Ann Arbor, MI – In a week without six of their top players, the Shrimp Fried Rice needed the best out of every remaining player to stay undefeated against one of the top teams in the league. With another solid game from shortstop-outfielder Jeff McVeigh and newcomer Pat Tokarski, the Shrimp held off the Ann Arbor Adventure Club in an 8-5 victory at Veterans Park Friday night. Tokarski’s two doubles knocked in two runs, solidifying the heart of the Shrimp lineup that was missing four of its opening day guy starters, while McVeigh continued to key the offense from the leadoff position. McVeigh was 4 for 4 with a double, scoring three runs.
The Shrimp were shorthanded for a variety of reasons. Two Shrimps, Anna DeJesus and Josh McCaman, remained celebrating their impending nuptials out-of-state, while Casey Rucinski had the sudden urge to see the Treasure State and took off in the middle of the night for Montana. Three others, Brad Baden, Eric Mutro, and Justin Hetherman were called into duty in Toronto for the G-20 summit’s riots. Luckily, they were able to return to the States, as their car was not one of the five police cars lit on fire by anarchists. At least five of them should be set to play after the holiday weekend.
While the Adventure Club provided some of the better defense the Shrimp Fried Rice had seen all year, the Shrimps hampered themselves by attempting to kick line drives at certain Adventure players in an apparent side wager between the players. Said interim manager Paul Nelson, “None of us were able to collect the $60,000 bounty for nailing a certain annoying opponent in the head. Luckily we’ll probably see them in the playoffs.”
Knowing the offense would struggle to put up the fifteen to twenty runs the Shrimps had put up the rest of the month, pitchers Manda McAllister and Mary McVeigh tightened down to limit the Adventure Club to only five runs in seven innings. McVeigh entered the game in the third with a 4-3 lead and pitched four masterful innings for her second straight save. The Adventure Club knocked McAllister around a bit in the top of the first, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead. However, she settled down to pick up another win, her league-leading fifth on the season.
Up next for the Shrimp Fried Rice is the gigantic matchup with their once-great rivals, the Kickball Kangaroos at Veterans Park field 3. This is the first game against the Kangaroos since this happened:
Opening pitch is scheduled for 9:15pm.