THIS IS GETTING UGLY
Fun Bunch season that “could have been” goes down in flames losing four of the last five games.
OTTAWA — After such a promising start--with nine straight wins to start the season--the Fun Bunch have officially run out of gas, losing four of the last five games in dismal fashion. Tonight was primed to be a tough game with the Fun Bunch facing the league’s reigning champs--the Aquabats--for the third time this season. Unfortunately half the team didn’t get the memo and failed to show up for the game. “We were a skeleton crew tonight and the Aquabats exploited our porous outfield”, remarked catcher Rowena Sams returning from vacation just in time to participate in the late season atrocity. In all fairness, the Fun Bunch started the game with only six players until Tea “The Terminator” Derakhshan and Dom “The Dominator” Angelo leisurely sauntered into the game in the second inning. “Well we would have had a better chance if we weren’t short six players”, said exasperated team captain Alison Hale . “I’m done trying to figure out what these people are thinking when they miss the most important game of the year leading up to the tournament”, she continued. Like the “little engine that could”, however, those Fun Bunch players that did show up tonight gave it their all but it simply wasn’t enough to defeat an overpowering Aquabats team. Smelling victory, the aquabats dropped hits like snowflakes between the infield and outfield all night. With only three outfielders there was nothing the Fun Bunch could do but watch helplessly as the Aquabat merry-go-round of runners continued unabated..On the positive side, all the Fun Bunch male players hit a home run tonight, including Scott “boom-boom” Saunders’ grand slam which put the team up 7-5 in the early innings. Unfortunately the Aquabats answered with five runs of their own and the Fun Bunch never challenged again to lose 20-12. The infield had a tough night, recording five errors at first base with stalwart Chantal “Bud Light Lime” Bujold out nursing a sore back. “There is no question we missed Chantal tonight, but she hasn’t missed a game all season and needed to rest her back before the tournament”, short stop Steve Saunders said matter-of-factly. Saunders was in the center of controversy in the sixth inning when he walked off the field without officially being put out. “I feel I let the team down tonight when I stormed off the field.”, Saunders recounted. “I deliberately dropped a hit in the opposite field and charged hard for second, but their first baseman would not get out of my way and deliberately impeded me. When the ball came into second I was stuck in no-man’s land and was furious at the interference that had occurred. I could have gone back to first but would have been a dead-duck for the next at-bat. I felt this was typical of the Aquabats and their arsenal of “dirty tricks” so I just left the field. It was the wrong thing to do”, Saunders admitted. One out later, the Fun Bunch were back in the field and the Aquabats never relinquished the lead. Paolo “let em slide” Daros once again proved that playing without cleats is no laughing matter when he misplayed two liners—one leading to the aquabats only home run—went it flew over his head causing him to fall on his keister chasing after it in his smooth soled tennis shoes. “I know Steve has been after me all year to buy baseball cleats but I didn’t think they were necessary. I was wrong and I want to apologize”, a clearly deflated Daros admitted. Let’s all hope Daros picks up some cleats between now and the tournament in three days time or we are all in for more of the same unfortunately. The good news is the Fun Bunch have one last shot at redemption when they play their last game of the season tomorrow night at Hampton Park. The bad news is that they are once again down to four guys as John “Hans Solo” Devries, Richard “Wild Thing” Bujold and Scott “boom-boom” Saunders have decided to take the night off at an inopportune time.
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