Saturday in the Park with the Athletics

Photo by Cindy Wiseburn

That depth is important to any base ball club is a given, but depth matters not just on the playing field itself.  Such was the case this past Saturday when the Neshanock traveled to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Athletic Club of Philadelphia for two seven inning matches at Fairmount Park.  Unlike some recent contests, Flemington had more than enough players, but both the scorekeeper and blog photographer were missing in action so Chris "Lowball" Lowry admirably filled in as scorekeeper while Cindy Wiseburn did the same as photographer.  Their stepping up was crucial as the Neshanock boasts a world wide fan base, one that according to  blog statistics ranges from Europe including Germany, France and the Ukraine, to Asia with fans checking in from India, the Philippines and South Korea.  With that level of interest it's crucial to keep everyone up to date.

Photo by Cindy Wiseburn

Flemington had its offense in full force in the first match, tallying 17 times in the first three innings while coasting to a 29-5 win.  Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner led the way with a clear score while Dan "Sledge" Hammer, "Jersey" Jim Nunn and Gregg "Burner" Wiseburn just missed, each making only one out in five times at the striker's line.  The lower portion of the lineup also made a big contribution with "Lowball" tallying four times and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel adding three.  After a brief respite, the two clubs went at it a second time and the Neshanock ended any potential drama early, scoring eight times in the second inning on the way to another comfortable win, this time by a 13-3 count.  "Thumbs" again led the offense with three hits, matched by Chris "Sideshow" Nunn and Rene "Mango" Marrero followed closely by Jack "Doc" Kitson with two hits.  With the two wins Flemington improves to 18-11 on the season heading into a break for the Labor Day weekend.  The Neshanock have six dates remaining in the 2016 season beginning with a September 10th meeting with the Diamond State Club of Delaware at the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, Delaware.