For the week of August 1 - 7, 2001

Make it a Haus 
Special in 2001

Color Haus wins sixth 
Ketchum Coed title

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By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

Color Haus winning the Ketchum Coed softball championship seems as annual and inevitable as death and taxes.

For the sixth consecutive season, Color Haus (90-11 since 1995) has claimed the Ketchum slow-pitch tournament title on the Atkinson Park diamond.

This year’s banner was courtesy of the league’s other dominant team, the Park Rats (115-24 over eight seasons). Color Haus downed the Rats 15-7 in the finale of the league’s 12th season Sunday afternoon.

"We have been playing together so long we know what people are going to do and we can anticipate it," Haus second baseman Shannon Webb said.

Outfielder Sarah Benson concurred, "We have people who know how to play ball."

That’s what Color Haus did with efficiency during last weekend’s two-day, nine-team tourney. The champs compiled four wins by an average victory margin of six runs per game.

The sole nailbiter for the Haus crew was an 18-17 come-from-behind triumph over third-place View Point in the winner’s bracket Sunday.

Trailing 14-10 in the top of the seventh, Sarah Benson (5-for-5) started the rally off with a single, followed by base knocks by Jeff Burrell (4 hits), Shannon Webb and Anthony Anderson (grand slam).

Pinch-hitter Brent Anderson was summoned off the bench and promptly smacked a three-run homer to tie the game. Haus tacked on four additional runs for an 18-14 advantage.

View Point made it close. They started at the top of its order in the home seventh. Matt Barrow (3 hits) and Sue Mulcahy (3 hits) singled and scored. Gary Schott came home on Kyle Rushton double, but Color Haus’ Anthony Anderson scooped up a grounder and tossed to Bonnie Brown for a 6-3 game-ending out.

"If View Point had beaten us we would have had a hard time going through the loser-bracket," Benson said.

Instead, View Point and the Park Rats squared off in the loser bracket final, which the Rats won easily, 12-3.

That pitted Color Haus and the Park Rats in the title game for the seventh straight year.

Color Haus was fresh, focused and ready to roll. With three games under their belts, the Rats looked ready to roll into bed. They lacked spark and committed four errors.

Bryan Burrell started out the first frame by reaching on an error. Brenda Blackwell and Chris Benson (4 hits) followed with singles. Sarah Benson walked to set the table for Jeff Burrell (4 hits) who laced a two-run single to left center.

Webb smacked a 3-2 pitch over left fielder Robin Sarchett’s head to plate two runs and Anthony Anderson (3 hits) brought both home on a two-run jack. Angela Sewell scored an unearned run for an 8-0 cushion and Color Haus never looked back.

Color Haus was sharp. The winners compiled a .530 team batting average and committed one error in two days of play.

The team boasted the leading tourney batters. Jeff Burrell hit .842 (16-for-19), and Sarah Benson went 11-for-14 for a .785 average. The Rats’ Tim Mott was a close runner-up for the batting title hitting .840.

Golden Glove awards went to View Point infielders, shortstop Rod Watson and thirdbaseman Jenny Geltz.

Most Valuable Players were Haus first baseman Bonnie Brown and Robin Sarchett of the Park Rats.

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