Bunny’s wins the 35 & Over showdown

Edina 35 & Over men’s slowpitch softball fans watched a highly competitive championship game July 17 at Van Valkenburg Park, and in the end it was Bunny’s Bar & Grill 14, Love Handles 9.

With the win, Bunny’s closed the gap in the championship series. Love Handles has 12 Edina playoff championships and this is Bunny’s seventh title.

The outcome hinged on a key defensive play in the bottom of the seventh innings. With bases loaded and one out, Matt Alford had the opportunity to cut into Bunny’s five-run lead. The Love Handles’ shortstop hit a line drive won the first base line that was speared by Bunny’s first sacker Greg Roth.

Roth caught the ball in the webbing of his mitt, then noticed that the runner on first, Phil Boerger, was already on second. All Roth had to do was take three steps and tough first base. The game was over.

“That was one of Matt’s patented shots,” Roth said when asked about the screaming line drive. “If I didn’t catch that ball, it might have cleared the bases.”

Just before Roth’s game-ending catch, Bunny’s changed pitchers, bringing in Ken “Ace” Fricke to get the save in relief of starter Jack Tornquist.

Roth was not only the defensive star of the championship game, but also the offensive leader. He had a 375-foot home run early in the game and added a 315-foot homer to increase Bunny’s lead to five runs in the fifth inning.

KC Kranz supplied the power for Love Handles with a 360-foot home run.

Going into the sixth inning, with the score 13-9, veteran Chris Cooper of Bunny’s said, “If this is a close game, we’ll win.”

Earlier in the evening, Love Handles was firing on all cylinders in their 17-3 semifinal victory over Mayhem. Kranz led Love Handles with a homer, a double and a single. He wanted a triple for the cycle in his last at bat, but Mayhem pitcher Brian Anderson walked him instead.

Each team made double plays in the championship game - Bunny’s with three, Love Handles with three. Aside from Roth’s catch to end the game, Bunny’s left fielder Brad Carson made a catch deep in the left field corner to save two runs. Normally a third baseman, Matt Alford moved over to shortstop and helped Love Handles on both of its double plays.

Bryan Fricke, Bunny’s captain, was injured in the championship game, but still able to bat. When he hit a key single late in the game, he ran stiff-legged to first before calling for a courtesy runner.