The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Rocky start to season
Timing is everything in life. Unfortunately for the Gas Holes, their timing is a bit off.
The Gas Holes won back-to-back titles in the recreational league in 2007 and 2008 and should have made the move to comp league then. But due to work schedule conflicts they opted to play one more season of rec league last year, waiting until this season to move into the competitive ranks. Since then they lost key Holes like Adam Westlake and a host of their standout women.
To make matters worse, they showed up for their debut game in the competitive league short a woman, leaving them with only three players in the outfield and an automatic out in the line-up.
As a result, their introduction to the comp league Monday, June 7 at Gothic Field was less than prolific, losing to the Airheads 10-2.
Actually, the start of the 2010 season, at least at Gothic Field, was less than prolific. Mayor Leah Williams was on hand to toss out the first pitch and no one seemed to notice. The Airheads energy was non-existent and as I said before, the Gas Holes showed up a player short of a full team.
Nevertheless, it’s softball season and once the ball gets rolling I expect big things from both players and fans alike. One thing is for sure: the 1-1 count had an immediate dramatic effect on the game. Batters are swinging at the first pitch and, as a result, games are flying by. The Gas Holes-Airheads game was done in under an hour.
The two teams traded runs in the third inning and were notched in a 1-1 tie until the Airheads blew the game open with a five-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Shannon White and Dave White combined for a couple of base hits and Lauren Alkire drove a run in with a double. Lynelle Sanford drove in a couple more runs with an error-assisted double to left field and the Airheads were out in front 6-1.
Ian Baird drove in the Gas Holes second run of the game with a single to left field, but that would be it for the Gas Holes as the Airheads tacked on four more runs over the next three innings to seal the 10-2 win.
