COED CRUISERS BATTLE IN BIG BEAR!
September 2, 2002
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BIG BEAR CITY, CA - For the second year in a row, the Coed Cruisers headed out to Big Bear City for a Labor Day softball tournament. Last year, the team placed third with a 3-1 record in AmCom's Big Bear tournament. This year, the team was looking to obtain the Labor Day Crown!

Coed Cruisers Team Photo

The team drew Winning Ugly, a local Big Bear team that the Cruisers had faced before. Winning Ugly had fine tuned their team, and were a level better than what the Cruisers remebered before. None-the-less, the Coed Cruisers started off well, jumping out to a 14-4 lead through 2 and 1/2 innings. New comer, Chad Krieg hit an opposite field three-run home-run to highlight the scoring. Bruce Wonderlick added a two-run homerun himself.

Going into the bottom of the 4th, the Cruisers held a 16-7 lead. Winning Ugly turned on the afterburners and plated nine big runs to tie the game. With 10 minutes left in the game, the Cruisers plated four runs in the top of the 5th to take the 20-16 lead. However, Winning Ugly was able to plate seven runs, and allow the time to run out to end the game. "This was one of those games were whomever batted last, was gonna win. Homefield was crucial," said manager Dan Romero. Despite batting .677 as a team in the game, the Cruisers went on to the losers bracket, and had a long road to the finals. Amy Romero was 2-2 with 2 Sacrafice flys and 2 RBI's in the game.

The next game brought on a team by the name of Rukus. Things started out tight as the Cruisers left the firsts inning with a 6-4 lead. Danny Thomas had a three-run homerun in the bottom of the first to highlight the scoring. Rukus was unable to keep up from there as the Cruisers plated eleven runs over the next three innigns to take the 17-4 mercy rule win in five. Trisha Mercado was 1 for 2 with a HR and two walks in the game, while Amanda Reeder had a crisp 2 for 3 with 2 RBI game.

Amy Romero

Game three brought out a tought "Thrown-2-Gether" squad. The Cruisers lost the toss again, and headed out to the away dugout. They did jump on Thrown early, taking a 12-1 lead through one and a half innings. Andy Solis had a grandslam in the top of the 2nd to highlight the scoring. Thrown-2-Gether battled back in the bottom of the 2nd and plated six runs, making a game of it. After five innings, the game was even closer, as the Cruisers held a slim 16-12 lead. The Cruisers were able to come up with three important runs in the top hal f of the 6th inning, highlighted by a Mercado Triple. The defense nutted up in the bottom of the 6th allowing no runs, and taking the 19-12 victory on time. Judi Igasaki was a stellar 2-2 with 2 walks, while Amy Romero was 3-3 with a walk as well.

The next game brought on "JUST-4-FUN." The Cruisers were able to garner the homefield again for the game.

Debbie Duxbury

Just-4-Fun came out with three runs in the top of the first to take the early lead. After building the lead to 4-1 through 1 and a half innings, Just-4-Fun got to see the hammer. The Cruisers plated seven runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning to take the 8-4 lead. Judi "hamstring" Igasaki plated a run scoring double to highlight the inning. The Cruisers whoed no remorse in the the bottom of the third, as the team plated eleven more runs. The Cruiser went onto the 19-6 mercy rule victory after four innings, and to the Losers-bracket finals. Igasaki continued her torrid day with a 4-4 outing with TWO doubles in the game.

The loser's bracket final brought on a TOUGH My Bad team.

Amanda Reeder

They had just blown a 15-2 lead to Winning Ugly, and were sent down to the losers bracket. This team was Chad Krieg's other coed team that won rings in A&V's tournament a month or so back. "they got skillz" said Chad Krieg. Danny Thomas retorted with, "yea, but we, Got Ho's... in different area codes..." Well in the first two innings it appeared that My Bad's Skillz were better than Thomas' ho's as My Bad jumped out to a 12-0 lead through two innings. "OUCH" said Amanda Reeder. The Cruisers finally broke the ice with three runs in the top of the 3rd. Trisha Mercado had a two-run scoring single. In the bottom of the third, Chad Krieg switched up with Danny Thomas at Pitcher to give a new look to My Bad. The Cruisers shut them down with no runs, and headed into the top of the fourth. The bats really woke up in this inning, as the Cruisers plated 10 big runs. Dan Romero had a two-out 2 RBI double to plate two of the runs.

With a new found confidence, and a one-run lead, the Cruisers battled on into the bottom of the 4th. With two outs, My bad was able to get a couple of base runners on first and second. The next batter hit a littl bloop single about 20 feet over the third baseman's head. That scored two runs, and gave My Bad the lead back.

Tyson & the Noid after the game

The Cruisers couldn't muster any runs in the top of the third, as the no flat-pitch strike zone was catching up with the team. The umpire called no bottom, and the Cruisers were forced to swing at pitchers no higher than their waist. My bad was able to get a couple of pop ups and a strike out looking in the inning. The defense held tight again, and held My Bad to no runs again with fantastic defense. My Bad's was able to get two more pop ups and a strike out looking in the top of the 6th. The game was called on time, and the Cruisers were sent home prematurly in a tough game to lose.

All the players, sans Chad Krieg, teamed up Guy/Girl, and put $5 in a team competition pot. The Team of Tyson Mueller and Judi Igasaki ran away with the money and OB% championship, coming in at a stellar .818 clip. Judi Igasak won all tournament honors from the ladies side with an 11-14 batting day, and an .833 OB%. Danny Thomas batted 1.000 on the day with his only out coming on a Sacrafice fly in the first game. He took the the mens' all-tourny championship. As you can tell from the stats below, the field was tough on both sides, as the team really hit well on the day. The team batted .604 on the day, with a .649 OB%.

PTS

Thomas

75

Mueller

38

Krieg

69

Wonderlick

48

Romero, D

29

Solis

38

Igasaki

41

Romero, A

42

Mercado

31

Duxbury

22

Reeder

11

BIGLICK TYSON GETS GRINDED POOL TABLE DAS BOAT DANNY DIVES | ELKS YOUNG BUCKS AMY, DEBBIE, DANNY CHAD KRIEG DANNY THOMAS SOLES VON SOLES TRISHA MERCADO TYSON & CHAD TYSON & DANNY GET DOWN EIGHT BALL TYSON DANNY IN WATER ELKS OLD TIMERS AMY ROMERO BIGLICK CHAD KRIEG DUGOUT TRISHA MERCADO AT 3B TYSON THROWS