Donoghue throws a curve, Murphy hits home run, Eldridge strikes out

After a day on the campaign trail, three candidates in the Fifth Congressional District race met under the lights last night on a ballfield in Lowell. Underscoring the mission? To find out, through a game of wiffle ball, who might best represent the Massachusetts delegation in the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

In the "primary" game, Democrats Eileen Donoghue and Jamie Eldridge faced off. Donoghue struck Eldridge out on three pitches, and tossed what some are reporting to be a rare wiffle ball curve (Donoghue somehow managed to avoid batting, so we'll never know if she has a Tom Glavine-like mastery of both the mound and the batter's box).

Independent candidate Patrick Murphy started the championship game off by clearing the first pitch over the center field wall. But it wasn't enough, and they lost 4-2 in a game that gave Donoghue bragging rights as champion of the tourney and left the Murphy campaign crying foul, tossing accusations that certain teams were weighting their bats and perhaps using other performance enhancing materials.

"For decorum, I didn't have them pee in a cup," the Murphy campaign wrote on its blog. "But I have my doubts."

Several who on the campaign trail have questioned Niki Tsongas's commitment to the district are now also questioning her commitment to the game of wiffle ball. She initially said she would play, but was a no-show at the game last night.