–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
September 11, 2025 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
The bright sun reminded players and fans that it still gets hot in Alabama in September, but the air was dry and it was comfortable in the shade. Unfortunately, there is no shade on the ballfield and players baked in the sun. Blue played Orange in a game decided in the last inning. Blue was behind 13 to 8 after 5 innings and hadn’t had much luck scoring against the Orange defense. Holly Whitmire and Dinah Sewell drove in 3 runs in the second, Terry Lewis drove in 3 runs in the third with a triple and two more in the fifth with a double. Orange scored in every inning; Scott Wadsworth and Harold Easterwood drove in 3 in the first, Bobby Watkins and Mike Madden drove in 2 in the second, Duffy Vanderford and Harmon Turner drove in 2 in the third, and then they exploded for 5 in the fourth when Scott and Harold each drove in another 2 runs and Jim Hill drove in the fifth. Orange added one more run in the fifth inning when Duffy walked and Steve Entrekin, subbing as a runner for Duffy, flew around the bases to score on Bobby Watkins’ single. Steve, hardly puffing after his 70-yard dash, said “I can still run as I get older. I’m 77 now but I intend to live forever. So far, so good.”
Blue hitters finally had some luck in the sixth and scored the maximum five. JD Lille led off with a double, Rick Erdimer followed with a single. Holly Whitmire drove in JD, Dinah Sewell drove in Rick, and Beth Moore drove in Holly. Jeff Tyler advanced Dinah and Beth with a single and Sid Hilton drove them both in for the fourth and fifth runs to tie the score at 13. But Blue couldn’t shut off the Orange onslaught. Scott Wadsworth led off with his third hit, Mark Lilla walked, and Jim Hill loaded the bases with a hit. Gary Singleton drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Duffy walked to reload the bases. Harmon Turner drove in 2 runs with a single, Steve Entrekin loaded the bases again with a single and Bobby Watkins drove in 2 runs to put Orange in the driver’s seat, 18 to 13. Then Orange shut out Blue in the open seventh inning to win the game.
Orange hitters were 24 for 39 with 5 walks for a .615 team batting average and a .659 on-base percentage. Mike Madden and Jim Hill were both 4 for 4 and Mark Lilla was 3 for 3 with a walk. Blue hitters were 21 for 37 with 5 walks for a .568 team batting average and a .619 on-base percentage. No Blue hitter had a perfect day.
Blue manager Sid Hill was philosophical. “Ya can’t win ‘em all, he mused. Softball isn’t exactly fair. The line drives get caught and the bloopers fall in. Just like real life.”
Red played Sky Blue in the late game and Dennis Horne was waiting for the game to start, thinking about fishing. “They say a fisher is a guy who sits on a muddy bank all day doin’ nothin’ because his wife won’t let him do it on the couch at home”
It was a day when Sky Blue overwhelmed the Red defense and scored five runs in every inning to build up 25 runs by the end of the fifth inning. Red pitcher Jim Anderson was tired and off-target and walked in 3 of Sky Blue’s runs in the first inning. Jim said “I don’t have it today. I believe in a full days work but lately I like to spread it out over a week or two.” Mike Richards volunteered to give it a go as pitcher but his luck wasn’t any better. Umpire Mike Jackson kept telling him to get it up. Mike yelled, “You sound like my wife.” Bob Slanovits took a shot at pitching after Mike, but Orange kept on walking and scoring. Every player on the Sky Blue roster scored a run and all but one drove in at least one run. The Red offense scored 9 in the first five innings and needed 16 runs in the open sixth just to tie the game. They got two, and that was that.
Sky Blue manager Pete Manown was humble saying “That just shows you what good management can do.”
The league’s oldest player, Harmon Turner, said “I foolishly agreed to play two games today and even though I am a healthy guy, it was too much. Standin’ under that hot sun will wilt ya.”
Carlos Davis was his usual exuberant self as he enjoyed the game. Wayne Sheets nudged Dale McWhorter. “Carlos is really outspoken, isn’t he?” Dale laughed, “Outspoken by who?