Victorious Secret’s Secret Is in the Defense
By Nora Grenfell
Posted at 10:28 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2012
(Nora Grenfell/CQ Roll Call)
Across from the Smithsonian Castle tonight, Jason Covey of Victorious Secret (11-9) channeled his inner Babe Ruth against Swift Justice (0-11). Standing at home plate chomping on a cigar, his team already leading 11-2, Covey slammed the ball into the outfield, rounding the bases and coming back home with his cigar still lit.
What started as a close contest took a turn in the bottom of the third inning, with Victorious picking up eight runs. The team went on to lock down a 20-3 win in a six-inning slaughter.
Victorious established itself in the top of the first, shutting out Swift Justice with a 1-2-3 inning. Justice had a showing of life in the top of second inning, earning two RBIs and displaying all-around solid hitting to tie the game at 2-2.
Victorious only sent one player home in the second inning, keeping the score at a seemingly surmountable 3-2. Justice couldn’t recapture the magic, however, and the game came down to each team’s fielding.
Swift Justice’s team has its roots in the anti-trust division of the Department of Justice, although only two players still work at the DOJ. Victorious Secret, a bipartisan team of Hill staffers, had the defensive playing that Justice badly needed.
“Our biggest failing in the beginning of the season was that our defense was not tied together,” said Andrew Goczkowski, Victorious Secret’s coach. You couldn’t tell in this game, where Victorious Secret’s fielders caught everything, from team Justice’s pop-ups to its best hits.
Justice had a few shining moments in a generally a dark game: Christina Nyquist made a nice catch that ended the brutal third inning. In the fifth inning, Nyquist batted in an RBI, the third and final run of the game for her team.
With the daylight going and the bugs settling in, the teams called the game after the sixth inning.
“I’m really proud of these guys,” Justice pitcher Kyle Ritter said, managing a smile after the disappointing finish.
Victorious Secret will attempt to secure its twelfth win Thursday.
