The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“It’s that kind of day today”
by Than Acuff
It was definitely one of those days for the Brew Crew Tuesday night as they stumbled through their game at Tommy V Field, losing 23-13 to Bonez Thugs.
Of course that’s only part of the story as Bonez Thugz just happened to be on fire that same evening, racking up 31 base hits, some error-assisted, and maintained sound decision-making on defense to make the necessary plays when presented.
Bonez brought their A-game from the get-go, opening the game scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Philip Bailey led off with a double, Chelsea Veltri knocked him home with a single and Jeff “Human Highlight” Hern cleared the bags with a two-run inside the park home run (ITPHR). Scuba Steve Alonzo closed the early outburst with a RBI triple and Bonez was out front 4-0.
The initial harbinger of rough times ahead for the Brew Crew came in their first at bat as Paul Moscatelli cracked a deep shot to the gap for a solo ITPHR only to pull his hamstring during his hustle. He still scored but it wasn’t without some suffering. Former Airhead teammates Margie Black and Rob Houston continue to carry their old Airhead ways combining for a couple of base hits to score another Brew Crew run and Gerry Heal pushed another Brew Crew run in with a RBI walk.
The Thugz then opened up their first can o’ whupass in the top of the third inning. Hern led off with his second ITPHR in as many at bats. Nick Rodell tripled and scored off a RBI bloop single from Jo Ellipsis. Alonzo and Jess Weiss knocked in two more runs with back-to-back doubles and when Mike “30-Rack” Ryan, with the help of some confusion by the Brew Crew defense, scored two more runs with a RBI triple, Bonez was on top 10-3.
Led by some cat-like reactions by Heal on the mound to flag down a line drive up the middle, the Brew Crew defense recovered in the top of the fourth inning to hold Bonez within striking distance, but Bonez opened up a second can o’ whup in the top of the fifth to tack eight more runs onto their lead.
Alonzo cracked open the can with a RBI double and Morgan Patterson and Lisa Richard yanked it open even more with back-to-back RBI base hits. Hillary Robb and Bailey followed suit scoring two more Bonez runs and Hern ripped the rest of the lid off with a two RBI triple for an 18-5 lead.
But the Brew Crew has got the guns to mount a comeback and they threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning only to get shut down by some defensive heroics from Bonez. Moscatelli and Dalynn Trujillo led off with singles, Nick Velasco punched a RBI single through the infield and Black dropped a two RBI double in shallow center. Houston knocked a sac fly RBI to deep center and the Brew Crew train was chugging along until a line drive down the third base line was tipped by the Bonez third baseman and Bailey reached out for a shoestring grab to derail the train, causing Houston to comment, “It’s that kind of day today.”
Things then went from bad to worse for the Brew Crew in the bottom of the sixth inning. After holding Bonez scoreless in the top of the sixth, they loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out. Moscatelli ripped a line drive to the first base woman and while she dropped it, she turned the mishap into an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play, adding insult to the Brew Crew’s slew of injuries.
Then things just got plain ol’ fugly for the Brew Crew as Bonez opened up one last smaller can o’ whupass in the top of the seventh inning. Patterson tripled and scored when Richard tapped a dribbling RBI single. Bailey connected for another RBI base hit and Hern closed out their final offensive outburst with a three-run ITPHR for a 23-9 advantage.
Houston and Black channeled some of the never-say-die attitude from the Airhead days to connect for two base hits and score a run. Heal drove a two RBI single up the middle and Brew Crew team owner/player Mike Knoll drove a RBI single to left for one last gasp but Bonez shut the door for good with a force at third to finish off the Brew Crew 23-13.
