Ballards And Bats Help Bammel Blast To First Softball Win, 17-6

Associated Press - Wire Feed

NCS BASEBALL FIELD - There was plenty of magic in those Bammel bats on Monday night. In fact, a group of onlookers hadn't seen this type of sorcery from a set of sticks since Moses and Aaron threw down their staffs in the middle of Pharaoh's court! Ah, but there was firepower a plenty as a lineup filled with key call-ups found its rhythm right out of the gate and didn't look back in a thrilling 17-6 win over Champions church of Christ team #2. Much like the Moses/Aaron pairing led the Israelites against their opposition, our modern-day Bammelites found their softball voice and first foray into the win column (1-2) behind the on-field leadership of father-son duo Brent and Cordan Ballard in conjunction with another strong supporting cast.

Arriving from the Triple-A affiliate mere hours before the 8:00pm game time, the Ballards wasted little time endearing themselves to the devoted Purple Crush fan base. Brent Ballard was immediately penciled into the starting lineup at 1B while Cordan Ballard served as a designated hitter in the early innings before taking up an outfield position in the second half of the game. In addition to the Ballards, the Bammel lineup included notable veterans Russell Wiggins, Caleb Sanderson, Macy & Robyn Archer, Taylor Rathbun, Stacey Carrasco, Kay Lee Gibbs, Mandy Chan, Danielle Savaria, Darrell Sheffield, Laurie Brittain and Kevin Ruthstrom. Rookie phenom Josh Kasinger also returned to the lineup after a one week hiatus to work out some kinks in his swing at extended Spring Training in Abilene, TX.

The offensive explosion surely felt like manna from above to team pitcher Jason Dyniewski as every time he looked up there were hits falling from the sky and runs filling up the scoreboard. In what must be considered a high watermark for the team, four of the first five hitters in Bammel's lineup --- Russell Wiggins (#1), Caleb Sanderson (#2), Taylor Rathbun (#4) and Josh Kasinger (#5) --- went 3-for-3 on the night while Stacey Carrasco and Brent Ballard provided a second wave of 3-for-3 hitting perfection from the 7th and 8th spots. Brent dazzled the crowd with several McGwire-esque shots off the bat that opposing outfielders are still chasing! Nestled between the #2 and #4 hitters, Robyn Archer and Laurie Brittain combined to go 2-for-3 in the #3 slot as Laurie recorded the first RBI of her professional softball career. Additionally, Cordan Ballard, Mandy Chan and Danielle Savaria may have been at the bottom of the order but you couldn't tell as all three went 2-for-3 on the night. Any memory of a scoring drought from the first two weeks of play were quickly erased by the crooked numbers put forth by Bammel on this night with tallies of 4, 5, 2, 5 and 1 runs through five innings.

The production of the Bammel hitters certainly contributed to many fantasy coed softball league victories on Monday night but the defense provided several highlight-reel performances as well. The team displayed its incredible depth at the 2B position as Robyn Archer moved into that spot with regular Cassie Miller listed as inactive on the evening. Robyn didn't miss a beat while combining well with SS Josh Kasinger to lock down the middle infield. However, Robyn's true defensive brilliance was on display in the early innings when a Champions runner attempted to make it all the way to third base --- only to be gunned down on a pinpoint relay throw from the outfield to Robyn to third. Taking a cue from his keystone combination contemporary, Josh Kasinger let it be known that Robyn was not the only one carrying a concealed weapon when he turned another well-timed relay throw from the outfield into an out at home plate where veteran catcher Danielle Savaria applied the inning-ending tag on a would-be baserunner. Mandy Chan extended her streak of rock-solid defense at the pitcher position as she deftly turned several ground balls into outs and knocked down a scorching line-drive in the late innings that left a telling bruise on her glove hand. The outfield provided steady support once again with Laurie Brittain and Kay Lee Gibbs easily handling hits in their corner outfield directions even with limited repetitions at those positions.

In his post-game press conference, manager Jason Dyniewski sang the praises of two final contributions on this entertaining evening. First, special acknowledgement was given to Russell Wiggins and Kevin Ruthstrom for their specific help in keeping score and/or base coaching. This assistance proved critical as Jason took the mound for the majority of the game with Dennis Huff and Kent Pope unavailable to pitch. Secondly, though inactive on the field, Cassie Miller joined forces with some of the Purple Crush's most rabid fans to cheer on the team from the stands. Bleacher regulars including the Rathbuns and company, Hillary Wiese, Sharla Sheffield, Brandi Ballard and others made up a sea of purple that swelled with pride and plenty of encouragement for the participants on the field. The excitement after the first win was so great that fans spilled on to the field to form a tunnel of celebration that the players ran through at the game's end!

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Bammel will look to capitalize upon its late-game success next week with another 8:00pm start time against Champions church of Christ team #1 on Monday, October 1. Fans are encouraged to come enjoy the fall festivities at the NCS baseball field where anything can happen. There are plenty of tickets available and you never know what type of celebrities you might see cheering on the Purple Crush!

See you at the ballpark!