OSLOPRETENDERS

The Oslo Pretenders started off the new season in great style as they welcomed the Knickers from up North with a solid team effort. Luis Lara started on the mound for the home team and pitched well for 2.1 innings before leaving the mound due to forearm stiffness. Anders Tveten took over and ably finished out the contest, while Lara continued to play the rest of the game at 2nd base. The Pretenders started off the bottom of the 1st inning with a 2-run single by Kelly Kuhlmeyer to open the show, and scored two more later in the same inning after an error at 2nd base.  Four more P-runs were scored in the 3rd inning after a sharp RBI single by Martinius Hars and a couple of wild pitches.

The 4th inning, however, was the pivotal frame with 7 runs as Terje Hoaas, Darren McKellep and Rob Crane had RBI hits, combined with a couple of errors from the Knickers.

The game was called on mercy rule after the 3rd run in the bottom of the 5th to seal the Pretenders' convincing 19-4 victory in the season opener.

Highlights:
*McKellep had a great diving stop at 3rd base and threw from the prone position to Luis at 2nd to get the force out and shorten the Knickers' 3-run rally in 4th inning.
*Hars made a spectacular catch in LF to end the 4th inning after first running in the wrong direction, then recovering and making an over-the-head catch.
*Rookie Nate Pederson charged up from RF on a sure hit and without hesistating fired a bullet to Crane at 1st to get the batter out.
*Hoaas, McKellep and Kuhlmeyer each went 2-for-3 with a couple of RBIs.

*Leif Petter Sandvik made two nice plays, the first by charging a grounder and throwing a strike on the run to first base to get the sprinting batter. The second was by cutting off Terje's throw to second on a steal and firing a perfectly placed throw to Darren for the tagout of the runner taking a lead.
*Hoaas also threw out a would-be base thief at second, with Anders applying the quick tag, early in the game to keep opposing runners from running aggressively.