LCC faculty win third annual softball game against students
On Wednesday, May 10, the student athletes of Lassen College were challenged to a softball game against the Cougar faculty. With nothing short of a full dose of confidence, the students eagerly pounced on the chance to show LCC faculty just how much trouble they were asking for.
Lassen College basketball player Alexus Aragon hits the ball far into the left field during the students versus staff softball game on May 10. Photo by Ashley GroganUnfortunately for the Cougar students, age is not synonymous with frailty or incompetence. Though the students initially decided to go easy on the faculty members, once the staff got on a roll, it was impossible to stop them.
The third annual staff versus student game ultimately ended with a 22-17 score favoring the faculty.
During the top of the first inning, the Cougar students established their supposed dominance with three runs. The staff countered with one run scored in the bottom of the first inning, to which the students simply smirked.
However, the true nature of the staff started to seep through the cracks as every ball sent flying by the students during the top of the third inning was caught by a staff member on the field.
The score stayed at a steady 3-1 favoring the students until the staff went to bat during the bottom of inning three. With the bases loaded, LCC faculty member John Herring stepped up to the plate and unleashed the first home run of the game.
As if the four-run boost wasn’t enough for the faculty team, assistant baseball coach Davis Murphy brought in another two runs with a homer of his own. By the end of the inning, the score had found its new settling spot of 7-3 favoring faculty.
Patrick Walton, Lassen College Dean of Student Services, pitches for the faculty team on May 10. Photo by Ashley GroganToo stunned to act, the students didn’t advance on their three-run tally until after the fourth inning was called with nine runs now recorded for the staff.
Still stumbling out of their dazed state and still being challenged by a team of staff members too fired up for words, the students only managed to advance their score by one run in the fifth inning.
Though in the lead by five runs, the staff refused to back down during the bottom of the fifth inning and landed an additional two runs to power their gloat boat.
Colby Johnson sprints home after rounding third to give a happy dance during the sixth inning of the game against Cougar faculty. Photo by Ashley GroganSlightly annoyed by the implied chants of neener-neener coming from the staff section, the students appeared to finally wake up and recharge. By the end of their turn at bat for inning six, the students had doubled their previous run tally and had started cheering uncontrollably at the sight of the number eight marked next to their run count.
The staff didn’t have a problem with the sudden jump in the score, as by the end of the sixth inning, the score was still showing 11-8, faculty.
The students didn’t let the opportunity pass them by, though, as the top of the seventh inning saw a powerful homerun hit by Quinton Smith to bring in two more runs for the Cougar scholars.
With a score now showing 11-10, the staff no longer felt the urge to climb aboard the gloat boat. However, dearly missing the luxury of such, the team played a great inning and boosted their run tally by six to raise their lead to 17-10.
The students furrowed their brows and certainly thought the faculty team was soon to run out of steam. In a continual effort to work hard to prove themselves, the students brought in another two runs to lessen the score gap to five.
The adults didn’t show much effort in the bottom of the eighth inning and continued to cruise along with the score at 17-12 for another inning.
Cougar basketball player Denzil Guwa pitches for the student team against faculty members on May 10. Photo by Ashley GroganThis was a serious battle for the students as they entered the top of the ninth inning, still down by five runs. With great focus and a team of supportive peers, the Cougar student athletes managed to bring in five more runs to even the score 17-17.
Staff members stood at the plate with a serious air about them. They were ready to finish the game then and there. With another homerun hit by Murphy and four additional runs scored by coworkers, the faculty ended the ninth inning sitting pretty on a score of 22-17.
The students tried their all to bring the faculty down in one last attempt, but the top of the 10th inning was not as kind as the students had hoped. The faculty ultimately left the diamond with their first win in three years.
