In a modern performance of David versus Goliath, the Chautauqua Softball All-Stars faced off against the Jamestown Tarp Skunks on Tuesday evening at Sharpe Field in their fifth annual softball game.
“I think what makes it special is that our players have an opportunity to interact with fans and the community,” said Christian Dolce, Tarp Skunks general manager and director of sales. “For them to see this hidden gem on the lake and understand just a sliver of what Chautauqua is about, it should be fun.”
The Tarp Skunks currently hold a record of 18–11 on the season. “The team is playing well,” said Dolce.
The Chautauqua All-Stars was made up of four players from each team in the men’s league, while the Tarp Skunks brought an entire 30-man roster.
The Tarp Skunks swung first, although they weren’t able to punch in any runs in the first inning against Chautauqua’s best.
The All-Stars got on the scoreboard twice in the bottom of the first. While the Tarp Skunks may be well-versed in baseball, Chautauqua softball is a whole other ball game. Already, the hometown favorites got off to a favorable start.
The Tarp Skunks had a chance to advance their score, but a quick three outs yet again gave the All-Stars a chance to get ahead.
The bottom of the third saw three runners come in for the All-Stars, advancing to 5–0 before a single Tarp Skunk had even gotten to third base.
The top of the fourth saw a familiar pattern, in which the Tarp Skunks went scoreless via a great outfielding effort aided by Will Chubb’s pitching.
With a scoreless bottom of the fourth, the fifth inning held the most action.
Facing a stinky upset, the Tarp Skunks kicked their game into high gear. They found openings in the outfield. One by one, they began to chip away at the All-Stars’ lead. The score moved from 5–0 to 5–3 in no time at all. And then, the score was 5–4.
Suddenly, like magic, it was all over — a flyball landed in the glove of an All-Star outfielder. The flurry of scoring came to an end.
The All-Stars found themselves defeating the Tarp Skunks in a stunning upset.
“Right around the third and the fourth, I realized we actually had a chance,” said Chautauqua All-Star Jacob Michaelson.
Despite the loss, the Tarp Skunks were in good spirits, playing softball with kids after the game.
“It’s awesome to see how we get support anywhere we go,” said Tarp Skunk pitcher Cohen Harris. “It’s a good time to get involved in the community.”
