By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — June 4, 2004 – Following Tuesday night’s Sullivan County Women’s Softball League game, Charlie’s Angels Player/Coach Jo Walls said she was “glad we had last ups.”
Her teammates were happy they got to bat last as well.
Charlie’s Angels improved its record to 3-0 on the young season with a come-from-behind victory over Roarks Tavern (2-1) at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.
Down 21-19 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Angels’ offense immediately went to work. The first batter of the frame, Tonya Martin, blasted a double to center field. Lisa Krom then reached base on an error and Martin scored on the play to make it a one-run game. Debbie Ackerley then hit a bloop single just past second base and into the grass of shallow center field.
With Krom on third base and Ackerley on first, Cindy Ellmauer ripped a double to left center field. Krom quickly ran home from third base to knot the score at 20-20 and a few seconds later Ackerley crossed home plate to give the Angels a dramatic 22-21 win.
The seventh-inning comeback was the third rally that Charlie’s Angels engineered in the game. After Roarks opened the top of the first by scoring six runs, the Angels responded with seven runs in the bottom of the second to take a 7-6 lead into the third inning. The Angels scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth and four runs in the sixth to turn what had been a 20-9 Roarks’ advantage into a slim 20-19 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Angel batters Terri Hess, Diane Staves, Robyn Gannon, Walls and Karen Fisher each hit RBI singles. Martin added a two-run single to give the team a 7-6 lead.
But Roarks answered with an offensive outburst of its own in the top of the third. With two teammates on base, Lisa Benjamin singled to bring Candie Lake around to score the tying run.
The next four batters – Amy Brudermann, Michele Morley, Shannon Holland and Kim Bradley – each hit an RBI single as Roarks took an 11-7 lead. Heather Barnes and Toni Catino each added an RBI later in the inning to help Roarks extend its advantage to 13-7.
Charlie’s Angels narrowed that lead in the bottom of the third, however. Gannon stepped into the batter’s box with two outs and the bases loaded and promptly ripped a single to left field that brought Anna Tesseyman and Hess around to score.
Roarks scored five runs in the top of the fourth and regained the game’s momentum. Barnes had a two-run double and Brudermann, Bradley and Debbie Salazar each recorded RBI singles in the frame.
Roarks added two runs in the top of the fifth to take an 11-run lead.
But in the bottom of the fifth, Charlie’s Angels answered with six runs. The key hit in the sequence was a bases-loaded single by Gannon, which allowed Tesseyman to score and cut the Roarks’ lead to 20-11. When Roarks committed an error on the play, Hess and Staves quickly crossed home plate as well.
The sequence left the Angels facing a five-run deficit with two at-bats remaining and set the stage for their last inning comeback.
“It was a great game,” Walls said. “Both teams came to play and each team played well.”
When asked what the key to the game was, Walls had a simple answer.
“We had good hits when we needed them,” she said.
While a bit disappointed with the loss, Roarks Team Captain Theresa Nietzel was happy with how the squad played.
“I thought we did excellent tonight,” she said. “We played a great game.”
Nietzel noted that Roarks finished fifth in the 2003 Sullivan County Women’s Softball League “A” Division, but has already defeated the teams that finished in fourth place and third place in the first two weeks of this season. She added that Roarks will be ready for Charlie’s Angels when the two teams meet again later this season.
“We have a lot of new players this season,” Nietzel commented. “We have a new team and a new attitude.”
L & B Tack Beats
The Nugget
In Tuesday night’s second game at Collins Park, L & B Tack defeated The Nugget by a final score of 16-3.
L & B opened up a 3-0 lead in the first inning and didn’t look back.
In the top of the third, Sherry Clouser ripped a two-run single and Julie Potosek added an RBI single as L & B extended its advantage to 6-1.
Liz Stubits hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning to boost the L & B lead to 9-3.
In the fifth, Stubits knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly and her twin sister Barbara recorded an RBI on an infield hit. Janet Calangelo added a two-run single later in the frame to give L & B a 14-3 advantage.
The Nugget scored its first run on a groundout by Lora Clark in the bottom of the second. The team scored its other two runs in the bottom of the third. With one out and two runners on base, Patti Andersen grounded out to first base to allow Jennifer Barnier to scamper home from third base. The next batter, Rosemary Steuber, then hit an RBI single to left field, which allowed Erin Brown to score.
L & B improved its record to 2-1 on the young season, while The Nugget fell to 1-2.
In other Sullivan County Women’s Softball League action on Tuesday night, Mr. Willy’s defeated Cooper Paint, 7-2. That game was played at the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department softball field.