By Dave Hoffenberg
Clearly Moguls vs. Killington Deli
Clearly Moguls got their ace pitcher Ronzoni Hacker on the mound for the first time this season and he reached new heights. The team renewed their rivalry with the Killington Deli, who they have beat in the past two championships. The teams battled it out in two games last Wednesday night, June 15, in Bridgewater. The stands were packed and the fans on hand were treated to an exciting night.
C.M. got on the board first after a three run blast by Judd Washburn, his second of the season. Matt “Ajax” Anderson delivered the first “Cold Beer K” of the game to Jeremy “12 Pack Jack” Livesey to end the inning. The Deli had no answer and went scoreless. They also kept C.M. scoreless the next inning after Elliot “Charlie Murphy” Avery hit into a double-play which was turned by Pete Melluzzo and Jimbo Cassineri. The Deli came alive in the second inning, batting through their order and scoring six runs in the process to take a 6-3 lead. Hacker was able to deliver his first “CBK” and it was to Nick Melotti. C.M. cut the lead to one after Brett “Sharapova” Regimbald and Washburn drove in a run each.
C.M. took the lead (7-6) in the fourth with Livesey and Avery driving in runs. Anderson added two “CBK’s” to his total after Russell “The Love Muscle” Dalglish and “DJ Dave” Hoffenberg fouled out. In a see-saw battle, the Deli regained the lead (8-7) in the bottom of the fourth, played some great “D” and then scored two more runs in the fifth to stretch their lead 10-7. Phil O’Brien, Chris Alf, Cassineri and Anderson all scored but Hacker was able to deliver a second “CBK” to Melotti and added one to Nathan Brady Crain. C.M. had a dismal sixth inning, scoring one run with Josh “Purple Guy” Souza but suffering three “CBK’s” after Tall Tom Gilligan and Livesey fouled out back-to-back and Dalglish ended the inning with one. They bounced back with some great “D” after O’Brien got a single but tried to stretch that to a triple and was thrown out after Avery gunned him down from right field. Down two and facing their last at-bat, C.M. put on their rally caps and exploded for seven runs.
They batted through their order and Angel Shannon added his second home run of the season, this time a three run shot to take a 16-10 lead. The Deli had hope after Cassineri and Melluzzo both singled to start the inning. They both scored after Alf hit a double but he was left stranded after Crain and O’Brien grounded out and Rob “Rambo” Ranberg flew out to end their hopes. C.M. thought they had the game won with O’Brien’s out but that ended up turning a ghost double-play.
Immediately to the next game they go and the Deli’s wind was taken out of their sail after that seventh inning comeback win by C.M. The Deli was up first and they went scoreless but it was astonishingly identical to the last game with the same batters and same outs. What wasn’t the same is that C.M. started out “en fuego,” batting through their order scoring seven runs behind back-to-back home runs by Washburn and Shannon. The Deli had zero offense and went down 1-2-3. It was all offense for C.M. as they stretched their lead 10-0 behind a three run inside-the-park home run by Brett “Beard Braid” Regimbald. Ranberg had a sweet web gem, snagging a foul ball by Livesey that almost went out of play. There was nothing doing in the third for the Deli, Anderson got on but nobody else. Everyone was doing something for C.M. and this time they scored eight runs and hit through the order again. Also happening again was Washburn and Shannon hitting back-to-back home runs and Tucker Zink had a two run inside-the-park home run. Hacker was spectacular in his second game back, limiting the Deli to three hits. Anderson was able to deliver a “CBK” to Dalglish but Avery scored another and C.M. recorded the rare shutout mercy win 19-0 after only four at-bats.
Mercy wins round out the week
Garlic McGrath’s held on to first place with a 12-2 mercy win over the Outback Wolf Pack. It was a solid team effort in the win with most everyone scoring and some good “D”. Pitcher Bob Pauly delivered three CBK’s” including one each to Kayla “Don’t Call Me Kailee” Sarajian and Jenny Porter. The Outback broke up the shutout in the fourth when Forrest Baker and Jonathan White scored but that was all she wrote.
Another one-sided game was won by Killington Resort with an 18-1 blowout victory over Max Team. K.R. started out hot, batting through their order with six runs and a “CBK” by Chandler “KOS” Burgess. Max Team got that lone run in the second when Bouff burned the left center fielder for an inside-the-park home run. Manager Matt Kinsman scored to make it 7-1. K.R. started hot and ended that way, scoring seven runs n the fifth to seal the mercy win. Ian Smith joined Burgess in the “CBK” department but his was worse, going down looking.
STANDINGS
Garlic McGrath’s 6-1
Clearly Moguls 5-1
Killington Resort 5-2
Max Team 2-5
Killington Deli 1-5
Outback Wolf Pack 1-6
SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, June 22
- Killington Deli vs. Garlic McGrath’s 5:50 p.m. at Killington
- Killington Resort vs. Outback 7 p.m. at Killington
- Clearly Moguls vs. Max Team 5:50/7 p.m. at Bridgewater
Monday, June 27
- Garlic McGrath’s vs. Max Team 5:50 p.m. at Killington
- Clearly Moguls vs. Killington Resort 7 p.m. at Killington
- Outback vs. Killington Deli 5:50-7 p.m. at Bridgewater
Wednesday, June 29
- Garlic McGrath’s vs. Outback 5:50 p.m. at Killington
- Killington Deli vs. Clearly Moguls 7 p.m. at Killington
- Max Team vs. Killington Resort 5:50/7 p.m. at Bridgewater
Post-game party at Outback Pizza 8-11 p.m.
