By Ted Waddell
LIBERTY — August 3, 2004 – In Thursday night’s Sullivan County Women’s Softball League “B” Division game between The Nugget and Bummy’s Lakeside, The Nugget routed Bummy’s 18-2.
Despite several runners from the opposing team crossing the plate, Nicole Beach, who is Bummy’s 4-year-old batgirl, seemed immune to the pounding. She stacked the bats and smiled at the players as they tried to rally each other on the field and in the dugout.
The Nugget led off the first inning with a whopping nine runs. The team added one run in both the second and third frames and wrapped up its scoring with seven runs in the fourth.
Erin Brown of The Nugget smacked a grand slam home run in the fourth inning.
Bummy’s managed to score two runs in the second inning.
The game was called in the bottom of the fifth inning when the umpire invoked the league’s 15-run mercy rule.
On the mound, starter Tara DeMaria got the win for The Nugget. She was relieved in the fourth inning by Stephanie Kellam.
Connie Beach pitched the entire game for Bummy’s and took the loss.
“We could have done a little better,” said Beach, pitcher/captain for Bummy’s.
Ed Wheat, coach of The Nugget, summed up the win in just a few words.
“The girls were good… they all hit pretty well tonight,” he said. “When you win, it’s always good.”