Opening Day for the Lockout League!

[One of the ways we are going to bring fun/additional coverage to South Side Sox during the lockout is by playing and writing up some scrimmages involving this year’s White Sox squad, our minor league All-Stars, and two teams of SSS writers. There’s some question whether this should be right rail Fanpost content, or on the main page, so scroll to the bottom of this story to vote in a simple poll.]

ARMOUR SQUARE PARK — Jacki Krestel took a no-hitter into the fourth inning, and she and her Red Line Go-Go’s masterfully disposed of the Chicago White Sox in the opening game of the Lockout League season on Sunday, 7-0.

Krestel went seven scoreless, giving up just four hits, three of them singles, and one walk against five strikeouts in a triumphant season debut. The top four batters in the Go-Gos order each had two hits, as the squad tapped out 13 for the day.

White Sox starter Lance Lynn took his lumps against Red Line, bounced in the sixth having surrendered seven earned runs on 11 hits. The Go-Gos put up crooked numbers against him in the second, fourth and sixth innings. Laura Wolff made the most of her two singles, driving in three runs.

Red Line threatened in the first, with Luke Smailes singling and Mitch Ransdell driving a ball deep for a double, but Lynn wriggled out. In the second inning, blood was drawn as Adrian Serrano led off with a single, Will Allan moving him to third on a double and Celeste Radogno driving home what would be the game-winning RBI on a screaming sacrifice liner to right. With two outs, Wolff blooped a single that brought home Will Allan.

In the third, Ransdell led off with a home run to center, and in the fourth hits from Leigh Allan and Smailes, along with a run-scoring wild pitch, pushed the Red Line lead to 5-0.

Meanwhile, Krestel was humming along, sending down the first 11 White Sox before Luis Robert ripped a double over the first-base bag to cancel the postgame show. After walking Yasmani Grandal, Krestel fooled José Abreu with a sidearm frisbee that took Pito off-balance and to the ground for strike three, ending the threat.

That flatulent effort was the theme of the day for the White Sox, who looked every bit like a team battling ownership for a new CBA instead of getting extra reps in the cages. The club mustered just four hits, although an uncharacteristic low-K day (just six) belied a lot of hard contact, perhaps spelling better days for the big leaguers. Reynaldo López was the closest the South Siders had to a hero today, bailing Lynn out with 3 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings or relief, allowing just two hits against five Ks.

The Go-Gos added two more runs in the sixth to finish scoring for the day, with Sam Reeves taking the eighth inning and Julie Brady finishing up with a perfect ninth to put the ballgame to bed.

Game MVP Jacki Krestel
Runner-Up Laura Wolff
Third Star Mitch Ransdell
Game Goat Lance Lynn

As conceived right now, our Lockout League will consist of two teams rostered by SSS writers and supporters. Joining us in league play will be the Chicago White Sox and the Glendale All-Stars (made up of the top talent in the White Sox farm system). There is a chance that the two SSS teams will divide back up into four, but for now we’ll start with two 28-player squads.

If you are interested in participating in the league, take a look here.