Winter Haven Senior Softball

Crusin’ For A Brusin’

I just came off a cruise, so I will use nautical lingo to describe the American League game on 3/28, at Winter Haven. Both team’s rosters were selected before the game and on paper the crew list looked even. In reality the seas were rough for one team, the other team had smooth sailing.

The Visitors were on the Brilliance Of The Sea. The Home Team set sail on Paradise Lost. “Team Brilliance” started off full speed ahead, scoring 5 runs in the first inning and 4 runs in the 2^nd. Wiltshire, Keller, Rad, T. Smith, Pepin, Davis, Vandenberg and Coffman helped their team catch wind in the sails in the first inning, by getting on base and driving in runs. In the 2^nd inning it was Crowell (double), Wiltshire, Rad, Shipley (triple) and Smith who piloted the ship to another big inning. The Paradise Lost team was dragging anchor through the early innings, they were shut out in the 1^st and 2^nd. After 2 innings: Brilliance Of The Sea: 9-Paradise Lost: 0.

Paradise Lost managed to stay afloat in the 3^rd and 4^th innings. Scoring a solo run in each inning and making a little headway. The Visitors cast them off in the 5^th, scoring another 5 runs. By the end of the 5^th the Home team was left in the wake of the Visitors. They did manage to score 2 more runs, but the score indicated that they were taking on water. Visitors: 14- Home: 4.

In the 6^th the Visitors rode another tidal wave to a big inning, scoring 5 more runs. Davis, Matta, Vandenberg, Coffman, Crowell, Vanderhyde and Keller answered the call to “all hands-on deck”. The Paradise Lost team did find their way out of the galley and onto the deck when they came back in the bottom of the 6^th, with 3 runs. Witmer’s HR helped get them on course. After 6 innings, one team was caught in a squall, the score was Brilliance Of The Sea: 19- Paradise Lost: 7.

The seas were relatively placid in the 7^th and 8^th innings. The Visitors scored 2 runs during those innings, the Home team added 1. As we approached Victory Island, it was clear that one team had to give way to the other. We finished the cruise in a flip flop fashion in the 8^th and ninth innings. The Home team batted both innings, while the Visitors were already safely tied up in the port and never batted in the 9th. The Paradise Lost team managed to log in a pair of runs in the 9^th  when Glenn LaPointe hit a homerun, as high as the mainsail, over the left center fence. Their ship had already been scuttled though. Final Score: Brilliance Of The Sea: 21-Paradise Lost: 10.

I wish everyone smooth sailing and calm seas in life.

Captain’s Table For The Visitors:

Wiltshire: 3/5.

Rad: 4/5.

Shipley: 3/5. (Triple).

Smith: 3/5.

Pepin: 3/5.

Davis: 4/5 (Double).

Vandenberg: 4/5.

Coffman: 4/4.

Crowell: 4/4 (2 Doubles).

Captain’s Table For The Home Team.

Jacobson: 4/4.

Essenmacher: 3/3 (Triple).

D’Herin: 2/3.