The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
No duh, right?
by Than Acuff
Hmmm… not really seeing any weak spots on Pita’s OG’s as they crushed the Talk of the Town 21-8 at Gothic Field Tuesday night to remain undefeated all season and earn a spot in the town league softball finals.
Not only that, but they did it with only eight players. With one woman missing Tuesday night, Pita’s player/manager/owner Drew Stichter decided to play down a man to avoid the automatic out and not even that slowed them down. That left them with no second baseman and only three outfielders on defense. In fact, the only things that appears to slow them down are the home run max rule and the 10-run rule, both of which they reached Tuesday night.
It was a solid start for the Talk of the Town as they managed to find some gaps in the OG’s defense early on to keep the game close and actually take a 7-6 lead into the top of the fourth inning. But that would be about it.
After holding the Talk scoreless in the top of the fourth inning, the OG’s blew the game WFO. Heather Duryea led off with a single, Bruce Winchenbach leapt up at short to flag down a line drive by Scott Sanders, but the OG’s rattled off 10 more hits following to knock in 10 runs. Madi Cruse singled to put two on and Stichter crushed a three-run shot for a 9-7 lead. Maddie Stichter and Rhett Yarborough followed with back-to-back singles and Alice Krist pushed one home with a RBI single. Michael Villanueva singled to load the bases, Duryea knocked another run in with a sac fly RBI and then Sanders cleared the bags officially maxing out the OG’s on home runs for the game. They tacked on two more runs for good measure as Cruse singled, Drew walked and then Yarborough pushed them both home with a single for a 16-7 lead forcing the umpires to enforce the 10-run rule.
Still, it was only the top of the fifth inning and the Talk has the talent to do some damage, so the game was far from out of reach, especially considering the OG’s only had eight playing defense. But the Talk struggled to capitalize as their bats were relatively silent all game long.
Meanwhile, the OG’s continued to tack on runs over the next couple of innings. Nothing earth shattering, but enough to put the game well out of reach. Krist singled and then scored off a base hit from Sanders. Cruse drove a line drive to the gap in center and while Kelly McGuire sprinted to make a full extension running grab, the OG’s still scored when runners tagged up on the amazing catch.
Erik “Turbo” Ervin knocked a double and Ali McGuire pushed him home with a single looking to breathe a little life into the Talk offense but the effort proved fruitless, as the Talk bats remained comatose with a feint pulse.
The OG’s tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. While handcuffed by reaching the four home runs per game maximum, they leveled their swings to drive base hits and push runners around the bases. Krist, who mind you is at the bottom of the OG’s batting order and could easily bat at the top of the order on any other team, singled and eventually scored again on another base hit from Sanders. Cruse knocked in some more OG’s and when the Talk bats proved still unresponsive, the OG’s sealed the 21-7 win to advance to the town league championship game.
Meanwhile, the Talk drops to the loser’s bracket and is officially on life-support but could very possibly emerge from their coma only to face the OG’s in the finals Thursday, August 18 at Gothic field at 5 p.m.
