Memorial Day Tournament Director Jessica Passoni and Softball Association VP Paul Auster
Memorial Day Tournament Director Jessica Passoni
King Mitchell
Well, softball fans and friends, here it is June 26 and Progress deadline time. The big enchilada? Well, number one was our Memorial Day Tournament on May 29. It was a humdinger, folks. Three scintillating games with tunes, food, fun, and, of course, softball “dramedy.” It was coordinated again by Tournament Director Jessica Passoni and hosted generously by Coyote Golf Cars and Ambient Air Heating and Cooling. The brats and dogs were fired up by longtime sponsor Window Wizards and, again, we had “Chef Joey Softball” (Passoni) grillin’ away on the burgers. Next up! Labor Day Tournament on Monday, Sept. 4.
Meanwhile, the action! Yessiree, with DJ Leroy Johnson spinnin’ the platters and yours truly offering up “pithy and insightful commentary” on the action, the softballers played three action-packed games for the 300-plus fans who filled the grandstands. So, a SaddleBrooke Softball “shout-out” to all those fans who came down to enjoy the day.
And a special shout-out to the SaddleBrooke Dance Club who had 30 or so of their 200-member group in attendance. They were a screamin’ and a shoutin’ and cha-cha’n in the stands for their dance club/softballer cohorts. Thanks, gals and guys of SaddleBrooke Dance Club!
What? Oh yeah. Tourney action! In the Competitive league opener, Jim Click Automotive and Kristy McInnis-Coldwell Banker Realty put on a heart-stopper for the early fans, battling to the end, with the Kristys outlasting the Clickers by a slim, one-run margin, 21 to 20. In game two, the Recreational/Sidewinder battle, Wildfire Wing Co. cruised to a 17 to 14 victory over Player’s Pub. And, finally, in the Community/Coyote game, another gut wrencher, with Ambient Air Heating and Cooling holding on for a 13 to 12 victory over Coyote Golf Cars. Hot dang!
Spring League Action: Well, just one week left, and most of the races have been decided, with a couple still in the contest. On Mondays in Recreational, Wildfire Wing Co. “sauced up” and has the league lead at 4-2 over Window Wizards at 2-4. With just one game left, the Wizards can’t make it up. In Monday Community, Absolutely Art has a commanding 6 ‘n’ 2 lead over Ambient Air Heating & Cooling at 4 ‘n’ 4 and AARP Information Center at 2 ‘n’ 6.
On Tuesdays in Community, Andy’s Irrigation, 4-3, and Ann Fraley-Long Realty, 3-4, can still tie for first if Fraley can pull out next week’s game. Meanwhile in Competitive, Desert Life Pharmacy has a 5-2 league lead over Coyote Golf Cars at 2-5, and so they will be the league winners.
On Wednesdays in Community, X-Pert Automotive also has sewed up the trophy with a 6-1 record over Your CBD Store’s 1-6. In Sidewinder, Golf Cars of AZ is 4-3, with Hardin Brothers Automotive at 3-4. First place is on the line next week for the Cars and the Bros.
Thursday Coyote has Bubb’s Grub at 5-2, closing out Brittni Guttman-Allstate Insurance at 2-5. ‘Nuff said!
On Fridays in Competitive, Catalina Family Dental has a solid 7-0 lead versus Canine & Company’s 0-7 (ouch!). Then in Community, Barron Electric at 7-2 has shocked Big Bear Garage Doors at 4-6 and AZ Indoor Air at 3-6. Air could climb into second, but they gotta take both ends of their doubleheader on the final day of the season.
The softballers then take a two-week break before the “hotter n H-E-double hockey sticks” summer league season opens and then runs until mid-September. Come on down to the field Monday through Friday and check out some “softball mayhem.” Of course, you can also surf the Association’s website saddlebrookesoftball.com.