We don’t just cover film and television here at Below the Line, we cover the below-the-line community, and that includes Hollywood’s Prime Time Softball League, which held its semifinals this past weekend.
In the first game of a doubleheader, the team behind CBS’ legal drama All Rise took on the squad from ABC’s The Rookie.
All Rise took control of the game early on, jumping out to an 8-1 lead after just three innings thanks to RBIs from Bart, Mark and LT, as well as an inside-the-park home run from quick-footed Joon.
But rather than roll over, The Rookie bravely battled back, scoring eight runs at the top of the 4th inning thanks to a true team effort that included six base hits and some well-timed doubles from Brett and John, giving them a one-run lead.
However, All Rise’s bats kept swinging and they came back to score nine more runs over the next four innings, with doubles from LT and Dan complimenting an impressive home run from JT. More importantly, their defense held strong and they did not give up another run the rest of the game.
Final Score: All Rise, 17 — The Rookie, 9
The next game saw reigning champ American Dad take on a precinct full of players from NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
TBS’ animated series took an early 6-2 lead, with Jordan and Artie each getting two hits before adding five more runs in the 4th inning between a double from Jordan and a three-run bomb from Artie.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine fought back hard, scoring six runs with a slew of singles in the 6th inning, cutting American Dad’s lead down to four runs. Brooklyn Nine-Nine would score once more in the top of the 7th, but American Dad’s defense would hold them off, securing another trip to the championship game.
Final Score: American Dad, 13 — Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 9
The championship game between All Rise and American Dad will be played next Saturday, Jan. 22 at 11 a.m. on Baseball Diamond #1 at Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex.
Below the Line will have coverage of that game, and we can also report that the next season of the PSTL will not begin until Labor Day this fall, according to PTSL organizer Tom Oseransky, so there’s plenty of time to hit the batting cages before then.
Though the TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine recently wrapped up its eighth and final season, the team is very close and declared at the end of the game that they will continue to play together, even if they have to join a new league. Hopefully, Production Assistant Geoff Wehner‘s dog, Coda, will return as B99‘s team mascot.
Sponsored by Below the Line, the Prime Time Softball League consists of 11 co-ed teams comprised of the cast, crew, staff, and immediate families of primetime television shows. Usually, there are 30-40 teams in the PTSL, though several shows understandably opted not to play this season. The hope is that they’ll rejoin the league next year.
Meanwhile, come back next week to see if All Rise can dethrone American Dad, or whether the animated series will repeat as champs once again.
This has been a special report from BTL contributors Scott Marshall and Kamla Maya Franklin
