Philadelphia Isotopes

2019 Fall Season Champs!!

Week 2 recap:

Game One – Jackhammers (1-0) @ Isotopes (1-0)

Last week, the Jackhammers won on the back of a single big inning. In the top of the first, Glen Hipple, John Schwartz, and Kevin Rosini would all single to start the game. It looked like a repeat performance of that huge inning was coming. Unfortunately, the inning petered out from there, as only two of those three would cross the dish before the inning came to an abrupt close. The Isotopes, looking to build on their 31-run outburst a week ago, didn’t come out with quite the same swagger this week, going 1-2-3, including two foul-outs in the first inning.

The Jackhammers would tack on two more in the second, as Doug Miller and Jason Cooper would single. Hipple then knocked them both in with his second single of the day, giving the Jackhammers a 4-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Isotopes would start to battle back thanks to three walks, a costly error, and a 2-RBI double by Eric Davis. The Isotopes were only down by one run by the time the second stanza came to a close.

Both teams seemed to fall asleep in the middle of this one, putting together a third and fourth inning to forget. Despite two errors on both sides, no runs were scored were scored in the third. In the fourth, the Jackhammers loaded the bases and netted nothing from it, while the Isotopes went down 1-2-3 for the second time in the game.

The game got a lot more exciting in the fifth inning. In the top half, Chris Day, Miller, and Cooper would all reach base safely before being knocked in on a 3-RBI double by Brian Pestridge. Down 7-3 heading into the bottom half, the Isotopes would find a little bit of their week one magic. They strung together eight hits and a walk, including an RBI triple by Kelvin Thomas. The damage was limited, though, when Shawn Mitkus was gunned down at the plate. All said, the Isotopes would score seven in the inning, taking a 10-7 lead.

The Jackhammers couldn’t respond in the sixth, so the Isotopes capitalized, tacking on two insurance runs compliments of an Eric Davis single and Jayson Banks doubled. Davis would score via a Kelvin Thomas sac fly, while Banks crossed the plate following a Paul Mizvitowicz triple.

Down 12-7 heading into the final frame, the Jackhammers turned their caps inside out and hoped for some late game rally heroics. Chris Day doubled with one out, hoping to provide the necessary spark. He’d go on to score as Doug Miller reached base on an error, but unfortunately for the Jackhammers, that spark wouldn’t catch fire.

Final Score: Isotopes 12 (2-0) Jackhammers 8 (1-1)
Noteworthy Performance: Eric Davis went 3/3 with a 2B, 2 RBI’s and 2 Runs Scored.

Lower part of the order really carried the team today. Got the offense rolling in two separate innings.

From the Softball America website:

Game 3 – Isotopes @ Hitmen

This game got really ugly in a hurry and then, before anyone knew it, it was over.

In the top of the first, Jayson Banks led off with a double. Colin Snyder would reach on an error, and then Kelvin Thomas smacked a 3-run blast, putting the Isotopes up 3-0. Paul Mizvitowicz, Tim Hartman, and Howard Miller would each follow up with doubles, en route to a six run inning by the Isotopes. No one knew it at the time, but this would be all the runs they’d need by game’s end.

After a paltry one run for the Hitmen in the bottom of the first, the Isotopes would go on the attack again in the second. Six doubles in the inning by Banks, Snyder, Thomas, Marc Miller, Joe Cremer, and Ryan Greenberg, plus a 2-run homerun by Mizvitowicz would net the Isotopes eleven more runs.

Another hapless half-inning by the Hitmen in the second was followed by another offensive onslaught by the ‘Topes. This time, it was triples by Mizvitowicz and Kelvin Thomas leading the way, en route to their second straight eleven run inning.

The Hitmen would finally get something going in the bottom of the third, with singles by Tom Smith, Matt Friend, and Jeff Tongue, and then a 3-RBI double by Mark Sampson, who would also score in the inning. Sadly, that’s where the scoring ended for the Hitmen, as they were down 28-5 after three.

In the fourth, even with their foot off the gas, the Isotopes managed to plate three runs, compliments of doubles by Cremer and Eric Davis. In the bottom half of the inning, Oz Dawson showed the only sign of life with his single before the Hitmen were euthanized via the mercy rule.

Final Score: Isotopes 31 Hitmen 5
Noteworthy Performance: This game featured TWO monster performances. The first was by Kelvin Thomas, who went 3/4 with a 2B, 3B, and HR, 7 RBI’s and 3 Runs. Meanwhile, teammate Paul Mizvitowicz hit for the cycle, going 4/4 with 3 RBI’s and 4 runs.

The first game of the Spring 2017 season is in the books and the fireworks started early for the Isotopes. The game saw the Isotopes score early and often and never take their foot off the gas pedal. When the bloodbath was mercifully ended, the final was 31-5.

The entire lineup was contributing, but the tone was set by Paul Mizvitowicz who hit for the cycle.

This start to the season is very reminiscent of the Spring 2016 season which saw the Isotopes trounce Kaos 23-2 in the first game. That season was also a magical one for the 'Topes. They would go on to defeat the Hitmen in the championship to win their second in a row. Let's hope history repeats itself.