SEVENTH INNING DRAMA
9/10/03

Chico's Bail Bonds relinquished the lead in the top of the seventh inning in both the semi-finals and finals, only to come from behind in both games to win the Wednesday Frankie Allen co-ed softball title

Chico's Bail Bonds, one of the original CSA franchises, survived two heartstopping games to win their second consecutive league championship and their first in the highly regarded Wednesday night Frankie Allen league.

Never did being the top seed and having home field advantage mean more than it did on September 10th at Frankie Allen park.

In the semi-finals, Chico's took on Glove'm & Leave'm. The fifth seed was the only team to defeat Chico's during the regular season and in the process they stopped Chico's 14 game unbeaten streak.

The playoff game was a tight match-up. Chico's led early 3-0 after one inning and 8-4 after four innings, but Glove'm hung tough. Glove'm scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead and kept Chico's off the board in the bottom of the fifth and the sixth.

Heading into the final inning, Glove'm & Leave'm had a 9-8 lead and looked like they were poised to pull off the upset and get to the finals. In the top of the seventh, it really looked like it was going to happen. Miscues in the field allowed Glove'm to score four more runs and open up a big five run lead.

It looked like Chico's shot at a second straight championship was over, but they responded like a champion should. The bats finally woke up and they scored the six runs they needed to win without recording an out. Janye McClinton drove in the tying run, and Steve Swaney knocked in Eric Rangus with the winning run to advance Chico's to the finals.

In the finals it was de ja vu all over again. Chico's faced the second seed, Helmets W/ Handlebars. Helmets advanced to the finals for the first time by knocking out Damn Drunks in a slugfest, 29-19.

The two teams had not met in the regular season, but had clearly been the class of the league.

The championship game followed the same script for Chico's. They led early, 3-2 after one inning, and 11-4 after four innings. The lead was gained primarily in the third when Helmets failed to score in the top of the inning, and Chico's put six runs across.

After five innings, Chico's still led by seven runs, 13-6. In the sixth, the momentum swung. Helmets began to rally and scored five runs to pull within two. They kept Chico's scoreless in the bottom of the sixth and the title would be decided in a one inning showdown.

Helmets needed two runs to stay in the game. They got that quickly and then took their shot at winning the championship. Helmets scored four more runs and now led 18-14 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Chico's was facing another deficit in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Chico's scored two runs when David Carney scored on Adam Klein's inside the park homerun, and then they quickly tied the game when Rangus scored on McClinton's single and McClinton scored on Swaney's double. After Todd Walker was unable to get Swaney in, Andy Diamond completed the comeback with a single that scored Swaney and gave Chico's their second straight championship with a 19-18 win.

CHICO'S BAIL BONDS
starting line-up

1. ERIC RANGUS
2. JANYE MCCLINTON
3. STEVE SWANEY
4. TODD WALKER
5. ANDY DIAMOND
6. TONJA DAVIS
7. JEFF CANNON
8. SUSAN BOND
9. JASON RIEGER
10. THERESA CANNON
11. DAVID CARNEY
12. ADAM KLEIN