On the Diamond: Well, at least it’s a streak

The Hard Times – yes, we have a name! – has hit some hard times. But what are you gonna do when you’re up against a field full of pros?”I swear, it’s like the CU women’s softball team had a bye today so they stopped by to slaughter us,” said one battered Times’ player.In reality, it was the Smart Works squad that pounded us 18-1. And it stung.”From the pitcher’s point of view, it came down to survival as the hits came back fast and furious,” said starting (and only) pitcher and Times’ photog Mark Fox. “If only I could have had the curveball working better.”And imagine this: Without three loaner girls from our friends at KSPN, we would’ve had to forfeit. But the joining of media moguls just wasn’t enough for the win or to even come close.But on the bright side: “We got a lot of exercise, at least it feels that way when you’re out of shape,” said a breathless base runner (OK, we lied, nobody from the Times actually ran the bases; the one run we got was courtesy of our favorite KSPN disc jockey.).And in the words of our star left fielder Steve Rippy, “To me, softball equals a treadmill that throws you off.”But all is not lost. Coach Seth Wagner, who says his crew is still in the “team-building stage,” attributes the Hard Times’ 0-2 record to a simple lack of support.”We’re used to having a fan club, and no one was there to cheer us on, so that’s probably what’s bringing us down. We’re looking for some good, well really anyone, to cheer us on.”Wanna join the fan club? Email swagner@aspentimes.com … it’s free!