By Dave Hoffenberg
Get out the brooms because Clearly Moguls just got swept by Garlic McGraths. For the first time in a long time, C.M. suffered a series sweep. They’re hoping to get their first win in the playoffs when it counts the most. There are only three nights left in the regular season and every game has playoff implications. C.M. now is mathematically eliminated from the no. 1 seed; all they can try to do is move up to two.
Garlic McGraths and Killington Resort are still in the battle fighting for the first seed and it looks like it’s going to be G.M’s to lose.
In the bottom half of the division, things are neck-and-neck between Max Team and the Killington Deli. Max Team has forced a tie in the win column and these two teams still play each other twice more! Those games will determine the no. 4 and 5 seed. Although a first round playoff game is all but guaranteed for these two, the remaining games will determine who is the playoff home team and that is important.
Garlic McGraths vs. Clearly Moguls: Game 1
Fans came from near and far to witness this showdown between Garlic McGraths and Clearly Moguls. C.M. team “moms” Judy Livesey and Linny Ruth were there to fire up the squad. C.M. got on the board first when Angel Shannon drove in Tucker Zink but Jackie Blue Livesey flew out to end the inning and leave the bases loaded. Speed and errors combined to give McGraths a 2-1 lead after Bus Bob Schaffner and Cliff Melendy scored.
Brandon Remick led off the second with a walk but then got caught in a double-play that “Ronzoni” Hacker hit into. Joe Montemurro hit one to right fielder Russell “The Love Muscle” Dalglish who miffed it which led to two more runs for G.M. and a now 4-1 lead.
“DJ Dave” Hoffenberg led off the third with a single but got caught off base in a double-play when pitcher Bob Pauly snagged Hunter Pike’s line drive and Hoffenberg could not get back to first in time. C.M. started the bottom of the third shining on “D” getting the first two batters out but then fell apart. G.M. stretched their lead to 8-1 with four hits all to right and right center. Coach Jeremy Prior drove in two of those. C.M. showed some signs of life scoring two in the fourth off a double by Tom “The Hitman” Gilligan. They had a chance for more but “12-pack Jack” Livesey resurfaced to end the inning. Montemurro stayed hot, scoring in the bottom to make it 9-3. C.M. went down 1-2-3 next inning when Ronzoni hit into another double-play. “Ronzoni” got big hitter Josh Tarleton to foul out for a “Cold Beer K” but Melendy had already scored to make it 10-3.
Brett “Mr Pink” Regimbald drove in Jared Hall and Pike in the sixth to cut the lead to five but that quickly jumped to nine. Patience at the plate led to two walks by “Ronzoni” but he did get Nate Mispel to go down swinging for a “CBK.” It did not matter, though, because C.M. had no answer and went down 1-2-3 to end the game.
Garlic McGraths vs. Clearly Moguls: Game 2
The second game of the doubleheader was way more of a battle. Both teams went scoreless in the first with great “D” on both sides. Regimbald turned a double-play on Schaffner and Ezrah Lemieux and G.M’s Jamie Rameau had a nice catch in right on Judd Washburn, saving two runs. “Ronzoni” did it with his glove in the second with two put-outs to keep G.M. scoreless and then with his bat and a bases loaded two run single to take the lead 2-0. “DJ Dave” got a single to load the bases for Hall who knocked in Dalglish to make it 3-0 and keep the bases juiced. Unfortunately Pike suffered a huge “CBK” looking to leave the bases juiced.
G.M. got a couple on base in the third but some good “D” kept them scoreless. C.M. started their third with two quick outs but then produced a nice rally and a string of three doubles to bring in three runs for a 6-0 lead. Lemieux and Schaffner both singled to start the fourth and then two costly errors by C.M. put G.M. on the board and quickly the big lead was gone. C.M. was able to stop the onslaught by getting the bottom of the order out in succession and cling to a 6-4 lead. C.M. again started an inning with two straight outs but “DJ Dave” and Hall both singled to give them a chance to stretch their lead. Unfortunately Pike flew out to end that rally. Neither team could score in the fifth but it was more costly for C.M. Zink led off with a “CBK” and Washburn joined him in that department. The league statistician said it’s the first time Washburn has gone down swinging. C.M. got runners on the corners but could not bring them home.
Nothing was happening in the sixth either. Both teams got a runner or two but no score. Something did happen for C.M. but that was “Twelve Pack Jack” coming back for another “CBK”. G.M. scored when they needed it the most, in their last at-bat. Rameau was thrown out to start the inning but an error and a walk put Pauly and Denel Mcintire on base. Lemieux popped up to the catcher and C.M. was one out from a very crucial victory. Shaffner doubled to tie the game and then an overthrow on a Melendy hit gave them an 8-6 lead. C.M. ended the game 1-2-3 and as a result got swept.
Killington Deli vs. Killington Resort
The Killington Deli and Killington Resort played last week in a game that had big implications for both. The Resort was trying to keep pace with G.M. and the Deli was trying to move out of the cellar. The Deli got their first two batters on but then stranded them going down 1-2-3. K.R. was held scoreless too. Matt “Ajax” Anderson put the Deli on the board first and then got runners on second and third but failed to get them home. K.R. loaded the bases in the second but only produced one run to tie it. Anderson delivered a “CBK” to Matt Peters in that inning.
The Deli loaded the bases in the third inning on a two out rally but Anderson could not get them home and that rally ended. They could really have used those runs because K.R.’s own Nate Stoodley blasted a grand slam for a 5-1 lead.
The fourth inning saw Nathan Brady Crain with a lead off single but then Bob suffered a “CBK.” Rob “Rambo” Ranberg moved Brady closer to home and then Craig Brothers got him home and moved “Rambo” to third. They couldntt get anyone else home because “Jimbo” Cassineri joined Bob in the “CBKs” to keep the deficit 5-2. The Deli turned on the “D” in the next two innings shutting down the Resort 1-2-3 in each and turned a sweet double-play with Cassineri to Pete Meluzzo to Crain. The Deli got runners on but couldn’t deliver.Resort managers owned this game as Matt Kinsman joined Stoodley in the home run department, his a three-run shot for an 8-2 lead. Anderson was able to deliver another “CBK,” this time to Kyle “The K stands for CBK” Amos. Cassineri led off the seventh with a double but once again, the Deli failed to get him home. The next three batters were shut down and one of those was a rare “CBK” by Chris Alf.
In other action Max Team battled The Outback. M.T. manager Max Rowe said, “It was 7-3 us. Good game though.”
SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, July 13
Outback vs. Clearly Moguls 5:50 p.m. at Killington
Garlic McGraths vs. Killington Resort 7 p.m. at Killington
Killington Deli vs. Max Team 6:30 p.m. at Bridgewater
Post-game party at McGrath’s Irish Pub 8-11 p.m.
Monday, July 18
Clearly Moguls vs. Killington Resort 5:50 p.m. at Killington
Clearly Moguls vs. Outback 7 p.m. at Killington
Killington Deli vs. Garlic McGraths 6:30 p.m. at Bridgewater
Post-game party at the Clear River Tavern 8-11 p.m.
Wednesday, July 20
Killington Deli vs. Killington Resort 5:50 p.m. at Killington
Killington Deli vs. Max Team 7 p.m. at Killington
Garlic McGraths vs. Outback 6:30 p.m. at Bridgewater
Post-game party at the Garlic 8-11 p.m.
STANDINGS:
1) Garlic McGrath’s 11-1
2) Killington Resort 10-2
3) Clearly Moguls 8-4
4) Killington Deli 3-8
5) Max Team 3-10
6) Outback Wolf Pack 1-11
