By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan

Five hours after Stevens Point supposedly got a solar eclipse, the Monday Night Coed Softball League ended its regular season at Moore Barn Memorial.

The Sloppy Swats hammered Team BAMF, 16-4, and Kim’s Barrel Inn beat Shoe Crew, 9-5. The final regular season standings in the “Bud Berry” League at Doug’s Sports are: Airport Bar: 9-1; KBI: 7-3; Shoe Crew: 5-5; Sloppy Swats: 3-7; Team BAMF: 2-10. The season included two rain-outs, which will not be made up.

The first game had a weird start as umpire Bobby Sullivan complained that he had trouble seeing due to looking at the two-second solar eclipse earlier in the day. Therefore, he switched spots with the official announcer (me), and then the game got underway.

Onlooker Dave Treb noted, “I thought Shoe did pretty good behind the plate, but that one call did confuse me a little,” (This was regarding a pitch from Jake Bailey, I couldn’t tell if it nicked the mat or not so it was ruled “No pitch”).

Team BAMF opened the scoring with one run in the top of the first as Steve Stroik scored following singles by Kristin Zimmer and Chris Ashland. The Swats put four runs up on the board in the bottom of the first. The rally included singles by Rachel Graves and Matt Barden, doubles by Evan Volm and Justin Scott, and walks to Taylor Gregorich and Hilary Treb.

After BAMF went scoreless in the second, Sloppy Swats tacked on three more runs on singles by Kelly Barden, Evan Volm, and Brady Spees mixed in with a triple by Rachel Graves. Swats led 7-1 after two. Team BAMF pushed across one run in the third thanks to singles by Jake Bailey, Steve Stroik, and Chris Ashland. The Swats didn’t get anything in the third and BAMF’s Steve Stroik and Kristin Zimmer spun a double play.

BAMF was stymied in the fourth, although Kimberley Brockman did reach base on the first of her two walks in the game. The Swats scored three more in the bottom of the fourth on singles by Kelly Barden and Brady Spees and doubles by Evan Volm and Jen Eggleston. The Swats led 10-2 after four.

Team BAMF was shut out in the fifth. The Swats tallied once when Hilary Treb doubled and scored on Pat Scheele’s single. Onlooker Dave Treb who was sitting in the stands gave Hilary a sitting ovation for her double. 11-2 was the score after five.

The Bammers came up with two runs in the sixth as Kimberley Brockman walked, Cory Blake singled, and they both scored on Jake Bailey’s double. The Swats ended the game by scoring five times in the sixth. Rachel Graves, Jen Eggleston, and Taylor Gregorich all singled while Matt Barden, Justin Scott, and Pat Scheele each doubled. 16-4 was the final.

Both of these teams will meet again in the 6:45 “Play-In” game when the league tournament begins next week. The winner will then play the No. 1 seed Airport Bar.

Bobby Sullivan left the scorer’s picnic table after the game and played for Kim’s Barrel Inn in the second game. KBI beat Shoe Crew, 9-5. Shoe Crew was shut out over the first three innings as they only managed a double by Matt Hodgson and single by Andy Horst. The Barrel, with feisty owner Kim Krayecki in the crowd, scored one run in the first on singles by Eric Mueller and Morgan Oppor(tunity).

Then they got two more in the third on singles by Megn Wiczek and Mueller plus a double by Josh Barnes. The Crew finally got a run in the fourth when Andy Horst scored on a sac fly by Joe Kinsella. KBI got that run back in the bottom of the fourth when Jake Mortimer, Kassie McGettigan, and Eric Mueller all singled.

Shoe Crew sent two runners across the plate in the fifth as Jared Shilka and Detroit Lions’ fan Kyle Norwood both socked doubles. Then KBI put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Josh Barnes, Megan Wiczek, Jacob Barnes, and Jenia Shaske each singled and Bobby Sullivan hit a flyball to right which barely cleared the fence by an inch for a grand-slam homer. KBI led 9-3 after five.

Shoe Crew ended the game’s scoring with two runs in the seventh. Jared Shilka singled, Kyle Norwood tripled, and Matt Hodgson and Melissa Dombrowski singled. The final score was KBI 9 and Shoe Crew 5.

Both of these teams will play next Monday at 5:45 in the opening game of the league tournament. The winner will advance into the championship game.

TEAM BAMF BATTING STATS: Jake Bailey: two singles, double; Steve Stroik: four singles; Kristin Zimmer: single; Chris Ashland: three singles; Kimberley Brockman: two walks, just missed catching long flyball in right); Corey Blake: two singles, double; Odell Beckham Jr.: sprained ankle vs Cleveland. SLOPPY SWATS BATTING STATS: Brady Spees: two singles, two runs; Rachel Graves: two singles, triple, three runs; Evan Volm: two doubles, single, two runs; Jen Eggleston: single, double, run; Matt Barden: single, double, run; Taylor Gregorich: walk, single, two runs; Justin Scott: two doubles, single, bunch of runs batted in; Hilary Treb: walk, double, run; Pat Scheele: single, double; Kelly Barden: two singles, two runs. TIME OF GAME: 50 minutes.

SHOE CREW BATTING STATS: Matt Hodgson: double, single; Melissa Dombrowski: single; Andy Horst: single, walk; Sam Stuard: single, great plays at first; Joe Kinsella: single; Jenni Brandt: walk; Jared Shilka: double, single, two runs; Kyle Norwood: double, triple, two runs (big Michigan State fan). KIM’S BARREL INN BATTING STATS: Eric Mueller: four singles, run; Morgan Oppor: single, run; Josh Barnes: two singles, double, two runs; Megan Wiczek: three singles, run; Jacob Barnes: single, run; Jenia Shaske: single, single, run; Bobby Sullivan: single, grand slam homer; Jake Mortimer: two singles, run; Kassie McGettigan: single, got to third. TIME OF GAME: 48 minutes.