Welcome to fall ball in the 55-and-over Rockets league in Huntsville Senior Softball.
Unlike the spring season and the summer season, this is supposed to be more relaxed. The fall season just has four teams instead of six and there won’t be an end-of-season tournament. The players don’t wear uniform jerseys. Teams one through four each has a new roster so most players have different teammates than they did in the spring and summer.
But everyone still wants to win as usual.
Mike Keyser, Moto Miller and Jerry Cowan had five hits apiece as Team Four beat Team One, 26-17 on Oct. 11 at field 1 in Brahan Spring Park. Winning pitcher Rex Reynolds went the first three innings and Cowan tossed the last four.
“It was a slugfest,” Cowan said. “Our team was hitting the ball good, got up the big lead. Usually they’re going to score some in the last inning but we just had enough to hold them off.”
Tim Lawter added four hits for Team Four (1-1). Mike Panko, David Allen, Reynolds and Eddie Johnson had three hits apiece. Mike Hoy, Larry Guthrie and player/coach Gary Wilkison had two hits apiece.
“We hit good as a team,” Wilkison said. “And we only gave up a few unearned runs until the last inning.”
Bennie Pokemire hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh for Team One (1-1). Batting leadoff, he finished with four hits and six runs batted in. William Kelly and Derek Santiago hit back-to-back homers to start the third.
Tom Fickling, Kirk Wickizer, Kelly, Santiago and Bob Thomson had three hits apiece. Player/coach Rick Anthis and Matt Thomas added two hits apiece. Crystal Santiago took the loss.
“We just didn’t have the bats,” Anthis said. “That was the biggest thing. We just didn’t have the bats.”
