Colicchio Hits Game Winning 3-Run HR in 9th for Thrilling Comeback Victory

The Jive Wiffle Ball League began on Monday and continued last night with an epic come from behind victory led by a Jack Colicchio 3 run homer to dead center in the top of the 9th to give his team a thrilling 4-3 victory in Tome Lot. After Ian Hall and Kevin Cottington shut down their opponents on opening day with a 3-0 victory, play resumed last night on a beautiful and slick night.

Hall and Faith were joined by Toph, Simon and Mittens and were opposed by Jack, Jake, Nate and Sherm. In the top of the 1st, Hall struggled with his control and was definitely not the pitcher he was last night but kept the opposition scoreless. Jake took the mound in the bottom of the frame and worked around a single by Faith and a walk to Hall by getting Topher on an easy pop up to escape any damage. In the second, Faithful had control problems of his own. After Sherm led off with a double, Faith couldn't find the strike zone and ended up walking in a run to give Jack's team a 1-0 lead. He escaped further damage by striking out the next better looking.

In the bottom of the second, Mittens started the inning with a double off Jack. After a great one handed stop by Jake on a Simon grounder, Faith and Hall hit back to back doubles to give their team a 2-1 lead. Jack found his curve ball and was able to hold them to only 2 runs. Then the pitchers settled in....

Hall pitched the top of the 3rd and while his control wasn't there, his stuff was good enough to keep the bats quiet. Jack led off with a double and Jake walked but he was able to retire Nate and Sherm by way of the K. Nate making his debut ran into his own control problems on the mound by walking the two lead off hitters but somehow managed to escape with a zero on the board. Faithful gave up a single to Jack and walked Jake but again the bottom of the order had trouble getting the clutch hit.

Jake found his combo slider-screw on the mound and struck out the side in the bottom of the 4th. Hall again toed the line with his control in the 5th but kept his ERA at 0.00 intact. Jack looked his sharpest in the bottom of the 5th striking out the side. Faithful seemed to be regaining his confidence and pitched a quiet inning in the top of the 6th getting Jack to go down looking with a nasty bender that nicked the inside part of the plate. Nate came back to pitch a shaky but effective 6th inning, getting an anxious Hall to reach for a bad ball out of the strike zone to go down swinging.

In the 7th, Hall found himself in serious trouble with runners on base. Somehow, with a full count to Grefe and Sherm, he got both looking on cutters that nailed the outside part of the plate. Jake continued his dominance on the mound and struck out the side in the 7th. In the 8th, Jake led off and swung through 3 straight pitches to go down swinging, tossing the bat in frustration. After a mini rally by the bottom of the order, Faithful again got Jack looking on the almost same pitch he got him to strike out on in the 6th inning. In the bottom of the 8th with the score still 2-1, Jack struck out the first batter before Hall unloaded on a hanging 3-2 curve ball that reached the Tome building. A huge insurance run for Hall who was looking to nail down the save in the 9th.

In the top of the 9th, Jake led off with a walk. Hall then got Grefe to strike out. After getting to a 2-2 count on Sherm, Hall needed just one more strike for the win. He uncorked 3 cutters that missed the strike zone to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. On an 0-1 pitch, Hall through a high fastball that Jack got his bat on and drove to dead center, just clearing the fence to give his team the 4-3 lead. His team erupted while Hall looked absolutely stunned on the mound. After a single and error, Hall got out of the inning shocked at what had just transpired. Brimming with confidence, Jake took the mound in the bottom of the 9th to nail down the save. After striking out Mittens, Jake walked Simon to bring up Faithful. On a 1-2 count, Jake threw a tight slider to K Faith and give his team an unreal come from behind 4-3 victory.

W: J. Colicchio (1-0)
L: I. Hall (1-1)
S: J. Rainwater (1)

HR: Hall (1), Colicchio(1)

Impressions on "The Illusionist"

The drooping of a rabbit’s ears. The overwhelming grief that encompasses the feeling of loneliness. A small glimmer of hope in a bowl that makes you hold on to something in life. The wonderful, fluttering yet subtle strangeness of a first kiss. That heart wrenching moment when you realize that what you once had is gone. When the lights go out in The Illusionist, a ripple of emotion pierces through you just enough to appreciate the real magic of this film.

The Illusionist centers on the relationship between an older magician and a young women. Both start the movie alone and seemingly unappreciated by anyone and find comfort and companionship with each other. The story chronicles the wants and needs of these characters. The elder magician, like the ventriloquist and the clown try to bring happiness to people behind their own veil of lonesomeness and sorrow. Despite the pessimistic undertone, the movie does not lack its uplifting and charming moments.

The real magic lies in how clearly human emotions are conveyed in this beautifully animated film where there is almost no dialogue. A dying dream, to drunkenly drown back into our despair, The Illusionist captures the full spectrum of emotion in a whimsical and touching story. A visually and aurally mesmerizing artistic achievement in film, it is amazing how so much can be expressed when so little is spoken.

3.5/4