We Goin to The Ship!

Wave of Emotion Carries Bombers in Semifinals
BY SPARKY CHALMERS

For unexplained reasons, B&E was flatter than monthly birthday party singing voices (excluding Elena, of course). The defending champions’ searched for life and found it in the form of an uncanny big play, a well-timed cheer, and an emotional pep talk. Afterwards the Bombers found their mojo and rallied to a 15-9 victory over Health and Careers in Park Ridge.
The 10 in the field weren’t smiling. The 10 in the dugout weren’t cheering the one at the plate; and it didn’t add up. After all, this was the semifinals and a golden ticket to square off with Corporate Accounting in the Pearson Softball Championship—well, at least that’s what right-fielder Elisabeth Scarpa was thinking anyway.
It was the bottom of the third inning and B&E was staring up at three-run deficit. With one out and a runner on third, H&C hit a long fly ball to left-field and the runner tagged up to score. Eric Svendsen caught the fly and unleashed a rocket of a throw at the plate where pitcher Ian Gold was covering. Gold jumped up and grabbed the throw and pinned it down on the runner before H&C could tack on more runs.
“We just got the awesome play we needed,” Scarpa said. “But we still needed something else. I said to Patrice (Jones), ‘We need to get going, we need a pep talk,’ and he obliged in a big way.”
Jones brought the entire team together and delivered a Rockne-type effort. And even after jeers from opposing pitcher Ray Constantine, the Bombers were hyped and ready to deliver.
Gold led off the inning with a home run.
Michael Barbara followed immediately with a home run of his own.
And before the top of the 4th inning concluded the Bombers had a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“Everybody started having fun and that coincided with consistent hits and big plays in the field,” catcher Janine Lucas said. “Once we captured the momentum we made sure to keep our concentration and energy up.”
Lucas called a tight game from behind the plate and went 2-for-3 at the plate (and 2-for-2 in getting hit with hard-thrown balls in the playoffs).
Despite continued threats from opposing Captain Jackie Zupic to chew the Bombers up and spit them out, B&E continued to tack on runs courtesy of hard hits and hustle on the bases. Kim Lovato and James Heine finished a combined 7-for-8 in the middle of the lineup and continuously advanced runners, putting pressure on the defense.
Meanwhile, the Bombers defense played Little Rascals and Stymied Health and Careers at the plate. Motivated by a Sun Tzu quote from the Art of War, B&E strung together scoreless 4th, 5th and 6th innings.
“Tzu said ‘Invincibility lies in the defense,’ if we can close out that many innings I like our chances,” Svendsen said. “The league looks at us as being the team with the most power, but we’re also the team that gave up the least runs in the league.”
The Bombers were three outs from moving to the Championship but Health and Careers had their second consecutive walkoff-win in mind. They had come from behind against HSS to get to the semifinals, and they had no quit in mind. They threatened the entire inning, loading the bases with the top of the order looming. They even had James Heine make Gold field a ball and run home for a force out when none was available (and all the idiot had to do was throw to first and end the game).
The Bombers did get vindication when the next batter popped out to Gold at the mound, sending the team to the third straight Championship and a chance to repeat as Pearson League Champions.
Last year B&E had the sweet taste of total victory (and beer from a cheap bronze trophy)—and if the first two playoff games are any evidence, they are hungry as ever to do it all again.