Pitas takes Tuesday/Thursday Crested Butte softball league title

Another title Mr. Costanza, chalk me up on the big board

By Than Acuff 

Well, that was fun. But now it’s over.

After falling in extra innings in the first game of the championship evening Tuesday, August 12 at Gothic field, Pitas came back to win the second game for their eighth title of the franchise and deny Elevate their shot at a repeat title.

It was a tall task for Elevate to win a second title in a row. They had lost a playoff game earlier and were left to rise from the loser’s bracket to reach the finals. As a result, they had to beat Pitas not once, but twice, to take the 2025 title. Suffice it to say, probably wasn’t going to happen.

But they did make it interesting. But who are we kidding. No one beats Pitas twice in a row.

In the first game of the night, Elevate pulled off a two-out rally in the top of the seventh inning to take a 12-10 lead, held Pitas to just two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to push the game into extra innings and then sealed the deal with a couple of two run shots from Jared Martin and Sam Reaman to build a four-run lead and hold Pitas to three runs in the bottom of the eighth for the 16-15 win. 

The question then arises, are Pitas a lion lying in wait or was Elevate going to take the momentum of the gritty first game win into the second game to pull off the near impossible for the title.

Well, it turned out it was the former in the second game as Pitas found their stroke at the plate to slowly but surely build a sizeable lead over the course of the first five innings. It was classic death by a thousand hits ball by Pitas. And a little blood, sweat but no tears.

Drew Stichter and Roland Mason provided the first two runs for Pitas in the top of the first inning but Elevate answered back with three thanks to hits from Martin, CJ Hoover, Liz Wigginton and Reaman.

The Pitas’ train then started rolling in the top of the second inning, diesel train that is, as they picked apart the field for five runs. Heather Duryea and Thomas McLean each tapped base hits for starters and a run. Ben Hayes and Mallory Zimmerman continued the pinpoint Pitas hitting with RBI hits and Drew Stichter and Emily Crooks capped the first surge with RBI singles and a 7-3 lead.

Martin did maintain the energy for Elevate with a two-run home run to remain well within reach of a repeat title but when Pitas returned to the plate in the top of the third inning, they pulled off a two-out rally thanks in large part to the effort of McLean. McLean got caught between second and third base and rather than retreat, he pointed it straight for third base and while the toss was there in time for the out, McLean slid headfirst into the tag knocking the ball loose and drawing some of his own blood with the effort. From that point Hayes, Zimmerman, Stichter and Crooks all knocked RBI base hits to rebuild a seven-run lead.

Elevate continued to linger as Rob “human highlight reel” Holleran slipped a two-run inside the park home run through the gap and then had a couple defensive plays to boot. On the first one he charged on a dropping line ball to barehand it and fire to second base to get the force out. Moments later he charged in on another dropping liner to lay out for the grab and hold Pitas to a tenuous five-run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. At which point Zimmerman provided a defensive highlight play of her own to snag a hot grounder and fire to first helping to retire the Elevate hitters one-two-three.

After flirting with putting the game away, Pitas ostensibly did in the top of the fifth. Singles from Melissa Mason and Hayes got things started, Zimmerman drove one home with a double and Stichter knocked two more runners in with a double off the fence. Crooks, Duryea and McLean all sprayed additional RBI base hits, Mason returned to the plate a second time to pop an RBI double and then Hayes made the most of his second trip to the plate that inning to smash his second home run of the evening, this one a three-run shot complete with bat flip for a 22-7 Pitas’ lead.

Fork 

At which point the game seemed to be in cruise control while a squeeze bottle of tequila circulated through the fans and the smell of weed wafted from that same set of fans.

That is, until things got a little interesting. Or as interesting as it could get given the circumstances. While down 23-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Elevate showed some life. Martin gave the team an initial boost with a leadoff solo shot and then Nick Klaus destroyed a two-run shot destined for the Mountain Spirits roof had it not been for a tree. Elevate scored a few more runs to pull within eight but who’s kidding who. This is Pitas we’re talking about and they calmly and cooly put the game to bed for the 23-16 win and as indicated by their team photo, their eighth title in the history of the franchise.

And if you’re looking for more softball, clear your calendar on Wednesday, August 20 for the Wednesday league title game at Gothic field at 5:15 p.m.