Hit Squad and Hares square off in rec league action

So my question is, what is the premise of the name of the Hit Squad? Is that a pseudonym for a crew of lot trolls that would head into the parking lot looking for “whatever?” It’s not, it’s just a name decided upon in an effort to strike fear in their opponent. Furthermore, if someone writes something and nobody reads it, does it matter what was written? If a town plays host to a beer commercial but no one can talk about it, does it count as promotion? Evenfurthermore, what’s up with all of the ramblings in the opening paragraphs of softball coverage? Sometimes, when I try to get started on writing, I have to ramble to get things moving both mentally and physically. Right now is one of those sometimes. The other day I was riding Teo Ridge and after surviving a myocardial infarction, I stopped scrawling my last will and testament on a piece of bark with a rock and I thought of a poem while just staring at a lone cloud in the sky. It’s titled Oh Lonely Cloud. Oh Lonely Cloud Flying so high Up in the sky You caught my eye All alone and floating by Made me wonder why Why oh why oh why Mmmmmm, slice of Mikey’s ham and pineapple pizza Did you know pot is legal in Colorado? Is anyone still reading this? I’m sorry. The Hares took on the latest addition to the rec league softball ranks, the Hit Squad, on Tuesday night at Tommy V Field and WOW, what a game. It had everything… except for “whatever.” The Hit Squad formed this year and came together through adultfriendfinder.com, supposedly. They opened the season losing to the Hares, the first of many surprise Hares victims this year. Since that opening day loss, they struggled, but have gelled the past two weeks and came into the game Tuesday night on a two-game winning streak and were looking to exact revenge upon those pesky Hares. The Hares have the rec league in complete uproar after charging out of the gates on fire and rattling off a number of big wins. They’ve struggled as of late, dropping their last two games but they did come the closest to beating Tully’s last Thursday losing 13-9. Whaaaaaat? That’s right, the Hares came closer than any other team to taking down Tully’s. I, of course, was not there. It gets better though. The Eldo beat the Talk of the Town 2-1. I, fortunately, was not there. Fortunate for both you and me because if that had been the game of the week, that would have required some serious rambling and maybe even a poem to fill some space. Wait a minute… So anyway, there I was Tuesday night at Tommy V Field watching what might have been one of the most exciting games of softball this year… that I’ve seen. The teams traded hits, runs, errors, insults, pulled muscles and the lead a couple of times before the Hit Squad emerged triumphant 29-20. It was a quiet start with neither team doing much at the plate in the first inning and then the gloves came off for the next six innings. The Hit Squad opened up a “small can” in the top of the second with a two-out rally. Mike Pendy tripled and scored on a single by Mike Luna. Justine Sanchez singled and scored on a bloop RBI single by Bethany Harple. Scott Hargrove drove another run in with a double to center and Betty Sue Gurk and Joe Knight capped the rally scoring three more runs for a 7-0 Hit Squad lead. Things looked good, and then bad, for the Hares in the bottom of the second inning. Singles from Don Bunnell and Maddie Stichter and a couple of walks scored a run and loaded the bases for Michael Baim. Baim delivered a single that had Hares on the run scoring two but Hares pitcher, and 42-year veteran of local softball, Noel Adams pulled his quad running home and was forced to sit the rest of the game. Luna jumped all over a meatball served up in the top of the third for a two-run inside the park home run (ITPHR) and the Hit Squad could have put the game out of reach early, but the Hares defense clamped down to stave off destruction. Using classic Hares hit-and-run style ball, they took full advantage of the massive acreage at Tommy V Field in the bottom of the third inning. Dave McGuire doubled and scored on a double by Frank Stichter. Kent Fulton connected for another RBI double and things were looking good again, until the Hit Squad turned a perfect relay from centerfield to throw out a runner at home quashing a Hares rally. Feeling the heat from the Hares, and the hot bats, the Hit Squad tacked on three more runs for a 12-5 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. Then came the Hares as a combination of fundamental hitting and patience at the plate paved the way for a Hares eruption. Singles and walks capped by a two RBI double by Stichter and a two RBI triple by Fulton had the game tied 12-12 with no outs and the Hit Squad unraveling. As the Hit Squad started harassing the Hares for not swinging, the Hares remained calm and added on five more runs to build a 15-12 lead, with no outs, before umpires had to enforce the mercy rule. Right then and there was the salvation for the Hit Squad as they were able to come to the plate and undo all that was done. Tyler Mahoney led off with a solo ITPHR, Jared Marchand cracked an RBI double, Gurk connected for an RBI single and Knight stepped up to crush a two-run ITPHR. Kris Bruun joined the hitting spree with a solo ITPHR and the Hit Squad was back on top 18-15 midway through the fifth inning. The mercy rule did nothing to slow down the Hares though as they picked up where they left off and then some. You want the Hares to swing? They will and they did rattling off eight base hits and scoring five runs to go back on top 20-18. Had it not been for a huge grab by Natacha Winchester chasing down a pop foul behind the plate with the bases loaded, the Hares would have probably scored four or five more runs. Then the Hit Squad did it again putting together another two-out rally. Marchand led with a solo ITPHR, Gurk doubled again, Knight tied the game with an RBI double, Natalie Hargrove sneaked in another RBI double and Bruun and Winchester drove two more Hit Squaders home to retake the lead, 23-20. Like I said, what a game. Wait, are you still reading? The turning point, final tuning point that is, came in the bottom of the sixth inning. While the Hit Squads offense was hot all game, their defense had been a bit sketchy until now. They gave up just one base hit and turned three ground balls into outs to hold their tenuous three-run lead. The Hit Squad then turned back to their bats, living up to their name once again, to tack on six insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning and finish the Hares off for good 29-20.