"BATTING" FOR TITLES
9/4/02

Batting For Beers wins three thrillers in one night to take the Wednesday Night Co-ed Softball championship.

Batting For Beers survived three games in one hour, came from behind twice and knocked off the top two seeds to win the Summer Co-ed Softball Championship

Quarter-Finals

Things looked bleak for BFB coming out of the gate. The fourth seed had to take on a heavy hitting team in fifth seeded Uncle Chuckles Funhouse. In the top of the first, Uncle Chuckles put nine runs on the board and looked like they would run away with the game. BFB didn't quit. They got one run back in the bottom of the first and held UCF off the board in the second. They were down 11-3 entering the bottom of the third when the game turned around. BFB sent 14 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs to turn the game around. The defense had settled down and now had a lead to work with. Led by outfielders, Scott Cordell and Kim Green, the "D" backed pitcher and captain Franz Kim and gave up one run in the pivotal fourth inning.

Batting For Beers had protected the lead. They added one run onto the lead in the bottom of the fourth and the game went to the final inning with BFB up 14-12. Uncle Chuckles still had some fight left. They tied the game with two runs of their own, but that was all they got. Needing just one run, Scott Cordell was able to reach, and Betsy Herndon singled to give BFB first and second. With the winning run in scoring position, Eric Ford put the ball deep in the outfield over the drawn-in fielders and Cordell came home with the winning run. Batting For Beers overcame an early nine run deficit to advance to the semi-finals to face the top seed.

Semi-Finals

In the semis, Batting For Beers faced the regular season champion, Glove'm & Leave'm. In the regular season, Glove'm squeaked by BFB 12-11.

In the semis, BFB would have to call on different people to lead them.

This game started much like the quarters. Now the visitors, BFB jumped out to an early two run lead.  Chris Georges provided a two out hit to drive in the second run and BFB came off their break with their sixth consecutive inning scoring at least one run. However, BFB reverted to their first inning form on defense and allowed five runs to score in the bottom of the inning. Glove'm sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning alone.

The second inning was much the same. BFB got one more run, off the bat of Jim Beecham, but allowed three in the bottom of the inning. In the snap of a finger, BFB trailed 8-3.

Both teams plated two runs in third and in the fourth, the game looked to be sealed. BFB scored one run in the top half of the inning, making the score 10-6, but G&L came right back with another five run inning, and now had a seemingly commanding 15-6 lead.

The fifth inning would start the turnaround. Batting For Beers scored three runs and had cut the deficit to six. They had to keep G&L from scoring six runs so that the "mercy" rule would not take effect. They did better than that, they kept G&L off the board and went to the sixth down six.

In the sixth, BFB got two more and again had to keep G&L to under six runs to keep the game going. Glove'm managed to score runs in the sixth, but only two. The game entered the seventh and final inning with BFB trailing 17-11. Only three outs away from elimination, BFB looked to be done.
They got a leadoff hit and after the ball was misplayed in the outfield, the run scored. Then, after recording an out, Bob Splude and Paula Pahl got consecutive hits and the rally started to have life. Several more consecutive hits scored Splude and Nesie Beecham, who ran for Pahl, and now the bases were loaded for Eric Ford and BFB trailing 17-14. Ford hit a bases clearing triple that tied the game and breathed a confidence into BFB that had been absent.

Chris Georges drove Ford in with the go-ahead run and when Kim Green reached on the next batter, every Batting For Beers player had come to the plate in the seventh. Jim Beecham drove in Georges to give BFB a two run lead and a misplayed ball in the outfield allowed two more runs to score. In all, Batting For Beers sent 14 batters to the plate in the seventh, scored 10 runs, and turned a six run deficit into a four run lead. They were able to hold that lead in the bottom of the inning and advanced to the championship game with a 21-18 win. In the finals they would face the second seed, Chico's Bail Bonds.

Chico's was coming off a win over Pete Rose Bets on Us in their semi-final game. It was a win where everyone contributed. The defense backed pitcher Todd Walker, who was four for four (nice play on words) with four doubles. The first two at-bats for David Carney where with the bases loaded (and the same runners on each base, Tonja Davis on 3rd, Susan Bond on 2nd, Karla Ortega on 1st). Two rallies changed the course of the game and they were sparked by of all things, an out. Jason Rieger had line-outs in both the second and third innings for the first out. In the second, a rocket to third was recorded as an out, but ignited a six run outburst. In the third, a laser to shortstop for the first out led to five more runs. Then Rieger started getting hits and Chico's scored only four more runs all game. The six and five run rallies enabled Chico's to move out to a 12-9 lead that they would never relinquish. That was because of the defense. Solid play in the infield by Bond at first, Steve Swaney at third and Shannon Redd at second was backed by strong play in the outfield, led by leftfielder, Andy Diamond and centerfielders, Adam Klein (RCF) and Eric Rangus (LCF).

Finals

The finals matched up the surprising Batting For Beers squad and a Chico's Bail Bonds team that had a history of playoff disappointments. Both teams were going after their first CSA Softball title.

The finals started off well for BFB. Leading off the game, Franz Kim tagged Walker for a triple. That hit started a rally that saw three runs score. The final two scored on a home run by Eric Ford. Chico's was kept off the board in the bottom of the inning. In the second inning, Walker put BFB down 1-2-3 on only four pitches. By not scoring a run, BFB had their streak of 13 consecutive innings scoring at least one run broken. Chico's got one run back in the 2nd and the score was 3-1 after two.

In the third, BFB broke the game open, they scored six runs, and led 9-1. The lead seemed comfortable, but then BFB stopped scoring and Chico's started to chip away at the lead. Chico's got two in the bottom of the third, two more in the fourth and three in the fifth. BFB failed to score in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings and when the game went to the bottom of the sixth, the score was now 9-8.

Chico's tied the game with one run and had the go ahead run on third base with two outs. Chico's got a pop-up that looked like it would fall in, but Jim Beecham raced in from left-center and made a game saving catch. The catch ended the inning and the title game went to the seventh inning all tied up.

In the seventh, BFB's bats woke up. They scored a quick run and then another. Now up two, BFB took advantage of an outfield error that allowed two more runs to score. At the end of the top of the seventh, the score was 13-9. BFB was able to keep Chico's from getting any runs and when the Beecham squeezed the final out, Batting For Beers had completed an amazing one night run to win the Summer League Championship.

BATTING FOR BEERS
starting line-up

1. FRANZ KIM
2. SCOTT CORDELL
3. BETSY HERNDON
4. ERIC FORD
5. CHRIS GEORGES
6. KIM GREEN
7. JIM BEECHAM
8. NESIE BEECHAM
9. BOB SPLUDE
10. PAULA PAHL