Gospel Lighthouse repeats as Church Softball League champs
Jacob Day connects for a solo home run in the first inning to give Prairie Lakes-Osage an early lead against Gospel Lighthouse in one of the Church Softball League playoffs semifinals. Gospel Lighthouse won the semi before claiming its second-straight league championship.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
CHARLES CITY — You would normally call it a pitchers’ duel if it weren’t for the fact that the pitchers were pitching to their own teammates.
But somehow Prairie Lakes-Osage and Gospel Lighthouse were engaged in a low-scoring close game through five innings in the semifinals of the Charles City Church Softball League’s single-day championship playoffs Saturday at Westwood Park.
The two teams had faced each other in last year’s league championship with Gospel Lighthouse winning, breaking a string of titles claimed by PL-O.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning when Gospel Lighthouse finally broke loose and eventually took a 7-run lead. Prairie Lakes-Osage rallied in its half of the sixth, but couldn’t catch its foes, who advanced to the champion by way of an 8-4 final.
Meanwhile on the West Diamond, Bethany Alliance Church and Prairie Lakes-New Hampton forced extra innings in their semifinal.
Coming up big in the added frame for BAC was Nate Lasher, who made an all-out diving catch to rob a PL-NH hitter for the first out of what would be a scoreless half inning, then led off the latter half of the inning with a triple before eventually scoring the winning run.
The championship game proved not to be as close.
Not a team that relies on the long-ball to generate offense, Gospel Lighthouse lights up the scoreboard with under-the-radar line drives, rarely putting the ball up in the air long enough for easy “can-of-corn” putouts.
Jumping out in front early, Gospel Lighthouse won 13-4 before having to quickly depart for another softball tournament.
“It’s a benefit for Orphans Resource International,” said Gospel Lighthouse’s Mike Miller as his team was quickly boarding its team bus after taking a championship photo.
“It’s a one-day tournament the Mennonites have put together, and we wanted to be involved,” Miller said. “It just so happened to be the same day as our league tournament.”
Other Gospel Lighthouse team members include Mike Zelenek, Jeremy DeBattista, Adam Freund, Adam Buseman, Meagan Miller, Jared Walters, Ben Miller, Brandon Smith, Mike Miller, Ryan Camminen, Carter Walters, Gabi Walters and Luke Trentin.
For this year’s tournament, league commissioner Dakotah Jones decided to alter the format and eliminate first- and second-round byes for the league’s top regular-season placers.
“We still seed the tournament, but we made it so teams that make it to the championship have to play the same amount of games to get there.”
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