OTTAWA – With a solid win under their belt last week—their first in four games—the fun bunch were finally bailing out water faster than it was coming in. The ship was no longer sinking, however it wasn’t quite yet sea worthy. There was still lots of brine sloshing around in the hold.

Fed up with his back injury, steve “field marshal” saunders decided he was going to “take it to the next level” and try playing his beloved short stop position this week. He desperately wanted to help the team and the summer was slipping by. Feeling a little better each week, but still not ready for prime time yet, he could catch and throw, but didn’t have much lateral movement and still couldn’t bend or jump. It would have to do.

The crawlers swaggered into their dug out. One of the players loudly proclaimed to Alison “bulldozer” Hale on the way by that “they were on a winning streak”, in a feeble attempt to intimidate her. “bulldozer” rolled her eyes and yawned.

The fun bunch took the field and promptly shut down the crawlers in the top of the first inning. So far so good. But then emilie “big time” belanger, Richard “wild thing” Bujold, and Kathie “daredevil” Adare failed to seize the opportunity as they went three-up-three-down.

That all changed dramatically in the next inning with hits by “big time”, “bulldozer”, “daredevil”, clark “pound em back” lawlor, ryan “man o’ war” matishuk, adrian “the jackal” seaman and glen “the wrangler” rankin to score five runs – all without using up a home run to charge into the lead 5-2.

The crawlers scored four runs in the next inning on a grand slam, after a terrible home-town call by their umpire to call the runner safe at first and load the bases.

At that point, “field marshal” decided to change tactics. He had been holding back, taking easy swings for singles , in an attempt to limit the pain and damage to his herniated disc. But now the gloves were off. They were going to win this game no matter the cost. And to do that, he was going to have to give it a little more oomph. With “big time” aboard, “wild thing” hit a single to put two runners on to bring “field marshal” to the plate. This wasn’t going to be a single, and with next pitch, he deposited the ball over the east fence to score three runs in yet another five run inning to take the lead 10-6.

In the meantime, “big time” was running double duty. Once for herself, and once as pinch runner for “bulldozer” who was getting hits with regularity, keeping “big time” winded as she kept circling the bases.

In a sight to behold, “wild thing” had twice now “struck out” by failing to put the ball in fair territory on six pitches—a team first. Not that he had any trouble making contact. The problem was the trajectory. In a shocking defiance of Newtonian physics the ball seemed to travel at odd angles instead of in the direction of his bat. Into the parking lot, over the back stop, onto the Queensway, everywhere but out onto the diamond. “how is that even possible”, “daredevil” asked “the jackal”, while scratching her head in bemusement. “I don’t know, it’s kinda like we’re watching the twilight zone or something”, “the jackal” replied. “Y’er Out”, screamed the umpire.

Going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the crawlers had tied the score 10 all. With “wild thing’s” shenanigans at the plate, the fun bunch had managed to rack up three scoreless in addition to their two five run innings. Needing a big inning, the fun bunch dug deep with hits from “field marshal”, “big time”, “daredevil”, “pound em back” “man o war” , “the jackal” and “the wrangler” to once again score five runs and take the lead 15-10.

The fun bunch scored two more runs in the next inning on a hit by “wild thing” – he had managed to straighten out his ball flight by this point—and another mammoth home run from “field marshal”. Up 17-10 heading into the top of the ninth inning, the fun bunch had a great inning. “field marshal” was getting his sea legs back at short stop and he and “daredevil” combined for a couple of bang-bang plays at first for the first two outs. The next batter popped a high fly ball to left field. It circled high overhead and drifted towards the fence. Rover , Alison “bulldozer” Hale, cautiously approached the ball. “Egad that ball is high”, she though nervously as she sidled up under it. Still the ball drifted closer to the fence. Keeping her eyes on the ball – like an eagle watching its prey—she moved in lock step unison. Even as her cleats caught the edge of the warning track, she stayed focussed and intent. Her diligence paid off as the ball finally descended with a plop into her outstretched mitt for the third out. The fun bunch had done it! They had won two games in a row for only the second time this season. The bilge pumps had kicked in.