ARLINGTON With the slowpitch format allowing for everybody to hit, big innings are the norm in rec league softball.
Case in point at the Wednesday, Aug. 1, clash between Cuz Concrete and the Bulldogs. The teams combined for 30 runs and Cuz won the game 19-11 after only five innings due to the time restraints imposed by league guidelines.
Cuz started off the game shutting down the Bulldogs, holding them to no runs in the top half of the first inning. This proved to be the crucial point of the game as Cuz then got their own bats cranking in the bottom half of the inning. Paul Galivon led off with a double to right field. Kelli Kenney dribbled an infield single down the third base line, moving Galivon over. Derek Chapin followed with an RBI double, scoring Galivon. Michele Reitz came through with a two-run single to left field to make the score 3-0. Brandon Zachry singled home Reitz to put Cuz on top 4-0.
The Bulldogs again failed to score in the top half of the second inning, giving Cuz more opportunity to distance themselves on the scoreboard. Cheryl Cromeenes reached on an error to open the inning for Cuz. Galivon singled and Kenney lined a single over a leaping shortstop to load the bases. A dropped ball in center field allowed another run to score on a Chapin pop fly. Reitz dropped in a bloop single to shallow centerfield to push the lead to 6-0. Then big bopper Brandon Zachry cleared the bases with a towering grand slam. He deposited the ball deep behind the center fielder, nearly into the tall grass beyond the field. Zachrys shot lifted Cuz to a 10-0 lead, which would be a safe lead in most situations, but not rec league softball.
The Bulldogs finally got going in the top half of the third inning. With one aboard, Leonard Turner drilled a double over the Cuz third baseman and into the corner. Darren Tucker followed with a double of his own to plate two runs. Trailing 10-2, Scott Benham singled home Tucker to close the gap to 10-3.
Cuz got all three runs back in the bottom half of the inning, leading 13-3, but the Bulldogs kept on coming at them.
In the fourth Joel Gregory lined a single up the middle to start another Bulldog rally. Scott Wammack singled into shallow right field to put runners on the corners. Kristin Peterson dribbled a ball down the third base line that proved unplayable by the Cuz infield. Peterson reached first safely as a run scored on the play. Turner then doubled into the left-center gap to score Wammack bringing the score to 13-5. Summer Sawyer hit a swinging bunt back to the Cuz pitcher, tragically misplayed and thrown into right field. Two runs scored on the play to bring the game back to respectable margins 13-7.
Cuz did right the ship in the bottom half of the inning, using a two-RBI double from Galovin to pad their lead. But the deal was yet to be sealed as the Bulldogs exploded for four more runs in the top half of the fifth inning. Sami Mata did the most damage with a two-RBI groundout. After the dust settled, the Bulldogs trailed 15-11 and Cuz had steadily seen their lead shrink.
Fortunately for Cuz, they rallied in the bottom half of the inning to tack on four more runs. Chapin singled to left to get things going. Reitz doubled Chapin in to score. A two-RBI single from Mike Tutlis put Cuz up 18-1, then Tim Reilly completed the scoring with an RBI single.
At that point the umpire called the game, saying that time was up. The Bulldogs rally was thwarted and Cuz walked off with their third consecutive victory.
Manager Michele Reitz could not explain the teams success this season.
I dont know why were winning, we have most of the same people as last year when we finished in the middle of the pack. One good thing is to have the owner of Cuz Concrete out here playing, he inspires us to try harder. This years team is phenomenal.