For the week of August 7 - 13, 2002

View Point takes 
two for coed title

Color Haus falls in 4-2 defensive battle

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What do you get when you recruit some of the best players in the league and win the championship?

Depending on the league, Major League Baseball or Ketchum Coed softball, you come up with the New York Yankees or View Point.

View Point celebrates its city tournament title. Kneeling, front, from left, Linda McMahon, Anna Kolash, Sharon Payne, Rod Watson, Patrick McMahon, Lynn Drewien and Nelson Drewien. Back, standing from left, Robin Sarchett, Jeff Sarchett, Sue Mulcahy, Dave Swenke, Janet Krogh, Gene "Dancing Machine" LeClaire, Gary Schott, Dotty Sarchett and Matt Barrow. Not pictured are Kyle Rushton and Kelly Cole. Express photo by Willy Cook

Both teams are alternately loved and hated and both are winners.

View Point unseated six-time champion Color Haus to claim the Ketchum Coed Softball city tournament at Atkinson Park on Sunday.

Led by Most Valuable Players, left fielder Robin Sarchett and third baseman Sharon Payne, the Point smoked Color Haus 23-10 in the first championship game and went on to win the "if-necessary" contest 4-2.

After the exciting slow-pitch games, View Point shortstop Rod Watson remarked, "That was so tight. I had no idea 4-2 would win it."

View Point entered the final contest with a runs-per-game average of 19.8. Similarly, Color Haus had scored an average of 18 runs a game.

But softball is a hitter’s game. As Color Haus outfielder Chris Benson succinctly summed up, "Our bats went flat."

After combining for 89 hits in their first two meetings of the tournament, the Point and Haus tagged nine and eight hits, respectively, in the championship final.

"It was a tough defensive battle," View Point pitcher Matt Barrow said.

Barrow, who earned serious MVP consideration for his gritty performance on the mound, scored the first run in the championship. He roped a two-out double and scored on a strong single by Sue Mulcahy.

View Point followed with three runs in the fourth. Sharon Payne and Rod Watson rapped back-to-back doubles. Both scored on a shot by Gary Schott (2-for-2). Schott crossed home on Jeff Sarchett’s RBI single.

Color Haus answered with their best frame of the game.

Bryan Burrell led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and went to second on a two-out knock by Brigette Gross. Anthony Anderson (2-for-3) brought Burrell around on a double to center, but the sure-handed Schott gloved an infield fly for the third out and ended the Haus’ rally.

Both teams went in order in the fifth, but Color Haus’ defense did not rest in the sixth, either.

Slick-hitting Robin Sarchett (.739) belted the ball to left. He rounded first and attempted to go to second. Left fielder Brent Anderson scooped up the ball and hit second baseman Anthony Anderson on the fly. Instead of pulling up or sliding, Sarchett attempted to hurdle Anderson, who put him down like a box of rocks.

Color Haus protested Sarchett should have been thrown out of the game for malicious play—to no avail.

Haus sent View Point down in order in the seventh and ran back in with a head of steam.

Chris Benson jacked the first pitch out of the park to make it 4-2. But that’s as close as Color Haus got.

"This feels nice," View Point manager Gene LeClaire said. "We have a good bunch of people who play well together."

Catcher Dotty Sarchett added in the finest Yankee/Vie Point-fashion, "We’ll be back on the starting line next year."

Check the Scoreboard for details.

 

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