The Balloonatics joined A Day in the West and the Mighty Ducks of L’Auberge de Sedona in winning their opening games of the Sedona Adult Softball league Thursday, June 2, by double digits.

The new entry to the league, presented by the Sedona Parks and Recreation department, struck early and often against the Sedona Red Rock News, handing the Paperboys their first of two losses in a five-inning doubleheader sweep, 15-1.

The power of Justice Keane, a former Sedona Red Rock High School second baseman, and former Scorpions shortstop Garrison Skornik to go with local little league coaches like Jeff Lynch and Mark Stewart did not let up on the Paperboys.

Two games later on the lower field of Posse Grounds Park, L’Auberge provided a game that Geoffrey Messer, head coach of The Other Team, would prefer to forget.

“Lambs to the slaughter,” he quipped after a 12-3 loss. “I’m changing my name to Clarice.”

A 12-0 shutout by A Day in the West ensured The Other Team a tie for last place.

“We got spanked by them, too,” Messer said. “I’ve mercifully blanked it out.”

The other team to take down the Sedona Red Rock News was Red Rocks Rotary, which used four pitchers in the absence of five-year starter Dan Schneberger to shut out the Paperboys, 5-0.

“We’re just kind of trying out a few different things and see who likes it to stick there,” said head coach Nick Hastings, a left fielder on a Rotary roster that could ultimately surpass 20 players. “Toward the end of the season, it’s kind of hard finding 10 guys. So we try to just fill up the roster and get as many people in there as we can.”

Power-hitting shortstop Craig Eagle, head baseball coach at SRRHS, did his part, reinforcing the outfield with Brandon McNaughton, a co-worker at Eagle’s gym in Cottonwood.

“He’s one of our real good players,” Hastings said. “We started him out in right center field.”

Third baseman Jose Esquer, who will be coaching a Verde Valley Little League team in the District 10 Tournament of Champions in his first season, can also pitch if called on, Hastings said. Esquer and fellow Cottonwood men’s league player D.K. Green split time at third base.

“So nobody is really set in a position,” Hastings said. “Christina Kleva and Joy Moore are two new players we’ve had brought out.”

For all standings and results from opening day of the Sedona Adult Softball League, please see the Wednesday, June 8, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.