By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

WEARE - When Ernest Lawrence Thayer penned the line, "There is no joy in Mudville," he wasn't writing about the John Stark softball team.

Although a happy ending didn't appear likely for Stark's "Mudville nine" on Wednesday, May 25, the locals persevered through downpours and slid through slop to capture a comefrom- behind 5-4 victory against visiting Bow High School. After knotting the score, 3-3, late in the contest, JS allowed the go-ahead run to score in the seventh.

But Bow's lead was shortlived. The Generals scored two runs in their final at-bat before an out was ever recorded. As a result, head coach Zachary Medlock never hesitated in labeling his squad's sixth win of .05 the most memorable.

"Bow is a good team. We've gone down to the wire with them the last two games," said Medlock, whose girls beat BHS earlier in May, 13-9. "And to pull that out in tough conditions when you can get down on yourself, it was good for us, and I feel very happy for the girls." The team also earned the 16th and final playoff spot in the Class I tourney, which was set to start Wednesday, June 1.

Medlock said Stark's sub- .500 regular-season record in Class I competition didn't truly reflect the type of team he coached; they're a fun group that remained upbeat even when the final scores spelled defeat. "They have stayed so positive and stayed loose, supported each other. I've absolutely had a ball with them," Medlock said. "They've never given up on themselves. We've talked a lot about keeping composure. It's one thing to talk about it, but top to bottom, they keep it."

And there was no better example of Stark's ability to put a positive slant on a gloomy afternoon than when the locals faced Bow in truly miserable conditions.

In fact, senior co-captain and third baseman Shauna Signer offered the best line to sum up this extraordinary skill.

While trotting to her position in the top of the third inning, the JS senior was brainstorming ways to remain warm.

"If I can pull my shorts down a little bit and roll my socks all the way up, maybe they.ll connect," she said, laughing with her teammates.

"They're happy-go-lucky from the seniors on down," Medlock said of all his veteran players. "They just stay loose and have fun. And when you do that, good things happen. They stayed loose all game, so when we needed to not play tight, they weren't."

The program is steadily improving each season, Medlock said. And wins like the one against Bow helped Stark hone its ability to triumph under tough circumstances - a characteristic shared by all championship- caliber clubs.

"We're learning to win as a team and that's the biggest thing," Medlock said. "Winning at the Class I level - and at any level - is a learned skill. You've gotta learn to make due with what you get, rise above it, and do what you need to do to make a win happen. These types of wins will pay off down the road. Definitely.

"The program is starting to really rebuild," he added. "(The girls) have been a lot of fun this year."