Winter Haven Senior Softball

Cowboy Up!

The AL game on 1/19, Field D, was a wild rodeo ride.

Bucking Broncos: Burns, Rad, Quinones, JD, Busch, Butler, Cobb, Essenmacher, Denny, Reagen, Coffman, Ogden and Wells.

Raging Bulls: Matta, Duff, Doerbaum, Shirer, Wiltshire, Crowell, Zelazny, Aufiero, Gazarek and Deemie.

The Bulls came out snorting, we tossed hits around the field like a rodeo bull that tosses a rider high into the air and then rudely plants him into the dirt. Matta, Duff, Doerbaum, Shirer, Wiltshire and Zelazny all reached base. No outs were recorded in the inning. The Bucking Broncos acted more like a rocking horse in the 1st. They could only manage 1 run.

A rodeo consists of more than one event and a ball game consists of more than one inning. Both teams played hard and the game stayed close. The Raging Bulls were at a slight disadvantage having no short fielder, we started the game with only 9 players, that changed later in the game.  Both teams stroked the ball, filling the ballpark with hits. It was the Bulls that stayed on top through 7 innings, by a narrow margin. The visitors kept things close thanks to great defensive plays by Tony Quinones. Tony helped his team with the glove and the arm, throwing out runners two times, at 3rd base. For the Bulls, Doerbaum made two great plays on the mound. Chuck Duff had a great catch on a low liner. Matta cut down a sure hit, in the hole at 2^nd.

In the 7^th, the Bucking Broncos were breathing fire, they refused to be tamed. Burns, started the inning hitting a deep triple, to right center, Rad added a SF. The Broncos were a dangerous animal, ready to toss any rider, or pitcher, spraying hits all over the field and trampling their opponents. Quinones, Davis, Busch and Butler all added singles. With only one out in the inning, Essenmacher finished the inning off with a double. The score was 18-16 in favor of the wild stallions.

The Bulls came charging right back in the bottom of the 7^th. Doerbaum took the bull by the horns and basically propelled him over the fence, in deep center field. Dave hit a mammoth solo homerun to start the inning, landing the ball high up in a tree. After Shirer took a walk, Wiltshire hit a triple to score him. Crowell delivered a SF to score Wiltshire, that gave the Bulls the lead back, 18-19.

The Bronco riders, dug in their spurs and came back to score 8 more runs, five in the 8^th, 3 more in the 9^th. The game came down to the 9^th inning for the home Bulls. They were ready to stomp on their opponent, but a rally was cut short when the Broncos turned a nice DP. The Bulls scored 4 runs, but the fray was quieted and the Broncos took home the win. Final score: Broncos 26-Bulls 23. Yeehaw, it was the Broncos who managed to cowboy up!

Hitter's parade for the Bucking Broncos:

Burns: 4/5, with two triples and a double.

Rad: 4/4, Quinones: 4/4, with a double.

JD: 4/5: with 3 doubles.

Busch: 3/4 and a SF.

Butler: 4/5

Cobb: 3/5.

Essenmacher: 3/5.

Reagen: 3/5.

Coffman: 3/5.

Ogden: 4/4.

Strong as a Bull, hitters for the Raging Bulls:

Doerbaum: 5/6 with a HR.

Shirer: 6/6 with two doubles.

Wiltshire: 5/6 with a triple and a double.

Crowell: 4/5 and a SF.

Aufiero: 4/6 with two triples.

Deemie: 2/2.

Write up by Nick Matta