A Day in the West entered week four of the Sedona Summer Adult Softball league with a 3-2 record, good for second place in the standings and on June 27, they matched up with first place Pago’s and a chance to tie for the overall league lead. But as the clock struck 6:15 p.m., A Day in the West had only six players.
League rules require at least eight players for an official game. Pago’s won by forfeit.
In the second game of the night at 7:15 p.m., A Day in the West had eight players, enough to proceed against Slapnut Magoos. They played in the field without a first baseman and lost again 16-3, dropping to fifth place in the league standings.
A Day in the West had been a formidable foe so far in this summer season. No one knows that better than Red Mountaineers, who lost 20-0 to them June 20. It has been a difficult season so far for Red Mountaineers with losses of 10-1, 17-1 and 20-0 the past three weeks. In week four, the team found themselves matched up against Slapnut Magoos, the team directly ahead of them in the overall standings.
Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Slapnut Magoos loaded the bases. Tim Puckett hit a smash grounder to third which was snagged by the third baseman, but he hesitated with the runners moving.
He then tried to throw Puckett out at first, but the throw was high and two runs scored making it 4-0 Slapnut Magoos after two innings. But the feisty Red Mountaineers were not about to accept another rout. In the third inning, Mikayla Gaito singled.
Mike Brown got aboard on a throwing error, and Riley Sweeney singled. With the bases loaded, Matt Hershkowitz doubled off the base of the wall in right center field scoring Gaito, Brown and Sweeney. Suddenly, it was 4-3, with Slapnut Magoos still in front after three innings.
“The past two games were not quite like this,” first baseman Gaito of the Red Mountaineers said. “This is more like games I’m used to … fighting to the end of it. I think our team dynamic is really starting to come together.”
In the bottom of the third, Slapnut Magoos put together another rally. With a runner at second, Dave Dewitt lined a fly ball to right field tailing down the line. It looked like it could go into the corner but right fielder Sweeney leaped high to snatch it out of the air and quickly threw to second base to nail the retreating base runner. A nifty double play that ended another Slapnut Magoos rally.
“We moved some people to the outfield that definitely needed to be there,” Brown said.
“Today one of our team members who’s like only 20, was our coach, made the lineup, chose where people play and it turned out great.” Gaito said.
In the fifth, Red Mountaineers Pete Hansinger hit a line drive single to center, but after two errors, he came all the way around to score behind Camden DeJohn and again the scrappy Red Mountaineers tied the game at 5.
“We’ve had games where we were losing by a lot more than two runs and we still keep our heads up,” Gaito said. “We’re just having fun out there doing the best we can.”
Tied at six in the top of the seventh inning, the game was at hand. The Red Mountaineers struck again.
Matt Hershkowitz hit a line drive into the gap in right center. Heading around second his teammate waved him to third. Slapnut Magoos had relayed the ball and fired a throw to cut him down at third but the throw was wild and Hershkowitz scored. Suddenly, the Red Mountaineers were leading 7-6.
“I just tried to hit the ball hard and capitalize on mistakes,” Matt Hershkowitz said. “I tried to run where he was throwing it. I’m just trying to score.”
But Slapnut Magoos had the last at bat in the bottom of the seventh and they seized control of an elusive game. After a single by Dewitt and a walk by Puckett, Jesse Timm laced a shot right over the third base bag and down the line scoring two runs to win the game 8-7. It was a tough way to lose, but a gratifying effort by the improving Red Mountaineers.
“Anytime we do something good like today, I consider this a win even if we lost, because I feel we worked together as a team really well and I feel like we learned a lot today,” Gaito said.
“I think it was cool, the team caught fire … we did have some momentum there,” Hershkowitz said. “The season is going alright … not great. It’s a good thing to get out here and play a game in competitive fashion.”
“We definitely didn’t want to lose by 20 again. That was a rough game but we bounced back.” Brown said.
“When I joined this team I was like, ‘this is going to be fun but not much is going to happen,’” Gaito said. “But now I realize we actually have good potential with strong defensive players … Its been really exciting.”
The Red Mountaineers lost their second game Thursday night, giving Red Rocks Rotary its first win of the season.
Rokzoo now stands alone in first place in the standings with a 7-0 mark. A Day in the West fell from second place all the way to fifth with a record of 3-4.
Don Eicher can be reached at 282-7795 ext 126 or email at deicher@larsonnewspapers.com
