Spring 1985, Issue 3

IM Sports

The first-never IM Softball all-Star game

by Douglas "Barnaby" Jones
Koala staff

Last Saturday marked the sixth annual intramural softball all-star same featuring the best players from Men's AAA. The same was held at Muir Field and was highlighted by the use of a portable fence that Recreation Department head Mike Hipp was able to borrow from San Diego State. The game was scheduled to be played in the Rec. Gym in honor of Major League baseball's decision to play this year's classic at the Metrodome in Minnesota. However, the same site was moved not because players were losing pop flies and mitts in the rafters but because a whole bunch of Chinese and Japanese girls wanted to play volleyball. Anyway, it was a beautiful evening for softball in the good of out of doors (Though this writer thinks that baseball should be played in-doors with the heat turned up real good, and the lights dimmed romantically low with baseballs that can bounce real high on the lush, plush, artificial turf).

As for the same, the Steve Garvey League took a quick lead in the top half of the first inning on a two-run homer over the left field fence 250 feet down the line by Bob "Beef Kabob„ Armell (Rectumatics). The score remained the same until the fourth inning as the starting pitchers (Tim Pickwell of Butt State representing the Garvs and Al Frosh of Wildbats from the Tony Gwynn League) and steady defense held each team scoreless. Then, Frosh began to tire as he save up consecutive singles to Richard Levinson (Shwote Region) and David Jones (Berman Boys) and a walk to Curtis Johnson (Sanctamious Tramps) to load the bases. Gwynn captain Hipp (better known as Captain Hook) had seen enough of his puss-armed pitcher and brought in his middleman Walt Waldarf (Boffos). The next batter for the Garvs was Mike Guerra of Pink Steel (Mike is from the same Dominican Republic that's responsible for such major leaguers as Julio Franco, Jouquin Andujar, and Jody Davis). Guerra hit Waldorf's pitch for an opposite field grandslam over the head of rightfielder Gary Ward (Drabos). Ward's miseries were compounded when Richard "Rosta" Whitehill dumped a beer on the player's head. Dick said after the same that the beer droppage was an accident. In the bottom of the inning, Scott Berndes " got some chalk" on the right side for a double and was singled home by Gwynn teammate Frank Vernon (both Profoathletics).

The Garvs went scoreless in the fifth with Cameron Oslar (The Boys Go Out Swinging) pitching for the Gwynns'. In the bottom half inning Pickwell and Jay Richards (One Last Bone) got two-out singles. Lefty Steve Piper Drabos hit the first pitch to dead center for a two-run triple. Pete Remedius (Brutal Puppydog) scored Piper on a single up the middle to make the score 6-4 at which it remained until the seventh.

In order to hold the Garvs, Hipp brought in ace reliever Thay Lee (Wildbats). Dominik Lee (BHB) opened the inning with a single but was picked off first by catcher Berndes. The play was important because Rob Haswell (Mallard Men) got a double one out later. Lee struck out Eric Haupt (Cleptos) who later threatened Lee by stating "If you give me the chance, I'll steal everything you got." Nonetheless, the K ended the Garv threat.

Trailing by two runs in their last ups, Hipp sent in Mark Ragusa (Dish Cleaners) to pinch hit for Lee. He answered with a single to right. Unfortunately, the next-batter, Ben Kirtman (Jewish Express) lined into a double play. That left Gwynn's chances up to Gary Ward. He hit the ball towards the mound at pitcher Brian Wolf (Freshman Connection) who probably should have let the ball so through but deflected it to his right and Ward was on. Wolf, a bit dazzled, walked the next batter Rick Webber (Hospital Hotshots). That left matters up to Steve Sussman (Big Bat-Small Balls). He hit Wolf's third delivery back, back, back, back, and out to give the Tony Gwynn League a 7-6 win and their second straight all-star victory over the Steve Garvey League.