BAJA softball competition starts to heat up

Grown men from Oregon wondered if they were back in Bend, or maybe wished they were.

Blustery? Rain, cold and wind? Kenny Johnson just laughed and said, “What? Who are these wimps? Why, back in Minnesota we played in the snow and ice, played on White Bear Lake.”

So the games began.

Game 1, Arizona Family Restaurant versus Meredith’s Hallmark: Ivan Allison and Bob Royes combined for a glittering one-runner, Steve Rankens blasted a triple for three runs in an 11-1 victory. I know Meredith’s is a gift shop, but this is ridiculous.

Game 2, Meredith’s woke up, bringing home the win, 7-5. Jimmy Carr went 5-7 for the Hallmarkers.

Keagy’s Edward Jones haven’t lost, whipping up on Perlich’s Coldwell Banker. The entire team joined in for the wins at 13-1 and 14-12.

Mark’s Quality Water kept the heat on with 38 hits and 29 runs in their doubleheader with Hickey Automotive, winning the first 16-15. Jim Mollsen, Jack Naughton, Stan Musial and Fred Anderson belted out 15 of the 38. Hickey lost another one-runner.

Game 2 went to the mechanics, 16-13, who nearly frittered away an eight-run lead but held their breath for the win in the last inning. No one stood out to deserve the game ball, but the infield played flawlessly, while the outfield...

Barry McBride showed team spirit, taking three walks and adding a couple of clutch hits. Pitchers from each team were impressive, finding the plate in all that nasty weather, giving up few walks.

Mark’s is scary, play like they’re double-parked at rush hour. They have a 3-1 record, Hickey 2-2.

Triple Play blasted Two Girls Pizza, 20-8 and 19-9. The ladies haven’t won yet.

Wednesday

The master of our little universe decided Cancun had had enough warmth, moved north, turning Arizona back into Arizona, chasing the clouds, rain, and wind back to the Northwest Territories. “Here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right.”

The athletes shook out of their rain gear, put on the RayBans, basked in the bone-warming sunshine, smiled and, in the immortal voice of Marvin Gaye, said let’s get it on.

Game 1: Mark’s showered the field with gladiators: Jeff Harrison and Nick Charles got out of sick beds; Nick going 7-7.

Final: 15-3, with Triple Play on the low end.

Game 2: Steve (Cannonball) Heath seemed to cover the entire outfield and was unstoppable at the plate, going 6-6 with a home run. Ted Kennedy got four hits and pitched both games. John Houghton made a great catch in the “sun field” to rob Pat Gray of a bases-jammed line drive for the game ender. Triple Play came up one short, 18-17.

Arizona Restaurant versus Keagy’s Edward Jones, Game 1: A 16-15 thriller. Arizona eatery made it a combined effort in all aspects of the contest.

Game 2: Manager Dick Fryan’s guys again made him look like Casey Stengel, with another victory, 11-10. Great to pull out those one-runners.

Pitcher Bob Royes took a line drive, limped bravely to the bench, replaced by Allison. Ivan forgot all about line drives and pitched admirably, aided defensively, at the plate and by pinch runners.

They rallied in the bottom of the seventh and the lower end of the order banged in four runs for the win to clinch a pair.

A fan in the crowded bleachers remarked that the financial advisers seemed not in Happy Gear as they left the diamond with hung-down heads and their season’s first losses. Youbedajudge.

Manager Jerry Sutherland cajoled his troops to bounce back from two straight subpar performances, but it only worked once. Perlich Coldwell Banker’s defense allowed eight runs in two innings, taking another one on the chin 10-8 to Meredith’s. Weak hitting again was the culprit.

Game 2: The realtors jumped to life and, sparked by Dave Erickson in the field, great infield doubleplays, and home runs by Claude La Barre, Tom Vincent and Joe Wilson, put an end to a three-game losing streak, 12-6.

Hickey Automotive’s Boys in Black jumped all over Two Girls Pizza, 9-1 and 21-9. Heroes were manager Chuck Catino, who pitched both games.

Chuck said, “Casey who?” I think he thinks he’s Sparky Anderson.

He and Ron Klopf banged out a bunch of hits and were backed up by superb fielding. Hickey ended week two at 4-2, with the pizza girls winless, 0-6.

Friday

Insurance Center of Green Valley drilled 3 1/2 Barbers in Game 1, led by hitters Will Scheerer, Mike Willingham and Bryon Taylor. Gil Massey belted four clean shots in a losing effort.

Game 2 found the haircutters absorbing a 7-0 forfeit when a player pulled up lame and they couldn’t find enough bodies to sprinkle the field.

Jim Click’s Green Guys came out of the showroom for the first tilt with a 20-15 victory. John Fawcett and Dennis Dion were the sticks, with great catches in the outfield by Claude La Barre and manager Tom Liedtke. Marty Camacho couldn’t miss the strike zone and kept the bases clean of Baymont Suite runners.

They locked up Game 2, 16-5, for the sweep.

Insurance Center and Jim Click are tied for the Friday league lead at 4-0 each.

On the fashion side, once again the ultimate in sartorial splendor, Bob Kaiser won the “Most Audacious/Baudacious Uniform” award. His Don Ho ensemble just didn’t rhyme, prompting the opinion that his wife dresses him kind of funny. He remained unfazed as he sang, way off-key, a bar of Tiny Bubbles.

So that’s the wrap-up for Week 2.

Now listen, folks, don’t just read about it, don’t wait for ESPN; see it all for yourselves—the glittering plays, bloody knees, fierce competition and spirited camaraderie. Okay, sometimes it’s just spirited. Sahuarita Park, Monday and Wednesday. Gates open at 10 a.m., Fridays at 11. Cheerleaders always welcome.

See ya there.

John Ledford is a member of the Born Again Jocks Association.