By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan

On a windy Monday evening at Moore Barn Memorial, Airport Bar staged a late rally to knock off the Sloppy Swats, 11-5.

Kim’s Barrel Inn then dropped Team BAMF 13-2 in the nightcap. The Swats (0-2) and Airport Bar (3-0) were knotted up at 4-4 before Airport put the game away with a big seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. Firstbaseman Kyle Krieger led off with his fourth hit of the game and scored on a booming triple to left by Abby Rottier.

Adam Lee’s sacrifice fly then drove in Abby. After Meg Lee walked, Tyler Mader and Sue Gruba both smacked solid singles and they all came home on James Marthaler’s bases-loaded triple. Stefanie Jackson singled to send home Marthaler, and before you knew it, Airport Bar was up by six runs.

And they still weren’t done. Krieger’s second hit of the inning sent home Josh Swan to give the defending champs a 11-4 lead. Airport manager Meg Lee noted, “Those triples by Abby and James were huge, and Sue Gruba was sensational at third base.”

The Swats started out great in the first by scoring four runs on singles by Evan Volm, Jen Eggleston, Matt Barden, Traci Mixa, and Nicole Spees. Airport answered with one run thanks to triples by Adam Lee and Tyler Mader. The Swats never threatened again until they pushed across one final run in the seventh. Winning pitcher James Marthaler and the tight Airport defense held the Sloppy Swats to 11 singles.

Airport picked up one run in the second and two more in the fourth to tie the battle at 4-4 heading into the fifth. Airport’s Kyle Krieger put on a hitting clinic during the game. He singled to center in the second, singled up the middle again in the fourth, and hit two singles to center in the big sixth.

“I always hit it right up the middle cuz there’s nobody there to catch it once it gets past the pitcher,” Krieger said.

Airport Bar had 18 hits including triples by Rottier, Adam Lee, Mader, and Marthaler. Umpire Jesse “The Legend” Higgins worked home plate with his arm in a sling.

“I slipped the other day,” Higgins explained, “but it’s getting better”.

Jen Eggleston of the Swats was awarded a broasted chicken dinner from RD’s Diner for getting her picture in the paper a week earlier.

SLOPPY SWATS BATTING STATS: Evan Volm: three singles; Jen Eggleston: two singles; Matt Barden: single, run; Traci Mixa: two singles, run; Justin Scott: single; Nicole Spees: single, RBI; Kelly Barden: single. AIRPORT BAR BATTING STATS: Abby Rottier: triple, two singles; Adam Lee: triple, single; Meg Lee: single, walk; Tyler Mader: triple, two singles; Sue Gruba: single, great plays at third; James Marthaler: triple, 3 RBIs; Stefanie Jackson: two singles; Josh Swan: single, two runs; Kim Schmitz: walk; Kyle Krieger: four singles right up the middle. TIME OF GAME: 58 minutes.

Kim’s Barrel Inn (1-1) beat Team BAMF (0-3) 13-2 in the second contest as pitcher Jake Mortimer bamboozled the Bammers on nine hits.

The Barrel rapped out 23 hits including a bunch of doubles and triples. KBI shortstop Josh Barnes accomplished a softball rarity by hitting for the cycle. He singled in the first, smashed the night’s only homer in the third, doubled and scored in the fifth, walked and scored in the sixth, and tripled and scored in the seventh.

Barnes won two chicken dinners from RD’s Diner for his effort. KBI’s Ryan Klopf had an impressive 2017 debut with four hits, and Megan Wiczek and rightfielder Callie Schmit combined for six hits. Megan and Barnes also turned a nifty double play.

Jake Mortimer won a chicken dinner for his fine pitching performance. Graham Edwardson and Steve Stroik each had two hits for BAMF and they scored both of their team’s runs. Brad Ashland and Christopher Ashland won chicken dinners for fine defensive plays, and Kimberley Brockman showed off a nifty pink hairdo. Erin Laffe took pictures during the game. It also was Lakyn Lloyd’s birthday.

KIM’S BARREL INN BATTING STATS: Nic Dulmes: triple, run; Megan Wiczek: three singles; wants a Megan Wiczek Bobblehead Night; Josh Barnes: hit for the cycle; Jazmin Soto: single, triple; Ryan Klopf: two singles, two doubles; Megan Pollack: single, run; Jack Mortimer: single, run; Callie Schmit: three singles; Jake Mortimer: single, double; Gabby Thomas: two singles. TEAM BAMF BATTING STATS: Graham Edwardson: single, double. Morgan Edwardson: single; Brad Ashland: single; Christopher Ashland: single; Jake Bailey: single; Kimberley Brockman: had a cheering section; Steve Stroik: two singles; Erin Laffe: single. TIME OF GAME: 54 minutes.

LEAGUE STANDINGS: Airport Bar 3-0. Shoe Crew: 2-0. Kim’s Barrel Inn 1-1. Sloppy Swats 0-2. Team BAMF 0-3. NO GAMES ON May 29 due to holiday.