PURE DOMINANCE
11/25/02

The Independents end the most statistically dominating season in CSA Co-ed Softball history with a smothering of Smell the Glove and their first championship.

The Independents, who seven months ago were an individuals team created by CSA, ended the most dominating season in CSA history with a 15-3 semi-final victory and a 13-4 championship game win.

In a season that had a record number of weather cancellations and rescheduled games, The Independents were the class of a very patient group. Their statistical dominance was not an anomaly, and that was proven in their three playoff victories. To advance to the finals, they mercied US Motivation 21-2 and Fighting Amish 15-3.

The championship game was closest game The Independents played all season, and they still won by nine. It was the only time in nine games that they went the full seven innings. In the final game, they were facing the second seed, Smell the Glove. The game started out close as the heavily favored Independents managed only one first inning run and after one complete inning, it was 1-0. It was 1-0 because in the top of the inning, Smell the Glove was unable to score after having bases loaded and one out. They were stopped by strong defensive plays by The Independents from Jen Harris at third and Mike Veronesi at short.

In the second, Smell the Glove was again kept off the scoreboard, but they couldn't do the same to The Independents. After plating one run, Indy got a key two out hit from Ashley Pincott that loaded the bases and Ed Pincott responded with a double, that after some odd base running and a poor decision by an STG fielder, scored all three runners before Ed was tagged out. The inning ended, but Indy had scored four runs and taken control of the game 5-0.

In the third, STG finally broke through on the scoreboard with two runs, but in the bottom of the inning, Indy had the top of the line-up and they started another rally. The one, two, and three hitters, Travis York, Lisa Kiley, and Darren Ross sparked another four run rally. RBI hits from Chris Veronesi, Harris, and Mike Veronesi pushed Indy out to a seven run lead, 9-2.

In the fourth, The Independents just started cementing the game. In the top of the fourth, STG had bases loaded again with only one out and failed to score. In the bottom of the inning, Indy added one more run and led 10-2.

The rest of the game was a mere formality. The Independents defense, behind solid pitching by Robert Masoudpour allowed only two more runs, one in the fifth and one in the sixth. After being shut out in the fifth, Indy got three more insurance runs and led 13-4 going into the seventh inning.

After allowing two runners to reach, Chris Veronesi squeezed a liner to first for the final out and the greatest statistical season in CSA history was complete with a championship.

During the season, The Independents scored 192 runs in nine regular season and playoff games, an average of 21.3 runs per games, and they allowed a record low 37 runs, an average of 4.1 allowed per game.

THE INDEPENDENTS
starting line-up

1. TRAVIS YORK
2. LISA KILEY
3. DARREN ROSS
4. CHRIS VERONESI
5. JENN HARRIS
6. MIKE VERONESI
7. JOHN PITTMAN
8. STACY GANTT
9. JILL SOOST
10. KETAN PATEL
11. ROBERT MASOUDPOUR
12. ASHLEY PINCOTT
13. ED PINCOTT