The team returns to the dug-out after Jason catches an infield pop-fly. (Wolan)

June thirteen’s game will undoubted go down as one of the most memorable games for the GD Avengers. Despite being short in the outfield with only 3 fielders and sustaining 3 injuries during the game, the Avengers pulled-off a remarkable 15-run rally in the sixth inning to win 18-9 over Wal-Mart.

The game started out with a line-up mix-up. Fran Derby had decided to leave the team so he could join his friends in the Wal-Mart team. His departure erased a promising outfielder from the Avenger line-up. It was feared that Jason would quit the team as well, But to the teams delight, Jason mentioned at game time that he had no intension of leaving, keeping the slugger on the GD-A line-up.

Over the weekend, the Avengers picked-up second basemen Anahid Avsharian. Anadhid, an experienced second basement, fills a vacancy in the line that has up to now been filled with emergency players. Her addition is sincerely welcomed, given the short list of female players on the team. Also in the line-up was George Bruchbacher (Dauback), who made his first start of the season. Missing from the game was April, which forced the team to play with only 3 outfielders.

On the "mound" for the Avengers with Rick Palma. The game started out in favor Wal-Mart. Walt-Mart jumped to a 2 nothing lead in the first and tacked on 3 in the second thanks to an inside the park home-run. Wal-Mart also scored 3 in the third thanks to a solo inside the park home-run and some extra base hits. Clearly, Wal-Mart was taking advantage of the lack of an fourth outfielder.

But the Avengers battled back. The Avenger defense kept the Wal-Mart scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. The offense chipped away a run in the third, fourth and fifth inning, keeping it to a 9-3 game. Just when things were looking better, Dave and Becky sustained game-ending injuries, removing them from the line-up. Luckily for the Avengers, the bench was ready to fill-in.

Dean Harrison Trotting around third after belting a 3-run home run into center field. (Wolan)

Then in the sixth, chaos broke loss, as the Avenger offense sent 18 players to the plate, scoring 15 runs off of 15 hits. In that inning, the Avengers pulled 10 singles, a double, three triples and a 3-run blast by Dean Harrison over the center field wall and off the center field advertisement. When asked about his home run, Dean, suffering from pain in this legs, responded: "I’m was just glad that I didn’t have to run around the bases."

Most, if not all of the hits were earned by striking the ball into gaps creating by the Wal-Mart defense. Aggressive base running help manufacture extra base hits and more players quickly around the base pads. Wal-Mart responded by shuffling players around on the field, but it did not help. It was a frustrating inning for the tiring Wal-Mart defense, watching a late 8-3 lead quickly become an 18-8 deficient, but an inning of much cheer for the Avenger offense. Sadly, the inning ended with Christine getting injured.

Wal-Mart scratched another run in the sixth but was held scoreless in the seventh as GD-A earned its first win of the season. In all, good pitching, good defense in the infield and outfield and some remarkable late-inning offensive magic was GD’s recipe for success.

Andy Wolan is a reporter for MLSB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Softball or its clubs.