Despite a rocky start, Total Depravity managed to secure their 3rd win of the season in a 9-6 defeat of upstart Beloved St. Luke's. Victory over St. Luke's not only cemented Total Depravity's first winning season but also forced a 3-way tie for 3rd overall in the Grandview Parks and Recreation Kickball League, a tie that resulted in Total Depravity's #3 seed in the four team 2010 Kickball Playoffs.Making the playoffs for the first time in team history was all the motivation Total Depravity needed to rebound after 2 rough innings that featured St. Luke's jumping out to a 4 run lead before the first Total Depravity run crossed the plate. Forcing the defense to make outs in high-pressure situations, St. Luke's kicked through the heart of the order before the first out was recorded in the top of the 1st inning yet when things settled down Total Depravity began to put together a fine defensive outing with latter innings featuring no St. Luke's base-runners. Highlighting the defensive effort was Mary Clifton's 1 out "triple-play". Catching the shallow pop-up at 2nd base, Mary doubled up the runner at second, and for the "extra" out of the Triple Play tagged the runner on 1st who failed to tag up. Despite not officially counting as a Triple Play Mary Clifton becomes the first player in Total Depravity history to achieve such a feat.
While defense played a large part in the 9-6 victory, smart base-running and strong individual efforts pushed Total Depravity into the win. Jon Stephens, Total Depravity's all-time leader in Home Runs, added another round-tripper to his season total of 3, as his blast scored Mary Clifton around from 1st and put Total Depravity's first 2 runs on the board. Hustle and heads-up play on the part of Total Depravity, the kickball team of Boulevard Presbyterian Church, turned the tables on St. Luke's, forcing them to make outs in high-pressure situations as runners advanced on every opportunity.
As Total Depravity looks ahead to their September 19th playoff contest against #2 Bird is the Word it is worth noting the playoff structure. Like a classic bracket tournament, teams in the Grandview playoffs will play a single-elimination qualifier with victory insuring a place in the championship game to be held at 7pm on that same day. Early favorites have to be reigning champs #1 overall The Sparkly $2 Bills who remained undefeated for the 2nd year in a row as the beat Total Depravity's future opponent Bird is the Word 4-0.
Fans of Total Depravity may remember 2009 season's opening game against the blue-clad Bird is the Word. Like most of the season, Total Depravity was on the ropes in the early innings, allowing 6 runs before they settled down and scored a few of their own. This loss was "officially" avenged this year as Total Depravity was scheduled to play The Bird is the Word in the first game of the season but when The Bird's were not able to field enough players to make it an official contest Total Depravity took how the forfeit victory.
Root Total Depravity on as they take the field in the first playoff appearance in team history on Sunday, September 19th at 5:00 PM at C. Ray Buck Sports Park located off Gooddale Blvd.
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