Fredrick King Mitchell, Jr. (aka Mitch)
Well, fellow softballers, fans, and friends, the deadline for the SaddleBrooke Progress is always around the 26th, and so it’s upon me again here on Christmas Eve. Softball is on a three-week hiatus right now and begins play again on Jan. 9, so we will be in the first or second week of play by the time the Progress hits the newsstands. The Veteran’s Day Tournament results were reported last issue, but the last three weeks of our fall season were still in full swing at the previous deadline.
So, final fall league action! The games on Dec. 11, 12, and 13 were canceled due to inclement weather, so those races were “in the books” early. In Monday Recreational, SB Pet Rescue-Bill Wescoe, 5-3, outlasted Shifren PT, 3-5 over the season for the league title. Over in Monday Community Stone Canyon, at 5-3, held on to win the league title over The Charles Company at 4-3, The Longo Firm at 3-4, and Slendido at 3-5. Meanwhile, on Tuesday in Competitive, there were no doubts all season long as Robson Communities amassed a 7-3 record, while Rancheros Market notched 6 wins and 5 losses, and cellar-dweller Ridgeview PT straggled in with 3 wins and 8 losses. In Tuesday Community, somewhat the same pattern: The Moore Advantage Real Estate had a steady 8-4 record to take the title, with Titan Power Sports and Rentals finishing second at 6-6 and The UPS Store filling the wine cellar at 4-8.
Another neck and neck battle in Wednesday Community with Tri-Community Lock and Tucson Orthopaedic tied at 3-3. And with the last game canceled, they end up the season tied for first (and last!). Moving to Wednesday Sidewinder, Lexus of Tucson has a solid lead at 4-2 over MEND Massage at 2-4, and that’s how they ended up with their last game also canceled.
But on Thursday and Friday, the weather cleared and the games were on! Thursday Coyote had a battle going between the three teams, with X-Pert Automotive out front at 5-3, followed by Your CBD Store at 4-4, and trailed by Window Wizards at 3-5. But X-Pert went 1-1 in their final doubleheader to wind up at 6-4 and earn the league title. Your CBD Store went down in game one, and Window Wizards took game two, and so those two teams tied with 4 and 5 records. Whew! Yours truly was the ump in game two, and let me tell you, it was colder ‘n a well-digger’s derriere. But the sun was out, and the games went on. In Friday Competitive Players Pub and Pride Mechanical were deadlocked at 4-4 with that one game left, and Pride took that game for the league title. In Friday Community, Waste Management and Western Exterminator were nip and tuck at the end, and both took their final games. The Exterminators ended up the league champs with a 6-2 (.750) record, while the Wasters ended up 5-2 (.714). Yowza!
Anyhoo, as mentioned previously, softball action will start up again Jan. 9. So, there’s not much practice action down at the field these days, but will likely pick up nicely after New Year’s as we all try to get our holiday legs back in some kind of shape. Meanwhile our facilities are getting a little work here and there, and the dirt dawgs continue to work on the field.
For more information, come on down to the field come January. Someone will be glad to yak at ya. Or surf us at saddlebrookesoftball.com.
The next tournament is St. Paddy’s Day on March 18. Put it on the calendar.