Veto League had a successful opening weekend on April 13 and 14 to kick off its 16th season.
Saturday featured 25 players in a double header at Ridgewood Field, while Sunday had 20 Veto Leaguers in two games at home field Douglas Park. 10 of those participants tried the league for the first time.
Opening day got off to a rough start, as Douglas Park and Saukie Field were already being used, leaving a muddy Ridgewood Field as the last resort. Ridgewood used to be home to Veto League Baseball, however, drainage problems were one of the primary reasons the VLB switched their home field to Douglas. The High Rollers versus Goonies game started late, however, 25 players still managed to make the contest. Josh Paul’s Goonies won on the road, taking down Mike Holst’s High Rollers 15-8. The Goonies were led by rookie Greg Dutra’s 4-for-4 game with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI.
Game two once again featured the High Rollers, however, they were on the road against the Phenoms, managed by new captain Scott Raes. Defense played strong through the first six innings, as the Phenoms took a 6-5 lead into the final frame. However, the High Rollers’ bats started hitting, as they took a comfortable 10-6 lead with just three outs remaining. Despite losing the lead, the Phenoms didn’t give up, as they were able to scratch out five runs in the bottom of the 7th to win the contest 11-10. Raes led his team with a homerun and four RBI.
On Sunday, the Playaz hosted the Gremlins, who are coming back after a multi-year hiatus. They are captained by Ryan Barton. Defense again was the difference, as Anthony Reese’s team gave up just one run after 21 outs, winning 5-1. DJ Borkovec and Raes each had three hits, a double and two runs scored in the winning effort.
Game two featured a Veto League first. 32-year old Allison Nelson, who learned about Veto League from the popular online community “Reddit”, joined her mother, Tammy Picton (55 years old) on the field. It marked the first time in history that a mother-daughter duo played a game of Veto League. Picton is also the oldest female to ever play in the league. The two proved they can play with the boys, combining for 4-for-14 at the plate and showcasing some stellar defense in right field. Their debuts were two of 10 this weekend for Veto League, increasing the all-time roster to 493. The Crushers beat the Playaz 11-6, led by Barton’s six RBI.
Play will continue next weekend with games slated to begin at 11:30 at Douglas.