Old Town businesses beat Del Ray in controversial softball game

Amid questionable calls and weather-related issues, Old Town businesses are claiming victory in Wednesday night’s softball battle against Del Ray.

Old Town Team Captain Trae Lamond of Chadwicks said his team won in a text message to ALXnow, and that he put the John Porter Cup in the trunk of his car after everyone scattered to avoid bad weather.

“We won,” Lamond told ALXnow. “The cup is ours.”

The score at the bottom of the fourth inning was 20-14 when storm clouds gathered, the wind picked up and the game was called at Little Simpson Field. The winner was still unclear for hours after the game, as Del Ray cried foul after being pitched a practice safety ball, or sponge ball, the entire first inning.

Old Town scored six runs in the first and Del Ray was scoreless for the first two innings.

Del Ray team captain Bill Blackburn of Pork Barrel BBQ initially said that the game was a no contest, since Old Town got four at-bats and his team only got three. He also said it was strange that the game was called not long after a home run by Del Ray’s Jesse O’Connell.

“The real injustice was for the fans of Alexandria, who lost out on what was shaping up to be the softball game of the century,” Blackburn said. “Del Ray was getting into a groove and was mounting a comeback to make up for the questionable ball issue in the first inning.”

Blackburn conceded after the umpire, Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, called it for Old Town in a text to ALXnow.

“Blackburn is complaining because he couldn’t hit the ball over the fence on a little league field,” Lawhorne said, adding that the “sponge ball” incident was beyond his reach. “I don’t provide the balls. I just provide a fair and balanced judgement of the actions of the players.”

As previously reported, Del Ray won the first competition in 2018, Old Town won in 2019 and the contest was postponed in 2020.

The team rosters are below.

Old Town

• Lacy Forster of The Hive
• Bee Reid of T.J. Stones
• Luis Martinez of Chadwicks
• Jon Forster of The Hive
• Hector Nelo of Chadwicks
• Danielle Anderson of Whiskey & Oyster
• Chelsea Anderson of Tequila & Taco
• Pat Conden of Union Street Public House
• Jamie Peugh of Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant and Bar
• Rachel Lawes of The Hive
• Coached by Trae Lamond and Michelle Millben

Del Ray

• Micki MacNaughton of the Jen Walker team/McEnearney
• Megan Brown of Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga
• Laura Engel of Capitol Hill Construction
• Hwa Grimsley of Northside 10
• Allen Smith of Dairy Godmother/Just Fine Donuts
• Jim Miller of Pork Barrel BBQ
• Lee Grimsley of Northside 10
• Mike Dameron of Windmill Hill
• Jesse O’Connell of Department of Beer and Wine
• Coached by Bill Blackburn, Jen Walker and Pat Miller

Batboys

• Sam Youngblood
• JoeMonroe Blackburn
• Lily Youngblood

Courtesy Elijah Walter Griffin Sr/Griffin Vision Photography