It was a season the place parity was a continuing theme, as exhibited within the event the place in all three divisions a decrease seed rose as much as declare the event championship.
Salty Dog continued one of many hottest streaks in league historical past successful 13 of their last 14 video games as they went undefeated within the event, culminating in a victory over common season champ Dolphin Tiki within the last, to assert the Island Division title.
In the Marco Division, Snook Inn additionally ran the desk within the event, defeating Brewery within the last to take the event championship.
American Legion fought off an early event loss by the hands of standard season champ Crazy Flamingo to defeat them twice within the championship spherical and declare the title within the Gulf Coast Division.
Congratulations to all of the champions and due to all of the gamers, coaches, and sponsors for an additional nice season of senior softball.
ISLAND DIVISION
Salty Dog, 11; Dolphin Tiki, 9
For the second time in two weeks, Salty Dog confronted common season champ Dolphin Tiki, this time within the championship spherical. It was one other basic battle pitting the 2 hottest groups within the Island Division. Again, Salty Dog was capable of come away with the victory within the tightly contested match that featured innumerable excellent protection performs by either side, together with clutch hitting particularly within the late innings by the Dog. With the win, Salty Dog claims the Island Division Tournament Championship.
In the sixth, the Tiki took benefit of uncharacteristic defensive lapses by the Dog to attain 5 unearned runs to take an 8-4 lead. The Dog acquired one again on a double by Thomas and a single by Evangelista. The Tiki answered with one among their very own on back-to-back doubles by Scott Golan and Bill Novakovich to increase their result in 9-5. Then got here the game-changing eighth inning.
After back-to-back singles to start out the inning, the Dog scored the primary run on a sacrifice fly by Joe Lazzarotti. Mike Gerace blasted a double to deep left to attain the second run, adopted by run-scoring hits by Dave Manzello, Jerry Shovan, and Bill Coyle to present Salty Dog a 10-9 lead. The Dog added a giant insurance coverage run within the ninth on a fielder’s alternative and an error. The Tiki had one last alternative to increase the event within the ninth however left the bases loaded when the ultimate out was recorded, and the victory celebration ensued for Salty Dog.
Despite the loss, the Dolphin Tiki, who have been led by supervisor Chris Flynn’s 4 hits, Dan Harrar’s three, and two RBIs by DeAngelo and Sal Tidona, can nonetheless declare having a really profitable season after a dominant common season culminating in an Island Division championship.
MARCO DIVISION
Brewery, 31; Sami’s, 21
In an epic bid by each groups to face Snook Inn for the submit season event championship, Brewery scored 11 runs on 9 hits within the first further inning to interrupt a 20-20 tie because it defeated Sami’s in a Marco Division event recreation for the ages.
With the sport tied at 20-20 after seven innings, Brewery scored its first run of the eighth inning on a fielding error. The Brew Crew then went on a scoring rampage.
Murph Knapke (three RBIs) gave Brewery a 22-20 lead with a line drive RBI single; Joe Logisz (4 RBIs) drew a bases loaded walk for an additional run; Randy Morrison (three RBIs) drove in one other run with an infield single, giving Brewery a 24-20 lead. A single and a sacrifice fly plated two extra runs mentioning Tom Purtell (three hits). He promptly smacked an RBI single, good for a 27-20 Brewery lead. Mark Waks (three hits and 4 RBIs which included a primary inning solo home run) looped an RBI single, to make it 28-20 Brewery. Pitcher Jim Cuevas (three hits and three RBIs) helped his personal trigger with one other single, scoring two extra runs. Gary Menzies (4 hits, two RBIs) then capped the offensive eruption with one other RBI single extending Brewery’s result in 31-20.
Brewery’s dizzying offensive show included 4 RBIs from shortstop Jon Wiseman, two of which got here on a triple early within the recreation. Kevin Smith contributed two RBIs to the trigger as Brewery amassed 32 hits as a group and scored 5 runs in three separate innings earlier than its 11-run explosion within the eighth sealed the win.
For Sami’s, George Giacobbi led the offense with 4 hits and 7 RBIs, 4 of which got here on a clutch grand slam homer within the backside of the sixth inning that tied the sport at 20-20. Support got here from pitcher Ed Kingsbury (three hits and 6 RBIs which included a two-run homer and a triple); Mario Lucca (three hits together with a triple and two RBIs) in addition to two RBIs apiece for Brian Craig and Tom Whitlock. As a group, Sami’s banged out 22 hits for the sport. Nonetheless, the White and Red have been eradicated from the submit season event in robust trend because of Brewery’s monster day on the plate.
Snook Inn, 10; Brewery, 3
Thanks to its well timed hitting and excellent protection, Snook Inn cruised to the submit season event championship with the win over a Brewery group that demonstrated resilience all through the event.
Leading 1-0 within the first inning, Snook’s Dan Dumbault (three hits and three RBIs) ripped a single to leftfield, scoring two runs, giving the Green and White a 3-0 lead that it might by no means relinquish. With a 4-1 lead within the fourth inning, Snook’s protection thwarted a golden scoring alternative for Brewery.
With runners on first and third and one out, pitcher Jim George snared a comebacker and fired to his midfielder teammate Geoff Bentley for one out who relayed to first baseman Bob Bejnerowicz, finishing the double play, ending Brewery’s rally bid. Snook then put the sport away by scoring 5 runs within the backside of the sixth inning.
Dumbault plated his third RBI of the day with a looping infield hit scoring one run, good for a 6-1 Snook lead. A line single, an error and one other single resulted in three extra Snook runs. Bejnerowicz accomplished the five-run outburst with a sacrifice fly, giving the Snook a 10-1 lead.
Down to its last out within the high of the seventh inning, Brewery stirred again to life. Gary Menzies made his solely hit of the sport rely when he drilled a two-run home run, chopping the Brew Crew’s deficit to 10-3. Kevin Smith (three hits) smacked a single and one other single put two males on. However, a floor out sealed the win, igniting a Snook victory celebration, capping a season of perseverance for the Green and White.
“At one time we had five guys injured. My guys played through it all and we had a tremendous effort in the tournament, and we were fortunate to win,” stated Manger Peter Karl. “It was a very competitive Marco Division this season.”
With the win, Snook ended the 2024 season with 15 wins, probably the most within the Marco Division.
GULF COAST DIVISION
American Legion, 15; Crazy Flamingo, 12
After trailing for many of the recreation, the American Legion completed robust with 9 runs within the last two innings to defeat Gulf Coast common season champ Crazy Flamingo. With the win, the Legion has a chance to take the event title for the Gulf Coast Division with one other victory over Crazy Flamingo on Wednesday.
The Legion opened the scoring with an RBI single by Andy Pressler adopted by a sacrifice fly by Rick Herzog. Crazy Flamingo responded with a four-run inning highlighted by a two-run double by Ray Niemeyer. After the Legion acquired one run again on a fielder’s alternative by Dennis Mellon, Crazy’s put three extra runs on the board on run-scoring doubles by Gary Badger and Joe Barry, adopted by a sacrifice fly by Nick Brooks that gave them a 7-3 lead.
After each groups traded fielder’s decisions to make it an 8-4 recreation, the Legion scored twice on a John DeRosa base hit and one other fielder’s alternative to shut the hole to 8-6. Brooks then added an RBI single within the fourth inning to increase Crazy’s result in 9-6 the place it stayed till the sixth inning. That’s when the Legion went to work.
After one run scored on an error, Larry Anspach got here up massive for the Legion with a two-run single that tied the sport at 9-all. Then within the seventh inning, the Legion busted out with a six-run rally with the massive blow being a bases-loaded base-clearing double by Mike Corless who additionally scored on the identical play on an error to present the Legion a 15-9 lead. Crazy Flamingo scored 3 times within the backside of the seventh, two on a Mick Keller base hit, however was unable to get any nearer as the sport ended.
DeRosa and Pressler completed the sport with three hits apiece for the Legion, and Herzog additionally contributed two RBIs for the winners. Barry Neale hammered out 4 hits for Crazy’s, adopted by Keller and Brian Bergman with three every. Nick Brooks additionally knocked in a pair of runs within the loss.
American Legion, 16; Crazy Flamingo, 13
In the second recreation in three days between the American Legion and Crazy Flamingo, the Legion broke free from a decent contest with a late flurry to get the win, and with it the Gulf Coast Division Tournament Championship.
The recreation began out as a slugfest with the Legion scoring 4 occasions within the high of the primary inning, because of a leadoff home run by John Barrett, an Andy Pressler RBI double, a Joe Kruse sacrifice fly, and a Mike Corless run scoring single. Crazy Flamingo answered with 5 runs of their very own within the backside half of the inning courtesy of run scoring singles by Nick Brooks, Al Schneider, and Jim O’Meara, together with a fielder’s alternative and an error. The second inning was extra of the identical because the Legion scored two extra on a clutch two-out, two-run single by Dick Folsom. But Crazy’s would reply once more with one other five-run rally highlighted by a two-run single by Schneider and an RBI base hit by supervisor Mick Keller which gave them a 10-6 lead.
The Legion wasted no time coming again once more by scoring 3 times within the third inning, one on a Larry Anspach base hit, one other on a sacrifice fly by John DeRosa, and a 3rd on a fielder’s alternative which minimize Crazy’s result in one – 10-9. After the Legion tied the sport at 10-all within the fourth on an error, Crazy’s pushed throughout two runs within the fifth on a Keller RBI base hit and one other fielder’s alternative. That set the stage for a Legion rally within the sixth inning.
The Legion had the bases loaded with one out when Barrett got here by means of once more with an RBI single that introduced them to inside one 12-11. Then after the second out was recorded, Pressler tied the sport with an RBI single, Rick Herzog adopted with a two-run double, and supervisor Mike Arnold accomplished the rally with an RBI base hit to present the Legion a 15-12 lead. Joe Barry hammered a triple to attain a run for Crazy Flamingo that diminished the result in two, however Barry was minimize down on the plate on a high quality play from brief fielder Folsom to catcher Dennis Mellon that ended the risk. After including an insurance coverage run within the seventh inning, the Legion shut down Crazy’s within the backside half to assert the victory and the event title.
Arnold completed the sport with three hits and Barrett, Folsom, Pressler, and Herzog all had two RBIs for the winners. Schneider (three hits, three RBIs), Keller (three hits, two RBIs), Brian Bergman (three hits), and Jim Battye (two RBIs) have been the offensive leaders for Crazy Flamingo, who regardless of the loss can nonetheless declare the common season title within the Gulf Coast Division.
More Senior Softball: Salty Dog, Snook Inn, Crazy Flamingo have higher hand in finals
And Senior Softball: Brewery, Salty Dog, Crazy Flamingo – First week of event motion
Also Senior Softball: Joey’s Pizza takes Marco Division crown; March Madness begins
