A late seventh-inning score brought Rokzoo Bucket List an 8-7 win over fading Red Rocks Rotary and momentum going into a battle Thursday, July 17, for the top seed in the Sedona Parks and Recreation league’s August adult softball playoffs.

“You lose a lot of fun when you play for all the marbles,” team pitcher and sponsor Dan Bauder said. “It’s a hitter’s league.”

That battle will be against undefeated league leader A Day in the West, which got its seventh straight win Thursday, July 10, as head coach and shortstop Pedro Ortega Sr.’s three-run home run fueled a 15-5 win over the Night Ballers.

“That was the only one,” Ortega said of his first-inning shot. “We managed to waste a couple more homers for a couple more outs, but we’re improving slowly. You hope to improve little by little.”

Brad Skornik filled in as A Day in the West pitcher and allowed only five Night Ballers to cross home plate
July 10, in the absence of vacationing Jason Stewart.

“They only had one inning where they scored three or four runs,” Ortega said. “Even in slow-pitch [softball], you can find the strike zone on the mat, and I thought he did pretty well — he found the corners.”

Third baseman Jesse King and second baseman Tony Steinking added multiple runs along with first baseman Wiliam Aldrich for A Day in the West, which stayed a game-and-a-half in front of the speedy second-place team, Los Illegals, for the league lead despite their doubleheader sweep, 13-8 over the Mighty Ducks of L’Auberge de Sedona and a 21-7 crushing of the Red Rock Rebels.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Los Illegals head coach Mauro Trahin Sr. said. “I’ve got very young players who are very quick to learn. They want to learn everything.”

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, July 16, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.