Redline

First Place

Fall Softcore Co-ed Kickball at Col. Summers Park Sunday

The weather was bright and sunny for almost every week of this fall's Col. Summer's kickball league, but it changed for the worst on the final day of play. The fall league ran back into November, and skies were overcast, the rain came in stops and starts, and the breeze made it that much colder.

Redline didn't have an easy path to the championship. Their previous meeting with the other team in the semi-finals went into extra innings with and ended in a narrow defeat with both teams scoring more than 20 runs. Today's matchup was another close (albiet much lower scoring) affair. Redline played from behind for the first five innings before establishing a narrow lead they managed to keep through the seventh.

That brought up the undefeated #1 Kickball Team USA. The #1 Kickballers are excellent players with a tight understanding of the technical game, rarely commiting errors and giving their opponents very little opportunity to score. Their lineup arrived refreshed and ready to play.

And play they did. Both teams were on top of the defensive game, recording quick outs in quick innings. Heads-up baserunning from both teams allowed a few runners to make it home, but this was not a kickball match focused on offensive prowess.

Faced with a one-run deficit heading into the bottom of the last inning, Redline was looking at the end of their season. Two perfect bunts and two sacrifice flies later, the score was tied, but a pop-out ending the inning and brought up the eighth.

Redline's defense held and #1 Kickball Team was faced with the potential for a walk-off. After making a few clutch plays, Redline was left with one out, a runner on third, and a big boot at the plate. The kick flew into shallow left field, the runner tagged and took off towards home, the ball came in towards the plate... and the catcher missed the tag, the runner slid in, and scored. Nicelle, the unexpected hero of the semifinals, had just ended the game with a slide across the plate in extra innings, making Redline the season champions.

Congrats Redline!