Community Schoolers flirt with first win of season

Playoffs start next week

Just kidding—the Community Schoolers got crushed again, this time by the Rent-A-Gades 21-6. But, in defense of the Schoolers, at least they’re still showing up for games despite being outscored 236-79 so far this season en route to a record of 0-12.
And an extra shout out to their girls—Cassidy Dodds, Marissa Lambert, Leah Wrisley and Mina Moscatelli—who are honoring their commitment to the team despite the continuous crushings.
They’ve come close twice this season, losing by one run in two different games but other than that, it’s pretty much been batting practice for every team that faces the Schoolers.
Still, at least they keep showing up. Most teenagers would probably bail.
Prior to the Schoolers/Rent-A-Gades game at Gothic Monday night, the Wine-Os pulled off a comeback in the top of the seventh to hand the Lobar a 12-11 loss and extend their winning streak to three games, gaining some serious momentum heading into the post-season.
The Rent-A-Gades rattled off seven base hits in the bottom of the first inning to build a 6-0 lead and it looked like we might have another 30-run game on our hands. Josh Schumacher, Heather Duryea, Jeff Snyder and Justin Wheeler did the damage with a series of RBI triples, doubles and singles to drive runs home.
Nolan Blunck and Troy Pike combined for a couple doubles to put the Schoolers on the board in the top of the second inning. The Rent-A-Gades tacked on a couple more runs over the next two innings thanks to a two-RBI single by Andrea Schumacher to build a 9-1 lead before the Schoolers put together a rally in the top of the fourth.
Nick Gainous opened it up with a double off the fence in left field. Lambert stepped up to crack a powerbunt RBI triple and Blunck and Pike combined for back-to-back RBI doubles to pull the Schoolers within five.
The Schoolers followed with some tight defense, including a chest-trap snag by Pike on a high bouncer down the first base line, to keep the game close.
Rent-A-Gade shortstop Jeff Snyder then one-upped Pike as he chased down a pop fly to shallow left to get his glove on the ball. It popped out of his glove but as Snyder fell to the ground he reached out for the barehanded grab.
Down a mere five runs in the fifth inning with the top of their batting order set to hit, the Schoolers were in a pretty good spot for a comeback. Then again, it’s the Schoolers and while they threatened briefly with base hits from Aaron Blunck and Dodds, the Rent-A-Gades shut them down and then shut the door for good, scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Jerry Heal led off with a stand-up double and then scored from second on a base hit by Snyder—both of which are about as rare a sighting as catching the web-footed booby in its mating dance.
Leah Fischer, Andrew Butterfield and Jeff Banford fired off three RBI doubles in a row to put the Rent-A-Gades on top 15-4 and Josh Schumacher capped it off with a two-run home run over the left field netting.
Pike and Gainous drove two Schoolers home with doubles but Butterfield and Banford sealed the slaughter in the bottom of the sixth scoring two more runs for the 21-6 drubbing.