Homegrown Kickball Classic 2007

In the first extra-inning game in Homegrown kickball history, the Friday bands finally prevailed, defeating Saturday 4-3. It was Friday’s first victory after losing the first seven games to Saturday.

Jon Choi was the game’s most valuable player, performing solid at shortstop, going 3-for-3 at the plate, and scoring the game-winning run for Friday. Jerree Small was also in the running for MVP simply for catching every ball that was kicked to her, even when everyone thought she would drop it for sure.

Tony Derrick kicked in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning with a lazy fly to centerfield that fell in front of Justin Korhonen and bounced away from him, toward Aaron Ashley. Ashley fielded the ball and made a wild, over-the-shoulder toss into the infield, allowing Choi to round the bases and score.

Korhonen, who showed up late and never made a plate appearance, simply wandered out into the field and took a spot late in the game. When the game-deciding kick was lofted in his direction, he seemed confused and unable to take the five easy steps reach it. This made him an obvious choice for least valuable player.

What most people didn’t find out until after the game is that Korhonen, a member of Gus Watkins’ band, is legally blind. So, perhaps the fact that he even moved in the general direction of the ball should be applauded.

Former members of Bone Appetit were responsible for four of Saturday’s seven fielding errors. Friday’s team committed just three errors.

Saturday did have two sensational fielding plays: Paul Connolly robbed Rich Mattson of a single with a sensational catch, and Fred Tyson made a shoe-string grab on a ball deflected by Maya Galvin, resulting in a putout of Kyle MacLean. Not to be outdone, MacLean made a sensational catch in the eighth inning in support of Friday.

The most hilarious play of the game occurred in the fifth inning, when Friday’s Tim Nelson singled, rounded first when he shouldn’t have, slipped and fell on his ass in the mud, and then was promptly tagged out.

Saturday had three players kick 2-for-3: Derek Delgado, Chris “C-Dubz” Warne and Jeremy Craig. The entire Friday team combined for just six singles; half of them were by Choi.

Both teams had 18 players make plate appearances.

Though Friday won the game, Saturday bands still claim a moral victory. Cory “Hot Rod” Ahlm mixed Snow Storm Wintergreen Schnapps with Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog, took a hearty chug and proclaimed, “It’s a Homegrown miracle.”

Later in the day, Saturday coach Paul Lundgren pied Friday coach Eric “Heiko” Edwardson. “It’s not about who wins and who loses,” Lundgren said. “It’s about who can be the poorest sport.”