Kingsland Colonels Victorious

On May 15th, the Kingsland Colonels and the Flemington Neshanocks played an 1860s version of Base Ball in Yanticaw Boys Park. It was the 6th time that these teams met to play. The game started with a coin toss to determine the team that would bat first. The Colonels lost the toss, and the Neshanocks elected to take the field.

The Colonels opened with a 3-run lead in the first inning, adding 2 more runs in the second. The Neshanocks also made a run in that inning. The score at the end of 2 innings: 5-1. The Neshanocks picked up 2 runs in the third inning, which saw an additional run for the Colonels. The score at the end of the 3rd inning: 6-3. No runs were added until the 5th inning, when each team picked up an additional run. The score at the end of that inning: 7-4. There were no runs in the 6th inning.

Friends, family members, and Nutley locals watched the game from the sidelines and rooted for their home team, the Colonels. Ronn Merritt entertained the crowd of onlookers with a rousing rendition of “Casey at the Bat” during the 7th inning stretch.

The 7th inning saw both teams pick up an additional 2 runs. The score at the end of 7 innings: 9-6. Another run was made in the 8th inning by the Neshanocks. Going into the 9th and final inning, the score stood at 9-7. At the top of the 9th inning, the Colonels went down in order, and the Neshanocks finished the game batting in the bottom of the 9th.

The Colonels had been in this position twice in the past, losing during the final moments of the game. It was the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and a Neshanocks players on first and third. It looked like the Colonels might have victory taken away from them yet again. However, through an excellent defensive play, the Colonels were able to halt the Neshanocks momentum and secure their first victory.

At the end of the game, the teams met in the middle of the field. The Neshanocks gave the Colonels a rousing “huzzah!” Congratulations and thanks were exchanged by players of both teams, and they promised to play each other again next year.

The Kingsland Manor thanks our team members and guests, who enjoyed a beautiful day and a sweet, hard-fought victory.