MARYSVILLE — Oversized and extremely bouncy, a kickball is not an easy thing to catch.

It’s a technique mastered by both the Purple People Eaters and Home Plate though, as the teams’ defense made for a very competitive kickball championship game July 21 at Rudy Wright Field.

Although Home Plate was the favorite, coming into the game with an undefeated record and two championship trophies under their belts, the Purple People Eaters gave them a contest, ultimately falling 5-3. The Purple People Eaters had the tying run on base in the top of the seventh inning, but Home Plate first baseman Tanya Denoyer, who seemed to catch anything coming her way, came up with a big double play — a fly catch and getting the runner at first who neglected to tag up — wrapping up the inning and sealing the victory.

“I had no idea what was going on,” Denoyer said after the team was awarded a trophy with a kickball impaled upon it. “My ankle hurt and I just wanted to get off of the field.”

Home Plate came into the championship game defeating We Got the Runs 9-2 in the first game of the night, thanks in part to three runs scored by Caleb Samp in that game. The Purple People Eaters defeated Shake N Bake, the league’s No. 2 seed, for a chance at the defending champions.

Samp scored a run in the first inning against the Purple People Eaters, but the underdogs tied it up in the second inning. It was the three runs Home Plate added in the fourth inning that helped put the game away. Tim Galde, Alyssa Schoeppe and Jared Galde all scored runs in the fourth to go up 4-1, a lead their rivals wouldn’t match.

The members of Home Plate have been remarkably consistent over the three years they’ve played together — the same three years Marysville has offered the competitive kickball league.

“We’re family, friends — more family than anything,” Denoyer said.

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