Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Updated Season Stats and Game 6 and 7 Boxscore






Reformers get Split in Double Header

The Fightin' Reformers fought a tough double header and walked away with a split.  The first game of the night saw the Reformers drop an 11-7 game against Abundant Life in which the Reformers were playing a few men down.  They had to use a new pitcher Ben Bosworth (1-1), and stat girl Rachel Blount just to have enough to play the game.  Blount and Bosworth both made plays to help the team.  Blount went one for two at the plate and made a great play by catching a throw from Bosworth at the plate and tagging out the runner who was attempting to score.  Bosworth made a few nice plays on balls hit back up the middle along with throwing two strikeouts.  "He was throwing some nasty stuff out there" said Zack Blount.

CGBC dug a 10-2 hole and was almost able to dig themselves out, but fell just short.  "That was a valiant effort.  We have nothing to be ashamed of" said Donny Mathis.  Playing without all-league SS Benji Hutson the Reformers had to settle for a patchwork infield and outside of an incredible unassisted double play by 1B Randy Pifer they saw highlights few and far between in the early innings.  SS Mathis did, however, set a CGBC record by being apart of six double plays in the two gams.  "It should be noted that if it weren't for horrible play by Pifer at first base, there would have been at least two more double plays" said Aaron Cline.

The second game saw things turn around.  Hutson and Zack Blount both were available to play and Cline was ready to put the team on his back.  Cline hit two more home runs to lead the team to a 10-7 win over Washington Baptist.  Hutson struggled in his return game, but was relieved that the team was able to still get the win.  "It's a testament to the other guys on this team.  We have some really talented players out there" he said.

Playing with out Ben Skaug, the team rallied and showed some git and mental toughness during the double header.  "We are ready for the last two games of the year" said Eiji Fujino.  The stands were relatively empty  tonight for The Reformers.  "I hope that fan appreciation night will get the fans out to support the team" said GM Pifer.  Manager Justin McDaniel echoed that sentiment "Washington Baptist had a full crowd out there tonight.  I was embarrassed to have hardly any fans in attendance!"  Fan Appreciation night is set for Friday night at 7:30 PM.  There will be a collectible program given to the first thirty fans in attendance!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Errors Terrorize Reformers

CGBCNN Staff Writer Randy Pifer
Updated 4/25/13 at 11:45 PM

The Fightin' Reformers defensive third inning was too much to overcome and CGBC lost a heartbreaking 19-23 decision to Marietta First Baptist.  They allowed a historic fourteen runs in the inning and were never able to recover.  The Reformers were not able to get off the field due to errors from just about everyone in the field and P Eiji Fujino(1-1) was unable to get the third out.  "We were bad tonight, but especially in that third inning" said 3B John Michael Gibson, "it's too bad we all seemed to struggle at the same time".  Fujino was pulled after the inning and Stephen Donovan(2-0) came in relief.  The team seemed to settle down and make some defensive plays but it was too little too late.

This loss was an especially tough pill to swallow due to the fact that the stands were full of CGBC faithful.  Amber Mathis, who was attending her first Reformer game, commented on the amount of fans in the stands. "We outnumbered their fans 10-1" she said.  It is worth noting that Reformer fans did in fact outnumber Marietta First fans 10-1, literally.  Tom and Beth Kline both enjoyed their time, but would have liked to see the team win.  Phil Brown also was in attendance and the former professional baseball player sees quite a lot of room for improvement.  "They need to tighten up the defense and get outs" he exclaimed!

CGBC was able to score runs, but a crucial moment in the fourth inning may have cost the team the game.  With two outs and the bases loaded, SS Benji Hutson saw an opportunity to tie the game.  "I tried to kill the ball when I should have been focused on just making solid contact" he said.  Hutson popped up and the inning came to a close.  The Reformers gave up three runs in the top of the fifth inning effectively putting the game out of reach.  "Benji's at-bat isn't why we lost this game; we all contributed to that" said RC Ben Skaug.  2B Donny Mathis, coming off a career game, must have been reading his press clippings all week.  His usually steady fielding showed some cracks, but was still very effective at the plate going 4-4.

The Reformers are off until Tuesday night at 7:30 PM against Abundant Life.  Next Friday night is Fan Appreciation Night and the GM's office is planning some special events for that evening.  "We hope to have a full crowd.  Tonight was a very good start" said C Zack Blount.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

CGBC Continues to Roll Right Along

CGBCNN Staff Writer Randy Pifer
Updated at 4/23/2013 at 10:20 PM

The CGBC Fightin' Reformers are rolling.  Aaron Cline hit a walk-off home run (fifth inning mercy rule) to lead CGBC to a 13-4 win.  Ben Skaug also contributed a Grand Slam in the fourth inning and the Reformers cruised to an easy victory.  Eiji Fujino(1-0), making his first start of the season, showed incredible control and poise and confidently walked away with his first win.  Fujino, the self proclaimed "Japanese Storm", did need some incredible plays from 3B Donny Mathis to preserve his gem.  Mathis made play after play including an incredible stab and throw in the third inning that had the crowd in disbelief.  "He had himself a ballgame tonight" said Jeremy Ice and Manager Justin McDaniel praised his work at the plate saying "he hit the ball all over the park".  Mathis was one HR shy of hitting for the the first cycle in CGBC history.

SS Benji Hutson continued his hot streak by going 3-3 on the night.  Cline and Skaug, incredibly, are both still batting 1.000 on the season.  The Reformers are leading the GCL in batting average and the defense is getting better each game.  "It is scary to imagine how good that team can be when they have everything clicking" said league spokesperson Wayne Fowler.  The Reformers are staring down their first championship in history and it appears as though the only thing that can stop them is themselves.  GM Randy Pifer was asked to comment on the potential he sees in this team.  "It is exciting to be here each game and watch this team play" he said as the team was leaving the field.

The strong play from Mathis will make for a difficult decision for McDaniel on Thursday night.  Regular 3B John Michael Gibson missed the game tonight due to a personal situation, but has some asking whether he lost his job by not being in attendance.  "John Michael is our third baseman.  Nothing changed tonight" said Mathis.  If that is just false modesty remains to be seen.  2B Zack Blount was key in turning two double plays and sees incredible improvement week to week.  "It is fun to put this shirt on and go out and play for CGBC" he said.

Fan Appreciation day is less than two weeks away.  The Fightin' Reformers are hoping to have a large group of fans in attendance.  "We may be dominating the league on the field right now, but we are last in the league in fan attendance" said Michael Moon.  The GM's office is planning a press release later this week to encourage fans to be in attendance.  "If basketball season proved anything it showed we have some loyal fans.  I hope the trend continues for softball" said Cline.


Game 4 Box Score and Season Stats




Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Updated Season Stats


Reformer's Hot Bats Carry Team to Second Win of the Year!

CGBCNN Staff Writer Randy Pifer
Updated: 10:40 PM

The CGBC Fightin' Reformers took the diamond tonight riding an emotional high.  Friday night they secured the first win of the season by beating Praise Cathedral and looked to go on a run against an experienced Highland Baptist squad.  Aaron Cline continued his torrid pace by leading the game off with a home run and the Reformers never looked back cruising to a 20-16 win.  Cline has taken his game to a whole new level and is taking his role as the leader of this team seriously.  "He has been ripping the cover off the ball the last two games" said 3B John Michael Gibson.

P Stephen Donovan (2-0) was shaky but effective   He threw a season high five walks, but was still able to get his second win of the season.  The infield did not help Donovan any with six errors.  1B Randy Pifer, 2B Donny Mathis, and SS Benji Hutson all struggled with two errors each, but were bailed out by the offense.  The Reformers, as a whole, continued their hot streak by hitting six home runs on the night, Cline (2), Benji Hutson, Gibson, Jeremy Ice, and Justin McDaniel all went yard to carry the team to the win.

CGBC has been experimenting with different lineups in the outfield and may have found the perfect combination tonight.  The outfield was a different story from the infield.  Michael Moon, Ice, Cline and McDaniel all made nice plays in the outfield.  "Jeremy made a spectacular catch to end the game, he was the defensive MVP tonight" said Eiji Fujino.  Ice's catch was the play of the night, but perhaps the most heart-stopping was a rocket shot off the left handed bat of Highland's pitcher.  Pifer, who was playing close to the line, was in perfect position to make the play, but wasn't able to get his glove up in time.  The ball hit his glove, but was able to somehow corral the ball to record the out.

The win over Highland sets a record for CGBC.  They are the first team to lose to The Fightin' Reformers in both basketball and softball.  Game number four is Tuesday April 23 at 7:30 P.M.  CGBC will be looking for win number three against Washington Baptist.  The CGBCNN released a reminder today to all the Reformer faithful that May 3rd will be the softball Fan Appreciation night.  The game against Praise Cathedral will be played at 7:30 P.M. and all fans are encouraged to be in attendance.  More details will be released as the game gets closer.

Game 3 Boxscore


Saturday, April 13, 2013

A Rebound Win for the Ages

CGBCNN
Staff Writer Randy Pifer
Updated: 4/13/13 1:27 PM

In possibly the greatest rebound game in the history of Church League Softball, The CGBC Fightin' Reformers won their first game of the year by beating Praise Cathedral 23-7.  The win evens their record at 1-1 and sets them up for the rest of the season.  The turnaround was largely in part to six new faces.  Ben Skaug, Stephen Donovan, Thomas Richardson, Lane Hatcher, Jeremy Ice and John Michael Gibson all helped right the ship with big plays both offensively and defensively.  Donovan(1-0), making his first start, was shaky at times, but recorded his first win.  He was backed up by solid defense from the whole team and the Reformers were able to close out a mercy-rule-win in four innings.

In what is sure to be the answer to a trivia question in the future, Benji Huston hit the first home run in Reformer history.  A towering shot in the second inning that got the Reformers rolling and propelled them to a historic fifteen run inning that blew the game wide open.  Not to be outdone, Gibson followed in the fourth inning with a home run of his own.  Aaron Cline hit the first inside-the-park home run in CGBC history as well as showing tremendous patience at the plate by drawing two walks.

"The team came together tonight" said OF Donny Mathis before adding "it is a sign of things to come".  Manager Justin McDaniel was not in attendance for the game due to his 31st birthday celebration, but the team expects him to return Tuesday night for their next game.  1B Skaug showed some rust, but made it clear he will be ready for the rest of the season. "I haven't swung a bat in seven years, but it's like riding a bike."

The next game will be Tuesday night at 7:30 against Highland Baptist.  GM Randy Pifer made a plea to all of CGBC, "we need some fan support.  This is a beautiful park, and the weather has been so nice!  What a great way to spend time with your family and come enjoy some Reformer softball!"  Rachel Hatcher took in the game with her two young children and would recommend the experience to anyone.  "Samantha and Levi seemed to really enjoy watching the Fightin' Reformers win tonight!"  The softball fields are located across the street from Praise Cathedral at 3390 Brushy Creek Rd, Greer, SC 29650.

Updated Season Stats


Game 2 Boxscore


Game 1 Boxscore


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Disappointing Start to the Softball Season

Softball season got off to a rough start, and has left The Fightin' Reformers searching for answers.  A 23-2 shallacking was a dissapointing way to begin the season.  Solid infield play from Donny Mathis and Benji Hutson was not enough to make up for the errors that troubled the rest of the team.  Poor outfield play combined with 4 home runs from O'Neal Baptist made for a quick night for the Reformers as the 20 run mercy rule had to be enforced.  "Bad defense and no offense made for a horrible start of the season" said Manager Justin McDaniel.  1B Randy Pifer made a crucial error in the first inning that cost the team 3 runs when he failed to field a throw from 3B Mathis.  It would have been the third out.

The next Reformer game will be Friday night at 8:30.  If there is not some dramatic improvement between now and Friday you can expect another long evening. Michael Moon, Lane Hatcher, Gary Davis, Thomas Richardson, and David Grey were all absent tonight and the Reformers were playing two men down.  It is hard to believe that anyone could have made much of a difference.  "We were outclassed, out toughed, and out played.  It was downright embarrassing" said P Aaron Cline who was visibly upset as he left the diamond.

OF Zack Blount was able to bring some smiles to an otherwise somber audience when he quipped "no autographs please".  "Sometimes you just have to smile and forget about what happened and move on to the next game" said OF Eiji Fujino.  The lack of fan support was a factor as well, but the team is happy there was not an audience to witness that debacle.


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Softball Schedule

The schedule for the CGBC Fightin' Reformers inaugural softball team has been released.  All games will be played at the new softball fields across the street from Praise Cathedral. The address is 3390 Brushy Creek Rd Greer, SC 29650.  Fan Appreciation night is tentatively scheduled for Friday May 3, 2013.  All fans are encouraged to come out and support Manager Justin McDaniel and the rest of the Fightin' Reformers as they fight to claim CGBC's illusive first trophy. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

BREAKING NEWS

The CGBCNN is reporting that the CGBC Cake Contest being held on Sunday April 7, 2013 will have some major prizes!  The reliable, yet anonymous, source has told the CGBCNN that each category winner will receive a restaurant gift card, and the overall winner will receive a Kindle Fire!  So make sure you are preparing your ideas now and come ready to celebrate our one year birthday and compete in the cake contest for your chance to win one of these great prizes!

The official announcement from CGBC concerning the Birthday Celebration is posted below:

Our First Birthday is coming on April 8th!
Celebrate Covenant Grace Baptist Church's one year birthday on Sunday, April 7th after the morning service.

Come prepared to share your testimonies about the blessings God has given in the last year to you and to our church.

Please bring a covered dish for the potluck meal.

Every birthday party needs a birthday cake!
Create your best cake in celebration of the church's one year birthday!
Adult cakes and Children's cupcakes will be judged separately and prizes will be awarded in each division for the "Best Taste", "Best Decorated" and "Most Creative".