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BREAKING: Sea Pickles Star Embroiled In Substance Abuse Controversy

BREA, CA. - Just three days after a spectacular comeback 10-9 victory against the Master Batters, the Sea Pickles found themselves in hot water as star outfielder John Nam reportedly violated the league’s substance abuse policy.

A photo was reportedly leaked (above) from John Nam’s stay at “The Fortress” a supposed Christian group home that is suspected of being a trap house. (For the people unfamiliar with 21st century poet Future, a trap house is a street slang for a place where drugs are sold). The photo reveals John Nam (back middle) in a group shot with his fellow house mates with a large cloud of smoke coming out of his mouth.

It was also reported that John Nam (right) was involved with indulging in energy drinks, including the popular brand known as Monster. Monster is reportedly affiliated with satanic cults and is known for sending a share of profits to satan. You can watch the renowned findings from a famed scientist named Karen in the video here.

“The Brea Men’s Softball League has yet to officially respond, but we have launched a full internal investigation on the legitimacy of the accusations,” said Manager Chris Lee. “The front office will also determine whether there’s any evidence to corroborate the rumors of foul play and photo doctoring by one ‘Mason Po’.”

John Nam has played an integral role for the Sea Pickles, having helped the team win their first game in history back in 2016. He was named the team MVP that season and has placed runner-up for the past two seasons.  

“Drugs and energy drinks? We don’t do that s***!” exclaimed 2018 MVP Young Kim. “We’re Christians.” 

It is reported that a third-party anti-doping agency “Sam’s Piss Tests” is willing to test John Nam’s urine. The agency will not only test for narcotics, but also look for traces of performance enhancing substances. 

[inversesoftball]

Sea Pickles Purify Master Batters 10-9

BREA, CA. – It was an usually cold summer afternoon at Brea Sports Park as the newly-minted Sea Pickles kicked off their fifth season in the Brea Men’s Softball League. Facing against a powerful Master Batters team comprised of members from last year’s summer league champion, Mother Truckers, the Pickles proved they could still hang with the best as they mustered a narrow 10-9 comeback victory to kick off the season. 

Dongjoo Lee had an impressive game after a year-long layoff due to paternity leave, hitting a perfect 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk, while showing no rust whatsoever at shortstop. Paul Lee and Matt Kim also had solid hitting performances, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and walk each. 

The Sea Pickles looked rusty on offense, mustering only 10 runs (15 is the average), as they got caught hitting into pop flies, but managing to convert with runners in scoring position. However, the pitcher Danny Chun tossed a masterful game, managing to locate his high arch pitches on the plate and inducing the Master Batters to easy fly outs and soft grounders. 

Tensions rose before the game as Chris Lee and Pontius Lee were unavailable due to a family event while Jason Ko was held against his will at an overseers meeting. Temporary Manager Young Kim was on the edge as Reggae’s five song medley caused the team to cut it close for their 4:45 PM game. Matt Kim lost John Nam’s glove on Saturday, and to make matters more nerve-wracking, DJ was running late after tending for his baby son at home. The Pickles started the game short one player, positioning John Nam at short while David Panda Kim made his career debut at first base. 

The top of the first inning ended in the best possible scenario for the Pickles as the Master Batters scored only five runs. DJ returned as the Pickles came to bat, but was forced to hit last in the order as punishment for his tardiness. Eric Chung opened the game with a walk but couldn’t advance after John Namlette flied out and Matt Kim hilariously struck out in shocking fashion. It was up to 2018 MVP Young Kim to come up clutch. After catching Matt Kim’s yips with an awful swing and miss on the second pitch, Young squared up on the third pitch and laced a double to left center to cut the deficit 5-1. 

After Danny kept the score the same with a 1-2-3 inning thanks to some solid fielding by DJ and Eric Chung, the Pickles managed to tack on another run to chip at the lead when DJ laced an opposite field 2-out single to score Jason Park from second base. 

Danny’s stellar pitching managed to keep the Master Batters scoreless in the third inning, striking out their no. 2 hitter in the process. In the bottom of the third inning, the Sea Pickles rallied in dramatic fashion, putting up six runs. With runners on first and second, Young tomahawked a double to left field to bring in one. With one out, Jason Park laced an RBI single to left field to cut the lead 5-4. Danny Chun hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to tie the game. With runners on first and second with two outs, Apaullo laced an RBI single to shallow center to give the Sea Pickles the 6-5 lead. After DJ singled to load the bases, Eric brought home two more runs after hitting a single into the right field hole, ending the inning with an 8-5 lead. 

The Master Batters responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning and threatened to take back the lead. With runners on first and second and one out, Danny Chun managed to navigate out of the jam with two pop flies to preserve the lead, 8-7. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Jun Chung drove in the insurance run with an RBI single. Their opponents managed to cut the lead 9-8 after scoring one run on an RBI single. 

The Namlette led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double and Matt Kim hit a deep sacrifice fly as Nam tagged up from second to home with blazing speed. That proved to be all the difference as the Sea Pickles headed into the final inning with a 9-7 lead. 

Danny Chun and the defense erred on the side of caution, limiting the Master Batters to only singles as they scored one run with two outs. However, Chun shut them down after inducing a game-ending pop fly to win the game. 

[inversesoftball]

Stellar Defense, Tremendous Grit Puts Inverse Past Baggers

BREA, CA. - The Inverse Softball Team prevailed under scorching heat as they managed to grind out one victory in their doubleheader on Sunday, proving that they can hang with the giants of the Brea softball league. Nasung took a 13-11 loss in their opening game against the Mother Truckers, marking the first time they didn’t get mercy-ruled. They followed up with a controlling 15-9 victory over the Double Baggers thanks to their spectacular defensive play and roster depth. 

Stars Of the Day

Chris “Slumpbuster” Lee proved to be the difference maker in game 1, limiting the Mother Truckers to 4 runs in the final four innings of the game after replacing an injured Danny Chun on the mound. He also hit 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI, breaking out of his slump. 

Eric “Bored Intern” Chung and John Namchado both erupted with a 4-for-4 hitting performance while restoring the rightful name of the Black Sea with their stellar defense in the outfield. Chung delivered 5 RBIs and 4 runs with a home run while Nam also had a home run with 3 runs and 5 RBIs. 

“Lite work,” said Chung after the game. 

Inverse 11 - Mother Truckers 13

The Inverse offense got off to a slow start, stranding two runners in the first inning after Youngy Youngchado and MaJun Chungchado failed to bring them home. 

The Truckers wasted no time to jump in front, shelling out five runs in the first inning. 

Things got worse in the second inning as Inverse went down 1-2-3 while the Truckers tacked on three more runs. 

In the top of the third with runners on first and third, Paul Lee brought home the church’s first run with an RBI single. That was all the Inverse could muster as they trailed 8-1 in the third. 

In the top of the fourth, Youngy Kimchado sparked a rally, delivering a 1-run RBI double with runners on first and second with a hard groundball through the middle. Jun Chung followed with a sac fly and Matty Kimchado brought Young home with a RBI single, cutting the lead 8-4. 

Inverse managed to cut into the deficit heading into the final inning, trailing 13-10. However, they only managed to score once in the final inning for the loss.

Inverse 16 - Double Baggers 9

ManEric MaChungdo got the game started with an inside-the-park homerun with a laser towards center field to give Inverse a 1-0 lead. The Double Baggers responded with a brief five-run rally to take a big lead. 

Daniel Klept Cho was joining the team at the bench, providing oddly motivating cheerleading, comparing the Inverse boys to the feudal Korean Army of Admiral Yi Sun Shin.

Somehow that sparked a huge rally in the top of the third. Trailing 6-1 with two outs, MaPaul LeeChado and MaDavid KimChado got on second and third and Eric Chung drove them in with an opposite field laser to cut the lead 6-3. 

Jason Ko followed with a single and MaJohn Namchado cleared the bases with a three-run Inside-the-Park homerun to tie the game. 

Unfortunately, Young killed the inning with a pop fly to end the inning. 

The Baggers tagged two runs in the bottom of the third, but Inverse got stymied in the top of the fourth. Problems arose in the bottom of the fourth when Jun Chung had to pull out of shortstop due to cramping quads, leading to David Panda Kim to fill in at second while the aging Jason Ko shifted to short. The Baggers added one more insurance run to lead 9-6. 

In the top of the fifth, with two outs, Paul Lee drove Jason Park home with an RBI single and after Panda got on base with a double, Eric knocked a two-run RBI single to tie the game. 

After Jason Ko crushed an RBI double for the lead, Nam kept the momentum going with an RBI triple. Young closed the rally with an RBI single to give Nasung a 11-9 lead, but was tagged out on a base-running blunder on a line drive hit by Jun Chung.

Danny Chun shifted to second for the remainder of the game and handled the spot well, helping Inverse keep the Baggers scoreless in the fifth. 

Matt Kim led off with a huge triple and was brought home by Danny to start the sixth inning.

Later with one out and bases loaded, Victor “Soggy” Aguado launched a deep sacrifice fly to give Inverse a 13-9 lead, but Paul Lee popped out to then the sixth. 

After another scoreless inning, thanks to the Black Sea’s defense, the Inverse boys were ready to launch another rally for insurance. With one out and runners on first and second, John Nam slapped an RBI single and Youngchado followed with a base-clearing double that hit the fence to push the lead 16-9. 

In the bottom of the 7th, Chris Lee slammed the door. After giving up a walk, he induced a pop fly to shallow center for the first out. He then surrendered a single to put runners on first and second, but was helped out by Victor’s stellar defending when he fielded a grounder and tagged the runner at third followed by a bullet throw to first for a game-winning double play. 

Game Notes:

- John Nam came a double shy from performing the first cycle in Inverse Softball history. His performances in the last two games has elevated him to MVP talks this season, possibly his second in three seasons. 

- Chris Lee pitched to his first ever career victory, having gone winless in his first season and being absent from the mound during the third season. It was his first pitching appearance since the semifinal match of the second season. 

- Young Kim has failed to refrain from talking trash at other Korean churches, subtly firing shots at Lifestream.

He has also kept uttering “Bury ‘Em” in passing reference of Berean Church, and passive-aggressively posting softball highlights on his IG to bait a Korean church into an beatdown Exhibition. 

- Inverse will play a rematch against the Double-Baggers next Sunday, July 28 at 7:15 PM. 

[inversesoftball]

Inverse Puts On The Greatest Show In Second Straight Victory

BREA, CA. - It was the greatest challenge the Inverse Softball Team has ever faced. Losing six players due to injury or family obligations, the Nasung squad was short one fielder and had to take on the notorious Bass Kickers in a must-win game of the season. The odds were against Inverse. They were missing outfield maestro/speed demon Eric “Take The L” Chung and Dadbod Ball Crusher Jason “Overseer” Ko from the lineup and were facing a team comprised of former high school baseball players.

But in the wise words of legendary circus dude PT Barnum, “Impossible comes true, it's taking over you.” Inverse was the greatest show. They humiliated the Basskickers with a 24-13 beatdown. They are now in 4th place with a 2-5 record and a shot at playoffs.

“We played a smart game today,” said Manager Chris Lee. “Their pitcher was wild and we took advantage. They were clearly frustrated. We anticipate a very chippy game for the season finale.”

“Bass Kickers?” exclaimed one of the player’s moms after the game. “More like got their basses kicked!” (This legit happened according to Chris) (Yes their moms came out to the game. ROFL!!!) (No disrespect to moms. Moms are cool and have all my appreciation and respect. Especially Owen’s mom for bringing waters that one week! That was legit.)

Pontius “Aluminum” Lee had his first perfect game, hitting 4-for-4 wtih two RBIs and three runs. Matt “Pip” Kim went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and 3 runs while Young “Greatest Showman” Kim was 4-for-5 with two runs and four RBIs. Danny Chunbron had his first triple-triple of his career with three runs and three RBIs while hitting 4-for-6.

The first inning nearly looked dire for the Inverse boys as John “MVP” Nam and Jun “Glory Hog” Chung were put out. However, following a single by Young and a walk by Chris, Matt drove in both boys with an RBI single. Danny and Jason “Bloops” Park followed with RBIs of their own to build a 5-0 lead.

The Bass Kickers looked to respond aggressively, putting up four runs in the bottom of the first.

Jun went full glory in the top of the second with a solo inside-the-park shot to make it 7-4.

The Bass Kickers answered back with some sizzling offense, taking advantage of several Inverse errors to lead 8-7. The two teams went back-and-forth as the game went on, and the Inverse defense showed more life as Matt Kim saved Inverse from some runs with a bullet throw from left field to throw out a runner at third. John Nam also made up for Eric Chung’s absense with a handful of dazzling catches at centerfield.

“We knew outfield had to step it up because we did not have our defensive MVP,” said John Nam. “We played with heart and hustle and it showed on the field. Shout out to Matt Kim for throwing out that guy at third. No one runs on Matt Kim!”

Trailing 10-8 at the top of the fifth, the game began to unfold.

Inverse lit it up and didn’t come down.

The sun couldn’t stop them now.

They put on the greatest show.

Inverse tacked on a bajillion runs in the fifth, taking 5 walks while Matt Kim had a huge base-clearing triple, while Young drilled a fence-grazing double with the bases-loaded to make it 18-10. The Inverse boys went through the lineup twice in that inning. Then in the final inning, Inverse mercilessly took walks and slapped in more runs, including a smoking line drive by Danny and an RBI liner from Victor “Soggy” Aguando.

Demoralized and dreading the second half of their doubleheader, the Bass Kickers surmounted a half-hearted rally that ended on two diving catches by John Nam and a easy fly out caught by Soggy.

After the game, the Bass Kickers delivered half-hearted postgame high fives while one of the players sarcastically remarked “Good eye.”

He was salty cuz Inverse took 8 walks total in the last two innings.

Also this:

Inverse finally has a non-church rival. They legit hate us...I think.

But for now, lets enjoy this two-game winning streak.

Game Notes

- Chris Lee has gone 1-6 the last two games and expects to be hitting in the bottom half of the lineup until he breaks out of this slump. He’ll be batting in the top of the line in two weeks.

- The players whose girlfriends showed up to the game hit a combined 9-for-10 6 RBIs, 5 runs, and 3 doubles. “Having a girlfriend is much better than steroids,” said a player who refused to be named.

- Inverse is now 1-0 when Young plays “Greatest Showman” before the game. He’s trying really hard to convince the team to adapt this as their theme song.

- Eric Chung will now bat 12th to get his RBI opportunities.

- Jun Chung was invited by Faith Community to help them in their game against Bass Kickers last week. His scouting report “They’re not that good.” has been the rallying cry this past week.

- Elisha Lee might get fired for not recording videos.

[inversesoftball]

Elisha Lee’s Gatorade Propels Inverse To First Win Under Torrid Heat

BREA, CA. - The Nasung Church Softball Team caught fire literally and figuratively under 100 degree weather on Sunday afternoon, as the Inverse boys swung a hot bat, including three inside-the-park home runs, to beat Faith Community 17-10. Danny “Chunbron” Chun was solid from the mound, never surrendering a walk, while the defense had their best performance as of late, surrender less than five runs per inning, including two shutouts. 

“We were dreading having to play in the heat,” said Young “Harambe” Kim, “But the Gatorades provided by our loyal fan Elisha Lee inspired us to compete our best.” 

Jason Ko “Daddy.com” went 3-for-4 with two runs and five RBIs, building an on-going case for MVP as he is hitting an unprecedented .800 avg, .800 obp with six runs and 11 RBI. John “Viet” Nam and Young Kim each went 4-for-4 as Nam had four runs and an RBI, while Young had three runs, four RBIs, including an inside-the-park bomb. 

After a fairly rough first inning in which the Faith Community guys took a 4-0 lead, Inverse struck back in the bottom half of the inning as Jason Ko laced an opposite field bomb for a triple to bring in two runs. 

That set the tone as Inverse rallied for three more runs to take a 5-4 lead. 

The defense made some incredible plays to stifle Faith Community’s momentum. Jun “Terima Kasih” Chung, back from three weeks of mission work utilized his new missionary powers (and fitness) to make several nifty plays at shortstop, including this snagged line drive. 

In the later innings, Eric “Victory Royale” Chung demonstrated the strength of the Black Sea, robbing a deep fly ball in front of the fence to bail the team out of an inning.

On offense, hilarity ensued in the second inning with Jason Ko on first base when Young hit a grounder to short and beat out the throw. The first baseman misplayed the ball and Jason Ko, despite being a father and pretty old, showed off his wheels to gift Young an RBI.

Inverse rallied for four more runs in the second inning to lead 9-6. 

The third inning was no different as Inverse slapped five singles to produce four more runs, courtesy of Paul “Apaullo” Lee, Eric Chung, Nam, Ko, and Young Kim. They led 13-7. 

After a shutout in the top of the fourth, Inverse tacked on an insurance run, courtesy of a solo home run by Danny Chun, his first of the season. 

Eric Chung and Young Kim each had a solo inside-the-parker as Inverse rallied for three more to build a 17-7 lead. 

Faith Community looked to rally in the top of the sixth, and threatened briefly with three runs. However, Paul Lee came through with a running catch on a foul ball to end the inning and secure the victory. 

GAME NOTES

- Inverse currently sits tied in fourth in the Brea Softball League standings. Given the new league format, they will be playing alongside strong teams comprised of softball broskis instead of mediocre church teams. 

- Ayden Lebron Lee’s father (aka Dongjoo Lee) is expected to miss almost the rest of the season due to prepaternity and paternity leave. Jun Chung has filled in valiently. 

- Danny Chun has broken out of his lumber slumber, hitting his first deep ball of the season. 

- Jason “bloops” Park has been making a case for Rookie of the Year, slashing a .583 avg, .667 obp with three runs and nine RBIs. 

- Matt “The best player on the team” Kim has struggled, batting a career-low .222 avg with three runs and three RBIs. Jason Ko has been breathing down his neck for the 3 spot in the batting order. 

[inversesoftball]

Danny Chunshaw Holds Calvary To 9 In Preseason Victory

BREA, CA. - The Inverse Softball Team kicked off the 2018 Season with a convincing 11-9 victory over Calvary Chapel in a preseason meeting. Despite being limited by their maddingly inconsistent and streaky offense, the Nasungers relied on their defense and the sharp pitching of sophomore Danny “Dlaurel” Chun to suppress the mighty Calvary. 

“Glad to get a win in our first game back,” said Head Coach Chris Lee. “Good defense all around. Bats were streaky but we’ve been worse. Hope to build on this preseason game with a win in the season opener.” 

The top of the order sluggers Eric Chung, John Nam, and Matt Kim each went 3-for-4 and provided plenty of damage at the plate. Chung had a leadoff inside-the-park home run to open up the game, and followed up in the 5th with base-clearing triple in which he was tagged out at home plate. 

Matt Kim’s biggest contribution came in the 5th inning in which he hit a base-clearing triple to score John Nam and give Inverse an 7-6 lead. Young Kim later slapped an RBI to bring Matt home to make it 8-6. 

In the Bottom of the 7th, Calvary looked determined to close the gap and tie the game. Trailing 11-8, Calvary managed to tag one run with an RBI. However, with two outs and runners on first and second, Danny Chun managed to induce a ground out to second to win the game. 

Notable Snag

Rookie fill-in Jason Park made an incredible debut, hitting 2-for-3 with an RBI. He also made a nice read on a fly ball to snag the final out of the fourth inning. 

Random Notes

- Last season, Nasung fell to Calvary 22-5 after Pat depleted the team of valuable players like Jun Chung, DJ Lee, and Matt Kim. Their presence made all the difference today. 

- DJ was the only player on Inverse to strike out, earning a golden sombrero. 

- Eric Chung is putting on an early case for MVP this season, potentially becoming the final member of the famed “Black Sea” outfield corp to earn the title. 

- Danny Chun added a curve ball to his repertoire, which certainly flustered the Calvary offense to more pop flies and soft grounders. He also single handedly fielded three grounders, to deny easy bases.

Up Next: The season officially begins on June 3 as the league takes a break next Sunday to honor Memorial weekend. 

[inversesoftball]

The 2018 Inverse Softball Prospectus

2017 marked a season of progress, surprises, and perseverance as the Nasung Softball Team closed out the summer season with a 4-6 record and a trip to the Brea Softball League final. After a slow start marred by inconsistency and sabotage from a certain youth pastor, the Nasung boys got their act together towards the end of the season to put on a remarkable playoff run that led to a championship game defeat to Foothill Church. The Inverse boys were vaulted by the improved production from the likes of Young Kim and Daniel Pontius Lee while rookie Danny Chun surprised the team with his outstanding pitching despite not knowing a single thing about baseball.

Having gotten a taste of postseason glory, the ‘Verse boys are hungry to clinch Nasung’s first championship title while holding their claim as the best Asian softball church in America.

Competition from Within

Newly crowned father Jason Ko is determined to improve from his declining production over the last three seasons by wagering with teammates on whether he can finish in the top 5 on the team in batting average. The 38-year old batted .400 last season and is .476 for his career. The Glendale High baseball alum who missed his 20 year high school reunion last summer, has failed to live up to expectations although he is the only member on the team to have played baseball at the high school level. Getting back in shape through a rigorous biking regimen, Ko bet a gourmet dinner with Manager Chris Lee, Matt Kim, and John Nam.

Roster Flexibility?

There are rumors within team of players wanting to play new positions, as certain individuals have expressed dissatisfaction with being pigeon-holed to certain positions. According to a leak from the official team GroupMe from an unknown source, Pontius Lee, Jason Ko, DJ Lee, and Jun Chung have been itching to take Young Kim’s spot at first base. With the exception of Pontius Lee who poses a visible threat to take the spot with his improved digging ability, Kim has voiced his honest critique to the Nasung Softball Gazette regarding his teammates’ ambition.

“Look I get why these guys want the first base position,” Young Kim said on record. “Most plays involve the first baseman. But real talk, I know that these guys have gotten out of shape since they got married and are trying to avoid their responsibility as ball players to excel at their OWN positions.”

“If they want to stand in a corner and catch balls thrown by Chris, that’s cool,” Young added. “But it takes a lot of mobility to hold down this spot. Let those four ground balls I snuffed against Wilshire speak for itself.”

Young later confided that he was open to playing right field should Daniel Pontius Lee take first base.

“He’s the only one I consider a legit threat for my position,” Young remarked. “There are things they teach in jiu-jitsu that help you excel at first base.”

In other news, John Nam has expressed interest in becoming the fifth pitcher on the team alongside Chris Lee, Panda Kim, Nathan Oh, and Danny Chun. Chun has also been open to stealing the shortstop position from Dongjoo Lee.

Season Projections

John Nam, Eric Chung, and Chris Lee produced at astronomical figures during the 2016 season, but suffered noticeable regression in the 2017 season. All three players will seek to return to their 2016 form to spark the offense into championship form.

Young Kim, Pontius Lee, and Jun Chung displayed more efficiency in their plate appearances and are itching to prove that 2017 was not a fluke.

Nathan Oh, DJ Lee, and Matt Kim have shown consistency when they were on the field the last three seasons, but have missed significant time on the field due to off-field distractions. However there are some expectations that Matt will blow up for an astronomical breakout season unseen in Brea Softball history as he’s going to be relieved from OBC ministry duties this season.

All eyes will be on Danny Chun, who looks to prove that he is the real deal after a highly productive rookie season. Hopefully he avoids the dreaded sophomore slump.

Rookie of the Year candidates David Chung and Paul Lee have flashed potential late last season and will look to solidify their spots on the roster.

Three players who are hoping to prove next season will be their breakout year are Jason Ko, David Panda Kim, and Rico Marshello. The team has been taking notice of Jason Ko’s biking commute regimen, David Kim’s commitment to the Insanity 30 workout series, and Rico Marshello’s engagement preparation, and hopes that these off-field activities can translate into on-field success.

Season Prediction

Inverse Softball is expected to finish 6-4, finishing above .500 for the first time in franchise history. The team hopes for another chance for a title and see a finish outside the top four as a failed season. Inverse will prepare themselves through monthly beatdowns against Lifestream, Berean, and hopefully Living Hope once Young convinces his friend to form a softball team.

[inversesoftball]

Nasung gets murked, but gladly finishes second

BREA, Calif. – It finally happened. The weapons formed against the Nasung Church Softball Team finally prospered. No miraculous comeback or unbelievable rallies spurred by the Holy Spirit. Maybe it was cuz Matt Kim got carried away texting the team’s Groupme during Rand’s sermon. Maybe it was Young’s fault for jinxing the team on Facebook. It was a night where God could care less about the results on the scoreboard, and wanted the team to evaluate their hearts and demonstrate his light in the midst of trivial defeat. 

In the season that was thought to be promised, the Nasung Softball Team got murked in stunning fashion as Foothill Church took the Brea League Championship 25-7. Despite bringing in a record sellout crowd that exceeded last season’s quarterfinal game, Nasung struggled to wow their fans as the boys failed to string hits and limit the Foothill bats. In more shocking fashion, leading hitters Matt “Karl” Kim and Young “Hit Daddy” Kim only had two plate appearances during the game as did local braggadocio Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee.

“How is the heart of the lineup supposed to carry the team if we only get two at-bats?” Young grumbled as he collected his belongings out of the dugout. Shortly after, his demeanor changed after seeing his adoring fans form a tunnel on his way out. “You know what? I’m glad we took second place. It’s a miracle we came this far in what has been a challenging year.”

Eric “Esta Lit” Chung went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs while John “2016 MVP” Nam also went 2-for-3 with one run and two RBIs. Matt and Young Kim went 1-for-1 with a walk each and an RBI.

Foothill Church played the smartest softball of their season while postseason nerves and jitters got the best of Nasung’s lineup. The champions carried momentum from their 8-run first inning and strung hits after hits, exposing gaps in Nasung’s defense and getting on base. Meanwhile, Nasung struggled to connect, as solid line drives were snagged away by the perfect positioning of Foothill’s infield.

There really wasn’t much to say. Nasung got rocked and couldn’t meet the fans’ expectations or deliver on the promise of bringing an exciting game. Regardless, by the grace of God, the fans still cheered on Nasung for a wildly successful season. Second place in a challenging league is nothing to groan about. Even if the finish did not go as expect, the Inverse Boys aka Cuddlefishes can hang their heads high, knowing full well that they were able to stand toe-to-toe with the best competition in Orange County and triumph all season until the end.

“As the owner of the team, I am very proud of how our players played this season. We had some doubters criticize our big contracts early on in the season but we knew what we were doing,” said team owner Jenson “Shien” Wong. “We built this team to contend for championships. Needless to say, that’s exactly how it played out and will continue to play out.”

Inverse Softball will take their frustrations out against softball newbies Lifestream Church in two weeks on Sunday, September 10 at 5pm. Pastor Howard Kim asked Manager Chris “Captain” Lee to teach the Lifestream boys a thing or two about humility. 

“We’ll deal with them like we did to Berean,” Young Kim retorted. “Bury em.”

There are rumors that Exchange Church will bring some of their people to play as well. Anyone who has never played softball with Inverse are welcome to join and play with the team. Girls from those other churches are likely to show up.

POSTSEASON AWARDS

The Brea Softball League announced awards for the top performers of the 2017 Summer Season. Surprisingly every member of the Nasung Softball Team were handed prestigious accolades that were well-deserved and best exemplified by the talent they displayed on the field and the character shown off of it.

JACKIE ROBINSON AWARD (Rookie of the Year): Paul “Junoflo’s Friend” Lee

HUTCH AWARD (Competitive Spirit): Rico “Chelsea” Marshello

LOU GEHRIG AWARD (Good Character): Jason “Old” Ko

 “It truly is an honor to be given the same award as my high school teammate Lou Gehrig,” Jason “Old Guy” Ko said after receiving a trophy with a McDonalds’ 2 sandwiches for $10 coupon attached to it. “Lou Gehrig was a dear friend of mine back in the 1920s and it brings me much joy to bear his namesake.”  

BABE RUTH AWARD (Playoff MVP): Jun “Tom Cruise” Chung

ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD (Community Involvement): Chris “Captain” Lee

HANK AARON AWARD (Glorified Millenial Participation Trophy): Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee

EDGAR MARTINEZ AWARD (Best DH): Phil “The Kill” Ahn

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nathan “Hit Doctor” Oh

SILVER SLUGGER INFIELD: Young “Hit Daddy” Kim

SILVER SLUGGER OUTFIELD: John “2016 MVP” Nam

GOLD GLOVE INFIELD: DJ “That’s My DJ” Lee

GOLD GLOVE OUTFIELD: Eric “Esta Lit” Chung

ROLAIDS RElIEF MAN OF THE YEAR: David “Panda” Kim

CY YOUNG AWARD: Danny “Targaeryan” Chun

MVP: Matt “Karl” Kim

LOYAL FAN OF YEAR: Elisha “Loyal” Lee

 FINAL SEASON STATS

Matt .737 avg/9 runs/13 RBIs

Young .684 /10/10

Nathan* .667/2/ 7

Jun .654/9/ 15

DJ .625/15/10

Danny .615/11/10

John .600/15/13

Daniel .600/16/9

Paul .600/4/5

Eric .551/14/17

Phil .533/5/5

Chris .448/12/8

Jason .400/2/2

David .389/6/3

Rico .375/6/4

*Only played two games

[inversesoftball]

Eighth Seed Nasung heads to Championship game after stunning Wilshire 19-5

BREA, Calif. – The last shall be first. Manager Chris “Head Trauma” Lee emphasized this biblical truth to the team throughout the season during their five-game losing streak. The team kept the faith as they entered the playoffs with a 1-6 record to face top-seeded Faith Community (6-1). Nasung cruised through Faith Community with a 22-12 victory last week, setting themselves up for a semifinal matchup against fourth-seeded Wilshire (4-3).

Nasung prevailed today with a landslide 19-5 victory over Wilshire and avenged their regular season loss to them. 

“We were all on our A-game today,” said Chris Lee. “Offensively, we practiced solid patient hitting. Defensively, we laid everything out on the field. We are carrying a lot of momentum into next week’s final game with this much-improved team.”

In spite of losing four players to the DL (Devotion List), Nasung made good use of their patchwork rotation as several key athletes stepped up big time in their most important game of the season. David “Panda” Kim started for the first time since week 2, throwing only three walks and surrendering a team-record five runs. Young “Daddy” Kim bounced back from his hiatus in Minnesota, exploding for 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs, while John “MVP” Nam continued his hot playoff hitting a homerun shy of a cycle, going 3-for-4 with three runs and 1 RBI. DJ “Sarah’s Boy” Lee showed sharp discipline at the plate, taking three walks and hitting one triple. DJ finished the game with four runs and one RBI.

Nasung’s offense met an abrupt end in the first inning, as the Wilshire defense tamed the top of the order with smart fielding as Nasung left one runner on base. The inverse defense answered back, as Panda give up only one hit while the defense supported him.

The Wilshire pitcher struggled in the top of the second inning, throwing three straight walks. Nathan “Hit Doctor” Oh brought DJ Lee home with a fielder’s choice grounder and Panda followed up with an RBI single past the shortstop to give Inverse a 2-0 lead.

As expected, Nasung anticipated Wilshire’s bat to get hot in the bottom of the second inning as the opposition strung several hits; however, the defense did an excellent job in containing the damage as Young handled several easy grounders and Eric “Esta Lit” Chung run through for a fly out. Wilshire only scored two to reset the game.

Needing a boost on the offensive end, Nasung went off on a big rally in the top of third inning, scoring six runs to take an 8-2 lead. Matt “Carl” Kim had a two-run RBI to bring in John and Eric. Four batters later, Young lined a two-run RBI single towards center field to bring DJ and Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee home.

Panda continued to deal, holding Wilshire scoreless in the bottom of the third inning and Nasung added six more runs in the following inning. Phil “The Kill” Ahn sparked the rally with a double and John brought him home with a triple that had the potential to be an inside-the-park homerun had it not been for DJ’s overly cautious third base coaching. The team kept stringing hits as Nathan capped off the rally with a two-run RBI single, giving Nasung a 14-2 lead.

Wilshire finally woke up in the fourth inning, taking advantage of a rare error from Nasung’s flawless defense, after Pontius Lee bobbled a grounder and misthrew a ball to first that ended up scoring two runs. Wilshire added one more to cut into Nasung’s lead, 14-5. They had the opportunity to string another rally after shutting down Nasung’s bats with a 1-2-3 inning in the following inning, but Panda responded by holding Wilshire scoreless yet again.

Nasung delivered the dagger with a 5-run rally in the top of the sixth, as Nathan Oh once again with a two-run RBI double and Paul “Junoflo’s Friend” Lee capped it off with an RBI line drive to center field.

Needing to close the door with a 19-5 lead, Panda forced Wilshire into two deadballs before Young had the game-sealing groundout to secure the victory.

Nasung will face Foothill in the championship game on Sunday August 27th at 7:15 PM in Brea Sports Park. All Inverse Members are required to attend to retain their membership.

The team will also sign autographs after the game for Fan Appreciation Night. First two fans to line up will get a free ball for autographs. Game worn t-shirts will be auctioned off for the Inverse Missions Fund.

GAME NOTES

-Cooler heads will prevail next week as Young and Pontius yelled at teammates during crucial moments of the game. Manager Chris Lee will be sure to dole out team discipline as he deems necessary.

-With Panda’s absolute gem during the semifinal and Danny “Young’s Son” Chun’s consistency throughout the season, next week’s starting pitcher has yet to be determined. The results of a church-wide poll on the Inverse Facebook page will be taken to consideration.

-Leadoff hitter Eric Chung seems to be struggling, hitting 2-for-7 during the playoffs. However, he has been a defensive stalwart in left field, locking it down for the Black Sea.

-Pontius Lee claims he is the fourth member of the Black Sea. Eric Chung declined to comment while John Nam stared awkwardly at the ground.

-After a sloppy regular season, John Nam has been cranking it in the playoffs. He is hitting .625 with seven RBIs and six runs.

-Chris Lee earned the nickname “Head Trauma” after getting hit in the head by a grounder from Pontius Lee while running from second to third. The ball took a bad bounce off the dirt and came straight at Chris’ temple. Later in the game on defense, Chris Lee tried to dive for a foul pop fly, but his head hit the fence and he took a bad whiplash. The third base coach from Wilshire was kind enough to check if Chris was ok.

-Elisha Lee brought Gatorade, but bought the worst flavors possible on purpose. Who the hell drinks orange melon Gatorade? Matt Kim was conspicuously given his favorite flavor.

-Young Kim fielded four grounders, which was four times more than what he saw the entire season (and career).

[inversesoftball]

Faith Community clutches game-winner over Nasung in battle of Korean Churches

BREA, Calif. – They thought they had it. They should’ve had it. But in the end, the wrong unsullied team came out on top in the battle of the Korean Churches as Faith Community (6-1) upset Nasung Church (1-6) with a game-winning single in the bottom of the 6th to win 13-12. Danny “Targaryen” Chun had a spell-binding performance on the mound, limiting the walks while the defense only committed three errors, but Nasung’s offense couldn’t produce in key situations to take the game away. Eric “Esta Lit” Chung went 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs and three RBIs while Danny Chun was 4-for-5 with a run and three RBIs.

“I’m proud of the way we put it all out there today to close out the regular season,” said Chris “Captain” Lee. “The game was a preview of our probable first round playoff matchup next week. I am certain that we can go out there and get the win next week.”

Nasung jumped on board with some smart hitting, putting up two runs in the first inning thanks to an RBI single from DJ “Littlefingers” Lee and a sacrifice fly from Jun “Junga Chunga” Chung. Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee flied out to end the inning, much to the ire of Young “Harambe” Kim who desperately wanted to add to his RBI total.

Danny Chun pitched brilliantly in his first inning, knocking them out with a 1-2-3 inning. Some stellar defending from Matt “Carl” Kim and Eric “esta lit” chung limited the potential damage from the big hitters on Faith Community.

Young Kim led off the second inning with his third triple of the season and Jason “Owen’s dad” Ko brought him home with a slap single to left. Eric Chung, Danny Chun, and Matt kept the rally going with consecutive RBI singles to give Nasung a 6-0 lead. Unfortunately DJ and Jun hit into two deadballs to end the inning.

Faith Community finally caught fire in the bottom of the second, stringing singles and hard-hit grounders to go on a huge rally, scoring six to tie the game.

Nasung tagged Faith Community with three more runs, thanks to a sac fly from Jason and an RBI triple from Chris “Captain” Lee. Eric capped the short rally with an RBI single, giving Nasung a 9-6 lead.

Faith Community broke out for four runs to take a narrow one-run lead, but Young made an awesome catch to rob Matt Kim from glory. Unfortunately, Young’s irrational confidence and swagger made him legitimately believe he was Yasiel Puig as he tried to throw out the runner heading home. That mistake advanced the runner from first to second, who later scored.

Down, 10-9, Nasung managed to tie it up in the top of the fifth thanks to an RBI single from Danny Chun to score the speedy Eric Chung; however Danny got caught in a pickle.

The two teams exchanged a run the next inning (Thanks to Jun Chung), but with the game tied, Nasung managed to get a much-needed shutout in the bottom of the 6th inning thanks to some gully defending from the outfield and a clutch double-play from DJ Lee.

Eric Chung brought the team ahead in the top of the seventh with an inside the park homerun, but the rest of the offense could not add any insurance run as they got stifled with the bases loaded.

In the final inning, with two outs, Faith Community had runners on second and third. Some short Asian dude from faith community flippin hit a hard grounder past the middle to bring in two to win the game.

Nasung will face Faith Community again in the playoff next week, hoping to win in a game that counts. Time TBA.

Game Notes

-  Nasung is 2-1 all-time in the Korean Series against Faith Community

- Elisha “Loyal” Lee came through with the Gatorade. This time she bought the 30 oz for each member.

-  John “MVP” Nam missed out on the game because he was coming home from San Francisco. Patrick “L” Cho was somehow involved in this.

-  Rico, Johnnie Lee, Phil Ahn also missed the game due to random circumstances.

-  Joey Yim is still on the DL with some mysterious injury.

-  “Nice try,” Eric Chung said encouragingly after the team failed to capitalize on his go-ahead home run. He really wanted the headline. 

- Jason Ko hit a line drive over the outfielder’s head, but only got on first base cuz he was old. “I thought it was a double for sure,” he said. “When I finally reached first, I was like ‘How the heck did the outfielder already have the ball?’”

-  Young is pretty disappointed that Faith Community didn’t bring a lot of single ladies to the game. “Had they shown up, I would’ve unlocked my potent homerun power,” Young said in an interview with the reporter.

- Young will be out of town next week to Minnesota for a wedding. He really wants to be at the game and almost thought about selling his plane ticket, until he realized it was just softball.

[inversesoftball]

Issa Win! Nasung erupts for 21 -14 victory.

BREA, Calif. – Euphoric. Exhilarating. Ecstatic. No adjective that started with the letter E could describe the excitement the Nasung Softball Team felt after winning their first game of the 2017 season. After suffering through countless close losses throughout the season and a humbling mercy-rule loss, Dongjoo “Sarah’s Boy” Lee led the offense to exorcise the demons that have cursed Nasung by guiding them to a 21-14 victory over Wilshire #2.

“It was a true team win today. Every guy (except Daniel Pontius Lee) did his part and didn’t make it about himself,” said Chris Lee. “That’s the approach we need to take every week.”

Dongjoo Lee went off for a career-high five RBIs, going 3-for-3 at the plate and crossing for two runs. Chris “Da Boss” Lee broke out of his slump with a 3-for-3 performance with three runs and three RBIs as did Eric “Esta Lit” Chung who went 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. Danny “The Rookie” Chun displayed incredible maturity on the mound, shaking off a rough start to hold off the Wilshire #2 sluggers to a career-low 14 runs.

“It was a career game for me, but most importantly we got the W,” said Dongjoo Lee. “Our first W.”

Nasung’s defense got off to an incredible start as Chun held Wilshire to a 1-2-3 inning, salvaged by an incredible catch from Matt Kim.

In the bottom of the first inning with two outs, Young “Harambe” Kim took an ill-advised walk to advance Matt “Carl” Kim to second. With Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee at the plate, Matt tried to take an early jump, but got called out for leaving the bag before the first pitch, an infraction against the ASA rules.

Wilshire #2 lit up the Nasung boys in the 2nd inning as Danny Chun struggled to find the strike zone. The combination of walks and some clean hitting gave Wilshire a 10-run rally. Fortunately, Chun found his rhythm and nabbed a strikeout to end the inning.

Trailing 10-0, Nasung knew they needed to hit smart, string singles and do whatever they can to get the next man up. They did exactly that. Hits after hits, Nasung erupted for 13 runs, including a two-run RBI triple from Dongjoo Lee and a two-run RBI single from Matt Kim. 

In the top of the third inning, Wilshire looked to strike back, sending in a run off an RBI double, but Nasung’s defense contained Wilshire from going on a rally. With one out and a runner on second, the following batter pounded a hard grounder to third. Chris Lee bobbled the ball, but after he had control he saw the runner from second head home. He quickly threw at catcher Rico “Kobel” Marshello and trapped the runner into a pickle. After exchanging throws back and forth, Dongjoo Lee rallied behind Rico on the throw to the plate and tagged out the runner for the second out.

With runners on first and second, a Wilshire hitter managed to line a soft single to load the bases. With the bases loaded, the runner on third came out for a pinch runner and grabbed the bat. However, the umpire ruled the play dead, stating that a hitter cannot hit out of the order, bailing Nasung out of the Jam.

Nasung offense went silent in the third inning, holding onto a narrow 13-11 lead. Nasung’s defense came up clutch again, as Danny forced opposing batters into easy pop flies and gave up only one more run.

Matt Kim took a walk to start the fourth and Young advanced him with a line drive single in the bottom of the fourth. Pontius Lee advanced on a short single into the center field gap and John Nam brought two home two to spark a 8-run rally in the fourth inning.

With a 21-12 lead into the fifth inning, Nasung gave up two runs, but Pontius Lee and Eric Chung got an out each by snatching pop flies. 

Jun “Jungah Chungah” Chung finished the game by fielding a soft grounder and throwing the runner out at first to end the game.

Nasung will play next week on August 6th against Korean church Faith Community at 6pm. 

“I’m glad we are taking some positive momentum into the marquee matchup next week against our Korean rivals at Faith Community,” said Chris Lee 

GAME NOTES

- Elisha “Loyal” Lee forgot to film Dongjoo Lee’s two triples. You had one job kiddo. But thanks for the cold Gatorades.

- Pontius Lee self-proclaimed that he is now part of the Black Sea outfield unit. He’s currently in the lead for the “Irrational Confidence” and the “Jun Chung Glory Hog” awards. 

- Before the season, Matt “Carl” Kim swore a vow to Jesus Christ on remaining single before the start of the season. Matt planned to uphold the vow until Nasung wins a game in this season. He’s now on the market. 

- Everyone in the lineup except Young got an RBI today. That doesn’t meant Young is a terrible player. He just didn’t get the opportunity to bring anyone home. He is saving his best performance for next week depending on how many single sisters from Faith Community come to the game. 

[inversesoftball]

Patrick L. Cho sabotages Nasung Softball as they get mercy-ruled 22-5

BREA, Calif. – Nasung looked ready to earn their first win as they faced off against the then-winless Calvary Church. Unfortunately, Nasung suffered their worst loss in two years as they got mercy-ruled 22-5 in the 5th inning. The boys lost their three crucial defenders in Matt “Carl” Kim, Jun “Melony’s Boy” Chung, and Dongjoo “Can’t figure out a nickname” Lee were held against their will by Patrick Cho in some “youth retreat meeting”. Phil “The Kill” Ahn went 2-for-2 with two RBIs while Young “Harambe” Kim went 1-for-1 with a run and RBI.

“We sucked,” said John “MVP” Nam after the game.

In the top of the first inning, Eric “Esta Lit” Chung almost crushed an out of the park homerun, but the ball fell right in front of the fence into the left-fielders glove. Nasung thought they were in for a solid game after a solid defensive start in the first inning. In the bottom of the first inning, Nasung After snagging a routine grounder, Jason Koribe flashed some leather with a 5-4-3 double play to hold Calvary scoreless. The Inverse boys went off with a four-run rally in the top of the second inning sparked by a string of singles and walks.

Unfortunately things went south from there. Nasung felt Matt, Jun, and Dongjoo’s absence from the third inning and beyond as Calvary posted 7 runs in the third inning, 5 runs in the fourth, and 10 in the fifth inning. John “MVP” Nam and Eric “Esta Lit” Chung were playing well in outfield while Pontius “Dangerzone” Lee filled in admirably at second base. However, Calvary kept ripping line drives into gaps and just crushed Nasung into misery, putting an end to their drought.

“We are the worst team in the league,” said Chris “Captain” Lee. “But last season, we didn’t win until the sixth game. #TheLastShallBeFirst”

At least he made this sick snag

Nasung will play Wilshire #2 next week, July 30 at 4:45 PM.

Game Notes

- Jason Ko and Young “Harambe” Kim combined for three slides today. Young actually turned a grounder into a double.

- Elisha “Loyal” Lee bought the team Gatorade for the team. The team would appreciate more loyal fans who can stick with us thick and thin. Elisha Lee is the best.

- Patrick Cho currently holds a 0-1 record this season, his first loss of the season.

- The team will conduct a hitter’s only meeting to figure out to fix whatever the heck is wrong with the team. 

[inversesoftball]

Captain Ko stirs team controversy after 15-11 loss.

BREA, Calif. – Despite the return of hairy grizzled veteran Jason “Captain Savage” Ko, Nasung Church (0-4) struggled to capitalize on an 8-0 lead as they fell to Wilshire Church 15-11.

“I thought we started well. Got some key hits to jump out to a big lead. Played some fundamentally sound defense,” said Jason Ko after the game. “Then it just fell apart. Let's just say there were some routine plays that should've been made. Also some guys took poor at-bats. Those are rally killers. I know it's my first game back and all but I felt I could've made a bigger contribution batting higher up the lineup. But that's the manager's decision and I respect it. But I don't how happy I'll be batting 10th the rest of the season. Just saying.”

Manager Chris Lee has yet to comment or offer his interpretation of Ko’s remarks. Consequential action from the clubhouse is yet to be determined.

UPDATE: Here the word from Manager Chris Lee

“While Jason is our oldest and most respected player, comments like these cannot and will not go without facing some kind of disciplinary action,” said Chris Lee. “However, we will keep said actions private.”

"In unrelated news, I can neither confirm nor deny that our newly implemented annual team outing to King Taco at the end of the season will be on his tab."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John “MVP” Nam went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and made several awesome plays like and an RBI as did Jun “Tom Cruise” Chung who had two RBIs. Danny “Youtube Padawan” Chun continues to make a strong case for the Brea League Rookie of the Year with a 2-for-2 performance, including a triple. He gave up 16 runs, but was charged for 10 while striking out one.

Nasung flashed their leather in the first two innings as Danny Chun kept Wilshire scoreless by forcing them into easy pop flies like these.

The Inverse boys took an early lead in the top of the second. With two outs and nobody on, Young “Harambe” Kim was determined to get something going, slapping a 3-1 single to left field. Danny Chun followed up with a screaming line drive triple over the left fielder’s head to bring Young home, giving Nasung a 1-0 lead.

The boys made more noise in the third inning with a ridiculous 7-run rally. Jason Ko started things off with a leadoff single and David “Panda” Kim put runners on second and third with a double. Johnnie “Cage” Lee brought them home with a looping single over first base. Phil Ahn grounded to short, but reached safely on a fielding error and advanced to second while Johnnie took third. Joey grounded out, but brought Johnnie home and DJ “Sarah’s boy” Lee ripped a single to get the rally going. 

After the MVP reached first on a base hit, Matt “Still Single” Kim brought DJ home with a long single to left and Jun capped the rally with a line drive to left center to score two.

However, Nasung’s glory was short-lived as Wilshire Church gave Nasung a taste of their own comeback medicine, cruising for six runs in the bottom of the third inning. However, all was salvaged by a great catch from Matt Kim and a strikeout from Danny Chun.

The offense could not capitalize the following inning as Nasung was held silent in the top of the fourth inning. Nasung’s 8-6 lead was short-lived as Wilshire plated three runs, to take a 9-8 lead. However, Chris Lee did make an awesome snag on a line drive.

Nasung added one more run in the top of the 5th  thanks to an RBI from Rico “Cobel” Marshello, but Wilshire continued to reel with three more runs in the bottom of the 5th with three more runs.

The Inverse boys tried to rally back with two runs in the top of the 6th, but after Wilshire added three more runs with one out, the Umpire thought he had better things to do like watch the season premiere of Game of Thrones and called the game off, denying Nasung a chance at making a comeback in the bottom of the 6th.

Young’s Notes

-  The word “single” was used fewer times in this recap than the amount of years Matt Kim has been single. I know…surprising.

-   Eric “Esta lit” Chung didn’t play today. He went to a Jack Johnson concert

-  Young “Harambe” Kim flew back from Cabos San Lucas before the game and arrived at LAX around 4:30 pm. He made it in time for warmups.

-  My intern Elisha “Loyal” Lee showed up late, which is why we don’t have videos of Danny Chun’s RBI triple.

- A week after Eric Chung went hitless, Chris Lee saw his first 0-for-3 performance in two seasons. The slump is contagious. 

- Rumor has it that Chris Lee will royally punish veteran Jason Ko with a DFA and a hefty fee of Zo 2s for the entire team unless he repays him, DJ Lee, Young Kim and a few others with tickets to the Dodgers World Series games.

Elisha’s Notes

-  This is the first game where the team took 0 walks

- Nasung went 8-for-22 with runners in scoring position.

- The team went on a 7-run rally when Elisha lee arrived to the game.

- This is John Nam’s first game at left field.

- Nasung will face Calvary next Sunday at 4:45 PM! It is the battle between two 0-4 teams. 

- If Nasung wants to win again, they can always call Berean Church any time...but we want a real win. A tough, hard-fought win. 



[inversesoftball]

Nasung gets brains beaten in 16-11 loss from Double Baggers

BREA, Calif. - Entering today’s game with eight official players, Nasung called on the help of Paul Lee and James Um to fill in. Despite their best efforts, the Nasung boys swallowed a 16-11 loss from the Double Baggers. The Nasungers did what they could to contain the league’s best offense, but they struggled to string hits after hits, seeing various potential rallies get killed off by pop flies and soft groundouts.

“I'm very encouraged with the way we played today. Our offense has seen better days, but our defense is looking like it's in mid-season form,” said Chris “Captain” Lee. “Hats off to the Double Baggers who were on their A-game on both sides of the field.”

Danny “Rookie” Chun had his best outing of his pitching career, pounding the strike zone with his new pendulum windup and not giving up a single walk. Coming back from a long vacation in Turkey, Young “Harambe” Kim went off for a career high four-RBI outing, going 3-for-4 at the plate while his discipleship partner DJ “Gongjoo” Lee went 2-for-2 with 3 runs and an RBI. Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee was also ballin, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run.

“Young Kim and I are putting team on our back but it looks like our team don’t wanna get carried,” said Pontius after the game.

The Baggers got off to a ripping start, exposing gaps in the Nasung outfield and rallying for three runs in the first inning.

However, some brilliant defense, including this catch from Jun “Jumba” Chung got Nasung out of the inning.

It was not until the second inning when Nasung got on board. With runners on first and third, Young ripped a triple over the left fielders head to bring the Nasungers within one.

Unfortunately, Young was left stranded on third as the Baggers contained the next two batters.

“It is what it is,” Young remarked as he quickly hid his membership form for Faith Community Church. “I thought after three years we’d figure it out, but seems that’s not the case.”

The Double Baggers continued their string of pinpoint hitting, looping singles into open gaps in the Nasung defense and beating the shift. They put two runs in the third inning, and exploded for five in the next inning, including an explosive three-run homerun. Despite the huge rally, the Nasungers made some big plays, including this 6-5-4-5 pickle. 

Pontius ripped an RBI single in the fourth and Young followed with an RBI groundout to close the gap 10-5.

Just when Nasung thought they were getting close, the DBs exploded for five runs again in the fifth inning. After a sloppy offensive showing in their half of the fifth, Nasung got their focus together to overcome the 15-4 deficit.

The Nasungers opened up the bottom of the sixth inning by loading the bases and Pontius brought in a run with a sacrifice fly. Young got tied into a full count, but lined a single to left field to bring in another run.

Danny Chun kept the rally going with another RBI single. Paul Lee lined a sharp RBI single towards the middle and later Chung earned a sac fly to cap the rally.

Chun gave up only one run in the final inning as the Double Baggers held a 16-9 lead. Desperate for one more rally, Nasung tried to take advantage of the Double Baggers pitcher’s poor accuracy, taking two straight walks. However, despite DJ and Pontius’ RBI, Nasung struggled to capitalize on making another rally to end the game.

Game Notes

- Jason Ko will return next week after dealing with a backiotomy for three months. He is expected to bring an established veteran presence to the team and spiritual rebuke to Pontius Lee.

- Elisha “Good Luck” Lee has reportedly been an X-Factor behind the Nasungers’ rallies. Everytime she pulled up video to record Nasung’s offense, they actually hit the frikin ball.

- Matt “Carl” Kim could not play in today’s game cuz he had to pick up his “mommy and daddy” at the airport. Jun Chung had to fill in at right field.

- David “Panda” Kim, Phillip Ahn, Rico Marshello, Joey Yim, and Johnnie Lee were also out of the game. But they ain’t mama’s boys like Matt “Carl” Kim.

- Media Manager intern Elisha Lee did an excellent job recording videos and has proven her worth at her position. Young “Harambe” Kim was impressed enough to pay her in boba time.

- Eric “Esta Lit” Chung went hitless for the first time since his rookie season. Get your crap together you noob. 

- After an MVP season, John Nam has been struggling at the plate. He is 5-for-11 this season. Rumor has it that nagging injuries in the elbow and knees are factoring into this struggle.

- Nasung will play against Wilshire Church at 7:15 PM on Sunday.

By Young Kim

Huge video contributions from Elisha Lee

[inversesoftball]

Morningstar gets revenge as Nasung falls 18-15

BREA, Calif. – Sloppy fielding and untimely pop flies brought the downfall for the Nasung Softball Team as Morningstar Church got their revenge with an 18-15 victory.

“We came into the game as underdogs, but I felt everyone stepped up and did their part in making a game of it,” said co-manager DJ Lee after the game. “I feel that if we approach the game the same next week, we’ll have a shot at winning. Looking forward to battling with these guys every week. Onwards and upwards!” 

The Inverse defense appeared tense in the first inning, struggling to make routine plays and committing errant throws. The Morningstar elders whipped the boys in shape, unleashing vengeance with six runs in the first inning.

Eric “Esta Lit” Chung, DJ Lee, and John “MVP” Nam opened up the first inning with back-to-back-to-back singles to cut the deficit 6-1. Matt “Carl” Kim drove in DJ from third on a force grounder and Nam scored on a sacrifice fly from Jun Chung. 

Unfortunately, Panda Kim struck out to end the inning.

The defense still struggled to find its wheels as the Morning Star put up four runs. With two outs and runners on first and third, Panda fooled a batter with an early drop pitch for the strikeout.  

Young “Harambe” Kim opened up the second inning with a deep triple over left field, his first of his career, setting up Pontius “Danger Zone” Lee for the RBI. The Danger Zone drilled a hard grounder through the left side to score Young and cut the deficit 10-4. Eric Chung later drove in Ponti on a sac fly, but DJ popped out to end the inning.

The defense showed more guile in the third inning as Jun Chung tracked a fly ball and caught Morningstar with some dubious base-running and threw out the runner on second for an inning-ending double play. However, Morningstar extended its lead 13-5.

The Nasung Boys rallied for five runs in the bottom of the third inning, including some crafty base running from Nam and Matt Kim after the latter smack a gap single towards the right side.

Chung also smacked an RBI single to score Rico.

Danny “Rookie” Chun demonstrated his potential again, pitching masterfully to follow up Panda’s clinical performance on the mound in the fourth inning. Morningstar took a 16-10 lead after the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Nam took a walk and advanced to third on Matt Kim’s single. Jun proceeded with an RBI single

With two outs, Pontius entered the danger zone with a two-run RBI to bring home Jun and Panda to cut Morningstar’s lead 16-13.

With time running out, Inverse made quick work that inning by surrendering only two runs, giving them time to muster an explosive final inning.

Trailing 18-13, the Inverse boys tried to rally back. However, things took an anticlimactic turn as they scored two runs, including an uncharacteristic swinging strikeout from John Nam on a high pitch. The Morningstar second baseman managed to handle a well-hit one-bounce grounder from Panda and threw him out to end the game.

Elisha “Bad Luck” Lee and the other fans did their best to provide moral support, but the team failed to reciprocate their contributions.

GAME NOTES

- After the game, it was discovered that the curse of Elisha gave John Nam a pulled groin. Nam will rest on the DL

- Pontius and Matt did their due diligence to help finish VBS preparations after the game despite smelling like sweat and sand. Matt Kim is still single.

- Pontius Lee made his debut at third base and filled in valiantly for his brother. Despite some early yips with throws, he held his ground. He’s offering self defense classes to all the single ladies.

- Nasung is now 0-1 in games Elisha has attended.

- Young will be out to Turkey and will miss the second game. The replacement first baseman will be announced in two weeks. 

- Chris Choi of Berean Church has allegedly read the recap from last week and is calling for a rematch. Legendary trash talker Young Kim held up his shovel and replied “Bury Em” while Rico “Cobel” Marshello scoffed at their brash challenge.

Contributions from Young Kim and Elisha Lee

[inversesoftball]

9-Run Rally seals comeback in Season Opener

BREA, Calif. – A month after a 16-4 burial over Berean Church, the Nasung Softball Team demonstrated its emblematic “never-say-die” attitude in it’s preseason victory against Morningstar Church. Trailing by as many as 12 runs, the La Habra-based multiethnic church chipped away for majority of the game and later managed to string a huge 9-run rally in the bottom of the 6th inning for 17-16 comeback win.

“I knew that if we kept our minds clear and our spirits up, every hitter was capable of turning it over to the next guy,” said manager Chris Lee. “And that was exactly how it panned out. It was great to see.”

Second baseman Dongjoo Lee went 3-for-3 at the plate with a run while starting pitcher David “Panda” Kim held the Morningstars to 15 runs with a strikeout, but it took a complete team effort for the Inverse boys to earn the upset.

Early season rust was still lingering within the perennial semifinalists, as shortstop Jun Chung misthrew a routine grounder in the first inning. The third batter, a greying lefty hitter, made inverse pay by crushing a deep ball to the right-center gap for an inside-the-park homerun. After the Morningstar knocked in another run, rover Pontius Lee came through with some deft fielding to get Inverse out of the early jam.

Nasung was slow to get the offense going, registering only one hit in the first inning. After getting pummeled for 5 more runs, the Asian church couldn’t score until the third inning.

Defensive miscues early in the game slowly brought back painful memories of Nasung’s first season as Jun Chung and Dongjoo Lee miscommunicated on a potential double play, leaving runners on first and second. First baseman Young “Harambe” Kim also let several playable grounders slip through his glove and third baseman Chris Lee had a missed throw to first.

However, the defense started to show why they were the third-place team last season as the infield started to clean it up. With two outs in the top of the third inning, a greying old man with glasses lined a sharp RBI single to shallow center. The old man started rounding towards second and Pontius took heed and fired a bullet to DJ for the final out of the inning. Later in the top of the 4th inning, top prospect Danny Chun fielded a single from left field and saw the hitter head towards second. Chun relayed the ball over to DJ and he chased the hitter down for a tag.

Morningstar Church built it’s way to a 15-5 lead (or something like that) in the 5th inning, but Inverse managed to help Panda escape with no runs. With one out, Pontius saw a pop fly head deep center and raced back to make the routine catch. In spite of his attempts to wave off center fielder Matthew “Still Single” Kim, Pontius did not inspire much confidence in Matt as he raced behind him just in case. The ball fell right behind Pontius, much to the groan of many spectators, but Matt dove for an amazing game-saving catch that may have also saved Pontius’ life.

After Inverse scored three runs to cut the deficit 15-8, Danny Chun took the mound to relieve Panda. Needing to get out of the inning within 10 minutes, Chun showed no sign of rookie anxiety and calmly found the strike zone at ease. Jun Chung found his rhythm and threw out two batters on routine grounders and Chun surrendered only one run to get out of the inning.

Trailing by 8 runs, Jun Chung’s single and a walk from Pontius Lee set Young Kim up for a looping RBI single to left to cut the deficit 16-9. Panda proceeded to belch a double deep to left center as Pontius Lee raced home and Young Kim followed. As Young rounded third base, he allegedly heard Matt Kim scream “SLIDE” from the dugout. Young made like Calvin Harris with a headfirst slide towards home to beat the throw, sending his teammates and fans in cahoots and celebration.

“That morale boosting dive tho” said rookie Johnnie Lee in a Groupme text.

“I wouldn’t have slid if Matt didn’t tell me,” Young Kim said after the game. “But I’m glad to see that my sliding game has come a long way.”

With renewed energy and high excitement, the team was ready to keep the final inning alive.

The rally continued as the next five batters got on base, cutting Morningstar’s lead 16-14. Phillip Ahn, who was 1-for-2 at the plate with the dubious honor of having the first strikeout of the season, redeemed himself by taking walk. After a two-run RBI from left fielder Eric Chung sent Phillip to third and tied the game, last season’s MVP John Nam hit a deep sacrifice fly to left to bring Phillip home, sealing the win.

“It felt good man,” Phillip said after the game. “I’m glad I took the walk before and that I could follow up.”

The two teams closed the game with handshakes and good compliments while the man wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat closed the day with a joint prayer.

Team Notes

- Rookies Danny Chun and Joey Yim each went 2-for-3 at the plate in their career debut

- Eric Chung hit 3-for-4...he wanted everyone to know that. 

- The Black hole (Chung-Nam-Matt) combined for only one out, the lowest putouts the trio has collected in their careers together. This of course is just an outlier.

- Chris Lee’s status for next week will be “doubtful” as certain important matters will keep him out of the season debut. The Nasung softball committee will discuss how to fill that void. 

- There are reports coming from the clubhouse of possibly bringing Jason Ko out of the DL to play 3B. Ko was ruled out for the season back in April.