SPORTS

Senior Softball: Verdi’s, Sami’s and Oyster Society lead their divisions

Randy Wesolowski
Special to the Eagle

At the midway point of the regular season, Verdi’s has opened up a two-game lead over the Dolphin Tiki in the Island Division of the Marco Senior Softball League.

In the Marco Division, Sami’s lost their first game of the season but still holds a three-game cushion over three teams.

The Oyster Society defeated Crazy Flamingo and now lead the Gulf Coast Division by one game over them. For the complete, up-to-date results and standings, visit the league website at marcoseniorsoftballleague.com.

Here are the Marco Island Senior Softball results as of Feb. 3.

ISLAND DIVISION

Tuesday, Jan. 31

Nacho Mama’s, 19; Salty Dog, 12

Nacho Mama’s scored ten runs in the final two innings to pull away from and ultimately defeat the Salty Dog. Joe Rocco peppered the ball for five hits, including a triple, to lead Nacho’s. Jeff Robinson contributed four hits, and Tom DeAngelo, Frank Tedesco, and Kevin Smith added three. Tedesco drove in five runs, Robinson four, DeAngelo and Tom Vander Aarde three, and Lou Marinaccio two. Ed Adrian and Sal Tidona punched out three hits for the Dog, Bill Thompson had three RBIs, Tidona, Mark Whealy, Mike Schwab, and Dave O’Brien two.

Verdi’s, 15; Dolphin Tiki, 10

Verdi’s used tight defense and timely hitting to claim the victory over the Dolphin Tiki and remain in first place. Dave Mayo and Paul Nussbaum each lashed out three hits, one of Mayo’s a triple, to lead Verdi’s. Vito Iacovazzi knocked in four runs, Steve Hummel and Chuck Stathopoulos two for the victors. Chris Flynn, Brian Alexander, Bill Krausmann, and Dave Shultz all had three hits for the Tiki. Krausmann plated three runs and Nick Jacullo two.

DaVinci’s, 11; Speakeasy, 8

DaVinci’s erased an early deficit with a five-run fifth and held on the rest of the way to get the win over Speakeasy. Gary Revall stroked four hits and Tom Gazzillo homered to lead DaVinci’s. Revall, Gazzillo, Tom Polston, Steve Peck, and Bill Thompson all knocked in two runs for the winners. George Grygorcewicz, Dan Harrar, and Karl Kann had three hits each for Speakeasy. Kann and Eric Jeanotte drove in two runs in the loss.

Thursday, Feb. 2

Nacho Mama’s, 16; Dolphin Tiki, 9

Nacho Mama’s broke open a tight contest with a five-run eighth inning to take down the Dolphin Tiki. Tom Vander Aarde and Lou Marinaccio led a balanced attack for Nacho’s with three hits apiece. Jeff Robinson was responsible for four runs, Ken Polarek three, Marinaccio, Art Sinisi and Frank Tedesco two.  Mike Reale, Brian Alexander, and Bill Krausmann all had three hits for the Tiki, with Krausmann driving in four runs.

Salty Dog, 25; Speakeasy, 10

The Salty Dog had the bats smoking from the outset as they thoroughly trounced Speakeasy in a game called after seven innings due to the mercy rule. Ed Adrian led the onslaught with five hits including a triple for the Dog. Ed Seery blasted a home run, and Sal Tidona, Bill Novakovich, and Todd Rodgers chipped in with three hits, one of Rodgers’ a triple. Bill Thompson drove in four runs, Adrian and Glenn Davis three, and Seery, Rodgers, and Novakovich two. Tom Buettner lashed out three hits and Jon Thomas tripled for Speakeasy. Rod Lashley and Chuck McAlpine had three RBIs, and Thomas two.

DaVinci’s, 22; Verdi’s, 15

Verdi’s scored five times in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull to within 15-13 only to have DaVinci’s answer with a seven-run ninth to win going away. Ed Adrian, subbing for DaVinci’s, picked up where he left off in the earlier game with four more hits giving him nine for the day. Mike Shone and Steve Peck also had four hits for DaVinci’s, one of Shone’s a triple and one of Peck’s a home run. Gary Revall and Tom Gazzillo pitched in with three hits each. Peck and David Falls drove in three runs, and Revall, Gazzillo, Steve Friend, Jack O’Brien, and Rick DiStasio two. Joe Lazzarotti and Paul Nussbaum hit solo home runs for Verdi’s. Lazzarotti had four hits, and Nussbaum and Vito Iacovazzi three. Lazzarotti had three RBIs and Dan Gulick two.

Friday, Feb. 3

DaVinci’s, 14; Nacho Mama’s, 9

DaVinci’s opened up an early 12-3 lead which proved to be more than enough to triumph over Nacho Mama’s. Mike Shone had three hits and Dave Johnson blasted a triple to lead the attack for DaVinci’s. David Falls knocked in four runs, Shone, Gary Revall, and Tom Polston two for the winners. Lou Marinaccio and Art Sinisi lashed out three hits apiece for Nacho’s, and Jeff Robinson had two RBIs.

Verdi’s, 23; Speakeasy, 17

Verdi’s pulled away from a tight 18-17 game with a five run bottom of the eighth and held Speakeasy scoreless in the ninth to get the win. A booming home run by Paul Nussbaum and triples by Steve Hummel, Chuck Stathopoulos, and Joe Lazzarotti led the offensive barrage for Verdi’s. Hummel and Dave Mayo had three hits each, Stathopoulos, Mayo, and Vito Iacovazzi had three RBIs, and Hummel, Mike Porreca, and Jimmy Cuevas two. Karl Kann had four hits, “Big George” Grygorcewicz hammered a home run among three hits, and Tom Buettner and Don O’Connell also had three hits for Speakeasy. O’Connell and Big George drove across three runs, and Buettner and Dan Harrar two.

Dolphin Tiki, 22; Salty Dog, 2

Dolphin Tiki crossed the plate twenty-two times in six innings before the game was mercifully ended in a drubbing of the Salty Dog. Dave Manzello crushed a two-run homer, and Chris Flynn, Mike Reale, Brian Alexander, and Nick Jacullo all contributed three hits to lead the Tiki. Manzello, Alexander, and Bill Krausmann knocked in three runs, Jacullo and Mike Faria two. Bill Thompson tripled for the Dog, who was limited to eight hits for the game by Tiki pitcher John Nicholas.

WEEK 3Senior Softball: Crazy Flamingo and Sami’s remain unbeaten

WEEK 2Senior Softball: Verdi’s and Sami’s hold early lead in their divisions

WEEK 1Senior Softball: Marco league kicks off its 24th season

MARCO DIVISION

Monday, Jan. 30

Sand Bar, 19; Snook Inn, 10                                           

Sand Bar outscored the Snook Inn 14-2 over the final four innings to overcome an early deficit and get the victory. Murph Knapke lashed out four hits and Jerry Engel three to lead the Sand Bar. Jim Vitas drove in three runs, and Knapke, Doug Stang, and John Cavanaugh two. Robert Stried and Dave Korte blasted home runs for the Snook. Stried had three RBIs, and John Binns and Dick Carson two.

Joey’s Pizza, 19; Mango’s, 17

In a high scoring contest marked by several lead changes, Joey’s Pizza outslugged Mango’s to claim the win. Dick Eddy and Tom Whitlock hammered home runs and Eddy had four hits to lead Joey’s. Jim Dorey, Charlie Lamb, and Ron Irwin chipped in with three hits apiece. Jim Stewart was responsible for four runs, Eddy and Lamb three, and Irwin, Bill Shurina, and Dick Folsom two. Brian Craig homered for Mango’s, Jim Burroughs and Brian Bergman knocked in three runs, and Mario Lucca, Larry Locks, and Ed Kingsbury two in the loss.

Stonewalls, 12; Sami’s, 7

Mitch Eil and Dean Stone crushed home runs to lead Stonewalls to victory over previously unbeaten Sami’s. Eil, Stone, and Bob Hermann had three hits each, Eil plated four runs, and Steve Sauerberg and Tom Irions two. Bob Traver had three hits and four RBIs for Sami’s, and Ray Cappella added three RBIs. Sami’s was limited to ten hits by Stonewalls pitcher Mike Puskar and solid defense.

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Sami’s, 19; Joey’s Pizza, 6

Booming home runs by John Gross and Ray Capella powered Sami’s to the win over Joey’s Pizza. Gross, Capella, and Todd Whitney had three hits for Sami’s. Gross knocked in four runs, Capella three, and Gary Menzies two. Sami’s pitcher Steve Chasin limited Joey’s to sixteen hits, all singles.

Mango’s, 15; Snook Inn, 9

Mango’s used two five-run innings to jump out to an early lead and cruised to the victory over Snook Inn. Larry Locks and Howie Reitz hammered triples, and Locks and Brian Craig had three hits apiece to lead Mango’s. Locks plated five runs, Rob York three, and Ed Kingsbury two. John Barrett had three hits, and John Binns and Tim McKenna tripled for the Snook. Binns, McKenna, and Barrett all drove in two runs in a losing cause.

Sand Bar, 15; Stonewalls, 12

Sand Bar scored five times to overcome a late 12-10 deficit to gain the win against Stonewalls. Jim Burroughs blasted a three-run home run and John Cavanaugh tripled to pace the Sand Bar. Ray Kane also drove in three runs, and Cavanaugh and Jim Vitas two. Dean Stone homered and had three RBIs and Mitch Eil tripled for Stonewalls. Bruce Chambers also plated three runs and Gary Young two.

GULF COAST DIVISION

Monday, Jan. 30

Oyster Society, 11; Crazy Flamingo, 8

After spotting Crazy Flamingo to five first-inning runs, the Oyster Society scored eleven unanswered runs to gain the victory and deal Crazy’s with their first loss. Ed Kopecky had three hits and Bob Smith tripled and drove in two runs to lead the Oyster Society. Steve Risch also had two RBIs for the winners. Jan Grossman had three hits and Ray Niemeyer smacked a triple for the Crazy birds. Niemeyer and Larry Anspach knocked in two runs each.

American Legion, 14; Doreen’s, 12

The American Legion erased a 9-8 deficit with a five-run fifth inning and then hung on to narrowly defeat Doreen’s. Jerry Lenhoff, Al Schneider, Jim Battye, and Jeff Dougherty all had three hits for the Legion, with one of Dougherty’s a triple. Lenhoff and Dean Leffleman plated three runs, and Dougherty and Schneider two. Bruce Border slashed four hits and Matt Lewis added three for Doreen’s. Don Mandetta slugged a triple and Lewis had five RBIs, Rich Larkin two.

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Oyster Society, 20; Doreen’s, 1

Oyster Society wasted no time getting the bats going as they scored twenty runs in six innings to soundly defeat Doreen’s. Steve Risch homered and Ed Kopecky  and Steve Levesque tripled to lead the Oyster Society. Hal Jurgensen smacked four hits, and Levesque and Roger Fleming three. Risch, Levesque, and Jurgensen all had three RBIs, and Fleming, Nick Brooks, John Klebaukus, and Andy Pressler two. Doreen’s was held to nine hits by Oyster pitcher Ed Kopecky.

American Legion, 17; Crazy Flamingo, 6

The American Legion turned the tables on the Crazy Flamingo hammering out thirty-four hits en route to an easy victory. Dean Leffleman and Al Schneider homered, and Jeff Dougherty and Jerry Kratz tripled to lead the way for the Legion. Leffleman, Kratz, Jerry Lenhoff, and Gary Badger all cranked out four hits, and Dougherty, Schneider, Jim Battye, Nick Lordi, and Rick Condle three. Leffleman knocked in six runs, Lenhoff four, Schneider and Lordi three, and Dougherty and Condle two. Matt Opperman had three hits including a triple and three RBIs for Crazy Flamingo. Ray Niemeyer added two RBIs in a losing effort.

STANDINGS

ISLAND DIVISION / Wins / Losses

  • Verdi’s / 8 / 2
  • Dolphin Tiki / 6 / 4
  • Nacho Mama’s / 5 / 5
  • DaVinci’s / 5 / 5
  • Speakeasy / 3 / 7
  • Salty Dog / 3 / 7

MARCO DIVISION / Wins / Losses

  • Sami’s / 8 / 1
  • Stonewalls / 5 / 4
  • Mango’s / 5 / 4
  • Sand Bar / 5 / 4
  • Joey’s Pizza / 3 / 7
  • Snook Inn / 2 / 8

GULF COAST DIVISION / Wins / Losses

  • Oyster Society / 8 / 1
  • Crazy Flamingo / 7 / 2
  • American Legion / 3 / 6
  • Doreen’s / 0 / 9