Baseball

Cooper Paint finds its stroke against Lindsey’s

Defending champs hope lopsided win puts them on the right track

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONGAUP VALLEY, NY — For Cooper Paint, the defending A division champions of the Sullivan County Women’s Softball League (SCWSL), this season has been far from stellar. With diminished numbers from last year, the team has had trouble fielding more than the minimum number of players for its first nine games, and the schedule of playing only once a week at times has hurt as well.

Last year, Cooper won both the regular season and playoff titles. A year prior, it went undefeated in the regular season, and lost two of three to Charlie’s Angels in the playoffs.

That type of hard-nosed play, which has been Cooper Paint’s trademark, hasn’t surfaced as yet this season.

Being shorthanded hasn’t helped. But mostly, it’s been a lack of fire, and a bit of tentativeness, that have led to a pair of early season losses. Spotting arch-rival Charlie’s Angels eight runs in the first inning of their June 6 encounter didn’t help, despite a late comeback attempt. Cooper Paint also did not bring its A game to the June 20 matchup against up-and-coming L+B Tack, the team that gave Charlie’s Angels its only loss of the season to date.

So getting a game against a brand new team like B division Lindsey’s on June 25 may have been just what the doctor ordered as Cooper Paints’ bats came alive in a resounding 22-0 win that advanced the tie-dyed ladies’ record to 7-2. Cooper jumped on Lindsey’s starting pitcher Christa Sweeney, who made a fine effort, despite the fact that her team’s defense was going to make her pitching outing much longer than necessary.

Cooper got four runs in the first inning, seven in the second and five more in the third, as the team’s previously lackluster hitting rounded into form. Home runs by Ally McCarthy and Leyna Madison were part of the fireworks, as were a bevy of singles. Cooper tried to keep things civil by not taking more than one base on its hits, but the runs kept rolling in anyway.

Nearly every Cooper Paint player got at least two hits before the five-inning 15-run rule took effect. Cooper Paint starter Natalie Cillis got the win. Even manager Val Fersch got into the mix, coming in for Rocky Irwin, who had reached safely in all three of her at bats. Fine hitting was turned in by Amanda Cox, Amanda Irwin and Erin Shuart, who also showed off her fine shortstop play with her glove and her gun of an arm.

Cooper Paint looks to get back into its groove as the season rolls on, and its July 16 rematch with Charlie’s Angels looms on the horizon. That storied match up will come on the heels of the league’s All-Star game, slated for Collins Park on July 13. Both Cooper Paint and Charlie’s Angels have beaten Dutch’s Bar/T&C Tanning, a team loaded with talent. Look for Dutch’s to make things a lot more interesting as the season progresses. L+B Tack clearly is also going to be in that mix.

Lindsey’s record fell to 1-7. Its only win to date came via a forfeit turned in by Rolling V. Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of photos.