FUN BUNCH END REGULAR SEASON WITH WILD FINISH
Team explodes for eleven runs in ninth inning to annihilate Booze Houndz.
OTTAWA — In what should have been a cake walk, the Fun Bunch found themselves fighting for their pride and dignity when they faced the lowly C-league Booze Houndz Thursday night. Still smarting from an ‘ol fashion lambasting the night before, the Fun Bunch desperately wanted to finish the season on a high note. Unfortunately, no one told the Booze Hounds they were supposed to roll-over and play dead, so they came out guns a blazing to build a significant lead in the first few innings. The Fun Bunch were woefully unprepared for the hitting onslaught, as three of their guys decided to kick back and take the night off leaving their teammates to twist in the wind. It looked like the route was underway following three poor innings, where the Fun Bunch failed to score a run or advance anyone past second base. The game played out rather differently however as Steve “field marshall” Saunders took control of his dejected team. “Pull yourselves together for god’s sakes – we’re the Fun Bunch and we never—I repeat never—give up. Now get out there and give me five runs”, he barked at his shocked teammates. This clearly wasn’t going to be the same “mollycoddling” doled out by the bucketfuls from team captain Alison Hale that they had grown accustomed to. It turns out it was exactly what the team needed--a good hard kick in the derriere. All of a sudden it was a new ballgame. The Fun Bunch did get five runs capped off by a three run homer from Glen “the wrangler” Rankin as demanded by Saunders. The Booze Houndz seemed slightly perturbed as they made a quick dart for the beer cooler after the inning to lessen the sting. But then things started snowballing. All of a sudden the Fun Bunch had a couple of shut-down innings highlighted by some fantastic catches in the outfield. Martin “the gazelle” Desjardins loped across the outfield--covering enough real estate for two players—to snag a hit destined for the fence. Then Rankin dove for a ball that should have been a hit to rob the Booze Houndz of another single. Sure it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Palo “slip-n-slide” Daros continued his wake-board demonstrations in the outfield as he surfed around all night—hydroplaning on the wet grass and his slick tennis shoes. But you know what? The tide had started to turn and the Booze Houndz could feel that gut-wrenching panic gripping their team. All of a sudden the trips to the beer cooler became more frequent; tempers flared; unforced errors started to occur. They were caught in the vortex of defeat and they knew it. Meanwhile the Fun Bunch continued to make a statement. Dom “the Dominator” Angelo—still sporting a laceration from the previous night’s battle made a force out at third and then slapped her wet glove in the runner’s face to apply an unneeded tag for good measure. Tea “the Terminator” Derakhshan deftly fielded a grounder, made the force at second and then stomped her cleat down hard on the runners toe as they stepped on the bag. “Whoops – sorry”, she giggled. Still down by one run, heading into the ninth inning, the Fun Bunch new that they deserved this win and were not going to be denied. Once again Saunders rallied his troops. “Team – we’re out of home runs now so we will have to score some runs the old fashioned way—with solid hits and aggressive base running”, he instructed. And boy did they respond as they went on to “bat around” in the inning and score eleven runs—a new Fun Bunch single-inning record. Still with half an inning to go, the Booze Houndz trudged off the field. It was a long shambling walk back to a bone-dry beer cooler. They were hot, dirty, tired and humiliated. They had no fight left and went relatively quietly in the bottom of the ninth. It was better that way really. They were a C team that had the audacity to call in to question the character of the Fun Bunch and they had felt the sharp sting of their wrath.
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