By Dave Hoffenberg
KILLINGTON — After a wild and mild winter, it’s finally time for softball. The defending champion Clearly Moguls began their quest for back-to-back-to-back titles for the first time in franchise history. They had the back-to-back part before in 2010-11 but could not get the elusive third. Could this be their year? The only team in league history to accomplish that feat is the Lookout, who did it some 10 years ago.
Clearly Moguls vs. Max Team
To begin the season, Clearly Moguls took on the new team led by Max Rowe — this game was close until the teams took the field. C.M. put on a hit parade and even though Mother Nature threatened to rain on their parade, the skies opened up nicely for this bashing. C.M. batted through their order in the first, scoring five runs. Jackie Blue Livesey, pitching for C.M., shut down the opposition 1-2-3.
The second inning saw more of the same. C.M. batted through their order, this time scoring nine runs to lead 14-0. Angel Shannon cracked his first home run of the season, a three-run blast to right field. Tall Tom Gilligan hit a two-run bomb to center field, the deepest part of the field, and Jared “Vroom Vroom” Hall showed his speed with an inside-the-park home run, clearing the bases for three runs. C.M. suffered their first “Cold Beer K” of the season as Livesey re-earned his nickname “Twelve Pack Jack.” Rowe ended the shut-out in the bottom of the second off a triple by Jason Rubin. They could not bring Rubin home because Livesey delivered the first two “Cold Beer K’s” of the season back-to-back to Matt McKinney and Joey “Milk” Weeks. Johnny Sharpe came in for relief pitching and settled C.M. down, limiting them to two runs. He also delivered a rare “CBK” to Brett “The Hitman” Regimbald who maybe has two in his six-year history. Livesey delivered one more “CBK” to Pete Davenport in the third.
The fourth saw C.M. start the inning with a “CBK’” by DJ Dave Hoffenberg and end the inning with one by Elliot “Charlie Murphy” Avery. In between, C.M. added seven runs with Judd “Eskimo Bro” Washburn joining the home run club with a solo shot and Livesey showing the wheels, scoring from first off a triple from Gilligan. With C.M. up comfortably 23-1, Washburn came in to close the game and retired the side 1-2-3. The third out came on an amazing throw from right fielder Russel “The Love Muscle” Dalglish to short stop Regimbald who was covering second base.
In the fifth and final inning Hunter Pike had a nice looking sac, Shannon drove in his eighth run of the game and C.M. finished them off 27-1. Will “I’m Retiring” Burdick showed there might be some contract negotiations this week as he reached base every time, scoring five runs and driving in two. Livesey remained undefeated all-time with the win and Washburn earned the save.
Killington Resort vs. Outback Wolf Pack
Speaking of retirement, the Wolf Pack was able to coax Steve “Wheels” O’Neil out of his to pitch for the new team. “Wheels” last played in 2009 when he won his first championship after a 17-year career. He was named Championship Game MVP and he also was awarded the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
A couple of questions were raised. Would he show signs of rust? How would his opponents, the Killington Resort team, welcome him back? He was a little rusty but so was his team’s defense. Killington Resort gave him a rude return with a 22-0 mercy win and they were playing short-handed with only eight players. K.R. started off with their first three batters scoring runs. In the third inning, K.R. batted through their order twice. Fortunately for “Wheels,” he only had to suffer through five innings. Colin Greene hit the first home run for his team. He added another home run in the second game of the doubleheader. Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, it was more of the same but with a worse result. This time they lost 30-4. Each player for K.R. batted six times. Pitcher Paul Blodorn was “En Fuego” on the whole night and in this game he retired the side in the first two innings with a bunch of “CBK’s”. There were not many bright spots for the Wolf Pack but according to Matt Kinsman who is a player/manager for the K.R. team, it’s shortstop Kayla Sarajian. Kinsman says, “She has a cannon for an arm.”
Killington Deli vs. Garlic/McGraths
After all these blowouts, there was one close game and that was between the Killington Deli and Garlic/McGraths. Retirement seems to be the recurring theme this season and the K.D. has three players involved. Spruce was brought out of a lengthy retirement to rejoin the league, it’s been a few years since we’ve seen Pete Melluzzo on the field ,and Cam Rainwater retired after last season but made a guest appearance in this game. It started out as a defensive battle with each team going scoreless. In his first at-bat in the second inning, Rainwater sent a shot to right field which appeared to be the game’s first run, but, “Jumpin’ Joe” Montemurro robbed him with a perfectly timed leap as he bounced off the fence and held on. This would be the league’s first web gem of the season. Spruce was welcomed back and suffered a “CBK” in his first at-bat. Coach Jeremy Prior put G.M. on the board 1-0 after two innings. The K.D. could not get any offense going and went down 1-2-3 for the third inning in a row. G.M. stretched their lead to 3-0 in the third after Jamie Rameau and Prior hit in Ezra Lemieux and “Tweed Bus” Bob Schaffner, respectively. The K.D. finally got on the board in the fourth, cutting the lead to one (3-2) after Melluzzo drove in team veteran Jimbo Cassineri and Johnny Sharpe. Max Rowe, on loan from his team, belted a home run to make it 4-2. The K.D. had a chance to tie or take the lead in the fifth when Matt “Ajax” Anderson and rookie Nathan Brady Crain both hit singles and safely reached base. Unfortunately G.M. turned an inning ending double-play on Collin Wolfe with Prior to Zach “Cookie” Cook to Pike, who was on loan from C.M. It was Brady who was thrown out at home. Lemieux scored the last run of the game in the fifth to seal the deal 5-2. Rainwater added to his misery and went down looking in the sixth for a costly “CBK”.
SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, June 1
Killington Deli vs. Outback Wolf Pack @ Killington 5:50 p.m.
Killington Resort vs. Clearly Moguls @ Killington 7 p.m.
Max Team vs. Garlic McGrath’s @ Bridgewater 5:50 p.m.
Garlic McGrath’s vs. Max Team @ Bridgewater 7 p.m.
There will be a post-game party at the Clear River Tavern from 8-11 p.m.
STANDINGS
Killington Resort 2-0
Clearly Moguls 1-0
Garlic McGrath’s 1-0
Killington Deli 0-1
Max Team 0-1
Outback Wolf Pack 0-2
