Inglorious Batters defy odds to stay alive in post season

#blessed

By Than Acuff

There are certain occurrences that have me either question the existence of a higher power or confirm that a higher power does indeed exist.

Current administration? Question.

Inglorious Batters? Confirm.

As I had mentioned a week or so ago, and was then reminded, it would take an “act of God” for the cellar dwellers of the Wednesday league to make it far in the post season. Well, the good Lord has spoken as the Inglorious Batters came back from a 10-run deficit and fended off not one but two late game situations against the Zuni Renegades on Wednesday, August 6 to advance in the post season with an extra innings victory.

I’m still scratching my head and reviewing my notes to truly understand what happened. 

Here’s what I do know. It looked dubious for the Inglorious Batters before the game even started with a laundry list of nagging injuries to players after a summer of softball, biking, working and basically soaking up all that life has to offer in the area. Not to mention the daily beatdown of the sun living at 9,000 feet.

I am a walking billboard for the effect of the sun on humans. Certainly doesn’t help that I am of Scottish/German descent with a pinch of Scandinavian. Nor did it help that there was little to no oversight by parents and their kids in the sun in ‘70s. Raise your sun-blotched hand if you’re a male 50-something and got your annual base burn wearing Op or Birdwell’s shorts at the start of every summer and made the most of your ski trip in the spring to come home with a “goggle tan.”

Can’t get your kid to wear sunblock? Send them my way. One glimpse of my skin situation and they’ll never argue about sunblock again. They may not even step outside.

All of that said, it went from bad to worse for the Inglorious Batters early on. While base hits from Grant Robbins and Bron Walton did drive two runs in for the Inglorious Batters in the top of the first inning and Trent Smith added a third run in the top of the second inning, the Renegades were on a mission as they rattled off 13 runs in the opening two innings.

Ryan Houseman set the tone with a leadoff solo inside the park home run (ITPHR) followed by an RBI double by Kody Hawkins and then a three-run ITPHR from Johnny Green in the bottom of the first inning. 

They continued to pour it on in the bottom of the second inning as Montana Wiggins, or Montaña, led off with a weird double and would score on a double down the leftfield line by Houseman. Two batters later Ben Somrak would “golf” a two-run ITPHR followed by an RBI single from Emily O’cañas and capped by a three-run shot by Green for a 13-3 Renegades lead.

Truth be told it was still very early in the game and the game was at Tommy V Field and no lead is safe at Tommy V. But there was a palpable ennui among the Batters so it was questionable what they could muster in response.

It took just base hits from Connor Beard and Nicole Bogenschuetz to get them back on track though as Robbins scored them both with a two RBI triple and an additional RBI single from Walton raised the spirits of the crew.

And stout defense didn’t hurt either as they stopped the Renegades scoring machine in its tracks in the bottom of the third inning. A pop out, a leaping grab by Ashley Bouey at third base to rob a base hit and a groundout kept the Renegades hitless.

Though it did prompt a brief dispute in true local softball fashion as once the runner was called out at first base, he contested the call and was answered appropriately.

“What the f***, are you high?”

“Just a little bit.”

And the Inglorious Batters continued to catch just a little bit more fire in the top of the fourth inning.

Smith and Kate Wasson each singled and Beard drove one in with a base hit. Robbins continued his RBI generating ways with another two RBI triple and Walton did as well with an RBI single. A couple more hits loaded the bases and Jack Foersterling delivered with a two RBI double and all of a sudden, we had a one run game.

I will bypass the next inning and get straight to the meat of what mattered, the seventh and eighth innings because it was nuts.

We will start with the top of the seventh inning during which Bouey smacked a two RBI single to put the Inglorious Batters up 15-14 with runners on. Hawkins then made a charging, sliding grab in shallow center for the Renegades to hold the Inglorious Batters to their one-run lead and the Renegades stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning and proceeded to bring some of their magic back to the plate.

Somrak and Kate Schmidt led off with base hits to have two on and no outs. Hawkins popped an RBI base hit to shallow left leaving the Renegades with runners on first and second base and no outs and some of their most consistent batters stepping to the plate.

Game over, right?

Nope.

The Inglorious Batters got the next two force outs at third base on grounders and then Foersterling fanned the next batter for the third out to send the game into extra innings.

In review, in extra innings teams start with a runner on second base and every hitter steps to the plate with a full count. One pitch is all you get.

Well Robbins made the most of his one pitch to drive an RBI triple to right field. Walton then sent her one pitch through for an RBI single and Foersterling sent his one pitch to right field for an RBI triple and an 18-15 lead before the Renegades turned the final out.

Now it was the Renegades’ turn, and they had their own late game heroics in store. Smith and McKenzie Anderson each tapped singles to load the bases with no outs. Wiggins then looked off his one pitch to walk pushing two runs in and the Renegades were down one run, with runners on second and third base and no outs.

The Inglorious Batters retired the next hitter for the first out, but Houseman stepped in and did what he does smashing a ball to deep, deep, deep left field sending baserunners on the move.

Game over, right?

Nope.

While it appeared destined for a game-winning hit, it t’was not to be. Instead, the catch was made at the warning track, the ball thrown to third for the double play and somehow, some way, the Inglorious Batters survived to win 18-17 and advance in the post season. 

Now, dear Lord, can you shift your attention back to some current pressing issues?