SPORTS

Girls power Americo Life past Otis Air Conditioning

Tuesday, June 1, 2004

The women of Americo Life Insurance showed that they were not just a group of pretty faces, keying a hard-fought 9-6 victory over Otis Air Conditioning in co-ed softball action at the Field of Dreams last Thursday.
Emily Schutt, Lori Scott and Laine Smyth all made significant contributions during the game as Americo avenged their opening night loss to Otis Air and improved to 9-2 on the season.

“I guess you can say we deflated Otis Air,” said a jubilant Mark Wallace after the game.

Americo drew first blood when Alan Markoff hit a two-out, two-run double in the top of the second inning, but Otis Air bounced right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame.

Otis extended the lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the fourth inning, and with the Americo men struggling at the plate, it looked like the Otis Air lead might hold up.

However, Americo got their bats going in the fifth. After Markoff led off the inning with a single, followed by a base hit by Willy Foster, Gerson Henriquez Sr, narrowed the lead with an RBI single. After a fielder’s choice moved runners to second and third, Al Lovinggood singled both home, tying the game.

Pat Haag then beat out an infield single to keep the inning alive, and Gerson Henriquez Jr tripled in two more runs.

It was then that Americo’s women took things in their own hands. Laine Smyth singled home Henriquez Jr. “That’s my first RBI of the season!” she exclaimed, before even reaching first base. “It was just a matter of time.”

Holding a tenuous 8-5 lead, Americo showed some nifty glove-work in the final three innings, including two outstanding plays by defensive specialist Lori Scott at second base.

Needing some breathing space in the last inning, Emily Schutt singled to left field, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, and then hustled home on an RBI single by Pat Haag.

Willy Foster was thrilled with the outcome. “That game was a gas,” he said, “I just wish some people would eat different foods before coming to the game.”

Coach Al Lovinggood was impressed with the performance of his girls, prompting him to give a different spin on a familiar phrase: “Women – you can’t live with them, you can’t win without them.”

Americo’s owner Kim Awe, known as the George Steinbrenner of co-ed softball, also recognised the key to the victory. “It was the girls that won the game tonight,” he said. In fact, when Lovinggood came to the plate in the seventh inning, the Boss shouted, “Put another girl up there!” As usual, the Boss was right; Lovinggood grounded weakly to the first baseman.

Americo Notes and Quotes

• Mark Wallace extended his hitting streak to three games with a second inning single on a questionable scoring call, eliciting whispers in the dugout that there had been a bribe. “That’s ridiculous,” protested Wallace, “I didn’t pay off anybody.” Inexplicably, after the post-game beverage tab was paid, there was $27 leftover for the Official Scorer’s Team Barbeque Fund.
• Alan Markoff’s streak of 13 consecutive hits came to an end when he flew out to right field in the sixth inning.
• Becca Bernard will play her last game before returning to Canada when Americo takes on the Canadian Red Leafs on Monday night.

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