Pitas holds off Aces for win in season opener

“Nobody hurt”

by Than Acuff

If there’s one thing I know, it’s when you hold Pitas to one run over three innings, you need to rack up runs yourself or they will come back to bite you. Also, it’s pretty important the leadoff hitter get on base.

If there’s another thing I know, I neglected to mention Frank Magri in my softball shout out to Heather Cooper and Pete Basile last week. We also lost Magri, who may have had more years in the local leagues than most in the valley. Not to mention his years on ski patrol.

And that was front and center when Pitas, who Magri played for, faced the Aces at opening night Tuesday, June 2 at Tommy V Field and we had a game that started as expected, turned exciting, and then fell apart.

It was a classic season opener in that there were some bobbled grounders and additional miscues, but the two teams are fundamentally strong, so it had its share of quality play as well.

It started off with the Aces bats nearly non-existent as they accumulated just one base hit in the first three innings. Although, had they been playing at Gothic Field, Tom Harken’s smash to left would have hit the netting rather than drop for an out at Tommy V.

Meanwhile, Pitas came out swinging racking up eight runs in the first two innings perhaps inspired by their choice of music, specifically the Phil Collins song Another Day in Paradise. Seriously, late ‘80s Phil Collins? When it came out, I nearly threw my inhalable water filtration device through the TV when the video came on. That said, it was a commentary on the sad state of homelessness in America so kudos to Collins for mixing some social commentary into his music, but still.

Heather Duryea led off with a walk (see above), Scott Sanders doubled and Mallory Zimmerman got Pitas on the board with a sac fly RBI. Doubles from Ben Hayes and Will Mixon drove in two more runs and recent off-season acquisition Jason Chamberlin connected for a two RBI triple to centerfield for a 5-0 Pitas’ lead after one.

In their next trip to the plate, they tacked on three more runs thanks to more hits from Sanders and Hayes and an RBI single by Jill Cooper for an 8-0 lead.

The bottom of the third is when things started to change as the Aces defense clamped down led by a leaping grab at the warning track from Derek Yeadon and they stepped up in the top of the fourth to generate some runs.

Sean Irwin led off with a triple (see above again) and scored on a double by Bryce W. Miller to shallow centerfield. Harken benefitted from the aforementioned opening game miscues to get on base and Tucker Brown, who doubles as a U10 baseball coach, stroked an RBI double. Dan Brown followed with a two RBI double to left and Leslie Irwin capped the wake-up call with an RBI single to pull the Aces within three runs of Pitas.

After holding Pitas to just one hit in the bottom of the fourth, the stage was set for continuing the comeback but… the leadoff hitter did not get on base for the Aces.

They did manage a run when a grounder from Jessica Laramie befuddled the Pitas defense to result in an RBI double but two hitters later, an Aces runner stretched for home only to be thrown out by Hayes from left field to stop them in their tracks.

The Aces held Pitas to just one run in the bottom of the fifth inning compliments of a solo Inside the Park Home Run by Mixon so the door remained open for the Aces but… the leadoff hitter did not get on base, and they later left three on base.

At which point, Pitas put an end to it in the bottom of the sixth when Thomas McLean led off with a triple and scored when Duryea flared a single to right. A grounder by Hayes then turned into complete chaos resulting in a two RBI triple and Rosa Mixon finished it off with an RBI single for a 14-6 Pitas’ lead heading into the seventh inning.

Mixon then proceeded to throw three pitches for three outs to seal the deal.