The maroon team led by four runs with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and last inning. They opted to pitch to gray’s cleanup hitter, William Kelly.
Kelly made them pay.
His grand slam tied the score. Two hits later, David McNeill’s single drove Kelly home with the game winning run.
Gray’s dramatic five-run rally with two outs beat maroon 16-15 on Aug. 23 at field 1 in Brahan Spring Park. Gray avenged their lone loss of the summer season and padded their perch atop the 55-and-over Rockets league in Huntsville Senior Softball.
“Some games you got it. Some games you don’t,” Kelly said. “It’s just a game.”
He went 3-for-4 with his grand slam, a three-run homer, eight runs batted in and three runs scored for gray (6-1). Kelly, also the leader on defense, started at shortstop before moving to the outfield.
Winning pitcher Mike Hoy, Sam Sepulveda, McNeill and David Key had three hits apiece. Bennie Pokemire and David Koch added two hits apiece.
“Multiple errors again. Errors always kills us,” gray player/coach Rick Anthis said. “We got two outs in the bottom of the seventh and Kelly’s grand slam ties it up. That was the key right there. In the top of the seventh, we got them 1-2-3 in their batting order. That was key right there. With two outs, Kelly hitting that grand slam. That was huge.”
Moto Miller hit a three-run homer and Mark Hoffman followed with a solo shot for maroon (3-3). Denny Reasner had four hits while Miller and Hoffman added three apiece. Tim Lawter, player/coach Chris Maggio, Mike Keyser and Jeff Cox had two hits apiece. Reasner took the loss in the circle.
“It was a good game,” Maggio said. “I mean everybody hit good, played good defense. We should’ve put Kelly on. We should’ve put him on instead of letting him hit.”
