The reaction to Capital Area Team Sports' announcement that we would be expanding our softball program this fall has been nothing short of overwhelming, and as a result it now seems possible, if not likely, that CATS will take the field this fall not with three men's softball teams as originally planned, but four.

"We now have a 'waiting list' 20 players deep," crowed CATS Executive Director D.P. McIntire.  While this may not result in having the same 20 take the field come August, the fact that the interested talent pool is this deep, this early in the recruitment process, is extremely encouraging.  "Hopefully it's a testament to how we do things, hopefully a little better than average," surmised McIntire, who will soon be forwarding potential team names to the organization's Board of Directors.

McIntire and Raleigh Red Devils manager John Teal will begin conducting practices in early to mid-June in an effort to put the teams together so that they're at least somewhat competitive this fall.  "First seasons are always tough in terms of wins and losses, but hopefully by having more practice before the season starts, things will come together sooner."

CATS-operated teams, whatever the number, will play in a Tuesday/Thursday night league operated by the city of Raleigh's Parks and Recreation Department, most likely playing at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex.

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Bruce Wilson scattered five hits from the mound while he and Kevin Spradling paced the offense as the Raleigh Red Devils rebounded from their defeat at the hands of the Colts to record their sixth victory of the Spring 2008 season in convincing fashion, 15-2 over the Triangle Red Sox Nation.

While all but two players notched hits in the contest, it was pitching and defense that was the order of the day for the Devils, as the team recorded only a pair of errors - none of which proved to be costly for the Sons of Satan.  The back-breaking hit for the Devils was a triple in the 3rd by Lester Mir which drove in two runs, capping a four-run frame that gave the Red Devils a 7-0 lead that the team would easily hold onto the rest of the way.

While tied for third place and three games behind the Colts in the league championship picture, the team definitely can impact the outcome of the league championship this spring, if not win it outright.  The first step in making that impact comes Thursday night as the Red Devils take on Wufflefins in a game seen by both teams as crucial to the chances for CATS to secure a 9th men's softball title this spring.

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Steve Marsden and Glenn Rose each had 4-for-4 nights as the Carolina Colts took advantage of timely hitting and several defensive miscues to post their most decisive win thus far in 2008, capturing a 27-10 win over Martin Auto Haus.

Marsden and Rose were joined in the hit parade by all but one member of the starting lineup, with Frank Dziepak, Rob Alford, John Teal, Tony Cappelletti, Marty Lyon, Steve Cruickshank and Ryan Richardson each registering multiple hits during the course of the game.  In fact, the game was so well in hand that manager D.P. McIntire strode to the plate in the 4th inning to make his first appearance of the year - walking on four straight pitches.

The win coupled with Wufflefins having the night off raised the Colts lead in the league standings to a game and a half, and their league record to 7-0, part of an 8-1 overall season thus far.  The Colts and Red Devils can help the Colts cause Thursday night however, as the Colts take on Wake's Finest (currently tied with the Red Devils for third place) while the Sons of Satan take on Wufflefins.

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