Scores: 2025s2 Week 11

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“Ladies and Gentlemen – the story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet

If anyone thinks softball pitching is easy, just ask the volunteers who filled in for Mike Endeman, Worden Williams’ regular pitcher, after he was placed on the IL last week. The result? Two losses and 17 walks. But placing the blame on those emergency volunteers would be a mistake. Those defeats were largely due to a cold spell at the plate — something even the best teams experience in any sport, especially in senior softball.

Putting those losses behind them, the Dubs bounced back in style, solving both their pitching and hitting woes with a convincing 19–7 win over The Draft. Bob Buscher, making his first start as Endeman’s fill-in, was outstanding — allowing just two runs over 7⅓ innings with no walks, while also going 3-for-5 at the plate. Not quite Ohtani-like (but close enough), his performance helped lift the Dubs out of their mini slump.

Buscher had plenty of help on offense: Carlos Cevallos (4-for-4 with a home run and triple), Bob Loperena (5-for-5), Dan Griffin (4-for-4), Mike Carey (4-for-4), and Kevin Lynch, who drove in four runs.

The Dubs’ defense also shone, seamlessly adjusting to new positions after Buscher’s move from shortstop to the mound.

The Draft struggled to score until the eighth and ninth innings, hampered by being down four players. Still, several stood out: Delta Farrington went 2-for-3, Raul Mateus was 3-for-4 and just missed a home run with a shot off the left-centerfield fence, and Mary Ann O’Brien contributed two RBIs.

Thanks go out to Dario Santana for subbing for The Draft, and to Jimmy Martin and Steve Sexton for their work behind the plate and in the field as umpires.

The CPA cops hosted the Gaspar Therapists on this beautiful Thursday at Pine Park. 

The cops brought their 'hit 'em where they ain't' bats and 15 runners safely crossed the home base line by the end of the 4th. Alas, the Therapists (missing Gene LaChimia and shortstop Jeff Schneider) brought their 'hit 'em where they are' bats and were unable to score until the 6th, when the CPA middle reliever had a minor case of control problems, and pushed 6 runs across while CPA tacked on 2. 17-6 with 3 innings to go; still not a safe lead against #2 ranked Gaspar. From there CPA scored 5 more against 6 for GA, and the final tally was 22-12. 

 Gaspar's offense was led by Pat Steele and Martin Wai, both of whom went 3/3 plus walk, and Oscar Lara, who went 3/4. The CPA attack was balanced through the lineup, with all players getting at least one hit. Jeff Van Siclen (4/4, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs) led the way, followed by Dave Hertzog (2 RBIs), John Symanski (RBI), Mike Berry (2 RBI, HR), Al (Beep-Beep) Castaneda (2 RBIs), Dan Menendez (2 RBIs), and Sherre Lovick, all going 3/4. Ron Silverman chipped in with 3 RBIs. 
 

Pitching was strong on both sides (for 8 innings or so), with Rod Johnson and Mike Berry for CPA and Russ Roopenian for GA. The defense on both sides might not have been at their best; but there were a couple of highlights: a 7 to 8 to 6 to 4 relay to catch a GA runner trying to get back to second after a long fly ball hit to left, and a bang-bang line drive 4 to 3 double play to end the game.

Whitey Ford, the famous old-timey Yankees pitcher, once said, “The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So, I'm the one that's got the advantage.”  

The Carlsbad Innkeepers have been using their bats with bad intent lately, and that’s been the difference in their hot start to the last cycle.  CBI faced off against Plotkin Group for a friendly match at Alga today.  After 3 innings, CBI had a slim lead of 9 to 6, but scored 5 more runs in the 4th to take a comfortable 14 - 7 advantage.  The hitting went quiet for the next few innings until CBI put another 5 spot on the board in the bottom of the 7th. After the 8th inning flip, PG scored 3 runs in the top of the ninth for a final score of 19 to 10.

For Plotkin Group, key contributors included Robert Kroger with a perfect 4 for 4 day, and 3 for 4 days for Oscar “Dawg” Castillo, Dennis O’Hern, David Erwine, and newcomer Lance Hargrove.  

CBI was led by Dan Smith 4 for 4 with a HR, Randy Baird 4 for 4, Joe Dimambro 4 for 4 and Larry Wadalavage also 4 for 4 for the 2nd game in a row.  Jerry Smith had a big day going 3 for 4 with a HR and 2 triples and Cord Camron also went 3 for 4.

The Pizza Port IPAs hosted the Nucci’s Eggplants at Alga 3 to answer the question that everyone in the league was asking, “Who is the real third place team?”  The teams came in with identical 12-7 records and had split the previous games in lopsided fashion.  Another tiebreaker for the standings is run differential, and both teams had scored 44 more runs than their opponents.

The Eggplants stumbled out of the gate, scoring two runs but leaving two stranded.  The IPAs left no doubt with five runs in the bottom of the first.  Pizza Port added four more in the second to lead 9-2 before Nucci’s rallied in the top of the third to close to 9-6.  In the bottom of the fourth, the IPAs plated five to lead 14-6 and the Vegas percentages heavily favored a Pizza Port victory.  But Nucci’s got six in the fifth to close to 14-12.  Another IPA run in the fifth made it 15-12, but Lil Keehan belted out in true Lee Corso fashion, “Not so fast, my friend!”  Nucci’s scored four in the eighth to take their first lead since the top of the first, 16-15.  Amid a plethora of walks in the ninth, the Eggplants added two more.   Pizza Port scored once in the bottom of the ninth, but the threat ended on a double play, for a 18-16 final.

Pizza Port was barely able to field a team with nine of their own players, two subs, and a right fielder borrowed from Nucci’s.  The heroes on offense were Tom Benacka, Steve Doan, and Leo McFall each going 4 for 5.

Nucci’s had the luxury of resting a player each inning with 13 of their 14 players playing.  Dave Ash, Tom Carney, and Jack Schwarzel all had perfect days at the plate.  Dave was 4 for 4 with three home runs, eight RBIs, plus a walk in the ninth inning.  Tom was 4 for 4 with two singles, two doubles, and a walk in the ninth inning.  Jack was 3 for 3 plus a walk and a sacrifice fly driving in the final run in the ninth.  Bob Porter was 4 for 5.  Philip Urbina, Cathy McDonald, and Greg Lorton were all 3 for 4, and Philip also had a walk in the ninth inning.

At the end of the day, neither team was in third place.  Nucci’s jumped to second place and Pizza Port slipped to a tie for fifth place.  While Worden Williams has a 2.5 game lead in first place, five teams are within a game of each other battling for the three remaining playoff spots. 

The game was intense at times and removed any doubt that senior softball is in fact a contact sport.  Thanks to Rick for maintaining a semblance of control as umpire.  And thanks to Steve Doan and Gary Soper for subbing for Pizza Port.

Bye: Village Pie Shop