For the week of  September 12 - 18, 2001

Snappers dethrone Cobras 12-7, 5-3

Senior baseball surprise in Hailey

---

The Waxroom Snappers proved last weekend that it only takes two strong pitchers and some timely hitting to win the Sun Valley Men’s Adult Baseball League World Series.

Righthanders John Rathfon and Lars Hovey were the winning Snapper pitchers, and designated hitter Jimmy Hart delivered two clutch hits in Sunday’s championship game.

In a surprise, the Snappers (13-8) upset top-seeded two-time defending SVMABL champion Coors Light Cobras (14-5) in a startling two-game sweep at Hailey’s Founders Field.

Rathfon outdueled Cobras ace Christian Nickum in Saturday’s 12-7 Snappers victory, then Hovey shut down the champs 5-3 with a complete-game six-hitter Sunday.

Over two games the Snappers out-hit the Cobras 24-14 and capitalized on Coors Light errors. To be fair, the Cobras were playing shorthanded, with several key players injured or out-of-town, but the Snappers won fair and square.

• Snappers 12-7 over Cobras: The Snappers got a gutsy 123-pitch pitching effort from starter Rathfon. Although he walked six batters and survived three errors, Rathfon limited the Cobras to eight hits and got two innings of solid relief work from Hovey.

Nickum (16 strikeouts) didn’t walk anyone but was touched for 16 hits—four in the Snappers’ three-run first.

Two-out RBI hits by Billy Neal (3 hits, 3 runs), Tim Mott (2 hits, 2 runs) and Rathfon put the Snappers ahead 3-0. The winners added three unearned runs in the fourth on RBI hits by Hart (2 hits), Chris Zarkos and Chris Benson (2 hits).

Hart’s two-out RBI single in the sixth put the Snappers ahead 8-2. A two-run double by leadoff hitter Hovey (2 hits, 2 runs) was the big hit of a four-run seventh for a 12-2 cushion.

Matt Buxton added two hits for the Snappers. Brent Anderson topped the Cobras with three hits and Matt Nelson stroked a pair of safeties.

• Snappers 5-3 over Cobras: Having lost four straight World Series games to the Cobras in their last two runner-up finishes in 2000 and 1999, the Snappers earned revenge behind the pitching of Hovey (11 strikeouts and only one walk).

Nickum’s two-out, two-run double issued the Cobras a 2-0 lead in the second. Hovey proceeded to retire 11 of the next 12 batters, giving the Snapper offense some time to get in gear.

Neal reached on an outfield error to open the Snappers fifth, then Rathfon broke up the shutout with an RBI double and scored on Curtis Bacca’s sacrifice fly for a 2-2 deadlock.

In the sixth, Gunnar Whitehead bounced a single to left, moved up on an infield error and scored when Hart pounded out a first-pitch single. Brent Anderson of the Cobras (4-for-7 series) promptly tied it 3-3 with a two-out double to deep center.

Hovey fanned five and didn’t allow another hit after Anderson’s game-tying blast. Meanwhile, Cobras starter Anderson (9 hits, 6 Ks) matched Hovey with a strong mound effort until his defense broke down.

In the home eighth, an infield error and a walk to Hovey brought up Hart with two gone. Hart ripped an RBI liner to center for a 4-3 game, then Hovey came home with insurance on another Cobras outfield error.

Matt Nelson accounted for two of the six Cobras hits.

The World Series ended the sixth SVMABL season. Waxroom Snappers was the 1996 champ, but the Cobras entered the league in 1997 and took three of the next four World Series titles. Twist ‘N Trout Alley Cats won in 1998.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.