Colorado Fitness silences the Talk of the Town
Playoffs this week
by Than Acuff
The Tuesday/Thursday playoffs started this week, and an oft heard refrain is, “now the real season starts.”
And while I don’t completely disagree with that, habits, both good and bad, are formed during the regular season and can carry into the post season, especially the bad ones
One team that seems to have no habits is Colorado Fitness. Here’s a team that could very well cause some damage in the playoffs as they are near impossible to get a read on. If they don’t all show up for the game, they typically lose. But if they do all show up, they can definitely win
They finished the regular season 5-5 including wins over two of the top three teams in the league but also two losses to one of the bottom three teams in the league
That said, they rolled to a win in their final game of the regular season on Thursday, July 23 against the Talk of the Town and if they can get two of their bigger hitters in the zone, who happen to be the sons of a former local softball standout as well as a Little League World Series competitor, they could make a run
With their roster intact, Colorado Fitness went to work in the top of the first inning putting up five runs initiated by a double from leadoff hitter Sam Dukeman, son of aforementioned local legend and Little League standout Joe Dukeman. The fastest player in softball, Cora Olson, followed with a single and Taylor Miller drove in Sam with a sac hit RBI
Veteran baller Paul Kirschbaum and young gun Jack Vance combined for two hits to score another run, as did Ryan Carroll and Alden Watkins, and Colleen McGee capped it off with a two RBI single.
The Talk had an equally strong start in their first at bat as Micah Fontenot and Ashley Bouey both knocked base hits with Fontenot scoring on a sac hit by Ryan Houseman and when Joey Lancia smacked an RBI triple to right, the Talk was rolling but almost immediately cut short to hold them at two runs
Miller and Vance provided two more runs for Colorado Fitness in the top of the second inning to build a 7-2 lead and flirting with more until the Talk adjusted on defense and on offense
The Talk brought in middle reliever Dave McGuire in the top of the third inning to help calm the bats of Colorado Fitness and when the Talk defense turned a 6-4-3 double play, the tides changed, and the Talk started to surge
Base hits from Ali McGuire and Fontenot put two on with no outs, Housman doubled to push one run in and then Lancia smashed a three-run home run over the fence in right center landing in the Pitas party celebrating the lives of teammates Heather Cooper and Frank Magri pulling within one of Colorado Fitness
Colorado Fitness came right back in the top of the fourth inning to rebuild their lead as Gail Grimmett and Olson both singled and scored off a double by Miller. Kirschbaum drove an RBI single and when Watkins connected for an RBI single, Colorado Fitness was out front 11-6
They continued to build on their lead in the top of the fifth as Max Dukeman tripled and then scored thanks to a two-run shot from brother Sam proving the apples do not fall far from the tree. Kirschbaum remained dangerously consistent at the plat with another pinpoint RBI single and an RBI double from Vance now had Colorado Fitness on top 15-6
The Talk then had the first of two chances to pull off a late game rally like they had done in their game prior to this one. Stephanie Reeves fouled off the first pitch that could have and should have been caught, but it wasn’t. She took the opportunity to then knock a single and when Dave singled, the Talk had runners in the corners with the top of the order stepping to the plate. Unfortunately, they managed to score just one run and Colorado Fitness tacked on two more runs to take a 19-10 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
But the Talk can surprise and when Houseman stretched and got dirty for a leadoff triple, the stage was set for a miracle. Lancia added fuel to the comeback fire with a two RBI base hit, Kelly McGuire and Austin Hayes each tapped base hits and Reeves drove Kelly in with a single to keep their comeback hopes alive. Only problem was, they needed six more runs to complete the comeback and they only managed one more to fall 19-13 to Colorado Fitness
“Now the real season starts.”
