Late game rally paces Eldo to win in town league softball

Offense scores runs, defense wins games

By Than Acuff 

While Psycho Rocks, aka Mixon Sucks, were coming off a big win recently having forced extra innings on a three-run shot by Mixon and winning the game, said late game heroics were nowhere to be found Thursday, June 13 when they fell to the Eldo 9-7 Thursday evening at Gothic Field.

The Eldo and Psycho Rocks met in the opening game of the season with the Eldo winning 24-22 in an offensive showcase showdown. Granted that game was at Tommy V Field, a hitter’s paradise.

Thursday’s game was more of a pitcher’s duel as both Eldo slinger Joey Reed and Psycho Rocks mounds man (cringe) Richard Paylor proved masterful on the mound for most of the game.

The game started with a Brian Carney bang when Pip Bailey and Anna Carroll each singled and Carney cleared the bags with a crushing home run over the fence in right centerfield for a 3-0 Eldo lead.

Gunnar Cantwell provided his parents in attendance something to cheer about with a single to right and a walk had two more runners on base for the Eldo, but they were left there as Psycho Rocks turned the final out.

Psycho Rocks scored in the bottom of the first, but the Eldo defense denied them anything else with some outstanding work in the bottom of the second as Carly Webb flagged down a line drive at third base and Jess Ladwig chased down a deep fly ball in left centerfield to make a running grab. 

The relatively quiet bats of Psycho Rocks eventually woke up in the bottom of the third when Ben Hayes stepped to the plate to send the first pitch he saw over the fence for a solo shot. Rosa Greeley walked, Jason Keener flared a double to right and then Claire Bartholomew drove them both home on a single to left to tie the game 4-4.

The pitching of both Reed and Paylor racked up three strikeouts over the next inning, but Kyle Pendleton turned a single into an error-assisted triple and scored on a double from Carter Brock to give Psycho Rocks their first lead of the game.

Psycho Rocks tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as a powerbunt single by Paylor and another one swing wonder strike by Hayes had Psycho Rocks riled up and out front 7-4.

The Eldo bats then returned in the top of the sixth inning as Carroll doubled and jogged home when Carney knocked his second dinger of the night. Ladwig singled and then eventually scored on a single by Harold Jack Golick and the Eldo defense came through in the bottom of the sixth with a 6-4-3 double play to keep the game tied 7-7 heading into the seventh inning.

The Eldo then built a 9-7 lead in the top of the seventh as Blake McCown and Kez Catania each singled. An unplanned suicide squeeze went awry for the Eldo to stem their surge, but only briefly as Bailey and Carroll each came through with RBI base hits and the Eldo defense clamped down in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the 9-7 win and remain in second place in the Tuesday/Thursday league.