Senior Softball: Season play comes to an end
Legion, Brewery and Stonewalls are champs
With the 2019 season having ended, the tournament portion of the season had record attendance of 200 plus spectators at each of three tournament championship games. Parking was at a premium with people parking on empty lots, swales in addition to the parking lots as well as bicyclists and motorcycles.
The American Legion Post made it a clean sweep for the season winning the Gulf Coast tournament in addition to the divisional championship. In the Island division tournament, the Brewery beat DaVinci’s twice giving them the championship as well as an unblemished record in the tournament of 3-0.
Stonewalls was the Marco division tournament champions after it handed Mango’s its second loss. Both teams had previously beaten one another once in the double elimination tournament.
The Marco Men's Senior Softball League would like to thank all our team sponsors, the Marco Island Parks and Recreation Department, the Marco Eagle and all our fans for all their support in making the league’s 20th season 2019 a huge success.
You can find more information on our 2019 season by going to the league website marcoseniorsoftballleague.com.
MARCO DIVISION TOURNAMENT
Mango’s, 14; Mutual of Omaha Bank, 12
A two run opposite field homerun smacked by Mango’s Paul Sullivan was the difference in the game cashing the Bank out of the tournament with their second loss. Sullivan ended up with three RBI, Tom Parker and Jan Grossman two. The Bank had Robert Stried with three RBI and Fred Kramer with two. One of the game highlights was a triple play turned by the Bank. Bank shortstop Tom Loiacono tagged a runner going to third, then tossed the ball too Ray Niemeyer for the force out at second, with Niemeyer gunning the ball to first base completing the triple play.
Mango’s, 8; Stonewalls, 6
Both teams kept the fans, over two hundred in attendance a capacity crowd for Winterberry Park on the edge of their seats. The game was tied at 6-6 when Mango’s was able push across two runs in bottom of the sixth for the win resulting in another championship game, with both teams having a loss in the tournament. Tom Parker had three RBI for Mango’s and Glen Davis two.
Stonewalls, 9; Mango’s, 3
The two teams battled it out for the Tournament Championship with Stonewalls winning it behind the pitching of Lou Wolfenson and the key hits from Steve Hemberger and Tim Rose. Hemberger ended the game driving in four runs and Rose who smacked a triple had two. Wolfenson limited Mango’s to nine hits in winning the Tournament.
GULF COAST DIVISION
Doreen’s, 16; American Legion, 10
Doreen’s had Mick Keller, Jerry Lenhoff and Gary Badger with three hits apiece; one of Lenhoff’s being homerun. Keller and winning pitcher Angelo Polizzi had two RBI in the win. The American Legion’s Tom Patterson, Leon Schmitt and Jim Conway had three hits each, with Schmitt having driven in three runs.
GULF COAST DIVISION TOURNAMENT
Moose Lodge, 19; Doreen’s, 12
The Moose lodge assaulted Doreen’s with twenty-four hits and ended their season in the single elimination format of the Gulf Coast Division. Jerry Kratz and Joe Callahan had three hits for the Moose with Gary Badger, Don Mandetta and Frank Flint launching a homerun. Flint’s was a grand slam shot to the opposite field giving him four RBI along with John Gill who smacked a triple; Mandetta and Tony Brock had three, Jerry Kratz two. Butch Monson and Denny Lello each crushed a triple with Lello also blasting a homerun for Doreen’s. Monson ended up having five RBI, Lello four.
American Legion, 14; Moose Lodge, 8
The American Legion completed the sweep in the Gulf Coast Division by winning the Tournament Championship along with the Divisional Championship. Bill Diamond and Tom Patterson each had three hits for the American Legion with Paul Burnett and Tony Brock lashing a triple. Burnett, Diamond, Leon Schmitt and Charles Pineno all drove in two runs in the win. Jerry Kratz had three hits for the Moose. Kratz, Don Mandetta and Dan O’Sullivan had two RBI in the season finale.
ISLAND DIVISION TOURNAMENT
Speakeasy, 21; Nacho Mama's, 20
Speakeasy scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for the win. Mike Shone delivering the death blow base hit driving in the winning run and sending Nacho’s to showers with their second loss in the tournament. Shone and Ray Kane ripped four base hits for Speakeasy while Rod Lashley, Mitch Eil had three. Shone blasted a homerun as part of his hits helping him rack up six RBI, Lashley and Bruce Chambers three, Kane, Dean Stone and Jeff Hultgren two. Nacho’s Steve Hummel had a perfect day at the plate stinging the ball for five hits; Jeff Kaczka, George Grygorcewicz and Craig Cunningham had three. Cunningham cracked a triple as part of his three hits. Grygorcewicz blasted an opposite field three run homerun and had four RBI, Hummel three; Mike Garofalo, John Haskins, Jerry Engel and Rick DiStasio two.
Sand Bar, 21; Salty Dog, 14
Sand Bar took the bark out the Salty Dog walking them out of the tournament with their second loss. Dan Marinelli, Bob Traver, and Jim Kornas drilled four hits for Sand Bar, with Ed Kingsbury and Wayne Bombaci having three; which included Bombaci launching a towering homerun. Kingsbury collected five RBI; Bombaci, Marinelli, Kornas, Lou Marinaccio, Grady Fuller and Tom Pugh two. Bill Wright led the Salty Dog with three hits which included him cracking a triple. Jim Ramage had three RBI, Wright and Jack Martin two.
Brewery, 13; DaVinci’s, 6
The Brewery played outstanding defense turning three double plays to along with several key plays in the outfield. This was supplemented by key hitting from Jim Williams, John Gross and Bob Williams all with three hits. Gross hammered a homerun while Joe Rocco, Jimmy Cuevas and Jim Vitas each crushed a triple. Vitas had four runs driven in, Bob Williams three and Gross two. DaVinci’s Dan Gulick had three hits with Gary Revall popping a solo homerun and Dan Harrar smacking a triple which gave him two RBI in the game.
Speakeasy, 20; Sand Bar, 6
Speakeasy jumped on Sand Bar early in the game opening a 12-3 advantage before scoring eight runs in the ninth to end Sand Bar season giving them their second loss in the tournament. Speakeasy tagged the ball for twenty-seven hits. Mike Shone and Jim Gilligan banged out four hits, Ray Kane and Dean Stone had three. Frank Tedesco, who whacked a triple, had five RBI. Kane, Stone and Joe Lazzarotti three, and Gilligan two. Sand Bar had Dan Marinelli drive in three runs in.
DaVinci’s, 22; Speakeasy, 11
DaVinci’s erupted for seven runs in the first inning and it was all over for Speakeasy as DaVinci’s continued to pound the ball throughout the game. Gary Revall stung the ball gathering five hits while Craig Cunningham and Dan O’Connell had three. Nick Jacullo walloped a three-run homerun with Dan Harrar and Jim Dorey smashing a triple. Both Revall and Jacullo accounted for five RBI, Chris Flynn three, Harrar and Dan Gulick two. Bruce Chambers had three hits for Speakeasy with Dean Stone Clocking a homerun; Ray Kane and Mitch Eil each cracked a triple. Stone and Rod Lashley had two RBI. Speakeasy’s loss eliminated them from the tournament.
Brewery, 19; DaVinci’s, 14
The Brewery handed DaVinci’s their second loss in the tournament which resulted in them being the Island Division Tournament Champions. The Brewery ripped twenty-seven hits. John Gross and Dan Dumbauld slashed four hits; Rich Krumholz, Joe Rocco, Jim Stewart, Jimmy Cuevas and Jim Vitas all had three for the Brewery. Rocco and Gross accounted for three runs driven in; Krumholz, Stewart and Jim George two. DaVinci’s had Chris Flynn, Gary Revall and Dan Gulick drill three hits, with Art Sinisi and Nick Jacullo smacking a triple. Jacullo chalked up four RBI; Sinisi, Don O’Connell, Dan Harrar, and Jim Dorey two.
FINAL , ISLAND DIVISION STANDINGS / Wins / Losses
DaVinci’s* / 16 / 4
Brewery / 12 / 8
Salty Dog / 10 / 10
Sand Bar / 8 / 12
Speakeasy / 8 / 12
Nacho Mama's / 6 / 14
FINAL, MARCO DIVISION STANDINGS / Wins / Losses
Mango’s* / 15 / 5
Stonewalls / 13 / 7
Mutual of Omaha Bank / 12 / 8
Joey’s Pizza / 10 / 10
Snook Inn / 8 / 12
Crazy Flamingo’s / 2 / 18
FINAL, GULF COAST DIVISION STANDINGS / Wins / Losses
American Legion** / 10 / 8
Doreen’s / 10 / 8
Moose Lodge / 7 / 11
Divisional Winners*
Divisional Winners based on tie breaker**