Field 1 (early game) – Cushman & Wakefield 11, JLL 1: Brett Abrams filled in admirably for absent Handsome Dan Svachula on the hill, and great defense was headlined by another substitute, Jack DiNardo for hot corner man John Kinsella. Matt Cowie led the hitting with three ribbies, and Gentle Jeff Skender cleared the bases with a rip up the middle.

Field 1 (late game) – DTZ 3, JF McKinney 1: To say this was a defensive battle is a keen grasp of the obvious. DTZ’s first three batters scored their only three runs in the bottom of the first. JFM followed with one run in the second and not much offense after that. First baseman Rob Tamillo and pitcher Jordan Decker combined for their second pickoff in as many weeks.

Field 2 – Retailers 16, CBRE 4: The Retailers abused CB in a five-inning mercy rule. Chris “Mittens” Matthews went 4-4 with two ribbies. Dan “Bam Bam” Rose lit it up with a 4-4 night, two dooblays, and four rib eyes. Left fielder Eric Hussey went 3-3 with two doubles and Danny “Hebrew Hammer” Levy played right field and went 3-4.

Field 3 – Colliers 15, CTK Chicago Partners 3: Colliers treated CTK like piñatas and swung lumber all night. The biggest star was Andy Gooliak going 4-4 with a big YABO, two singles, a double, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Zack Weiner was back on the mound and pitched another gem.

Field 4 – Inland 9, Golub 8: Unable to garner the respect usually reserved for a 6-1 ball club, Inland saw this as a way to send a serious message to the league that the new kids, these Boys in Black, are here to stay. Though Golub turned on its bats in a display of finesse and accuracy that is rarely witnessed. Coach Golub (above right) had two RBIs and pitched a masterful game.

Field 5 – MB Real Estate 9, Transwestern 5: MBRE hitting stars included Aaron “Ronnie” Meyers (4-4, 2R), Ty Simpson (3-4, 2R), and Bill Klump (3-4, R). Most importantly, team MB shut down the bar and delivered an epic performance of Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” TW is on the cusp of being a competitive team.

Field 6 – Klein’s Corporate 8, Eastdil 7: It was a must-win for the 2013 champs if they held out any hope of making the playoffs, and it was daunting with the wily Casey Wold on the bump. Hitting stars for Klein’s included Johnny Cocktail (2-4, R, game winner), Russ Steinberg (3-3, 2R, terrific left field), and game MVP Marcellus Moore (3-3, 2RBI, 2R).

Field 7 – Bradford Allen 16, Cresa 15: A high-octane game with both teams fighting for a playoff slot, and BA held on even without its spiritual leader, Ben Azulay. There was controversy: A play at first base looked like an out, but Cresa said the ball was dropped while the BA squad was screaming at the ump, diverting him from the play. This kind of thing makes for great rivalries over the years.

Don't forget the annual DRESL Idol contest on July 21 at Gamekeepers, 345 W Armitage. All are welcome for food, beverages, and a ripping good time, courtesy of Leopardo Construction.