The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
MMJ all the way
The Western Holistics Crackers, aka the Cannabis Crackers, are a well-oiled softball machine taking this town by storm. After winning the 2009 rec league title, they made the move to comp league for the 2010 season and are lighting it up, sitting in first place with a record of 10-1, three games ahead of second place.
It certainly helps that they’ve got Pete Harvey, a guy who can go yard anyplace, anytime with any bat and took third place at the chainless race.
The Gas Holes transition from rec league to comp league has been quite the opposite. After collecting two rec league titles in a row and falling just shy of a third last year, the Gas Holes also made the move to comp league this season. They are currently in seventh place with a record of 3-8.
The two teams met Monday night at Gothic Field and the Crackers cruised to an 8-2 win with two dingers from Harvey.
(Note to self; license myself as a “caregiver,” grow a “medicinal” strain of marijuana to sell at Western Holistics and call it the Harvey Wall Banger—one hit sends you over the fence.)
Anyway, the Crackers plan for comp league success appears in tact. When commenting on their success to Cracker Mark Nesemeier, he kept it in check commenting, “One game at a time. Anything can happen high in these mountains.”
The Gas Holes of old, that is the loud and proud, hit-and-run Gas Holes, opened the game knocking in two runs in the top of the first. Team manager/player/Sports Barrel heckler Chris Spagneoletti started it off by winning a chess match at the plate with Crackers pitcher Rick Barnard and taking the walk.
The leadoff walk proved prudent as Ian Baird cracked a RBI triple to score Spags and Meghan Dougherty pushed Baird home with a sacrifice RBI to put the Gas Holes on top 2-0.
The Gas Holes defense did their job in the bottom of the first to hold onto the lead but the Crackers shut the Holes down in the top of the second led by the work of Nesemeier at third base.
The Crackers then tied the game in the bottom of the second thanks to the first of two mighty swings from Harvey.
After Molly Keating reached first on a fielder’s choice, Harvey crushed the second pitch over the left field fence hitting the purple house on one bounce. Had he pulled it just a tad left he would have hit the opposite side of the Wine House roof, earning himself a free 12-pack.
The Cracker defense held the Gas Holes hitless again in the top of the third inning, capped by a warning track grab from Hailee Stanley robbing Baird of a base hit.
The Gas Holes dodged a bullet in the bottom of the third to hold the Crackers offense at bay for the moment. Brandon Snyder, Robyn Estes and Nesemeier all singled to load the bases with no outs. Kat Sauter drove one run in but the Gas Holes defense clamped down to escape giving up only one run.
The next time Harvey stepped up to the plate, Gas Holes pitcher John Hopper was wise to the situation, having been stung once already.
Hopper jammed Harvey inside, leaving him no option but to pop a shallow single off the handle.
Gail Barto continued her two game hitting streak tapping her seventh base hit in a row and then the Crackers proved once again why they are at the top of the standings.
Do what you can to keep Harvey from sending one but two hitters later you face CJ Hoigaard. Hoigaard crushed a two RBI double off the netting in left field and a sacrifice hit by Chanda Cossel drove in two more runs for a 7-2 Crackers lead.
Michelle Gerard offered some defensive work for the Gas Holes charging in on a shallow fly ball to right field for the grab and the Gas Holes were still in the mix in the sixth.
Harvey drove in one last Cracker run in the bottom of the sixth inning golfing a high, shallow pitch from Hopper over the fence in left center for an 8-2 lead.
The Gas Holes took one last stab at a comeback in the top of the seventh inning when Dougherty, Tyler Williams and Barbara Winter loaded the bases with consecutive singles and no outs.
But it ended there as the Crackers defense retired the next three batters in a row to end the game.
(Wow, do my fingers hurt from all of this typing. It’s a chronic pain, debilitating pain, one that keeps me from sleeping and eating. I’m also having trouble concentrating. Did I hit all the key words for my card yet, Doc?)
