Okay softball fans, we know everyone is anxious to see who will be this week’s Over the Hill Gang Player of the Week. The wait is over; it’s Bar-Boy’s Frank Badalamenti. He had an absolutely terrific game at the plate Friday night. He went four-for-five with two home runs, before driving in seven runs and scoring five times as Bar-Boy beat Autocraft, 20-13.
More game highlights will follow, but first congratulations go out to BK Sweeney’s. Friday marked the midway point in the Over the Hill Gang season and BK is the only undefeated team in the league. BK holds a commanding three-game lead over Singleton’s in the American League (AL) and is rolling past everyone who comes their way.
After BK, “parity” is the word of the day for the rest of the league. Lockie & Nowachek (L&N) Family Chiropractors has a slim one-game lead in the National League (NL) with three teams right behind at 4-4. The remaining two teams are only a game back so every NL game will be critical in the second half.
In the AL, there’s also a logjam of teams within a game of each other, all will be jockeying for tournament seeding position and trying to slow the BK Sweeney momentum.
American League
Win Loss
BK Sweeney’s 8 0
Singleton’s 5 3
Autocraft 4 4
Moby Drugs 4 4
Lacorte 2 6
Paradox Café 2 6
National League
Win Loss
Lockie & Nowachek 5 3
Zwanger Pesiri 4 4
Barco 4 4
Bar-Boy 4 4
Changing Times 3 5
McCourt & Trudden 3 5
In game action, Badalamenti was not the only Bar-Boy hitter with a hot bat. Pitcher John Czarnecki went three-for-four; second baseman Ken Kohlman was four-for-five. The Raspanti brothers, Lino and Sebby, combined for five hits and four RBIs.
On a blustery night, Changing Times (CT) Pub and Paradox Café met on the small field. The wind played havoc as both teams popped the ball up and nobody knew where it would land. CT took an eight-run lead as the rain started falling through the early innings and staked a 12-2 lead by the fourth inning.
Paradox had been running ice cold all year as Wally “The Sage” Seyfert came up and spread his words of advice: wait on the pitcher and let’s get this thing going. His was the first of four consecutive walks in a row that started a seven-run inning to get Paradox back in the game. Key singles by Don Carlin and James “The Scoop” Mignone helped break the ice.
The score was now 12-9. Mignone plugged the hole at second base for Paradox, turning the first of two key double plays (and just missing a third on the night). This kept CT at bay with just three runs and a 15-9 lead. At the end of the fifth, Walter Hasemann singled and Bob Kirk drove him in with a double to right center. This set up Lenny Balestrieri for a two-run shot to deep left field to keep Paradox close at 15-12 after the fifth. Paradox broke it open in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lyle Nigro got on base with his second walk of the night (no match for Wally’s four though), as Hasemann singled and two more walks scored one and loaded the bases.
Mitch Maghakian then hit a triple down the right field line for three runs. Mickey Newbeck stroked a double for a run and Al Celeste knocked him in with a single. By the time the inning ended, Paradox had jumped to a 23-15 lead. CT got one last at bat with two minutes left in the game. They chipped away for four runs but Don Carlin stayed fast on the mound and Paradox held on for a 23-19 victory.
L&N beat Moby Drugs 28 – 6. Butch Flecker had six hits and played outstanding defense. Rookie Rich Apollo had five hits, including a tremendous home run over the 90’ field’s left field fence. Chris Theoharides had five hits and some outstanding plays in the outfield. Pete Cestare, James Doyle, Mike Quigley, and Ben Greco each had four hits. Greco pitched his second outstanding complete game, keeping the powerful Moby lineup off stride. This was a total team effort.
Barco Construction ended a three-game losing streak to get back to .500 beating LaCorte Family Auto 20-13. Barco had lost their last two games by one run each and needed a win. Barco came out hitting, putting up five runs in the top of the first and the team kept pounding the ball all night. Barco was ahead 20-4 in the seventh but Lacorte answered with five of their own in the bottom to make it 20-9.
After a scoreless top, LaCorte made it interesting with four in the bottom of the inning. Dave Saur’s running catch in right center to end the game squashed what would have been a bigger inning, preserving the 20-13 win.
The swirling winds made it difficult for the outfielders especially on the right side and helped Barco extend some innings. Pitcher Gary Jambor showed his toughness after a bullet line drive ricocheted off his knee to first baseman Terry McPartland, who proceeded to throw the ball into left center. We all assumed he was throwing the ball to Tim Dorman to come in for relief. But Jambor shook it off and was heard to say, “Just part of the game.”
Besides fielding his position with a bunch of putouts he also went three-for-five at the bat. Other offensive highlights were Terry McPartland (three-for-four, one RBI), Tim Dorman (three-for-four, four RBIs), Kevin Moloney (three-for-four, five RBIs) and Dave Saur (three-for-four, three RBIs). Steve Jacobson played another steady game at shortstop, at one point recording six straight putouts.
