March 2008 News Archive
 March 4th - Another new month has rolled in and two teams in particular are displaying strength and are beginning to rise in the standings. Jarrett Gordon Blue and Polk Therapy Green are looking very strong now.
The Blue won their eighth game as they easily handled Trustco Bank Purple by a score of 21-12. Timely hitting by the top of the lineup proved to be too much for the Purple Banks. Lead off batter Al Andrews and third batter Jim Laffoon scored five times and Ted Taylor, batting second, scored four runs. Clean up hitter Bob Christiansen also scored four times. Dick Mahon had a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate in the losing cause. It took three runs in the ninth inning for the surging Polk Therapy Green to reign victorious over the Elvis' HounDawgs Red. The Greens fought tooth and nail and the score was knotted at 9-9 after five innings of play were complete. The Greens scored four in the seventh on singles by Doug Graham, Bob Zelazny, & Denny Shaffer, a triple by Ed Gazarek, and a single by Jerry Witter. However, the HounDawgs wouldn't be denied as they scored five runs in the bottom of the inning. A double by Danny Parker began the inning. Chuck Duff then walked and Cal Leigh and Herb Oesterreich singled. Two fielding errors followed before Elvis Abney singled in the fifth run. Down by two going into the final frame, two hits and two errors accounted for three Greens' runs and the HounDawgs were held scoreless in the bottom of the ninth. WH Dodgers Navy knocked the cover off the ball this morning. Manager Russ King went a perfect 6 for 6, pool player Dean Schapeler put up a 5 for 5 game, and Don LaMay went 4 for 4. The 27 total runs were spread throughout the lineup, with Dean scoring five runs while batting in the fifth hole. The losing team, Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold, did have one bright spot. Losing 24-6 going into the bottom of the eighth, 10 runs crossed the plate before the inning was over. With the exception of two players, every batter in the 12 man line up scored in that inning. Two inside-the-park homers were hit by Don Witmer and one each came from the bats of Fred Dampier, Sam Harrell, Ed Lupiani, and John Smith.
LEADING HITTERS: Jarrett Gordon Blue Jim Laffoon - 5 for 6 with 1 double. Bob Christiansen - 5 for 6 with 1 double. Fred Ducham - 4 for 5 with 1 walk. Trustco Bank Purple Dick Mahon - 5 for 5 with 1 double. Don Erb - 4 for 5 with 1 double. WH Dodgers Navy Russ King - 6 for 6 with 1 triple & 3 doubles. Dean Schapeler - 5 for 5 with 2 doubles & 1 walk. Don LaMay - 4 for 4 with 1 walk. Sam Harrell - 4 for 5 with 1 homer. Ray DePalma - 4 for 5 with 1 walk. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Ron Thompson - 4 for 4 with 1 walk. Ed Guspyt - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Jim Gillies - 3 for 4. Riverside Bank Black Don Witmer - 5 for 5 with 2 homers. Steve Collins - 5 for 5 with 1 triple. John Stewart - 3 for 4 with 1 walk. Ernie Lancto - 3 for 4. Merrill Lynch Gray Bill McEllister - 4 for 5. Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 1 walk. Terry Feehan - 3 for 4 with 1 walk. Polk Therapy Green Doug Graham - 4 for 5 with 1 double & 1 sacrifice fly. Elvis' HounDawgs Red John Smith - 4 for 4 with 1 homer. Herb Oesterreich - 4 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 walk. Danny Parker - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double. The annual competition between the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club and Lakeland Senior Softball begins tomorrow at the Southwest Complex in Lakeland. Each program has three teams and every one of the six teams appear to be very talented. It looks like there are going to be some exciting games tomorrow. A week from tomorrow, on Wednesday, March 12th, the games will be played at the DiamondPlex fields in Winter Haven. The highest scoring team from each league from the results of the games tomorrow will play against each other in Winter Haven. The lowest scoring teams will play and the middle scoring teams will be pitted together. However, none of the opponents will play each other twice. March 5th - The fourth annual Winter Haven-Lakeland Competition kicked off in Lakeland this morning. The three Lakeland teams hosted three Winter Haven teams. Click HERE to see how the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club fared in the event.
 March 7th - The games were cancelled this morning due to the torrential rains that struck the county in the early morning hours. All five fields were unplayable.
The games will not be made up at a later date. March 11th - There were some unexpected final scores as some teams are gathering momentum and others are slowing down.
Trustco Bank Purple easily took care of WH Dodgers Navy. The final score was 18-9. The Purple Banks started quickly and kept the heat on throughout the first four innings. The first three batters, Reg Barnes, Cecil Vasquez, & Floyd Welton, each scored all three times they appeared at the plate up to that point in the game. After four innings were complete, the Purple Banks lead 12-3. The fourth and fifth were the only two frames the Dodgers scored. Nine runs were logged in the books during that time. Leadoff hitter Ray DePalma went 2 for 2 and scored twice and the runner for pitcher Bob Swartz also scored two times. Joe D'Herin and Russ King also went 2 for 2 in the middle frames. The Elvis' HounDawgs Red handled Merrill Lynch Gray in the late innings. The score was tied at 8-8 after the HounDawgs rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Every batter stepped to the plate and the first hitter, Bob Lewis, began the inning with a gapper triple between leftfielder Mike Stepp and left centerfielder Tim Gallagher. That triple was followed by the first out, then singles from Elmer Black and Elvis Abney before the next out was recorded. Four straight singles were banged out by Rich Palmer, Jaime Rivera, Bill Ravo, & Danny Parker. Chuck Duff walked to load the bases and a fly out ended the big inning. The HounDawgs tacked on three more runs in the seventh and eighth innings to ensure the victory. A nail biter took place on Field D as Jarrett Gordon Blue held on to beat Polk Therapy Green by one run, 22-21. Jim Laffoon held the hot bat this morning as he went 6 for 6. Jim has been the leading hitter all season long. Jim was helped today by Bob Christiansen, who follows in the batting order. Bob slammed out a triple and a double as well as two singles. The Blue had two straight five run innings. Rusty Landahl lead off the third with a single. Ted Taylor and Jim Laffoon also singled in the third. The final blow was struck when Doug Chamlee singled in the fifth run. The Blue had a comfortable 22-16 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. The Greens began the inning with singles from Randy Lane, Doug Graham, Bob Zelazny, & Denny Shaffer. Each of the batters also scored in the inning. After the first out was in the books, Bill Ayer, Frank Miller, & pitcher Jerry Witter all singled. The tying run was on third when the final out was made. Riverside Bank Black scored the winning run against Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold in the bottom of the ninth on an errant throw with two outs already in the scorebooks. The game was tied 17-17 going into the final inning. After the first two batters made outs, the Gold Chickens went to work. Bernie Peterson singled, Ed Lupiani doubled, Ron Thompson walked, and Jim Gillies singled. One run scored so the Gold Chickens were leading 18-17 going into the bottom of the ninth. The game was then in the hands of the home team Black Banks. One run was needed to take the game to the 10th inning and two were necessary to finish the contest. Ron Carrothers began with a single. Pitcher Ernie Lancto singled and Ken Doxtater then singled in the tying run. A super catch by Ed Guspyt on a sinking line drive from the bat of Jerry Noble set the stage for an unusual finish. The runner from second tried to scamper back into the base after the catch. The ball was relayed to the cutoff man but the throw was off target. After retouching second, the runner raced home for the winning run. The list of inside-the-park homers was a short one this morning. Dingers were hit by Bill Ayers, Fred Dampier, and Denny Shaffer.
LEADING HITTERS: Trustco Bank Purple John Abramo - 4 for 4 with 1 sacrifice fly. Floyd Welton - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Cecil Vasquez - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 sacrifice fly. WH Dodgers Navy Jim McPartlan - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Russ King - 3 for 4. Elvis' HounDawgs Red Rich Palmer - 3 for 3 with 1 walk. Merrill Lynch Gray Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 1 walk. Carl Luebking - 3 for 4. Jarrett Gordon Blue Jim Laffoon - 6 for 6. Larry Williamson - 3 for 4 with 2 walks. Polk Therapy Green Bill Ayer - 6 for 6 with 1 homer. Doug Graham - 5 for 6. Denny Shaffer - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 walk. Riverside Bank Black Angel Merced - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Ed Lupiani - 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 2 doubles. Bernie Peterson - 4 for 5 with 2 doubles. Vassurl Bess - 4 for 5. Ron Thompson - 3 for 4 with 1 double & 1 walk. The second week of the Winter Haven - Lakeland Competition will conclude at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven tomorrow morning. The players are scheduled to arrive at the old ballpark at 9 AM and the games will begin at 10 AM. Winter Haven won two of three games last Wednesday in Lakeland. For those not playing, please come out and support the team of your choice. The Polk County Senior Softball Hall of Fame banquet and induction dinner for the 2007 receipients was held at the Carillion Lakes Estates clubhouse this evening. The inductees, all from the Lakeland Senior Softball program, include Hank Hamilton, Ken Siemen, and Kenny Hinsch. Congratulations, Hank, Ken, and Kenny. You are each deserving of the honor bestowed upon you. March 12th - The Winter Haven - Lakeland Competition concluded at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven this morning. Going into the games, Winter Haven held a slight 2-1 lead after the games were played at the Southwest Complex in Lakeland last Wednesday, March 5th.
Former member Otto Smith dropped by the old ballpark to watch the action. It was nice to see you, Otto. Click HERE to read about the results of the three games that took place today. March 14th - The standings are getting tighter and tighter. The first place Merrill Lynch Gray dropped their second straight game and Elvis' HounDawgs Red won, so the two teams are now tied for first place. Polk Therapy Green has continued to play strong and is a half game out of the lead. Jarrett Gordon Blue lost today but is a close fourth.
The WH Dodgers Navy bested Merrill Lynch Gray by a score of 13-8. Errors early in the game hurt the Gray Bulls but the defense got it together as they allowed only one run during the last five innings. The first big inning for the Dodgers came early, in the third inning, when five runs crossed the plate on a combination of hits and errors. The final two runs crossed the plate when Freddy Gonzalez hit a line shot that slipped by the outfield for an inside-the-park homer. The clincher inning came in the fourth when five more runs scored on hits and miscues. Gale Doty drove in the final run with a single to left centerfield. At the end of four innings of play, the Dodgers lead 12-1. The Gray Bulls fought back but were never able to catch up, although they outscored the Dodgers 7-1 in the final five innings of play. Polk Therapy Green handed Trustco Bank Purple another loss. The final score was 21-9. Pool player Larry Powell powered the Greens with two inside-the-park homers, but three other Greens players also connected for homers in the game. The Purple Banks chalked up five runs in the top of the first but the Greens answered back with five in the first, second, and third innings. The first and second batters in the lineup, Randy Lane and Frank Miller, scored six runs in the first three frames. By the time the third inning was compelte, the score was 15-5 and the game outlook for the Purple Banks looked bleak. A slugfest took place on Field D in the Elvis' HounDawgs Red versus Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold game. The HounDawgs won 28-19 as power hitter Chuck Duff blasted two balls over the fence for homers. The entire HounDawgs lineup scored at least one run and every player had at least one hit. Chuck scored five times during the game and Danny Parker crossed the plate four times. The Gold Chickens did have some good innings. They were held scoreless only in two innings during the entire game. In the seventh inning, Gold Chickens players Don Bercaw, Bernie Peterson, and Ed Kline banged out back-to-back-to-back doubles. As mentioned earlier, Chuck Duff hit two homers over the fence this morning. In addition to the two inside-the-park homers by Larry Powell and the one by Freddy Gonzalez, other inside-the-park homers were hit by Elmer Black, Doug Graham, Frank Miller, Bernie Peterson, Vic Platania, John Smith, and John Stewart.
LEADING HITTERS: WH Dodgers Navy Joe D'Herin - 4 for 4 with 1 triple & 3 doubles. Cecil Vasquez - 3 for 4. Merrill Lynch Gray Frank Acevedo - 3 for 4. Polk Therapy Green Frank Miller - 5 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double. Larry Powell - 4 for 5 with 2 homers. Jerry Witter - 4 for 5. Trustco Bank Purple Erv Szewczga - 2 for 2 with 2 walks. Elvis' HounDawgs Red Chuck Duff - 6 for 6 with 2 homers & 2 doubles. Elmer Black - 5 for 6 with 1 homer. Danny Parker - 5 for 6. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Bernie Peterson - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double. Riverside Bank Black Wayne Mundy - 5 for 6. Jerry Noble - 5 for 6. Ernie Lancto - 4 for 5. Jarrett Gordon Blue Fred Ducham - 3 for 4 with 1 double. March 18th - Riverside Bank Black is becoming a force to be reckoned with as they easily beat third place Polk Therapy Green by a score of 16-7.
The Black Banks began with a bang with five runs in the first inning. Leadoff batter Jerry Noble began with a single. The next batter, pool player Herb Oesterreich, singled, followed by a walk to manager Don Witmer. Jerry Remington and John Stewart singled, Erv Fitzke walked, & Doug Chamlee singled to finish off the frame. No outs were recorded against the Black Banks. The Black Banks third displayed more hitting from the up and coming team. After one out was in the books, Jerry Noble singled. Don Witmer tripled in Jerry and Jerry Remington drove in Don with a single. John Stewart singled again but didn't cross the plate. The third inning was the closest the Greens would come to a tie in the whole game. Three runs scored for the Greens and they were down 8-6 after three. Randy Lane, Frank Miller, & Denny Shaffer each singled in the third to take a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the third. The win by the Black Banks this morning extends their winning streak to four games. Chuck Duff displayed more awesome power as he smashed two more homers over the fence this morning. Besides that, he had an inside-the-park homer. Chuck has cleared the fence five times in the past week and a half. Danny Parker hit two inside-the-park homers. Other inside-the-park homers were hit by Bob Christiansen, Steve Collins, and Cecil Vasquez.
LEADING HITTERS: Riverside Bank Black Jerry Remington - 3 for 4 with 1 triple. Herb Oesterreich - 3 for 4. Polk Therapy Green Randy Lane - 3 for 4. Merrill Lynch Gray Bill Walker - 5 for 5. Frank Acevedo - 5 for 6 with 2 doubles. Elmer Wilcox - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Tim Gallagher - 3 for 4 with 1 walk. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Ed Kline - 5 for 6 with 1 double. Doug McLellan - 4 for 5 with 3 doubles. Larry Powell - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Joe Hissey - 4 for 5. WH Dodgers Navy Sam Harrell - 6 for 6 with 1 triple. Bob Swartz - 4 for 5 with 1 walk. Jarrett Gordon Blue Larry Williamson - 4 for 5. Jim Laffoon - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 sacrifice fly. Elvis' HounDawgs Red Danny Parker - 6 for 6 and hit for cycle with 2 homers, 2 triples, & 1 double. Chuck Duff - 6 for 6 with 3 homers & 1 triple. Bill Ravo - 5 for 6. Elvis Abney - 4 for 5 with 1 double & 1 walk. Trustco Bank Purple Cecil Vasquez - 5 for 5 with 1 homer & 2 doubles. Former Winter Haven Senior Softball Club member Don Kirk dropped by to visit with old friends and watch the games this morning. Don played for many years and retired from the old ball field after the 2002 season. Thank you for stopping by for a visit Don. March 19th - The first annual Canada-USA game took place for the Lakeland Senior Softball program. That game was played today at the Southwest Complex in Lakeland. The USA team won 26-10 under the guidance of manager Jack Williams.
Pizza and sodas were available to the game participants, umpires, and fans after the event. The day was enjoyable for everyone and it is appropriate to note that much fan support came from spouses, family, friends, and relatives of Team Canada. The fans who watched the game were very supportive of Team Canada, as they cheered boisterously when critical outs were recorded by the Team Canada defensive and were equally as resounding when Team Canada connected for hits. Thank you to everyone who watched the game because the players and opponents alike appreciated the cheerfulness. 
WINTER HAVEN SENIOR SOFTBALL CLUB PLAYERS: Team USA Al Andrews - 4 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple. Fred Dampier - 3 for 5 with 2 doubles. Joe D'Herin - 3 for 5 with 1 double. Cecil Vasquez - 2 for 4. Russ King - 2 for 5. George Radlein - 1 for 4. Team Canada Lloyd Hopper - 2 for 3 with 1 walk. Jerry Remington - 2 for 4. Bill McEllister - 0 for 4. Former WHSSC Members on Team Canada Hugh Lessard - 4 for 4 with 2 doubles. Hal Ridley 2 for 4. Alan Walters - 1 for 4. March 21st - The highest scoring game of the season took place on Field E this morning. The hot Riverside Bank Black team took on Elvis' HounDawgs Red, the team tied for first going into the games today. Over 60 runs crossed the plate and, by the time it was all over, the Black Banks persevered by a score of 34-33.
The contest had all the earmarks of a slugfest. The score was knotted at 10-10 after two innings of play and the Black Banks scored five more in the third frame. Joel Freedman, Jerry Remington, John Stewart, & Art Zakrowski were each 2 for 2 in the three innings for the Black Banks. The HounDawgs were hitting well, too. Elmer Black, Chuck Duff, Bob Lewis, Doug McLellan, Danny Parker, and Bill Ravo were each 2 for 2 at that point in the game. At the end of eight innings of play, the score was tied 30-30. The HounDawgs began the ninth with a walk to Joe Hissey and Jaime Rivera. Joe scored but Jaime was out on a fielder's choice. With two outs, Chuck Duff hit his second inside-the-park homer of the day, driving in two runs. That concluded the scoring for the HounDawgs ninth. The Black Banks were down 33-30 heading into the bottom of the last frame. With one out, Ron Carrothers singled, Joel Freedman walked, and Ken Doxtater singled in a run. Jerry Noble walked and Angel Merced singled. A single by Don Witmer ended the game. Four runs touched home and the Black Banks won the contest. A much calmer game took place on Field B as Polk Therapy Green bested the WH Dodgers Navy by a score of 12-10. The top half of the lineup did almost all the damage for the Greens. Ed Gazarek scored three runs and Randy Lane, Bob Zelazny, and Denny Shaffer each scored two times. The best inning for the Dodgers came in the home seventh. Down 8-6, Russ King, Bob Swartz, Lloyd Hopper, Bob Lundquest, and Gale Doty banged out five consecutive singles. The single by Gale drove in the fourth and final run of the inning. Going into the eighth frame, the Dodgers lead 10-8. The Greens scored three in the eighth on a single by Randy Lane, a double by Bob Zelazny, and singles by Bill Ayer and Doug Graham. That gave them an 11-10 lead. One more run scored in the ninth for the Greens while the Dodgers were shut down in the last two innings. Besides the two inside-the-park homers by Chuck Duff, other players who hit inside-the-park homers were Ed Gazarek, Freddy Gonzalez, Lloyd Hopper, Ed Kline, Jim Laffoon, and Floyd Welton.
LEADING HITTERS: Polk Therapy Green Bill Ayer - 3 for 4. Doug Graham - 3 for 4. WH Dodgers Navy Joe D'Herin - 4 for 5 with 2 doubles. Sam Harrell - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Hank Gomez - 3 for 4. Trustco Bank Purple John Abramo - 4 for 4 with 1 walk. Reg Barnes - 5 for 6. Cecil Vasquez - 4 for 5 with 2 doubles. Dick Mahon - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Dick Sessink - 4 for 5. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Ron Thompson - 5 for 5 with 1 double. Freddy Gonzalez - 4 for 5 with 1 homer. Ed Kline - 4 for 5 with 1 homer. Bernie Peterson - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Merrill Lynch Gray Fred Dampier - 2 for 2 with 1 double, 1 walk, & 1 sacrifice fly. Doug Chamlee - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Elmer Wilcox - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Tim Gallagher - 3 for 4. Jarrett Gordon Blue Jim Laffoon - 4 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple. Harvey Rennie - 3 for 4. Riverside Bank Black Don Witmer - 5 for 5 with 1 double & 2 walks. Jerry Remington - 4 for 5 with 1 double & 1 walk. Jerry Noble - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 3 walks. Ken Doxtater - 3 for 4 with 2 walks. Joel Freedman - 3 for 4 with 2 walks. Art Zarkowski - 3 for 4 with 2 walks. Elvis' HounDawgs Red Chuck Duff - 6 for 6 with 2 homers & 1 triple. Danny Parker - 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 sacrifice fly. Doug McLellan - 5 for 6 with 4 doubles. John Smith - 4 for 5. March 25th - A cold front blew in during the evening and early morning hours. The temperature was about 48° F when the early birds began arriving at the old ballpark. The wind was gusting around 10 MPH.
With the season winding down, there were some important games being contested this morning. At game time, Merrill Lynch Gray held a one game lead over Elvis' HounDawgs Red, with Polk Therapy Green close behind at 1-1/2 games off the lead. Any of the three teams could win the league with two games left on the schedule, including the games today. The Gray Bulls fought hard against their season rivals, Trustco Bank Purple. The game took place on Field B. The Purple Banks gave the Gray Bulls their first two losses of the season and held a 2 games to 1 lead in the season series going into the game this morning. With the Gray Bulls leading 20-12 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Purple Banks exploded for eight runs to tie the score 20-20. Joe DeForge began the hitting with a single after the first batter flew out to rightfielder Jack Valliere. Reg Barnes cranked a double over defending right centerfielder Fred Dampier, followed by a single from the bat of pool player Cecil Vasquez. Don Erb then blasted a three run homer over the leftfield fence. John Abramo singled directly after the homer and was forced at second on a fielder's choice. Afterwards, Ron Augenstein, Floyd Welton, & Dick Sessink each singled. The next batter, Bob Douglas smashed a deep double over left centerfielder Tim Gallagher to finish off the tremendous inning for the Purple Banks. Going into the final frame, the Purple Banks held a slim 23-21 lead. This time, it was the Gray Bulls turn to begin a hitting spree. Jack Valliere, Carl Luebking, & Bill McDonough each singled before Frank Acevedo hit a sacrifice fly to leftfielder Reg Barnes. Chris Constantine and Tim Gallagher hit back-to-back doubles. With first base open, pitcher Dick Sessink walked Fred Dampier. The next batter, Elmer Wilcox, answered with a deep double to leftfield. The double by Elmer left first base open once again, so Mike Stepp drew a free pass. Bill McEllister immediately doubled and Jack Valliere produced his second single of the inning and drove in the final run of the ninth. The Purple Banks scored two in the bottom of the ninth but needed seven to tie. The hard fought game kept the Gray Bulls in first place. The game on Field D wasn't close as Polk Therapy Green scored 29 runs against the sinking Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold. The Greens scored 14 runs and allowed only three in the first four innings on timely hitting and superb defense. Randy Lane and Bob Zelazny each went 3 for 3 with one double in the first four innings. They also scored each time they got aboard. In all, the Greens had a total of four innings where they scored the maximum five runs. The Gold Chickens did have a nice display of hitting in the eighth inning. Pool players Freddy Gonzalez and Steve Collins hit doubles and Bernie Peterson, Ed Lupiani, Jim Gillies, pool player Rusty Landahl, & Ron Cerotzke each banged out singles as six runs crossed the plate. But it was a matter of too little, too late as the Gold Chickens lost 29-13. With the Gray Bulls win already in the books, Elvis' HounDawgs Red was faced with a must win situation. Their game was still in progress against Jarrett Gordon Blue. The game turned out to be a high scoring affair. The Blue had a 15-9 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning so it was time for the HounDawgs to buckle down to business. Chuck Duff lead off the frame with a single. Afterwards, George Radlein singled, Cal Leigh doubled, and Bob Lewis, Elmer Black, & Elvis Abney each connected for singles. With all the hitting displayed, six runs scored and the score was knotted at 15-15 at the end of five innings of play. The Blue came back with five runs in the top of the sixth frame. Jim Laffoon began the inning with a solo homer over the fence. Bob Christiansen walked after that shot, and Fred Ducham and Larry Williamson singled. Eddie Diaz then drew a walk. Singles by Ed Neumyer and Doug Chamlee capped off the five run frame. Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Blue lead 20-15. The HounDawgs jumped on the hitting wagon again with a five spot and were tied 20-20 after six innings of play. There was only one extra base hit, a double by Danny Parker, in the inning. The rest were singles. The ninth began with the HounDawgs ahead by the score of 26-24. The Blue scored three on doubles by George Radlein and Cal Leigh so the HounDawgs needed one run to take the game into extra innings. They did manage one run as the leadoff batter walked and scored. At the end of regulation play, the score was 27-27. The Winter Haven Senior Softball Club rules state that only one extra inning will be played. After the extra inning, the game will be considered complete and will be logged into the books, whether or not there is a winner after 10 innings. One other game ended in a tie this season. On February 19th, Polk Therapy Green and Trustco Bank Purple played to a 20-20 tie after 10 innings on Field D. The Blue took full advantage of the extra frame. Doug Chamlee started the top of the final inning with a single and Rich Kralik walked. A deep triple from the bat of Al Andrews scored two runs. Ted Taylor walked and Jim Laffoon knocked a run scoring triple. Bob Christiansen singled in Jim for the fifth and last run of the top of the tenth. The HounDawgs had a relatively quiet bottom of the tenth, scored no runs, and dropped the extra inning game 32-27. The WH Dodgers Navy took on Riverside Bank Black as Sam Harrell made his season pitching debut for the Dodgers. Although Sam walked nine batters, he did record his first strikeout during the game. Sam has thrown some batting practice and pitched a complete game loss during the fall of 2007. In this game, the Black Banks won by a score of 23-10. It was already mentioned that Jim Laffoon drove a ball over the fence on Field E and Don Erb hit one over on Field B. Fred Dampier also hit one out of Field B that flew over the right centerfield fence into a palm tree. Two inside-the-park homers were hit by pool player Herb Oesterreich and one each were hit by Bill McEllister, Denny Shaffer, and Don Witmer. The Gray Bulls are assured of first place in the league this season after their win against the Purple Banks and the HounDawgs loss against the Blue. The win over the Gold Chickens by the Greens moved them one half game ahead of the HounDawgs and into second place. The final day of the season will be on Friday with second place up for grabs and the schedule indicates the Greens will be home team against the HounDawgs on Field B. How about that for some great scheduling?
LEADING HITTERS: Merrill Lynch Gray Tim Gallagher - 4 for 5 with 1 double & 1 walk. Trustco Bank Purple Floyd Welton - 4 for 5. Don Erb - 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 double, & 2 walks. Riverside Bank Black Jerry Noble - 2 for 2 with 3 walks. Herb Oesterreich - 3 for 4 with 2 homers, 1 double, & 1 walk. WH Dodgers Navy Joe D'Herin - 4 for 5 with 2 doubles. Lloyd Hopper - 4 for 5 with 1 triple. Bob Lundquest - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double. Polk Therapy Green Randy Lane - 5 for 6 with 1 double. Denny Shaffer - 4 for 5 with 1 homer. Bill Ayer - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Ed Gazarek - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 walk. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Bernie Peterson - 5 for 5. Ron Cerotzke - 3 for 4. Jarrett Gordon Blue Jim Laffoon - 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, 2 doubles, & 3 walks. Al Andrews - 6 for 7 and hit for cycle with 2 doubles & 2 triples. Larry Williamson - 5 for 6 with 1 walk. Ed Neumyer - 5 for 6. Doug Chamlee - 4 for 5 with 1 sacrifice fly. Elvis' HounDawgs Red Chuck Duff - 5 for 6 with 1 triple & 1 double. George Radlein - 5 for 6 with 2 doubles. Elvis Abney - 5 for 6. It was announced this morning by the Board of Directors that the participants for future softball seasons from January through March will be divided between age groups. Players from age 55 through 69 will play in the American League and players age 70 and above will play in the National League, or Senior Circuit, as it is known in Major League Baseball. The age of the player on January first will determine which league he will be placed. An overwhelming majority of 85% of Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members wanted this change, according to a survey that was taken approximately three months ago. Pool player George Radlein was the pitcher of record on Field E for the HounDawgs against the Blue. During the game, George was hit in the shoulder by a line drive from the bat of Bob Chirstiansen. George went to the hopital after the game. The report is that three x-rays of the shoulder came back negative for any breaks. George does have a severely sprained shoulder and will sport a sling for about a week. The doctor said that George was lucky, because an inch or so higher and the impact would have broken the clavicle. Take care, George, and we all hope your shoulder will completely heal and you will be back on the diamond soon. March 28th - The final games of the 2008 Winter Haven Senior Softball Club season were played this morning. Merrill Lynch Gray had first place already wrapped up but Polk Therapy Green hosted Elvis' HounDawgs Red on Field B in the contest for second place.
The Greens got off to a fast start with four runs in the home first. Frank Miller doubled and scored on a fielding error from a ball hit by Denny Shaffer. The next batter, Ed Gazarek, connected for an inside-the-park homer. Bill Ayer reached base safely and scored on a hit by Doug Graham. With the Greens leading 8-2 going into the fifth inning, the HounDawgs rallied for five runs to pull within one run of a tie. John Smith began the frame with a single and later scored. Will Dick singled after a walk to Joe Hissey. Jaime Rivera banged out the first of two doubles for the day and scored on a Danny Parker triple. An RBI single by Chuck Duff rounded out the scoring. The HounDawgs tied the game 10-10 in the eighth on top-of-the-order hitting. Jaime Rivera hit a double and scored on a single from the bat of Danny Parker. Chuck Duff doubled, driving in Jaime. Cal Leigh singled, and the third and tying run scored on a fielder's choice. After the HounDawgs were held scoreless in the top of the ninth, the Greens needed only one run for the win. Doug Graham lead off the inning with a single and advanced on a groundout by the next batter. With first base open, Keith Linton was issued a walk. Bill Spring stepped to the plate and delivered a single for the game winning RBI. Way to go Bill. The win by the surging Greens gave them sole possession of second place for the season. In addition to the inside-the-park homer by Ed Gazarek, the list of inside-the-park homers this morning included Herb Oesterreich, Denny Shaffer, and Don Witmer. Fred Dampier didn't receive credit for a homer on a ball he hit down the rightfield line, since that would have been the sixth run of the inning.
LEADING HITTERS: Polk Therapy Green Frank Miller - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Doug Graham - 4 for 5. Elvis' HounDawgs Red Danny Parker - 4 for 4 with 1 triple. Jaime Rivera - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles. Chuck Duff - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Trustco Bank Purple John Abramo - 4 for 5. Ron Augenstein - 3 for 4 with 1 walk. Jarrett Gordon Blue Ted Taylor - 3 for 3 with 1 sacrifice fly. Bob Christiansen - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 2 doubles. Kentucky Fried Chicken Gold Ron Thompson - 3 for 4 with 2 walks. WH Dodgers Navy Joe D'Herin - 4 for 5 with 4 doubles. Lloyd Hopper - 4 for 5 with 1 triple. Merrill Lynch Gray Fred Dampier - 4 for 4 with 1 triple, 2 doubles, & 1 walk. Chris Constantine - 3 for 3 with 1 double, 1 walk, & 1 sacrifice fly. Tim Gallagher - 4 for 5. Carl Luebking - 3 for 4. Riverside Bank Black Jerry Remington - 4 for 5 with 1 double. 
Two Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members sponsored teams in the league this season. Elvis Abney paid the entry fee for Elvis' HounDawgs Red and Hank Gomez footed the bill for the WH Dodgers Navy. Thank you, Elvis and Hank, for your generousity.
Winter Haven DiamondPlex employee Foreman Rue and supervisor Gordy Ostlund are retiring after today. The two retirees were recognized by the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club and awarded wrist watches. Both guys have been exceptionally helpful over the years and will be missed by all. Good luck Foreman and Gordy. Two new players joined Winter Haven Senior Softball Club this morning. Both players are from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Welcome aboard, Glenn Holland and Hector Marinacci. |
February 2008
