The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Can you dig it?!
By Than Acuff
Here we are, the end of the 2024 town league softball season. Due to the nature of a weekly paper that hits the streets Thursday, you already know who the champions are. But before that, there was another game as the ZUNI West Renegades edged out a win over KBUT in the semifinals last week to reach the finals for another shot at the Lords of Dirt… Which, as I mentioned, already happened yesterday (Wednesday), but who doesn’t like a little more softball coverage? You know, names in the paper, and, “stunning and small minded” political comments in this “small, podunk, media outlet.”
KBUT was on a bit of a heater in the post season. After falling to the loser’s bracket in the second round, they edged out a one-run win over Butte & Co and then rallied to a 21-17 win over the Inglorious Batters in the first game Wednesday evening to reach the semifinals to face the ZUNI West Renegades.
The Renegades were riding high rolling through the first two rounds of the playoffs only to lose to the Lords of Dirt and drop to the loser’s bracket thus the semifinal with KBUT.
The do-or-die semi started off as it should with both teams scoring runs in the first inning, a defensive highlight and someone in a gorilla suit.
It started with a two-run shot from Sonny Burgos, a triple by Brian Lynch and an RBI triple by Carly Webb for a 3-0 KBUT lead.
Robbie Vandervoort led off for the Renegades with a deep shot bound for extra bases, but KBUT outfielder Jess Ladwig had other plans making a leaping grab at the warning track to deny Vandervoort. The effort had KBUT appearing on point early, but the Renegades kept swinging as Kate Schmidt and Mark Krause knocked base hits and RBI hits from Peace Wheeler-Schaefer, Lauren Alkire and Brian McClarney tied the game 3-3.
The two teams traded off a few more runs through the second inning and yet another defensive highlight brought the crowd, and the gorilla, to their feet.
Burgos provided another run for KBUT with an RBI double to shallow right-center for a 4-3 lead, but the Renegades responded with a bit more oomph starting with base hits from Johnny Green and Emily O’cañas. A single loaded the bases and a walk scored two runs and when Schmidt singled to score another run the Renegades were up 6-4. And all of this in just the first two innings.
KBUT then suffered a setback as two batters struck out in the top of the third inning and the Renegades seized the opportunity to increase their lead in the bottom of the third. Ben Schmalz led off with a solo inside the park home run (ITPHR), Alkire singled and Cody Hawkins showed some Olympic speed when he drove a shot to left field and chased Alkire around the bases for a two-run ITPHR and a 9-4 Renegades lead with no outs.
The ITPHRs woke up KBUT and they clamped down the next three hitters including Lynch scooping up a grounder up the middle, tapping second and firing to first for an inning ending 6-3 double play.
The effort of Lynch did provide a little spark for KBUT as Ladwig and Ahmed “TCL” Moidduin each singled to put runners in the corners setting up Burgos for more fireworks at the plate. Burgos did what he often does smashing the ball to right field and while it looked promising, Schmidt got a jump on it to track it down for the out. Kat Harrington followed with an RBI single for KBUT and Lynch singled to load the bases, but they left ducks on the pond as the Renegades turned the final out to limit KBUT to one lone run.
The Renegades stayed consistent at the plate to keep adding to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, helped in part by a little KBUT confusion.
Jeff Snyder doubled to lead off and then went full send sliding safe headfirst into third base on a single. A grounder from Vandervoort then caused havoc in the KBUT infield resulting in two runs scoring before they dialed in their signal to throw Vandervoort out stretching for home. Krause tacked on a solo shot and the Renegades were on top 12-5 heading into the fifth inning but well within reach.
Unfortunately for KBUT, while their signal reaches farther than ever before, they couldn’t reach the Renegades. Hits from Nick Hight and Jo Ellipsis scored one run and Hight provided an RBI single for a second run in the seventh inning, but the Renegades eliminated mistakes in the field to finish KBUT off 12-7 and punch their ticket to the championship game, which already happened.
