By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan

“There must’ve been a full moon,” said Team Biadasz pitcher Julie Peskie.

Iverson Park scoreboard operator Bobby Sullivan added, “It’s a miracle that the scoreboard didn’t blow up.”

Softball action resumed Thursday night at Iverson Park as the Portage County Women’s Softball League
was back in play following rain-outs on September 22. And it came back in a fury.

Let’s look at what Team Biadasz (1-3) did, shall we?

They had 23 hits. They had eleven walks. They scored 21 runs. And they lost! Rookie’s Royals (4-0) came up with 29 hits and seven walks as they won, 22-21, in eight innings. Both teams were tied at 6-6 after two innings. Then Team Biadasz scored ten runs in the top of the third.

The rally included two hits each in the inning by Britt Mae, Sage Stanchik, and Amber Hintz plus Meg Lee’s triple, singles by Bria Hahn, Ashlynn Plaski, Miranda Yoose, and Michelle Zick and walks to Julie Peskie and Niccole Plaski. The Royals got two runs back in the bottom of the third on Korryn Dean’s two-run homer to right.

Now, you would think a 16-8 lead after three would be pretty safe. And it was as neither team scored in the fourth. Team Biadasz upped their lead to 18-8 with two more runs in the top of the fifth, courtesy of three walks and singles by Ashlynn Plaski and Melissa “1818” Dombrowski. And then came the fireworks from Rookie’s Royals as they poured across ten runs to tie it at 18-18.

In the inning, Amy Kurszewski singled and doubled, as did Brittany Pepowski and Korryn Dean, and Katie Steinbach, Becky Kurszewski, Nicole Kirsch, and Jenna Lewandowski each singled.

“I really didn’t think that game would ever end,” moaned plate umpire Jesse Higgins. And it almost didn’t. Team Biadasz scored two runs in the sixth and led, 20-18. The Royals got zip in the sixth. Team Biadasz was held scoreless in the top of the seventh, and, with two out in the bottom of the seventh, Rookie’s Royals got four straight singles and a walk to tie the game at 20-20 after seven. Into extra innings it went.

Team Biadasz picked up one run to lead, 21-20. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Jenna Lewandowski and Valerie Folan singled, Erin Laffe walked, and Beke Blue ended the thriller with a two-run double to center. The game started at 6:30 and ended at 8:15.

“I was gassed,” said Royal’s catcher Jenna Lewandowski. Jenna had four hits as did Katie Steinbach and Amy Kurszewski. Brittany Pepowski was even better with four singles and a double. Bria Hahn punched out four singles for the losers.

“I guess you could say Julie and I were a little rusty,” winning pitcher Beke Blue explained as she commented on the 18 combined walks.

Post Road Pub’s Toni Gaddo said, “We were supposed to play at 7:30, and when we got there that other game was still in the third inning; I thought we looked at the wrong schedule.”

TEAM BIADASZ HITTING STATS: Bria Hahn: four singles; Julie Peskie: two singles, walk; Ashlynn Plaski: three singles, walk; Meg Lee: single, triple, two walks (one intentional); Melissa Dombrowski: two singles; Miranda Yoose: walk, single; Britt Mae: three singles; Sage Stanchik: two singles, walk; Amber “Chipmunk” Hintz: walk, double, two singles (one was a two-inch single); Niccole Plaski: two walks; Michelle Zick: single, two walks.

ROOKIE’S ROYALS HITTING STATS: Katie Steinbach: four singles; Becky Kurszewski: three singles, two walks; Nicole Kirsch: two singles, two walks; Jenna Lewandowski: four singles; Valerie Folan: three singles; Erin Laffe: walk, run; Beke Blue: walk, game-ending double; Amy Kurszewski: two doubles, two singles, four runs; Brittany Pepowski: four singles, double, five runs; Korryn Dean: single, double, walk, two-run homer. Time of Game: Almost two hours.

“There must’ve been a full moon,” said Kristin DeVogel of the 0-4 Post Road Pub Punishers. That was because after four innings, Post Road was shutting out Rough Rookies (2-2), 7-0. The Punishers scored seven runs in the first two frames on six walks, Kristin DeVogel’s triple, and two singles by Desiree Lehman and Wendy Johnston and another base hit by Alishea Johnson.

Wendy Johnston was pitching a gem for Post Road and only allowed four hits while striking out five Rookie hitters. But the Rough Rookies finally caught up to her in the top of the fifth by scoring four runs. Two walks and singles by Alaina Rustad, Stacey Zarecki, Andrea Stroik, and Christine Lutze did the trick.

One more run made it 8-4 after six, and in the top of the seventh, the Rough Rookies tied it at 8-8 with four runs. The key hits were singles by Christine Lutze , Kaitlyn Knutson, and Taylor Biermeier and doubles by Andrea Stroik, Courtney Erdman, and Ashley Follie. Into extra innings it went. (Where have we heard that before?) In the top of the eighth, Rough Rookie’s went ahead, 12-8 on singles by Stacey Zarecki, Andrea Stroik, Christine Lutze, Courtney Erdman, and Taylor Biermeier.

Post Road Pub made a rally of their own in the bottom of the eighth as a walk to Toni Gaddo and singles by Desiree Lehman and Kristin DeVogel and Devin Lehman’s double brought in three runs to make the score 12-11. With the tying run (Laura Waltenberg) on second and the winning run (DeVogel) on first, Christine Lutze retired the next hitter and Rough Rookies escaped with the victory.

Post Road’s Toni Gaddo lamented, “Man, we were one lousy out away from a win.”

The lights went out at 9:45.

POST ROAD PUB BATTING STATS: Kristin DeVogel: triple, two singles, three walks; Jean Higdon: three walks; Tiffany Feltz: walk; Alishea Johnson: single; Toni Gaddo: three walks; Desiree Lehman: four singles; Wendy Johnston: four singles; Devin Lehman: walk, double; Shantell Zdroik: single; Laura Waltenberg: walk. ROUGH

ROOKIE’S BATTING STATS: Stacey Zarecki: three singles; Andrea Stroik: two singles, double; Christine Lutze: four singles; Courtney Erdman: two singles, two doubles; Kaitlyn Knutson: single, two walks; Taylor Biermeier: three singles; Ashley Follie: double; Patty Johnson: two walks; Alaina Rustad: two singles. Time of Game: Little less than the first one.

LEAGUE STANDINGS: Rookie’s Royals: 4-0. Graffiti’s: 2-0. Rough Rookies: 2-2. Team Biadasz: 1-3. Post Road Pub Punishers: 0-4.

Next Week’s Schedule: Thursday October 6: (Tripleheader): 6:30: Post Road Pub Punishers (0-4) vs Rookie’s Royals (4-0); 7:30: Graffiti’s (2-0) vs Rough Rookie’s (2-2); 8:30: Team Biadasz (1-3) vs Post Road Pub Punishers.