The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
USA! USA! USA?
by Than Acuff
Can the U.S. men’s soccer team win the World Cup? Probably not, but why future trip? Let’s enjoy it while we can and take the wins while they happen and anything can happen in sports, especially soccer.
Anything can happen in softball too and a lot happened when the undefeated Bearcats faced the twice defeated Bangers at Gothic field on Wednesday, June 17.
The Bangers lived up to their name in the top of the first inning banging out eight base hits to score six runs. It all started, as it should if you want to score runs, with a single by leadoff hitter Kiley Crissman. Rebecca Ofsterdahl singled as well and an RBI single by Slater Weil and a two RBI double by Liz Wigginton helped the Bangers to their first three runs. Carey Willette would then triple to add another run and Adrienne and Mikey Weil combined for two base hits and two RBIs for a 6-0 Bangers’ lead.
With their lineup scribbled on the back of a PBR box, the Bearcats bit back in the bottom of the first to score five runs. Again, rule number one was in effect as Katie Sauer led off with a single. Peace Wheeler-Schaefer singled, Johnny Greene doubled to drive in a run, Amber Knight connected for a two RBI single and when Nicky “Sticky Ballz” Catmur, Nadine Allen and Jesse Smith all smacked hits for runs, the Bearcats were back to within one of the Bangers.
The Bangers tacked on two more runs in the top of the second inning as Crissman tripled and scored on a double by Ofsterdahl and Slater doubled and scored off a single from Wigginton.
The back-and-forth battle continued through the third and fourth innings assisted in part by some early season defensive miscues. The Bearcats took a 9-8 lead when Sauer, Wheeler-Schaefer and Knight drove in runs with hits, the Bangers tied it up and then the Bearcats opened it up a little bit with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Smith started it off with a “weird area” double and hustled home on a double by Jeff Snyder. Sauer continued her potency at the plate with a double and then Ryan Houseman stretched for a dirty two RBI double for a 12-9 Bearcats lead.
The Bangers responded in the top of the fourth when Ofsterdahl stroked an RBI single and Slater cleared the bags with a two-run home run to tie the game 12-12. A walk and two singles had the Bangers set up for more with the bases loaded and one out but in true local softball league action where anything can happen, the Bearcats pulled off a double play scooping up a powerbunt by the next batter, stepping on home plate and firing to first to get out of the jam.
The Bearcats would rebuild their lead as Knight led off with a single and scored on a triple down the first base line from Catmur. Smith would push another run home with a triple to the gap in centerfield and Snyder put the Bearcats out front 15-12 with an RBI double.
With both teams proving potent at the plate, it would come down to defense, and the Bearcats held the Bangers to just one run through the fifth and sixth innings while continuing to score runs. Hits from Wheeler-Schaefer, Greene, Knight and Smith would score three for the Bearcats in the bottom of fifth inning and they would tack on another two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 20-13 heading into the seventh inning.
The Bangers started it off right with back-to-back base hits to put two runners on with no outs but the Bearcats beared down, bared down, bore down, decided to bear down to get the needed outs including a 6-3 double play when Snyder scooped a grounder, tapped second base and fired to first for the 6-3 double play and the 20-13 win.
