By Rob Potter
SWAN LAKE — For the second consecutive year, the Sullivan County Seniors and Charlie’s Angels softball teams began their respective seasons by playing a game at the Swan Lake Firefighters’ Max Eronimous Field.
Despite falling behind 7-2 early in last Wednesday night’s game, Charlie’s Angels rallied for an 8-7 victory over the Sullivan County Seniors.
With the victory, Charlie’s Angels, who won the 2008 Sullivan County Women’s Softball League “A” Division championship, gained a bit of revenge against the Sullivan County Seniors, who play teams from all over the county each summer. Last May, the Sullivan County Seniors defeated Charlie’s Angels, 11-9.
In the bottom of the first inning last Wednesday evening, Charlie’s Angels took a 1-0 lead.
With one out, Jessica Bradley doubled to left field. After another out was recorded, Bradley moved to third base when Shannon Dietrich singled to center field. Bradley scored when Shannon Dietrich’s sister, Analey Dietrich, singled to right field.
But the Sullivan County Seniors, who are sponsored by Catskill Hudson Bank, responded with three runs in the top of the second. Kenny Lohmyer’s two-out triple brought Tom Schmidt and Ross Dimler in to score. Lohmyer then crossed home plate when Jennifer O’Reilly ripped a single to center field.
Charlie’s Angels pulled to within a run in the bottom of the second. With one out and the bases loaded, Christine Decker hit a fielder’s choice grounder behind second base. As an out was recorded at second, Terri Ward, who began the inning with a double, scored from third base.
The Sullivan County Seniors stretched their lead to 7-2 in the top of the third. Bill Engle and Steve Ross both scored when Dennis Finley doubled to left field. Finley was able to cross the plate on Ron Moore’s triple to deep left center field. Moore recorded the final run of the inning when John O’Reilly hit a bloop single to left field.
Charlie’s Angels answered by scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, Analey Dietrich laced a single to center field which allowed both her sister, Shannon Dietrich, and Bradley to cross home plate.
In the top of the fourth, Shannon Dietrich showed that in addition to being a great hitter, she is an outstanding shortstop. All three of the Sullivan County Seniors who stepped up to the plate in the frame hit grounders to Dietrich, who calmly snared the ball with her glove each time and then made an accurate throw to first baseman Robyn Gannon to record the out.
Charlie’s Angels evened the game at 7-7 by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Emily Zier began the rally by blasting a double down the left field line. Cindy Ellmauer then reached base on an error to put to two runners on the bases with no outs. Gannon then hit a bloop single to left field to score Zier.
Christine Decker then singled to center field, which allowed Ellmauer to cross the plate. Gannon scored the tying run when Jo Walls singled to left field.
Analey Dietrich scored what turned out to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth. She belted a double to center field to begin the inning and moved to third base when the next batter, Deb Ackerley, singled.
Dietrich crossed the plate when Terri Ward made it to first base on an infield hit.
The Sullivan County Seniors had two hits in the top of the sixth and two hits in the top of the seventh, but could not score the tying run in either inning.
“We had a lot of fun,” said Walls, who is the Charlie’s Angels Player/Coach. “The seniors are great. It was a very competitive, fun game.”
Engle, who is the Sullivan County Seniors Player/Coach, felt the same way.
“It’s always a close, competitive game whenever we play Charlie’s Angels,” he said. “We can’t wait to play them again next year.”