Nuts and Honeys peaking as post season approaches

No pizza for you

Believe it or not, the end of the softball regular season is just around the corner and after the Nuts and Honeys took down the first place Stash Monday night, there are three, possibly four, teams now tied for the top spot in the standings.
The Nuts and Honeys are the top scoring team in the league and were coming off a 31-run effort last week to climb one step closer to first place. The Stash, meanwhile, has been in first place all season long and the wear and tear of the season and playing with a target on its back could possibly be taking its toll.
Or not.
Maybe the Stash just wasn’t on Monday night and truth be told, it doesn’t really matter until the post-season.
Defense was the name of the game through the first two innings as both teams came up with key defensive plays to hold the game in a scoreless tie. Stash third baseman Pete Basile scooped up three grounders in the hot corner to turn three outs and Nut shortstop Erik Ulstad had equally impressive plays including flagging down a high hopper that would have knocked the teeth out of most other shortstops in the game.
The Stash opened the scoring with a five-run surge led by Kate Schmidt, who stretched a single for a double. Barb Peters scored Schmidt with a single and additional base hits by Sarah Fruendt and Chandra Cossel put the Stash up 3-0.
But before the Stash could blow it wide open, Honey outfielder Hailee Stanley chased down a line drive to the gap in center for the grab. The Stash responded to score two more runs but the Nuts and Honeys turned the final out before the top of the order could return to the plate to keep the Stash in check.
The five-run outburst served the Nuts and Honeys notice and they returned the favor, and then some, rattling off nine runs in the top of the third inning.
Stanley backed up her defense with her bat to open the scoring, driving a two RBI single to right field. Stephanie Dietrich and Rick Barnard added a couple more runs with RBI singles and Roland Mason stretched out his wakeboarding-weary arms to crack a two RBI double. Rask Dietrich and Katherine Long capped the rally, driving in three more runs on two base hits as the Nuts and Honeys took a 9-5 lead.