Lords of Dirt dig deep against KBUT

It’s pledge time

By Than Acuff

When asked who I was pulling for at the Lords of Dirt/KBUT playoff game at Gothic Field Wednesday, July 30 I must admit I was torn. On the one hand there’s KBUT, a radio station I’ve been listening to and supporting for 30 years and is in the midst of a pledge drive. One that could possibly be more important than ever before given our current administration.

On the other hand, there’s the Lords of Dirt which is made up of numerous players that grew up right here in Crested Butte and who I coached or wrote about in the paper when they played high school sports.

Ultimately, I must remain impartial so all I wanted was a good game and, in the end, that’s what I and the legion of fans in attendance got as it came down to the bottom of the seventh inning to determine a winner.

The Lords of Dirt made their initial pledge to their own efforts scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning as Bryce W. Miller led off with a double and scored on a double by former Titan Robbie Holleran. Additional former Titans Sam Evans and Jake Sunter pushed two more Lords of Dirt runs in with base hits, Hunter Lucas and Morgan Holleran spoke up for the women on the team with RBI hits and Robbie Cushman added a two RBI single to the mix for the 7-0 lead.

Adam Westlake made his initial pledge to KBUT in his first at bat when he slapped a grounder into right field and turned it into an inside the park home run (ITPHR). Courtney Welsh took a page from Westlake’s book turning a power bunt into a triple and scored on a sac fly RBI from Nick Hight but that would be it for KBUT, for the time being.

Sophia Gonzales did add an eighth run to the Lords of Dirt total, but KBUT clamped down on defense and found their offense in the top of the third to pull within one of the Lords of Dirt. Shawn Harrington doubled and scored on a single by Derek Vincent, Carly Webb followed with a single and then Vincent and Webb jogged home thanks to a three-run shot from Sonny Burgos. Brian Lynch followed that with a solo shot, and we had ourselves a one-run game heading into the bottom of the third. 

Lynch backed his bat with his glove with two great plays at shortstop holding the Lords of Dirt to just one run, but the Lords of Dirt defense was equally stingy as they managed to add a little buffer in the bottom of the fourth inning. Singles from Miller and Katie McKernan put two on base and Gonzales pushed them both home with a single for an 11-7 Lords of Dirt lead.

But it’s pledge drive time and KBUT was not to be deterred as they slowly but surely pulled even in the fifth inning. It started with base hits by Katie Harper and Vincent who made their way home off a single from Webb and a sac fly RBI from Burgos. It then ended with a two-run shot by Lynch off town hall and the teams were tied 11-11 heading into the sixth.

While it appeared KBUT was surging after the fifth inning, the Lords of Dirt held them hitless in the sixth inning and proceeded to rebuild their lead. Once again Miller and McKernan kicked things off with back-to-back singles and Holleran, Gonzales and Evans pushed them home for a 14-11 lead heading into the top of the seventh.

This is where KBUT thrives though and provided some insight into their success thus far this season. Down three with the bottom of the batting order stepping up can be a dubious spot for teams, but not for KBUT as they have created balance throughout their batting order. 

Case in point, Harrington, Harper and Vincent. Those three are the final three in the batting order but continuously come through and did again as Harrington and Harper singled and Vincent dropped an RBI single. KBUT then capitalized on a defensive miscue to score another run and when Burgos and Jess Ladwig connected for RBI base hits, KBUT was out front 15-14.

Though the Lords of Dirt are certainly no strangers to tight spots either and the bottom of their batting order came through as well with Morgan stroking a clutch single. Miller and McKernan did their usual damage to then load the bases and Holleran delivered a two RBI base hit to win the game 16-15 and sent KBUT down to the loser’s bracket, down but most certainly not out.