Senior Softball: Brewery, Salty Dog, Crazy Flamingo – First week of tournament action
In the Marco Division, Brewery extended their winning streak to five with victories over higher-seeded Sami’s and regular season champ Joey’s Pizza to advance to the winner’s bracket of the double elimination tournament and a date with Snook Inn who narrowly defeated Sandbar.
Salty Dog defeated Nacho Mama’s to run their impressive winning streak to six and 11 of their last 12, and now have a showdown with Island Division regular season champ Dolphin Tiki who won their first game against DaVinci’s.
In the Gulf Coast Division, regular season champ Crazy Flamingo continued their winning ways with victories over Doreen’s and American Legion and now take their six-game win streak into the championship round of their tournament.
For the complete, up-to-date results and standings, visit the league website at marcoseniorsoftballleague.com.
ISLAND DIVISION
DaVinci’s, 12; Verdi’s, 3
DaVinci’s cooled off the surging Verdi’s team using a combination of timely hitting and strong defense to win the opening round contest. The big inning for DaVinci’s was the fourth when they put up five runs to increase their lead to 7-0, highlighted by a run scoring single by Gary Revall, a run scoring double by Tom Polston, a two-run double by Doug Aksimit, and a run scoring single by Art Sinisi.
Polston had the big stick for DaVinci’s with three hits and three RBIs, and Revall and Ed Adrian also punched out three hits for the winners.
The bats were mostly silent for Verdi’s with Matt Minik the lone hitting star with three hits in the contest. DaVinci’s pitcher Sinisi limited Verdi’s to 13 hits and no walks.
DaVinci’s will face top-seeded Dolphin Tiki in the next round while Verdi’s will await the loser of the Salty Dog / Nacho Mama game.
Nacho Mama’s, 12; Speakeasy, 11
Trailing 8-1 in the middle of the fifth inning to Speakeasy, Nacho Mama’s finally came to life with back-to-back two-run doubles by Matt Evangelista and Tom DeAngelo in the bottom of the fifth. Then trailing 9-5 in the eighth inning, Nacho’s struck again with a five-run inning, capped by a three-run double by Ken Polarek that gave them a 10-9 lead. Speakeasy retook the lead in the top of the ninth on a run-scoring single by Craig Cunningham and a sacrifice fly by Glenn Davis. Nacho’s however had the final say in the bottom of the ninth scoring the tying run on an Enrique Cuevas double and the game winner on a sacrifice fly by Evangelista.
Also contributing to the Nacho’s offense were Paul Nussbaum and Mike Shone who each slashed three hits.
Jeff Robinson and Bob Masulis each had three hits to lead Speakeasy, with Masulis knocking in a pair of runs with a fourth inning single. Cunningham finished the game with two RBIs, as did Jeff Kaczka and Joe Rocco.
With the win, Nacho Mama’s earned a date with Salty Dog in the next round, while Speakeasy will await the loser of Dolphin Tiki / DaVinci’s game.
Dolphin Tiki, 15; DaVinci’s, 9
Top-seeded Dolphin Tiki was engaged in a tight battle with DaVinci’s before finally creating some separation with a four-run eighth inning that provided the final margin of victory in a game that featured many highlight-reel defensive plays by both teams.
Earlier in the game, DaVinci’s scored three times in the top of the fourth on run scoring singles by Tom Gazzillo and John Haskins that tied the game at five-all. The Tiki answered with four runs in the bottom half, capped by a two-run triple by Scott Golan. Then in the sixth inning, Gazzillo and Haskins went to work again each getting run-scoring hits to bring DaVinci’s to within two, 9-7. But Tiki again answered with two of their own on a sacrifice fly by John Kelly and a double by Golan. One inning later, DaVinci’s put two more on the board on a sacrifice fly by Ed Adrian and a single by Doug Aksimit. Finally, Tiki completed the scoring with their four-run eighth capped by another run-scoring double by Golan.
In addition to Golan’s three hits, Dan Gulick and pitcher John Nicholas contributed three hits to the cause for Tiki. Golan and Kelly drove in four runs apiece, and Nicholas added two for the winners.
Haskins finished the game with three hits, and he and Gazzillo both knocked in a pair of runs for DaVinci’s.
Salty Dog, 17; Nacho Mama’s, 9
In another game marked by stellar defensive plays on both sides, Salty Dog continued their winning ways by taking the early lead with a five-run first inning and never relinquished it as they topped Nacho Mama’s.
Matt Evangelista (four RBIs) and Joe Lazzarotti (three RBIs) both powered two-run home runs to lead the offensive attack by Salty Dog. Evangelista also drove in the first two runs of the game for the Dog with a single in the first inning. Then after Nacho’s put three on the board in the top of the fourth inning to pull within one run (7-6), Lazzarotti answered with his two-run bomb in the bottom of the inning. Salty added two more runs in the fifth inning capped by a Brian Alexander run-scoring double, one of three he would have in the contest. Nacho’s closed the gap again to 12-9 on a Paul Nussbaum single followed by a Mike Shone sacrifice fly. But the Dog put it out of reach with a five-run eighth highlighted by another run-scoring double by Alexander, Evangelista’s home run, and a two-run single by Dan Marinelli.
In addition to Alexander, Marinelli and Eric Phillips finished the game with three hits each for the Dog.
Enrique Cuevas pounded out four hits for Nacho’s, and Nussbaum and Dave Koch both knocked in two runs in the game.
DaVinci’s, 15; Speakeasy, 11
DaVinci’s came storming out of the gate early to grab an 8-2 lead only to have Speakeasy fight back eventually taking back the lead in the fifth inning (10-9). Two innings later with the score tied at 10, DaVinci’s put together a huge five-run inning and then squelched a late rally attempt by Speakeasy to secure the victory.
A three-run home run by Wayne Bombaci followed by a two-run triple by Tom Polston gave DaVinci’s the early cushion. Speakeasy answered with a five-run inning highlighted by a three-run blast by Lou Marinaccio that cut the lead to 8-7. An inning later, Speakeasy’s Joe Rocco crushed a solo home run that gave them a 9-8 lead. The lead was short lived as in the decisive seventh inning, DaVinci’s plated five runs keyed by a run scoring single by Bill Thompson and a two-run hit by Jack Martin that provided the winning margin.
Polston finished the day with four hits, including a double and two triples, and drove in three runs to lead DaVinci’s. Thompson and David Falls each contributed three hits and two RBIs, and Gary Revall also had three hits for the victors.
Mike Compton also homered for Speakeasy, one of his three hits for the game, and Glenn Davis also had three hits and drove in two runs in the contest. With the loss, Speakeasy was eliminated from the tournament.
Nacho Mama’s, 18; Verdi’s, 15
Nacho Mama’s got off to a sluggish start that found them trailing Verdi’s 7-3 in the fifth inning. However, the bats came to life after that for Nacho’s as they scored 15 times in the final four at-bats to outlast a dogged and determined Verdi’s team thereby ending their season.
Nacho’s evened the score in the fifth inning on consecutive run scoring hits by Dave Johnson, Enrique Cuevas, Dick Nemmers, and Dean Stone. Then an inning later, Nacho’s grabbed the lead on run scoring hits by Jon Thomas, Carl Parker, and Cuevas again. Verdi’s fought back, scoring five times over two innings to tie the game at 13 with the key hits being a run scoring double by Mike Reale, a run scoring single by Dave Mayo, and a sacrifice fly by Dave Koch.
Then in the eighth inning, Nacho’s put the dagger in with a five-run rally featuring another run scoring hit by Parker and a two-run single by Stone.
Cuevas had a huge day at the plate with five hits, and Stone, Parker, Mike Shone, and Ken Polarek all pitched in with three hits for Nacho’s. Parker and Stone each plated three runs, and Cuevas, Nemmers, and Eric Jeanotte all had two.
Todd Rogers, Bob Armstrong, and Rob York led Verdi’s with four hits apiece, and Reale, Koch, and John Kelly each had three as Verdi’s punched out 29 hits for the game. Mayo, Koch, Reale, Kelly, and York all drove in a pair of runs in the contest.
MARCO DIVISION
Brewery, 12; Sami’s, 6
Scoring nine runs in its first two at bats, Brewery opened the post season tournament with a bang by handily defeating Sami’s.
Thanks to two run scoring singles, a sacrifice fly and fielding error, Brewery led 4-0 after its first at bat of the game. The Brew Crew used a similar formula in the second inning.
Three straight singles plated one run and another rode home on a fielding error, setting the table for Mark Waks (two RBIs) who smacked a two-run triple, upping Brewery’s lead to 8-1. Brewery added another run on a single to complete the five run second inning scoring blitz. For the game, seven Brewery hitters had an RBI while six others had two hits each in the Brew Crews balanced 16 hit attack.
For Sami’s, Randy Wesolowski led the way with two RBIs while George Giacobbi and Dean Leffleman each contributed triples.
Sand Bar, 11; Stonewalls, 8
The heart of Sand Bar’s lineup accounted for seven RBIs as the Sand Men opened the post season tournament with a win over Stonewalls.
Cleanup hitter John Gross paced the Sand Bar offense with three RBIs, two of which came on a fifth inning triple, good for a 9-3 Sand Bar lead. Meanwhile, Mitch Eil and Jack Facciolo, hitting in the fifth and sixth spots respectively, supported Gross by driving in two runs each.
Rookie Ed Boyle led Stonewalls with three hits and three RBIs. His seventh inning single cut Sand Bar’s lead to 11-8. However, the Orange and Black’s bid for a comeback ended on a fielder’s choice and a double play. Other hitting stars for Stonewalls included Dick Eddy and manager George Lancaster, who had three knocks each while shortstop Jim Baumann had two RBIs.
Brewery, 10; Joey’s Pizza, 9
Red hot Brewery won its fifth straight game and second of the post season tournament as it withstood a late rally by Joey’s to get the W.
Brewery broke open a back-and-forth affair by scoring four runs in the sixth inning. Gary Menzies (three hits) ignited the uprising with a single that scored a run, courtesy of a Joey’s error. Another run scoring single for the Brew Crew set the table for Murph Knapke (three RBIs) who laced a two-run home run to left field, good for a 9-4 Brewery lead. Joe Logisz was the other hitting star for Brewery, contributing two RBIs.
Trailing by 10-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Joey’s loaded the bases thanks to two errors and a bloop single with two outs, bringing leadoff hitter Paul Sullivan (three hits and five RBIs) to the plate. Sullivan met the moment, smashing a line drive, grand slam home run, cutting Joey’s deficit to 10-9. However, Brewery held on, inducing a fielder’s choice ground out to quell Joey’s rally bid.
The win enables Brewery to move onto the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket of the tournament. Joey’s, the regular season division winner, must now win the losers bracket to have a chance to win the post season tournament.
Snook Inn, 16; Sand Bar, 15
Snook Inn’s Chuck McAlpine (three hits and four RBIs) lined a game winning, two run triple as the Snook rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win its opening game of the post season tournament.
While McAlpine’s blast ignited a Snook victory celebration, he had plenty of support throughout this instant classic tournament game. Bob Hermann had three hits and three RBIs while Steve Friend also had three hits including a solo home run and two RBIs for the Snook. Other Snook contributors included Karl Kann (three hits including a triple) and pitcher Jim George, who also had three hits. Sub Randy Morrison (Brewery) chipped in with two RBIs.
Sand Bar’s Jack Facciolo led the hit parade with a perfect four for four day. Larry Locks had three RBIs, two of which came on a two-run triple in the third inning. John Gross and Jon Krebs (three hits and two RBIs each) also smacked triples while John Binns stroked three hits. Bobby Williams had two RBIs, one of which came on solo home run in the sixth inning, tying the game at 14. Mitch Eil contributed two RBIs as Sand Bar pounded out 25 hits for the game.
With the win, Snook moves to the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket of the post season tournament. With one tournament loss, Sand Bar’s road to a tournament championship will go through the loser’s bracket.
GULF COAST DIVISION
Crazy Flamingo, 15; Doreen’s, 11
Crazy Flamingo and Doreen’s were knotted up at 6 after three innings, but Crazy’s put five on the board in the fourth and added four more in the fifth to provide the cushion needed to put away the pesky Doreen’s team.
Two-run singles by Nick Brooks and Alan Schneider were the key blows in the five-run fourth for Crazy’s. Then after Doreen’s scored two courtesy of a two-run homer by Dick Folsom to cut the lead to 11-8, Crazy’s quickly answered with back-to-back home runs by Brian Maguire and Jim O’Meara, Maguire’s a three-run shot, to extend the lead to 15-8.
Brooks finished the day with three hits and four RBIs, Schneider had three RBIs, Brian Bergman had three hits and two RBIs, and Barry Neale also added three hits to the cause.
In addition to Folsom’s two-run homer, Steve Risch also blasted a two-run shot to open the scoring for Doreen’s and finished the game with three RBIs. John Robichaud pitched in with three hits for Doreen’s.
American Legion, 14; Oyster Society, 12
The American Legion broke a 6-all tie with a run-scoring double by John DeRosa, added two more on a line drive smash by Larry Anspach an inning later, and capped the scoring with another run-scoring hit by DeRosa following by a walk and an infield grounder that each scored a run.
Andy Pressler and Al Bozzo both finished with perfect three-for-three games, John Barrett plated three runs, and DeRosa, Anspach, and Rand Krueger contributed two RBIs apiece for the Legion.
Oyster Society slugger Nick Kopley had another big day with a three-run home run and finished with five RBIs for the game. John Klebauskus had three hits, and Rich Klein knocked in three runs, two on a triple that narrowed the lead to 14-12 in the seventh before the final out was recorded. Don Mandetta also drove in two runs for the Oystermen.
Crazy Flamingo, 15; American Legion, 6
Crazy Flamingo jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and cruised the rest of the way to the convincing victory over American Legion. A four-run first inning highlighted by a two-run double by Nick Brooks followed by a five-run second highlighted by a two-run single by Gary Badger provided Crazy Flamingo with the margin it needed to put away the Legion.
Brooks finished the day a perfect four-for-four with four RBIs for Crazy’s. He was supported by Joe Barry who had three hits, Badger who totaled three RBIs, Brian Bergman who drove in two, and Barry Neale who blasted a triple for the winners.
Al Bozzo crushed a three-run homer and John Barrett added a solo shot but it wasn’t enough for the Legion as Crazy’s pitcher Jim Battye limited them to nine hits in the contest.
MoreSenior Softball: Joey’s Pizza takes Marco Division crown; March Madness begins
AndSenior Softball: Crazy Flamingo claims Gulf Coast title; Marco Division up for grabs
STANDINGS
ISLAND DIVISION / Wins / Losses
- Dolphin Tiki* / 15 / 5
- Salty Dog / 12 / 8
- Nacho Mama’s / 10 / 10
- DaVinci’s / 10 / 10
- Verdi’s / 7 / 13
- Speakeasy / 6 / 14
MARCO DIVISION / Wins / Losses
- Joey’s Pizza* / 13 / 7
- Snook Inn / 12 / 8
- Sandbar / 12 / 8
- Sami’s / 10 / 10
- Brewery / 10 / 10
- Stonewall’s / 3 / 17
GULF COAST DIVISION / Wins / Losses
- Crazy Flamingo* / 14 / 5
- Oyster Society / 11 / 8
- American Legion / 8 / 11
- Doreen’s / 5 / 14
*Clinched division title