Mountain Colors rolls their way to Wednesday league title

DeNile ain’t just a river in Egypt

[  by Than Acuff  ]

The newest addition to the Wednesday softball league, Mountain Colors, closed out the regular season in first place, cruised through the post season and finished it all off with a title denying the Lords of Dirt the title three-peat with a 12-4 win.

The Lords of Dirt made a name for themselves the past two seasons with back-to-back titles and then pulled off some late game heroics throughout the playoffs to emerge from the loser’s bracket and set up a chance, albeit an outside chance, at a third title. But it would take more than late game heroics to pull it off as they had to take down Mountain Colors not once, but twice, to raise the trophy. And that just wasn’t going to happen and Mountain Colors made sure of that.

Before we get into the game, let’s take a moment for a big shout out to the parks and rec crew laying out the circular mow pattern at Gothic Field. It did not go unnoticed and was a nice touch. It’s possible it had been there all season but on this particular evening, perhaps it was the late summer lighting, it just seemed to pop.

Mountain Colors set the tone in the top of the first inning that they had no interest in taking two games to take the title. After Bryce W. Miller led off for the Lords of Dirt with a double, Mountain Colors turned a 6-3-5 double play on the next hitter when Sam Reaman scooped a grounder and threw to first and then Elloitt Manning fired across the diamond to Mallory Zimmeman at third to tag out Miller.

 The Lords of Dirt did follow that up scoring a run when Rob Holleran singled and scored on a double from Dan Brown, but Mountain Colors fired back scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Back-to-back singles set up Reaman for an RBI single. Ben Hayes, the same Ben Hayes that sent a home run completely over Town Hall in the Tuesday/Thursday league final for Pitas, stroked a two RBI single and Greg Flynt punched an RBI single for a 4-1 lead.

The Mountain Colors defense had all holes caulked once again in the top of the second inning to limit the Lords of Dirt to one base hit and then returned to the plate to rattle off five more runs.

It started with a little hot potato by the Lords of Dirt infield that allowed two Mountain Colors runs to score. Isabel Lucas then pushed a run home with a double and Hayes knocked two more in on a triple to right field for a 9-1 lead.

The Lords of Dirt were in the finals for a reason, and they started to make a push for more classic comeback ball inspired by a diving grab in centerfield by Isaac Evans to deny a lead off hit. The Lords of Dirt defense turned the next two outs as well and then found some pop at the plate in the top of the fourth inning. Sam Evans started it with a solo shot, Jake Sunter drove a double to left center and then scored when Hunter Lucas smashed an RBI triple to left. Isaac backed up his defense with some offense to stroke an RBI double as the Lords of Dirt were digging up another rally.

They followed that up by holding Mountain Colors hitless in the bottom of the fourth inning and were set to continue climbing their way back into the game only to be shut down thanks in part to a warning track grab by Isabel in deep left center.

The Lords of Dirt defense came through once again in the bottom of the fifth inning to remain in the comeback hunt. After Mountain Colors first two batters reached safely and a double from Reaman scored a run, the Lords of Dirt clamped down to end things including an inning ending 6-3 double play when Miller scooped a grounder, tapped second and fired to first.

Unfortunately, the Lords of Dirt had used up all their comeback chips already and they never managed to find their late game magic as Mountain Colors scored one last run and held the Lords of Dirt scoreless through the sixth and seventh innings to seal the 12-4 win and the Wednesday league title.