Blues win fourth straight softball championship
BY JOSH GALVIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Production from the top of the lineup and team defense spelled victory for the E&S Blues in the Rec League Softball Championship game at the Tom Nevers field this past Thursday. For the fourth straight year, and eight of the last nine, the Blues have hoisted the championship trophy above their heads, this time with a decisive 8-2 victory over the Sand Sharks who nipped at the Blues' heels all season in second place.

MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent The Sand Sharks' Bevin Bixby beats the throw as E&S Blues first baseman stretches for the throw.

All smiles after the game, Blues captain Billy Ellis attributed his team's reigning success to a mature style of play that is heavily dependent on sound fundamentals.

"We win games like this one because we don't make mistakes," he said. "Whether it is in the field or on the basepaths we are a very aware team that doesn't throw the ball around or to the wrong person. We communicate well because we've been playing together so long."

The Blues were flawless defensively, committing no errors and stymieing the Sand Shark offense by allowing just two runners past second base after the first inning.

Also deserving of praise are the top four batters for the Blues who went a combined 9-16 at the plate, including two, two-run homeruns, and accounted for all the runs and rbis on the Blues stat sheet. Rob Morgenstern, Amy Vanderwolk, Mike Molta and Renee Aguiar anchored the offensive attack that came alive for five clinching runs in the last three innings of the victory.

The Blues started the game with a one run first inning, courtesy of Molta and Morgenstern. Morgenstern took the opening pitch of the game down the left field line for a lead-off double. After a line out, Molta blooped a single over third base, plating Morgenstern for the game's first run. Molta moved to third on a two-out single by Rick Elwell, but the two runners were stranded as the Sand Sharks induced an inning ending fielder's choice.

In their half of the first, the Sand Sharks answered back with a run to tie the game, but they wouldn't score again until the bottom of the sixth inning. The Sand Sharks manufactured their run by taking advantage of a lead-off walk by Austin Rogers. Angie Wagner followed with a single that sent Rogers to third for team captain Jeremy Wagaman. Wagaman slapped a single down the third base line, scoring Rogers and sending Wagner to third with no outs. But the runners would not move as the next three batters were retired in order.

The Blues struck again in the third inning courtesy of a two-out two-run home run by Molta, his first of the game. Vanderwolk kept the inning alive with a two-out infield single that put her on for Molta who put the first pitch just beyond the wall in left center field to give the Blues a 3-1 lead. Aguiar then doubled and moved to third on an infield single by Elwell, but the Sand Sharks would escape the inning without further damage.

After a scoreless fourth for both teams, the top of the Blues order came around again, this time tacking on three runs and increasing their lead to 6-1. Morgenstern lead off the inning with a triple to left center field, his second extra base hit of the day. Vanderwalk followed with a blast to the right of center that cleared all the Sand Shark outfielders resulting in an RBI double. Then it was déjà vu all over again as Molta hit his second two-run home run in as many at bats, this time crushing the ball well clear of the fence in left center. Elwell would single with one out for the third straight at bat, but he and Luciana Moran, who reached on a walk, would remain on the base paths for the rest of the inning.

Wagaman tried to get things going for his Sand Sharks by leading off the bottom half of the sixth inning with a single. Playing aggressive ball to keep his team in the game, Wagaman moved to third base with one out on a single to right by big left hander Brandon Keeley. Lauren Sleeth then hit a fly ball to left field that was deep enough for Wagaman to tag and score on, cutting the lead to 6-2. But the Blues' defense remained sound and the inning quickly ended.

A two-run seventh by the Blues all but sealed the game, giving the team a six-run cushion atop an 8-2 lead. Vanderwolk singled to lead off the inning with her third hit on the day. Molta then hit a hard line drive to right that fouled up the Sand Shark outfielder, putting him on second and Vanderwolk on third. But a throwing error over the catcher's head sailed out of play plating Vanderwolk and giving Molta third base. Aguiar would then push the ball to the right side for an infield sacrifice scoring Molta. Elwell then hit his fourth straight single of the game, but a nifty 1-4-3 double play ended the inning.

The Sand Sharks couldn't muster any offense beyond a Colby Roberts single in the bottom half of the seventh. "We played them tough today," said Roberts after the game. "We lost 17-1 during the regular season

so we made a lot of improvement." I