Three teams, plenty of outstanding defense, and a final inning that kept everybody guessing!
Visitors/Hitting: Kian’s Dental — Team Tutrani: 6
Middle/Sitting: Big Tom’s Diner — Team Hill: 10
Home/Fielding: Art’s Carts — Team Wally: 10
Middle/Sitting: Big Tom’s Diner — Team Hill: 10
Home/Fielding: Art’s Carts — Team Wally: 10
Team Wally’s defense kept Team Tutrani off the scoreboard through the first two innings. Meanwhile, Team Hill wasted no time getting its bats moving. Griffin, Hill, Rad, and Constantine opened with consecutive singles, bringing home three runs.
And Team Hill brought gloves to match those bats. They shut out Team Wally for the first three innings. Zip. Zero. Nothing crossing the plate.
Team Tutrani finally broke through in the third. O’Callahan singled, Testa launched a deep shot into right for a triple, and Guzzo followed with a single. Two runs were on the board! Their defense was doing its part, too, holding Team Hill scoreless in both the second and third innings.
But Team Wally promptly closed the door again, keeping Team Tutrani scoreless in the fourth and fifth.
Team Hill found another spark in the fourth. Ernesto singled, Constantine doubled, and Pablo and Gonzales added singles before Muniz delivered a sacrifice fly. Three more runs came home.
After three scoreless innings, Team Wally decided it was time to join the scoring department. DeLoach, Carlos, and Leslie singled, then Rabineau launched one deep—deep—into right. Four runs later, Team Wally was very much in the game.
In the fifth, Thompson, who had been pitching a stellar game, helped his own cause with a single, in fact he went 3-for-3 today. Griffin followed with a huge home run, bringing them both home and adding two more for Team Hill.
Team Wally answered with two of its own. Pedro walked, Reagen singled, and Lee doubled. This defensive battle was getting a little more interesting.
Team Tutrani opened the sixth with three straight singles from Testa, Guzzo, and Hamilton. With help from Skidmore and O’Callahan, all three scored. Team Hill was held scoreless in its half, leaving the door open for Team Wally.
And Team Wally walked right through it.
DeLoach singled, Ramon doubled, and Leslie singled before getting a little too adventurous at second and finding herself tagged out. Apparently, one questionable baserunning decision was included with the price of admission. Rabineau and DeLong added singles, and the inning produced four more runs, bringing Team Wally’s total to 10.
Team Tutrani made one final push in the seventh. Toro doubled, and help from O’Callahan and Marino brought in another run. They finished with 6, but still had a chance to influence the outcome: hold Team Hill to fewer than two runs, and Team Wally would have the win.
But NOOOOOO.
Gilbert singled. Muniz singled. Hits from Griffin and Hill brought home two runs, and suddenly it was 10–10.
Team Wally still had one more turn at the plate. One run would settle it. Could they finish the job?
NOPE. Three up, three down.
After all those defensive stops, timely hits, and one baserunning adventure we probably didn’t need, Team Hill and Team Wally finished tied at 10, with Team Tutrani at 6.
Some days the bats steal the show. Today, the gloves made everybody earn it.
A warm welcome to Trena, our newest female player! We’re glad to have her joining us at Winter Haven Senior Softball and look forward to the contributions she’ll bring to the game. Welcome to the field, Trena!