Bammel co-ed softball back above .500 with Week 7 win

Associated Press - Wire Feed

[Coverage of the 2010 Bammel co-ed softball team resumes this week following a new collective bargaining agreement between the co-ed softball writers' guild and the league.]

NCS BASEBALL FIELD - Week 7 of the co-ed softball season proved that less can be more as a slimmed-down Bammel roster was able to outlast a resilient Spring Creek team en route to a 12-7 victory. Playing the hand they were dealt, Bammel re-shuffled a lineup of only nine players and the gamble paid off defensively as well as at the plate. A limited bench --- or rather a complete lack of any bench players --- seemed to re-focus the team as they bounced back from a recent two-game slide to claw above .500 and move to 4-3 on the season with two games remaining.

Bammel's roster was limited on this Monday night due to a slew of nagging injuries --- Braden Stewart, Christopher Russo and Cassie Miller --- as well as losing a few players to prior commitments. However, when asked about picking up extra players to start the game manager Jason Dyniewski evoked the stoic image of coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers as he replied, "My team is on the [field]". And that team on the field was up to the challenge as a three-man outfield of John Zavala (lf), Micah Sweats (cf) and Taylor Rathbun (rf) battled gusting winds all night while a re-worked infield of Bobby Stewart (3b), Caleb Davis (ss), Hillary Wiese (2b) and Bob Stewart (1b) proved cohesive in snuffing out Spring Creek rallies on several occasions. Battery mates Jason Dyniewski (p) and Danielle Savaria (c) were elated with the short-handed defensive work behind them.

The winds that wreaked havoc in the field also provided their fair share of challenges at the plate. Several Bammel hitters remarked that the atmospheric conditions caused them great difficulty in squaring up the ball from the Spring Creak pitcher. This phenomenon was clearly evident as Caleb Davis swung over the top of a nasty breaking ball --- a nasty underhand, slow-pitch breaking ball --- and Micah Sweats had trouble popping out much further than the pitcher's mound. Those that didn't fight Mother Nature found better results as Taylor Rathbun went 3-for-3, lead-off hitter Danielle Savaria reached base 3-of-4 times with 3 runs scored and Hillary Wiese got back to her walking ways with multiple base-on-balls.

Overall, the team appeared to play much more relaxed this week and that was due, in large part, to the return of Cassie Miller in the role of bench coach, third base coach and scorekeeper. Cassie continues to rehab her quad muscle injury but her coaching contributions freed up Jason Dyniewski to direct his energy at dropping pop-ups on the infield and then making poor throws to first base. On a special note, Cassie's husband (Doug) delayed his business trip until Tuesday in order to watch the kids and allow Cassie to make it out to the game. That is dedication in the truest sense of the word!

Bammel will try to ride their new-found momentum into next Monday, November 1 with an 8:00pm game against Champions church of Christ. All kids ten-and-under that come to the park will receive a souvenir poster of Bammel veteran Braden Stewart --- which is the only way to view Braden's athletic prowess these days.

See you at the field!