IOF Loses Game to Microbiology Graduate Students and Staph
Softball equipment. Image by pictureback from Pixabay
Despite the encouragement, things got off to an inauspicious start for the ‘Reefs as they gave up five runs with two outs in the top of the first inning. Benches nearly cleared when shortstop Elliot “Lara” Roocroft hucked a softball at a microbiology player hustling to third base. “Of course I didn’t mean to hit him,” the atmospheric scientist clarified after the game, “but later, when he said his favourite Teletubby was La-La I wished I had thrown it harder.”
Skipper Kristen Sora managed a lineup that was short on players at the start of the game. “A couple of our players think doing fieldwork on Quadra Island is more important than the real work being done on the softball field,” Sora explained. “That means our team is quite reliant on AERL 2nd floor and EOAS players, which isn’t a bad thing but you know what they say…”
The IOF got an early boost from Ben “Video killed the Radi” O’Connor who belted a three run home run in the bottom of the first. Following this the game settled into a back and forth affair.
In the mid-innings the ‘Reefs shined on defence as strong plays kept the team within striking distance of the lead. Late game arrival Ben Staples made critical plays in the infield to keep the game close. “You don’t grow up in the body dumping capital of Canada without learning how to look the other way,” said Ben, commenting on his ability to stay laser focused on the field.
Also preventing damage on defence was a dynamic duo in right field composed of “Do or Die” Dana Price and Taryn “Infinity” Scarff. “So what if my study species sometimes eats hers,” Taryn stated. “Neither an orca whale nor a sea otter can play softball and I think that’s what makes this sport beautiful.”
In the bottom of the fifth inning things broke the IOF’s way. A hit by Zoology’s “Meta” Maggie Slein was followed by another from Jacob “I should really be working on my PhD thesis instead of this right now” Lerner. To keep the rally going Becca Beutel, fresh from dumpster diving for pizza, delivered a hit that kept the runners moving around the bases counter clockwise like the Juan de Fuca eddy.
Down 12-16 with only two innings left, the IOF had a chance. Unfortunately, things slipped away in the top of the 6th as Microsoftballology piled on four runs, though “Valiant” Vero Bourgault prevented further damage with a beautiful backhanded grab at first base.
The play of the game happened one inning later. Microbiology waved home a runner following a line drive to centrefield. Outfielder Ben O’Connor grabbed the ball and launched a rocket to home plate where catcher ‘Irrefutable’ Iria Garcia Lorenzo was waiting. Iria’s web-gem catch saved a run and may have closed out a blossoming graduate softball career as Iria will be taking her talents to Spain for the remainder of the season.
The IOF was unable to mount a comeback in their last inning at bat and fell to Microbiology 12-24.
Watching from the bench was Adam Hicks “are for kids” who had placed himself on the DL with a self-diagnosed case of “not really feeling it today”. The loss was particularly crushing for the Keanu Reefs’ J2 cheering section composed of Julia Adelsheim and Juliano Palacios Abrantes. Julia said after the game, “Why am I leaving work early to watch this team lose when I could leave work early and just go home?”
Next week the IOF will try again to snap the losing streak at 5:30 PM against the Pharamacology Druggers and Sluggers.