The Eclipse traveled east to meet the Wahoos in their annual meeting with the fine gentlemen from Royal Oak where a match was held under beautiful blue skies and a soft steady breeze. The earlier winter months not only brought a climate change to the townsfolk of Northville, but also a transition of younger able bodies to an advanced roster. The three new additions made their appearance for the first time together as a unit on Sunday in a 15-4 win. After a quick scoreless first inning by both clubs, the Eclipse tallied two in the second inning as a result of consecutive singles by Hangman and Mac.
Hangman, one of the three new additions and a child prodigy with gifted physical abilities in an unassuming posture, has quickly adapted to the task of catching everything bare-handed, but in a unique off-center way. An inning later the Eclipse increased their lead to ten beginning with a single to left from Badger and ending the scoring with a hard line double to left field, plating Moose. The second newcomer to join the black and orange, Badger continued to excel just as well at the plate as he has in the field as he managed to connect on three successful hits on the afternoon and scoring twice. At one point during the match, the Eclipse positioned all three young men in the outfield which helped stifle the dangerous bats from the Royal Oak club. In fact at one point during the match, the Eclipse defense held the Wahoos to send no more than 4 strikers to the plate in five consecutive innings without scoring a run. The final piece to the Eclipse squad, Moose, was marking his first appearance on the team. Word of his worldly ability nearly traveled as far and as quickly as the leather sphere off the wooden stick on his second plate appearance. Striking from the opposite side, Moose drove in two Eclipse runners with a cannon of a hit into right center field. He equaled that explosiveness on the field when he found himself at third base and relayed a throw home from the outfield. The ball echoed from his fingertips and sailed as straight as a musket shot from the timber fields of any young hunter during turkey season. The ball landed squarely into the waiting hands of Cuppa at home plate and easily prevented a run by Hammer of the Wahoos.
Up next for the Eclipse is a match in Detroit against the Early Risers followed by a visit from their jovial Northern friends, the Actives.
