Star Pitcher Propels Team at the Plate
By Aaron Guerrero
Posted at 10:56 p.m. on June 12, 2012
Randall Jefferson, starting pitcher for the Cap City Brewing Flyers, let his bat and glove lead the way tonight in his team’s 10-7 victory over Licensed to IL.
In a premiere House Softball League matchup, the Flyers, a top-five ranked team, entered the game with a 3-1 record.
Hardly a competitive slouch, Licensed to IL, a roster filled with staffers from the Illinois delegation in the House, brought its own polished 3-1 record.
The game lived up to the hype.
Representing the Federal Aviation Administration, the Flyers pounced in the first three innings, scoring six runs. The early offensive fire power provided the team with a comfortable 6-1 lead after three innings.
Faced with a possible blowout, Licensed to IL came roaring back in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. Despite a meager offensive performance up to that point, the team’s bats woke up just in time, as it scored six runs to tie the game up at 7-7.
But a complete comeback wasn’t in the cards, as the evening belonged to Jefferson and the Flyers.
With two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the fifth, Jefferson stepped to the plate and ripped the ball into left center for what would be the game-winning, three-run homer.
Just before Jefferson’s game-changing swing, teammate Evan Wasserman was vocal in telling your humble correspondent that the at bat would be make-or-break. On this night, Wasserman had crystal ball-like intuition.
“He’s always clutch,” Wasserman said about Jefferson’s abilities as a batter.
While some might buckle under the pressure of such a big moment, Jefferson embraces it. He even compares his abilities under duress as being superior to that of an NBA superstar.
“I love it. I’m the anti-Lebron when it comes to that,” he said.
