INS Wizards Softball Team Win Tough One! The INS wizards softball team improved their record to 3-0 last night with a 12-11 win in extra innings. The lost dropped Wilkin's Construction to 3-1. Previously undefeated Wilkins, jumped out to an early 10-0 led after 3 innings due to a barrage of base hits of rookie starter Mike Hess. "It wasn't like I was throwing easy pitches, they just seemed to hit it hard no matter where I placed it," said Hess after the game. INS bats were non-existent for the first 3 innings as only three Wizards reached base safely. "The ones we did hit hard either went right to someone or their defense made good plays," said center fielder Ritch "Big Will" Williams after sending a shot out to the warning track only to be caught by Wilkins' speedy center fielder. After 3 innings, the two teams seemed to completely change roles. Hess found a groove on the mound as the defense rallied with great plays by Gary Difazio, Brian Ellison, and Scott Armentrout allowing only one run after the 3rd inning. In the bottom of the 4th, the truck finally arrived with INS' bats as Armentrout and Ken Cooksey lead off with back to back hits in-route to a 8 hit 7 run inning. Score 10-7. Offense rallied again in the 5th scoring two more runs after clutch hitting by Heath McClure, Difazio, and Jonathon Leifheit. Score 10-9 Defense continued in the 5th and 6th allowing only one run, a solo home run, in the two innings. "He just crushed it!", stated Hess after giving up INS' only HR allowed this year. Score 11-9. Another two runs by the Wizards in the bottom 6th tied the once lopsided game at 11-11. Both teams showed tough defense as no runs scored in the 7th. A Wilkins rally was gunned down at the plate by an Armentrout to Ellison to Cooksey relay that was executed perfectly. Score 11-11. Extra innings. Will Cox lead off the bottom if the 8th with what some called a double, others called a single and a miscue, while most erroneously called a 2-base error. Nevertheless Cox was at second with no outs. McClure sacrificed Cox to third.
Wilkins' pitcher intentionally walked Difazio. And after taking a first pitch strike, Leifheit delivered the clutch game winning hit back up the middle. Final Score 12-11. Wizards Win. Wizards Win. Wizards Win. "I have to say, last night was one of the best softball games I've had the pleasure of playing in. It doesn't get any better than it did last night. I was proud of the way we didn't fold after the 3rd inning. It would have been pretty easy," claimed Hess, who finished the game 1-0 with 1 K, 2 BB, 1 HR, ERA 9.625. League Standings 1. INS 3-0 2. Wilkin's 4-1 3. BMC 2-1 4. Outlaws 2-2 5. Body Men 1-2 5. Frito-lay 1-2 7. Wild Bunch 0-5 Copyright � 1997, HippoMan
Revised --7/10/97
BACK TO ATLANTA SOFTBALL
BACK TO INS SOFTBALL