Chittenden Softball League: It’s a battle for second place

Rock Landscaping is cruising to an undefeated season while the other teams are all tied up

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg

Rock Landscaping vs. Dirty Mike & The Boys

Last game Rock battled Dirty Mike & The Boys and the game was close until the third inning. It was almost an identical first inning with the top half of each lineup scoring three runs for a 3-3 tie.

The second saw both teams with a couple hits but nobody scored. The third was where the defense went away for DMTB. Rock batted through their order one and half times, scoring 11 runs to blow the game wide open (14-3).

That was the only inning that mattered.

They each only got one run the next three innings. The seventh was just like the first. They both got three runs but the game was far over way before that. Rock stayed undefeated with an 18-7 bashing of Dirty Mike & The Boys.

Flannels Fanatics vs. First Stop Base Camp

Flannels Fanatics played First Stop Base Camp in the nightcap. We’d have to go back in the history books to see when, if ever, FSBC won by mercy.

It was an ugly game for FF but a tremendous win for FSBC. FF Jimbo Cassineri walked to start the game and eventually made it to third base but that’s where he stayed. Meanwhile Johnny Sharpe led off with a single and then FF pitcher Ronzoni Hacker couldn’t find the plate. He walked in 2 runs and three batters in that inning alone. He hasn’t walked in two runs in a whole season!

Max Elles drove in another run to give his team a 4-0 lead.

FF went down 1-2-3 in the second but FSBC batted through their order, scoring six runs for a 10-0 lead. There were no walks but a few costly errors. Regardless, they had five hits in that innings with Shawn Smith driving in three and Max Elles for another.

The lone bright spot for FF was turning an inning-ending double play.

The third was more of the same — no of- fense for FF but they managed some good defense to keep FSBC off the scoreboard. The fourth was a big inning for Sharpe as he delivered two “Cold Beer K’s” to Cliff Aker and Ricky Robair for another score- less inning. The bottom of fourth was simi- lar to the first. Ronzoni walked in two runs and FSBC scored three to stretch their lead 14-0. Jimbo Cassineri made a nice web gem catch at third base to end the inning.

FF finally broke their scoring drought in the fifth with three runs, two of which came off a hard hit double by Brando Remick. FSBC didn’t score again but it didn’t matter because nobody did. They got the 14-3 mercy win.