091209: Reporters Notebook - "Wild Wiffleball Slugfest"

It was another wild slugfest Monday afternoon, during the annual Labor Day Wiffleball Game at Sterner Field, along the banks of the Susquehanna River near Wrightsville.
The veteran Aunts & Uncles Team hung onto an 11-10 victory, marking the squad’s first victory in the heated rivalry since 2005.
Undermanned but overly determined, the Aunts & Uncles built an early 9-4 lead, thanks to a pair of homers from Uncle Dan, and a leadoff dinger from Uncle Jeff, who homered on the first pitch of the ballgame off ace hurler Jamie Lynn Pitzer.
“I don’t think I got on base again the whole afternoon,” Uncle Jeff laughed after the game.
But the upstart Nieces & Nephews Team rallied, knotting the score at 10 runs a piece heading into the seventh and final frame. After two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, Aunt Patti and Uncle Dave reached base safely, after generous calls from the umpiring crew.
Uncle Stan then legged out an infield single, scoring Aunt Patti from third base with the running run.
“We just wanted it more,” said an exhausted Uncle Stan.
A raucous celebration ensued, and a sell-out crowd gave the team a standing ovation from the outfield bleachers.
“Heart, baby,” Gregg Pitzer, my father, told the Associated Press. “It’s all about heart.”
The game featured several sensational grabs in the outfield, where quirky dimensions made “routine” plays quite difficult. Dad robbed several base hits away from the Nieces & Nephews Team, with nifty catches overtop a dangerous utility line.
Additionally, young cousin Stephen Mentzer leaped against Aunt Vickie’s Toyota Prius deep in centerfield, robbing Uncle Stan of a monstrous homerun.
“Look for that on ESPN tonight,” said Grandma Mentzer.
Still, the Nieces & Nephew Team will have to wait until Memorial Day to get back on the winning side of the rivalry.
Tickets are now on sale now for the "can’t-miss" event.
“Every game is unpredictable,” Umpire Pappy Mentzer said regarding the back-and-forth contests, where legends are born and history is made.
You don’t want to miss the excitement.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter