(June 28, 2025 – Carrollton, TX) A 15-hit attack proved to be bountiful as the Spirits (50+) squad picked up a 12 to 1, mercy-rule victory over the Cubs this past Saturday morning.
Shawn Lee led his team with a 3-for-3 performance, adding a double and a pair of singles alongside a pair of runs scored and an RBI to lead the box score. Kirk Sipila and Earl German each finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and 2 RBIs, while Mike Sopocy added a 2-for-2 day with a walk, run scored, and an RBI to continue his hot streak at the plate as well.
Sopocy also picked up the win on the mound, adding 4 innings of work while allowing just one earned run off of 2 hits, while walking and striking out 2. German added an inning of his own that allowed just a single hit and a strikeout before the Spirits closed the door on the Cubs.
As far as the game story goes, it was all Spirits. The ghosts added 3 runs in the bottom half of the first to answer the lone run scored by the Cubs in the top half of the inning. Dee Mauldin led off with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. He later stole third base and then scored on an RBI single by Sipila. Lee’s double to the left field wall moved Sipila to third, and Kevin Simmons followed by walking to load the bases. Sipila later scored on a wild pitch before a sacrifice fly by Kent Fischer scored Lee. A single by Sopocy moved Simmons to third and after Sopocy took second base, a walk to James Hardt loaded them for Todd Murrah. Murrah popped out to the infield before German grounded out to hold off any additional scoring.
After a strikeout, walk, and a double-play set the Cubs in order, the Spirits returned for 4 more runs in the second inning after Vince Parello led off with a single and stole second base. Stacy Scott reached on a Cubs fielding error, and a walk to Eric Reifschneider loaded them for Mauldin. Mauldin followed with an RBI single to score both Parello and Scott, and follow up singles by Sipila and Lee plated both Reifschneider and Mauldin to give the ghosts a 7 to 1 lead.
The Spirits added a run in the third after German singled and later scored on an RBI walk to Mauldin. The Cubs again went in order in the fourth and the Spirits followed with another 4-run inning to give the game its final score before the mercy rule took over in the fifth. Lee led off with a single and Simmons reached on another Cubs error. Sopocy singled home Lee and a single by Hardt scored Simmons to make it 10 to 1. Murrah drew a base-on-balls and a follow single to the right centerfield gap by German scored both Sopocy and Hardt before Parello flew out to end the inning.
German then came in to clean up the final frame that allow Ken Earp to reach safely on a single with no other moment on the bags before the game was called.
“Solid output by the offense today,” Lee commented after the game. “When we find that pattern of hitting we are going to be a tough team to beat. We often tell ourselves we’re the only ones capable of beating us, and we sadly find ways of doing that, but not today. Guys looked great at the dish and it could have been worse. We left 10 runners on base. No errors in the field is glorious, so we’ll take that and happily walk away with a win.”
The team returns to action following the July 4th holiday when they’ll host the Diablos on July 12th at McInnish Park, Field #11 at 9:00AM. Fans can click here for schedule details or to download the iScore Central app to listen live online.
Five Star Ford Players of the Game
Shawn Lee (3-3, 2B, R, RBI)
Kirk Sipila (2-3, R, 2 RBI)
Earl German (2-3, R, 2 RBI)
Mike Sopocy (2-2, R, RBI, BB, SB; 4 IP, R, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K)