By Ken Thibado
Pressure has arisen, and two counties are getting anxious. The BombERNs appear to be faltering, and the skip appears concerned for his job.
Again the girls flash the leather and strike the ball with such efficiency that routinely a new ball must be introduced into play just to accommodate the power of the girls from the ERN.
However, as of yet, the girls are winless…
Blame must be laid at the feet of the hapless coach of these girls. Now running the bases correctly (due to a practice conducted with nothing more than frisbee?), errors in the field still dogged the team. Mistakes hounded on the defense, as veteran hitting from an Indian Lake squad suffocated.
It’s fair to say that the coach, certainly an unhinged personality, may have tampered with the game just to be “Pete Rose” timely… umpiring miscues, timeout debates, base running warnings, spectator interference… (Not since Mike Cunningham disrupted MLB play, between The Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles in 1993, has an Adirondacker been more suspect.)
What unfolded this past Tuesday at Fern Park was too drama filled to fully cover.
This Indian Lake team appeared to be on the take. In a sly move, The Indian Lakers played possum. The girls from the Land of Stewarts feigned a forfeit by not being able to field a full team, and offering instead to play with only seven.
At the last minute, the Sharks of Indian Lake dug up an eighth player. This veteran of the pitch, this Minnesota Fats, she conducted a streamlined approach to softball that even baffled her own coach.
The bets on the board had to favor Coach Thibado and his team of 15… however this Rose would smell harsh by the final frame.
The lineup from Indian Lake turned itself over with regularity as their reduced numbers barely affected out on the diamond.
They fielded with impunity and kept composure as the ERNgels from The Bay constructed another late game rally, but ultimately fell short 11–7.
As Linda Smith prepared a fine meal for the dames back at The Tavern, Pete Leszyk settled into the sponsor’s box.
The co-owner of the eclectically lit bar from the bay would only say that Coach Thibado “is the coach for the moment.”
None of the team members commented on the future of their coach, only Tricia Lindsay mentioned her discontent on being skipped over in batting practice.
To recap The BombERNs accomplishments, they appeared a well-rounded squad, and their fan base was strong and supportive.
Gordi Christodaro and Karen Hoskins unleashed back-to-back triples in the bottom in the fourth, closing the gap to 6–4.
Erin Eggleston continues to effectively relieve stalwart Colleen “Rain, Sleet, or Snow” Brigham on the bump.
Brittany Sheldrick continues to belt the softball, while Jodi “Lightening” Bolton keeps beating out infield hits.
It appears the bomb bay doors are open and ready to drop the business at any moment… but grim faces collected equipment after the seventh passed this last Tuesday.
Not even Captain Sam’s in-the-park-homerun blast could lift our Babes of Blue Line above the deficit.
Post-game discussions over discrepancies found that all matters were handled correctly by umpires Chuck Brusso and Stevie Anderson.
However, the top of seventh may never be fully explained.
Various sorts of oddities in the field, ranging from debated overthrows, discussions of invisible out-of-bounds lines, and even a strangely timed “Time Out!” call wreaked havoc.
As The BombERNs wing their way to Speculator this next Tuesday, all eyes will be on the front office.
Now mired in a slump that has lasted half the season, it’s time to see if The Lights Are On… or not.
An enthusiastic team, with tremendous talent, versatile fielders, and clutch hitting can’t stay winless. As the girls… shine on, we’ll see if the bulb is lit back in the foxhole.