FUN BUNCH STAY SCORCHING HOT IN THE HEAT
Hot miserable weather a factor in low scoring affair
OTTAWA-In a game that got off to an inauspicious start, the Fun Bunch managed to dig deep and win their seventh straight game under almost unbearable playing conditions. With the humidex reading 42, both teams were struggling to keep cool in the wheat field that passes off as a diamond on Morrison drive. The fun started when self-proclaimed "web wizard" Steve "dot-com" Saunders mistakenly posted the wrong information for the game on the team web site. Assuming that they were the "away" team, he then showed up without the bases, much to the chagrin of the rebels who were sitting comfortably in the shade waiting for his team to set up the diamond. A frantic phone call later, in transit fielder Glen "the wrangler" Rankin found himself forced to head back home through rush hour traffic to retrieve the forgotten bases. Muttering under his breath as he showed up, the fun bunch quickly staked the bases and the game got under way about twenty minutes late. Compounding the scheduling error, only two women showed up for the game. Jamie "the machine" Marchesi and Alison "bulldozer" Hale--playing on only four hours sleep after arriving shortly before the game on a charter flight from Moscow after feasting on borscht and perogies--were put to the test as they were forced to alternate at bat for the entire game. But like true Fun Bunch troopers, the duo persevered with nary a whimper in the sweltering sun, neither able to take a moments rest for the entire game. Meanwhile, the rebels sported an entirely new lineup with the exception of two players. "Looks like they cleaned house after last season", stated Richard "wild thing" Bujold matter-of-factly. In the first inning, the rebels got their lead-off runner aboard but as their second batter came to the plate, gruff shouts of "you can't have two guys in a row" could be heard from the outfield. John "hans solo" Devries wasn't about to let these young "whippersnappers" pull the wool over his eyes--as he clearly wasn't born yesterday. An awkward silence descended over the infield as their indignant pitcher retorted, "that's right girl-boy, first we had Janice and now Bill is at bat" as "hans solo" had obviously missed the disclosure at the start of the game that yes Janice was mistaken for a guy the odd time but indeed is a woman. Not quite sure of what to make of this "tomfoolery", "hans solo" then demanded a urine sample, but cooler heads prevailed, apologies were issued and the game commenced. Incensed by the embarrassment doled out by "hans solo", the rebels rallied around their androgynous player and struck fast and hard chalking up two quick runs to set the tone for the game. The Fun Bunch countered with two runs of their own as both Alison and Jamie came in to score on consecutive hits by "downtown", "wild thing" and Scott "boom-boom" Saunders. But then what looked like was going to turn into a slugfest instead became a defensive battle as neither team scored again until the fourth inning. Always exciting outfielder "wild thing" Bujold, was up to his old hijinks again, when sporting a new pair of "hollywood-style" sun glasses, he had everyone on the edge of their seats as he overran and then awkwardly backed up herky-jerky to snag a deep fly ball like a snow cone. With a grin from ear-to-ear he flashed the "thumbs-up" sign as he tossed the ball in from the outfield allowing the Fun Bunch players to breathe a collective sigh of relief. In an attempt to outdo "wild thing"--never an easy feat--Glen "the wrangler" Rankin served up some outfield magic of his own as he tracked down and snagged a deep fly ball to make the third out just as the rebels had loaded the bases. Honorable mention goes to "hans solo" who in the first inning made a diving attempt to snare a tailing blooper only to have it pop out of his glove as he landed from his barrel roll. No Fun Bunch player managed any better than a double all night as the humid air seemed to have a stifling effect on the softball. Normal "home run" type hits, hung up in the hazy air and stopped quickly when they hit the ground--no doubt as a result of the poorly cropped grass in the outfield. However, the rebels never scored another run after the first inning and the Fun Bunch went on to score four more to win the game 6 to 2--an astonishing turn of events after last week's thirty-two run extravaganza.
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