Christian Sports Ministry softball team lost 12-7 to the San Quentin Hardtimers, but its religious message was a winner.
“It is a treat for us to be able to fellowship in this way,” said Rigo Lopez, who gave an inspirational post-game talk and led both teams and the umpires in prayer. He used scent to make his point, “Sniff the guy next to you, and tell him he stinks. I stank up third base with all those errors. Does your aroma match your walk with Christ?”
Lopez kept his team in the game, hitting doubles in the first and fourth inning and a two-run homer that landed on the ARC building’s roof and tied the score at 7-7 in the sixth.
The Hardtimers took off in the seventh, but CSM didn’t bring in any more runs. Hardtimer pitcher Isiah Daniels hit a single, and then stole second on an error. Ke Lam hit a pop fly that was snagged in the outfield, but it allowed Daniels to take third.
Daniels’ teammates told him to slide, even though he didn’t need to.
“My teammates were yelling ‘slide’. I fell. I looked like a throw pillow coming in there,” joked Daniels.
Juan Sandoval walked, putting men on first and third. John Windham blasted a double into the outfield that gave the Hardtimers the lead at 8-7. An overthrow allowed Windham and Sandoval to take home, making the score 10-7. The inning ended without any more runs scored.
“I ran out of my shoe going for home,” remarked Windham.
In the eighth, Hardtimer Michael “Hawkeye” Flemming got on first on a bobbled catch error. Antonio Cavitt advanced him with a single. Cory Woods loaded the bases when he hit a single into the gap.
Daniels hit a long fly that was caught but allowed Flemming to come in, increasing the lead to 11-7. Eric Post hit a one RBI single that gave the Hardtimers the final score of 12-7.
Win or lose, “either way we are having fun,” said Lopez.
The game had a scary moment in the fifth inning. CSM sponsor Don Smith, who was playing catcher, was hit in the head with the ball when he stretched to catch a throw from third to tag out a runner.
“I tried to bring the ball down to make the tag before it was fully in my glove. We could have won the game if we had a better catcher,” joked Smith.
“He’s the most humble man I know,” said Lopez.
“The world needs more people like Don,” said S.Q. Warriors coach Daniel Wright, who watched the game.
The star of the game was Daniels. “He struck out six people, three while they were looking. That never happens in slow pitch,” said Hardtimers coach Bob about the June 22 game.
