HOME RUN DERBY
Three home runs on three pitches sets the tone for tenth straight win
OTTAWA-The Fun Bunch only scored 16 runs--leaving runners on base in many innings--but it was enough to beat the hapless Harris Cheetahs 16-4 and earn their tenth straight win. "We need to do a better job cashing in runners in scoring position ", huffed team captain Alison Hale. "If we were playing an A team those opportunities would come back to haunt us", she continued irritatedly. Conjuring images of the 1977 world series when Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson belted three home runs on three pitches, Steve "downtown" Saunders duplicated that feat and set the tone for the fun bunch with six RBI's in his first three at bats. Cashing in three, one and two runs on his three home runs, there was some grumbling on the bench about the second dinger which was a single causing some disgruntled players to yell out "hans solo" and refuse to high five Saunders when he crossed home plate, but he remained unperturbed. "Look, at that point we were up by only 4-0 with "wild thing" and "slip'n'slide" having popped up so I wasn't sure how forthcoming runs were going to be this game. John scooted home from third unnecessarily on a ground out or I would have drove him in. At that point there were two out, so if I got a double I would most likely have been stranded at second. I figured we needed the extra run for paddding", Saunders explained in detail to his haughty teammates causing several to nod their head in apparent agreement after they fully understood his rationale. Fielding five women for the first time in a long while, the Fun Bunch capitalized on their advantage with stellar offensive and defensive play. Patti "Gazoo" Anderson belted her first at bat into the deep outfield for her longest hit of the season. Kathie "daredevil" Adare and Chantal "rum runner" Bujold, led the women--each with four hits and two runs scored. Alison "bulldozer" Hale snagged a tough blooper from her comfortable rover position to put out a Cheetah's rally. Rowena "scoresheet" Sams demonstrated her aggressive base running skills when she lunged for third and eventually scored to cap a five run sixth inning when she realized the third baseman had abandoned his post. The fun bunch men too had a strong defensive game. Glen "the wrangler" Rankin did his best impersonation of absent fielder Martin "the gazelle" Desjardins when he made an impossible sliding catch for an out leaving the Cheetahs--and his own teammates--flabbergasted. John "Hans Solo" Devries, Scott "the hawk" Saunders and Richard "wild thing" Bujold--still nursing a hyperextended elbow--all made spectacular catches at the warning track to keep the Cheetahs off the scoresheet. In fact, the Cheetahs unbelievably didn't score a run until the sixth when a player hit a solo shot to break the shut-out bid. Newly minted second baseman Paolo slip'n'slide Daros masterfully turned a hard toss from "downtown" into a perfectly executed double play with "rum runner" completing the play at first. Going deep in the hole, Saunders managed to get his glove on a hard grounder to keep it in the infield, sliding on the abrasive infield in the process. Writhing on the ground--in obvious pain--he dug the ball out of the dirt and tossed it to second on his back for the force out--his knee a bloody mess. Providing a light-hearted moment in the game, Patty "Gazoo" Anderson was loping to second with Steve "field marshall" Saunders instructing her--in no uncertain terms--to head hard to third. Half way to third, she seemingly had a change of heart and veered off course in a wide turn--almost colliding with the pitcher--before heading back to second to complete her arc. At that point the ball had been retrieved and was in the second baseman's glove. But "Gazoo"--seemingly in a daze--regrouped and proceeded to try for third on her second attempt. With "field marshall" screaming at her to "stay at second", Anderson ignored the sage advice and ran directly into the tag of the stunned Cheetah's short stop for a wasted out. "I don't think Patti can see very well with that huge batting helmet on", remarked "wild thing" after witnessing the shocking play unfold. With all three home runs used up--complements of "downtown"--the Fun Bunch were forced to keep the ball in the park to avoid an over-the-fence out. Results were mixed. While they did manage a five run sixth inning without using a homer, both Scott "boom boom" Saunders and Steve "Sayanora" Saunders hit an unintentional opposite field home run for an out. "I tried my best honestly. I opened my stance, and instructed the pitcher to throw it outside so I could drop one into the wide open opposite field. It went exactly where I wanted it to go but just a tad too far. In this diamond it doesn't take much to put it over the fence", said a clearly disappointed "downtown" Saunders. Heading into the ninth inning, the score was a lop-sided 16-4 for the Fun Bunch. With runners on first and second, and two out, the Cheetahs were trying their darndest to muster some sort of rally. With a hitless Cheetah player coming to the plate "downtown" Saunders sensed their despair. On the next pitch, she hit a soft grounder to Saunders for an easy out. Saunders, however, turned to third base woman Kathy "daredevil" Adare and gave her a playful wink, before "missing" the ball and letting the elated Cheetah get her first hit of the night on the "error". No harm - No foul as the next ball was caught for an out to end the game with no runs scored, but for one Cheetah player, the game had been a big success.
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