Doug’s Coed Softball…You Make the Call
By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan
We’d like to introduce Krystin Eckes, bartender at Graffiti’s in Stevens Point. She’s also the official scorer in the Vesper Men’s Softball League. The gal knows her stuff.
Recently, there was a normal play in the Doug’s Sports Pub Co-Ed “Buddy Berry” League. Kim Schmitz of Airport Bar hit a routine groundball to I’d Hit That’s Megan Pollack at third. Megan fielded the ball cleanly and threw it over to Rissa Gustin at first base. However, the bright sun was directly in Rissa’s eyes and she failed to catch the throw. Kim was safe.
Was it ruled a hit or an error?
Krystin: “You have to account for the player who reached base. If it wasn’t a walk or a fielder’s choice, then it had to be either a hit or an error. I’d call it an error.”
Question: “On who?”
Krystin: “That’s an error on the chick at first. She should’ve caught the throw.”
Question: “How could she catch it when she couldn’t see it?”
Krystin: “That’s too bad. Was she wearing a hat? Sunglasses? It’s her fault that she didn’t catch it.”
Comment: ‘Well, we gave the batter a hit because the gal at first couldn’t possibly catch the ball if she didn’t see it. No error.”
Krystin: “It’s an E3. That’s why I’m a better scorer than you.”
Question: “Well, what about a normal fly-ball in the major leagues that the fielder loses in the sun or lights?”
Krystin: “If it’s a routine fly-ball that should be caught, it’s an error on the outfielder if that ball is not caught.”
Question: “But what if the outfielder can’t see the ball?”
Krystin: “Too bad. I’m giving the outfielder an error.”
Comment: “Well, I’d give the batter a hit.”
Krystin: “Hey, it’s a free country. You vote. You’re an American. You call it your way and I’ll call it my way. I subscribe to the theory that the batter has to earn the hit.”
On Monday at Moore Barn Memorial, I’d Hit That (soon to be Kim’s Barrel Inn) pounded out 22 hits as they hammered Team BAMF, 13-2. Winning pitcher Jake Mortimer limited the Bammers to six measly hits.
IHT’s centerfielder Morgan Opper, shortstop Collin Conrad, and Jake Mortimer all had banner nights at the plate. Opper came through with five hits, including a trio of doubles. Conrad picked up four hits, scored three runs, homered in the 6th, and in general ran wild on the bases. The dude just never stopped running.
“That’s the way I do it,” Opper said. “If I’m running to second, I’m already thinking about going to third.”
Jake Mortimer was four for four with four singles. Megan Pollack had five RBIs.
Corey Blake’s two singles paced Team BAMF.
“Morgan really set the table and Collin and Megan kept driving her in,” said BAMF’s Kevin Hurd said. “Jake also had a great game, and Jazmin Soto was sensational at second base.”
Time of Game: 57 minutes.
I’D HIT THAT STATS: Nic Dulmes: 2 singles. Morgan Opper: 2 singles, 3 doubles. Kevin Hurd: double, single. Jazmin Soto: double. Collin Conrad: 2 singles, double, solo homer in 6th, probably still running. Megan Pollack: single, double. Jack Mortimer: walk, ran for Jake Mortimer four times. Danielle Hoover: single; Jake Mortimer: four singles; Ashley Leidall: single (played for Carroll College).
TEAM BAMF STATS: Graham Edwardson: single; Corey Blake: 2 singles; Lakyn Lloyd: walk; Brad Ashland: single; Chris Ashland: walk, double, scored both runs; Kimberley Brockman: walk; Morgan Edwardson: single, walk.
*NOTE: Cody Tokarski made his 2016 umpiring debut and was outstanding as he teamed up with legendary
man-in-blue Jesse Higgins. Higgins said he “was impressed.”
In the first game, The Sloppy Swats played great defense in the field and brought down the Shoe Crew, 9-2. The Crew only managed eight hits against the Swat’s veteran right-hander Pat Scheele.
“Pat did a fine job of mixing up his pitches,” Swats’ catcher Kelly Barden said. “He was in total command out there.”
The Swats came up with 17 hits when they came to bat. They pushed across three runs in the first inning on a walk to Brady Spees and singles by Jen Eggleston, Matt Barden, Tracy Mixa, and Scheele. The winners added three more in the fourth stanza thanks to doubles by Jake Roy (pronounced “Waa” in Canada) and Rachel Graves and base-hits by Brady Spees, Jen Eggleston, and Matt Barden. Another run came in during the sixth inning as Scheele singled, moved to second on Nicole Spees’s single, and scored standing up when Kelly Barden rapped a base hit to left.
BJ Stearns and Max DeLap each tripled and scored for the Shoe Crew. Kyle Norwood and Tammy King both contributed two hits. The Swat’s Jen Eggleston remarked, “This was probably our best defensive game of the season. Brady Spees, Jake Roy, Pat, Matt, and Tracy were all terrific.”
Amber Hintz of the Crew found a quarter in the parking lot.
SLOPPY SWATS STATS: Brady Spees: walk, single, 2 runs; Rachel Graves: single, double; Nate Pezewski: single, sac. fly; Jen Eggleston: 2 singles, 2 runs; Matt Barden: 3 singles; Tracy Mixa: single; Pat Scheele: 3 singles; Nicole Spees: single; Jake Roy: 2 doubles, 2 runs; Kelly Barden: walk, single.
SHOE CREW STATS: Kyle Norwood: 2 singles; Melissa Dombrowski: single; BJ Stearns: triple, run; Tammy King: 2 singles; Jared Shilka: single; Amber Hintz: walk; Max DeLap: triple, run; Kara Polley: walk.
Time of Game: 54 minutes.
MONDAY NIGHT LEAGUE STANDINGS: Airport Bar: 6-0; Sloppy Swats: 4-2; I’d Hit That: 3-3; Team BAMF: 2-5; Shoe Crew: 1-6.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: July 4: No Games due to holiday. July 11: 5:45: Airport Bar vs Team BAMF. 6:45: I’d Hit That (or Kim’s Barrel Inn) vs Sloppy Swats. Bye: Shoe Crew.