By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan

Less than 24 hours after it snowed, the Portage County Women’s Fall Softball League was back in action at Iverson Park.

The diamond was a quagmire, but outstanding work by the crack ground crew made the field playable.

League Commissioner Erin Laffe explained, “Honestly, I was about two minutes away from calling off the games. But then Cheyenne Hahn from Bootleggers and Dee Bennett from Morey’s pitched in with the shovel and sawdust and the diamond actually shaped up nicely. We had no problem getting in the two scheduled games.”

Johnny & The Bootleggers (9-1) finished their regular season by thumping Morey’s (1-8), 15-3 in the first game. Rookie’s Royals (8-1) downed Two Harps (2-7), 16-6 in the nightcap.

The Bootleggers dominated their game from the beginning by scoring five runs in the first inning. The winners’ rally included singles by Chel Vidal, Liz Morrison, Dana Krug, Stacey Zarecki, and Stephanie Thomas plus a double by Cheyenne Hahn and Mak Lee’s triple. Johnny & The Bootleggers scored eight runs total in the fourth and fifth. Stephanie Thomas, Dana Krug, and winning pitcher Kristin Felts had two singles each, and Kayla Keepers doubled and singled. Cheyenne Hahn added a walk and solo homer. Morey’s finally got on the board in the fifth when Shannon Hoffman and Jordan Ehlers singled and came in on Dee Bennett’s home run.

The winners had 25 hits to four for Morey’s. Dana Krug and Stephanie Thomas led the way for the Boots with four hits apiece. Cheyenne Hahn, Kristin Feltz, and Mak Lee chipped in three hits each, and Chel Vidal, Stacey Zarecki, and Kayla Keepers added two hits each.

Manager Hahn noted that a fan in the parking lot beeps his car horn when the great-hitting Kayla Keepers gets another hit. Cheyenne said, “Jeepers, Kayla Keepers is one of our sleepers and her hits aren’t cheapers and she hears it from the beepers”.

Shannon Hoffman was the only player from Morey’s to hit safely twice.

In the second game, Two Harps made a nice run against Rookie’s Royals before falling in the fourth. The Harps started the game by scoring four runs in the first. Their rally included singles by Liz Schimke, Toni Gaddo, Kayla Perez, and Kristin DeVogel and a three-run double by Alishea Johnson. Rookies put up three runs in their half of the opening inning on singles by Katie Steinbach, Amy and Becky Kurszewski, Valerie Folan, Beke Blue, and Erin Laffe. Valerie Folan kept making bird calls in the dugout during the rally.

Two Harps actually led, 4-3, until the Royals came to bat in the bottom of the fourth. Then it was lights out for the Harps. Rookie’s scored five runs in the fourth and got seven more in the fifth to salt the game away. Winning pitcher Beke Blue, Samantha Zommers, and Amy Kurszewski each came up with two hits, as did Jodi Napiwocki. Valerie Folan went four for four in between her chirping bird calls. Shortstop Katie Steinbach had a monster outing for Rookie’s. She singled and scored, walked, tripled and scored, tripled and scored again, and finished off the Harps with a solo home run.

Liz Schimke paced the Harps with three hits while Brooke Sprecher came through with two. Rookie’s Royals had 22 hits during the game while Two Harps managed eleven.

Box Scores: Johnny & The Bootleggers: Chel Vidal: two singles; Liz Morrison: single; Cheyenne Hahn: double, single, homer, walk; Mak Lee: triple, single, double; Kristin Felts: three singles; Dana Krug: four singles; Stacey Zarecki: two singles; Kayla “Beepers” Keepers: double, single; Stephanie Thomas: four singles; Kenzie Dorsett: single. NOTE: All of the Bootlegger players wore moustaches. Moreys: Shannon Hoffman: two singles; Jordan Ehlers: single; Dee Bennett: three-run homer.

Box Scores: Rookie’s Royals: Katie Steinbach: single, walk, two triples, homer; Samantha Zommers: two singles; Amy Kurszewski: two singles, double; Becky Kurszewski: three singles; Nicole Kirsch: walk, run; Valerie Folan: four singles; Beke Blue: three singles, winning pitcher; Erin Laffe: single, is on a softball card; Jodi Napiwocki: two singles; Meg Lee: walk, run. Two Harps: Liz Schimke: three singles; Toni Gaddo: single, run, sac. fly, played so deep in the outfield she was almost in the parking lot; Kayla Perez: single; Kristin DeVogel: single, run; Brooke Sprecher: two singles, two runs; Alishea Johnson: three-run double; Wendy Johnston: single; Kelly Renderman: single; Emily Schnese: walk, run.

NOTE: The league ends its second season next Thursday at Iverson. Two scheduled games at 6:30 and 7:30 and possible championship game at 8:30.

Standings: Johnny & The Bootleggers: 9-1. Rookie’s Royals: 8-1. Star Struck: 3-6. Two Harps: 2-7. Morey’s: 1-8.