then came through with one of the biggest at-bats of the game, lacing a base hit through the box to set up Lawrence for the heroic finish.

Lawrence drilled the second pitch he saw into the left field corner and the runners, who were off on contact round the bases with Leeds - the winning run - crossing home to a raucous applause.

The game got off to an inauspicious start as McDermott’s Garage took advantage of some early wildness from Dirty Swingers lefthander Chris “CC” Cramer. The visitors plated eight runs in the first and eight in the third. The deficit could have been greater, if not for a great relay on a ball off the right field fence in the third. Leeds, Lawrence and catcher Bryan Stradley were able to cut down the runner at the plate to keep the game within striking distance.

A six-run third from the Swingers made it 16-11, thanks in part to back-to-back errors in the infield from McDermott’s Garage. They answered with four runs in the top of the fourth for 20-11 advantage.

Not the be deterred, the Swings collected five in the bottom half, highlighted by a line drive three-run homer to center from Lawrence, pulling the hosts within 20-16.

McDermott’s Garage left the bases loaded in the fifth, but were kept off the board for just the second time in the game, allowing the Swingers to inch closer in the bottom half. Jim led off the inning with a single and scored on a deep triple to right by CC. Leeds drove in Cramer with a sacrifice fly to center, before Lawrence tripled and scored on a single by Stradley, making it 20-19.

The Garage tacked on three in the top of the sixth, but the relentless Swingers once again answered in the bottom of the inning, as a walk and a double by Kaempffe and Stickel put two on with nobody out. Farish then legged out a hustle double that scored two. After a Leeds single, a flyout and a fielder’s choice followed, setting up CC for another big hit that scored Leeds and Stradley.

CC (1-3) picked up the win in the circle going all 7.0 innings. Lawrence led the way at the dish, going 4 for 6 with two triples, a home run and six runs batted in. Stickel was 4 for 5 with two doubles and a triple, while Farish was a pefect 6 for 6 with two doubles, a triple and four RBIs.

The Dirty Swingers, who hadn’t scored more than 10 runs in a game in the previous three games (all losses) plated 10 in the final three frames of the comeback victory. They are back on the diamond Halloween night (9pm).