It was cool and breezy the night of March 28 at the FAU softball field where the Nemotoads were playing the Pink Flamingos for the FAU Intramural Slow pitch softball championship under the lights. The Pink Flamingos, who have been playing together for three years now, were playing in their second straight championship, but going for their first win after a loss last season. The Nemotoads have been playing together for the past two years but had a name change this year. The name Nemotoads comes from the cartoon “Doug”. The Nemotoads had only lost one game all season, but that loss was to their rivals Pink Flamingos. While the Pink Flamingos were undefeated this season.
The Pink Flamingos only needed to win one game, because the tournament was double elimination, but due to their loss to the Pink Flamingos, the Nemotoads needed to sweep two wins from their opponents.
Before the game both teams were at high spirits as they took some casual warm-ups in the field. Jokes were cracked all around and AC/DC was being played out of the Pink Flamingos dugout.
Mike Daley of the Pink Flamingos summed up what the guys love best about playing. “It is fun to get out on a Monday night and be competitive,” Daley said. “It is sad to say but it is like reliving our glory days. The Campus Rec people really make it fun for us.” Daley also explained why the Pink Flamingos, who actually wear pink for their jerseys, decided to be the Pink Flamingos, “We came up with it hanging out freshman year,” Daley said. “No one takes a bunch of guys wearing pink seriously, but when we get out on the field we are a pretty good team.”
But when it came down to the game itself both teams were very serious about it. “Some of us take it too seriously, sometimes people get mad,” said Nemotoad co-captain Cory Blake. Daley agreed, “Honestly, we take it a lot more serious than we should.” The game was intense. It included yelling from each dugout, which was mostly directed at umpires, as well as arguments with the umpires and even a umpire review of a call on the field. Even the fans in attendance, which were mostly girls there cheering on boyfriends or friends, were getting into the game screaming things like “Go baby!” and “What kind of call was that?!”
The game was close until the final innings. The Nemotoads drew first blood with a run in the first inning but the Pink Flamingos came right back and scored a run of their own in the bottom of the first. Later on the Nemotoads took the lead again 2-1, but in their last at bat the Pink Flamingos came through with a game tying double by Rick Smith which was followed by what turned out to be the game winning RBI by David Guinane who drove Smith in. The final score was 4-3 with the Pink Flamingos taking the coveted Intramural Championship Crown in one game making the second double elimination match unnecessary. About the win, Daley said, “Three long years. This was the best game we played in a long time. I think we really deserve it though. Everyone played hard.”
