February 2nd - The Polk County Senior Softball Hall of Fame banquet is set for 6:00 PM on March 10th at the Clarion Hotel in Winter Haven. There are two inductees this year - Jose Agosto, who plays in both Winter Haven and Lakeland, and Russ Winner, who participates in the Lakeland Senior Softball program.
The cost for the banquet is $15.00 per person and tickets can be obtained from Joel Freedman, Wayne Mundy, Ron Thompson, or Floyd Welton. Tickets will be available until March 1st.
February 3rd - It has been declared there will be no games this morning due to an excessive amount of rain that hit the area yesterday evening. As is the policy, the cancelled games will not be made up at a later date.
The Senior Softball USA (SSUSA) organization has revised their website to include links to different regions across the United States. The REGIONS drop down menu is located along the top of their web page and there is a link to FLORIDA. The Winter Haven Senior Softball Club and Lakeland Senior Softball are among the softball programs mentioned.
A link to SSUSA is located near the bottom of this web page.
Hats off to Senior Softball USA for making these additions to their fine website.
February 6th - The temperature had dipped down to 33° F when the gates were opened at the old ballpark but it is predicted to rise to 64° F before the day is over. There was a slight breeze at game time but not enough to make it feel colder. However, before the games were completed, both the temperature and the winds picked up.
Field “B”, the Polk Community College diamond for the women’s fast pitch team, was unavailable for National League play. It is in the works to move the fences in from 225’ to 200’. The National League game was moved to Field "B", which sports the regulation 300’ fences.
The Rusty’s Relics Rockies came out firing on all cylinders as they squeaked by Play It Again Sports Mets in a tight game on Field "B". The two squads battled throughout the game. After leading from the onslaught, the Rockies had to pull it out in the bottom of the eighth frame to secure a victory.
Both teams put five runs on the boards in the opening frame. The Mets struck first. Fred Ducham, Ron Augenstein, Bill Ayer, Rich Palmer, and Mitch Mitchell each singled and scored. An RBI base hit by Otto Smith put the icing on the cake for the five run inning.
The Rockies matched the run total with five of their own. The top five in the batting order, Bob Lewis, Jack Valliere, Bill Evans, Elmer Wilcox, and Walt Leggett, each singled and crossed home plate. Two runners remained on the base paths after the inning was over. Reg Barnes and Bill Triolo both had base hits.
It seemed that each time the Mets scored, the Rockies would score one or two more runs, which was just enough to keep the lead after the completion of an inning. However, the Rockies came across a dry spell in the sixth and seventh, which allowed the Mets to close the gap.
In the top of the sixth, the batting order had made it back to the lead off hitter. Fred Ducham and Frank Miller punched out singles before Ron Augenstein cranked a double to right centerfield, scoring the two runners. A Bill Ayer base hit, followed by a single from the bat of Rich Palmer, finished the scoring opportunities in the frame.
Four runs had scored in the sixth but the Mets still lead 22-16.
Five more runs were logged into the score book when the Mets went to bat in the seventh inning. It was more of the same as the top of the order came through again. Overall, lead off hitter Fred Ducham scored five times and Ron Augenstein and Bill Ayer each scored four runs.
It wasn’t until the eighth before the Rockies woke up from their slumber and it was just in the nick of time. They had relinquished the lead in the top of the inning for the only time in the game. Down by a score of 24-22, it was time to get back to the task at hand. Bill Evans, who was hot today as he went 5 for 5, singled after the first batter flew out to rightfielder Jim McPartlan. A sharp lineout to third baseman Bill Ayer followed the single. With two outs and one runner on base, Walt Leggett, who also went 5 for 5, belted out a double to score Bill from first. Pool player Erv Fitzke connected for a clutch single while Reg Barnes also reached base. The fifth run crossed home plate when Gene Morey made it to first.
The first place Mets were held scoreless in the ninth and the last place Rockies recorded one in the win column.
In the two team American League game, the Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox looked strong as they took care of the Polk Therapy Athletics by a score of 33-31. The first five batters combined for a .706 clip as they pounded the ball with extra base hits from the beginning to end of the game. A grand total of 15 doubles and three triples were marked on the score sheets. Roger Edwards lead the group with three triples and three doubles but Joe D’Herin wasn’t far behind as he collected six doubles. Chris Constantine got credit for four doubles.
In a losing effort for the Athletics, Don Erb finished the day with an extraordinary list of stats. He cranked two home runs over the fence on Field "D" and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam homer. He also hit for the cycle since he had one single, one double, and one triple as well. The opposing pitcher had seen enough of Don’s power and walked him the last two plate appearances.
Lee Baker, second baseman for the Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals, set a record this morning. This single game feat during the season may never be broken. Lee batted seven times and coaxed seven walks! Now that is what is called an "eagle eye".
Besides the three homers by Don Erb, John Abramo hit an inside-the-park homer for the Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays in the American League.
A National League inside-the-park homer was hit by Floyd Welton of the Trustco Bank Astros. Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals teammates Ron Carrothers and Ron Thompson each hit two inside-the-park homers. Incidentally, Ron number two hit for the cycle this morning.
| Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 26 | Play It Again Sports Mets | 24 | Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 37 | Trustco Bank Astros | 36 |
| Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 33 | Polk Therapy Athletics | 31 | ||||
| Florida Cardiology Tigers | 11 | Ingram Financial Royals | 7 | Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 7 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Walt Leggett – 5 for 5 with 3 doubles.
Bill Evans – 5 for 5 with 1 double.
Bill Triolo – 4 for 5.
Play It Again Sports Mets
Rich Palmer – 5 for 6 with 1 double.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Harvey Rennie - 7 for 7 with 1 double.
Joel Freedman - 7 for 7.
Ron Thompson – 6 for 6 and hit for the cycle with 2 homers & 1 walk.
Ron Carrothers – 6 for 6 with 2 homers & 1 walk.
Ray DePalma - 5 for 6 with 1 walk.
Trustco Bank Astros
Floyd Welton - 6 for 7 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Randy Hill - 5 for 6 with 2 triples & 3 doubles.
Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox
Roger Edwards - 6 for 7 with 3 triples & 3 doubles.
Joe D’Herin - 6 for 7 with 6 doubles.
Bob Lundquest - 6 for 7 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Jerry Witter - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 walk.
Polk Therapy Athletics
Don Erb – 6 for 6 and hit for the cycle with 3 homers & 2 walks.
Florida Cardiology Tigers
Eddie Diaz - 3 for 4.
Ingram Financial Royals
Brent Alumbaugh - 3 for 3 with 1 triple & 1 sacrifice fly.
Jim Laffoon - 3 for 3 with 1 walk.
The only roster move that was made involved Angel Merced, who was moved from the Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays and placed into the growing group of American League pool players.
The Florida Half Century tournament takes place this weekend at the Winter Haven DiamondPlex and in Lakeland at the Southwest Complex and West Side Complex. There are six teams represented from the local area of Winter Haven and Lakeland. The Lake Wales Legends, a top team in the 60s division managed by Kenny Duell, will play at the DiamondPlex fields. The other five teams will play at the Southwest Complex in Lakeland. The teams are: the Polk County Warriors, coached by Larry Powell and moving up from the 50s to the 60s division for the first time; the Lakeland Canadians, a top team in the 65s bracket and managed by former Winter Haven player John Ormsby; the Lakeland Rounders, managed by Lakeland Senior Softball player Bobby Skidmore and playing in the 65s division; American Legion Post 8, managed by Jose Agosto and playing in the 70s division; and Fred’s Market, a new team in the 70s bracket and consisting mostly of Lakeland Senior Softball members.
To find out game times, click on the Florida Half Century link near the bottom of this page. Once on the Florida Half Century web page, click the FHC DIVISIONS link that is located on the left side of the screen and click 60 PLUS DIVISION on the next page. Finally, click TEAMS to see the list of teams in the tournament and take note of the team number, then return to the previous page and click SCHEDULE. The game times are listed by team number on the schedule. Whew!
Please drop by the parks this weekend and support the guys.
February 10th - Two games were decided by one run this morning, and it took 10 innings to decide the winner in one of the contests.
In the National League, Trustco Bank Astros slipped by Rusty’s Relics Rockies by a score of 23-22.
If the fans would have headed for the exits early in the game, they would have thought the Rockies walked away with an easy victory. But that was not the case.
Five runs came home in the top of the first for the visiting Rockies as Astros pitcher Bob Sciamanna made his
debut on the mound. The butterflies were stirring when the first two batters drew walks. Bob Lewis and Jack Vallerie were the recipients of the free passes. The next batter reached on a fielding error before the first out was recorded when the cleanup hitter popped up to third baseman Dave Podbielksi. Walt Leggett and Erv Fitzke followed with base hits while driving in three runners. The final two runs scored on the second error of the frame.
The Astros could manage only one run in the first. Leadoff batter Jose Agosto tripled to the opposite field and scored on a Wayne Mundy double. Those Lakeland fellows stick together, don’t they? Both Jose and Wayne also play in the Lakeland Senior Softball program and Jose is a coach of one of the eight teams in that league.
The Astros tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. The team put together three consecutive hits from the bats of Jose Agosto, Floyd Welton, and Wayne Mundy before Ed Kline hit a sacrifice fly to right centerfielder Walt Leggett to score the first run. The last two runs scored on singles by Dick Sessink and Doug Chamlee. Doug had a perfect 4 for 4 day at the plate before he had to make an early exit from the game. Details on that departure will be reported on a later date if significant.
After five innings of play, the score was knotted at 8-8.
Now it was the Rockies turn to retake the lead. Three runners crossed home in the sixth. Two of the runners who scored had walked. The only hit of the inning was an RBI single by Gene Morey.
Five more Rockies found their way home in the seventh. Bill Evans crushed a two run triple to rightfield. He scored on a single by Elmer Wilcox. Erv Fitzke, who went 4 for 4 in the game this morning, doubled in two more runs and Reg Barnes singled in the fifth run.
The Rockies had built up a 16-8 lead over the Astros heading into the bottom of the seventh. Then the bottom fell out.
The first Astros man grounded out to second baseman Bill Triolo and the batter reached on a dropped ball. That should have been out number two. Ed Kline then singled. What could have been the third out turned into yet another miscue, which allowed the very first run to score. Error free ball and the inning is over with zero runs scored. But the inning wasn’t by a long shot. Doug Chamlee then singled before the next hitter flew out shallow to rightfield. The fifth out then reached base on the third error of the slippery inning. That dropped ball drove home a run. The flood doors continued to spread open as Bob Sciamanna, Dave Podbielski, and Joltin’ Joe DeForge collected base hits. The fourth error of the frame followed the hits before Floyd Welton stepped into a pitch to his liking and knocked a triple the opposite way. The seventh out was misplayed and Ed Kline had a base hit before Dick Sessink singled in the tying run. Wow! Eight runs were needed for a tie and eight runs scored. What an inning! All the runs were unearned, too. Ouch!
The Rockies were disheartened but definitely were not quitters. The team licked their wounds and bounced back with a five run eighth inning. The bottom of the lineup came through as four of the five runs came from the lower part of the order. Rockies owner and CEO Rusty Landahl singled and scored, Bill Triolo walked and scored, and Gene Morey and Les Wolff singled and scored.
The top of the lineup for the Rockies did have to contribute though. Bob Lewis and Elmer Wilcox had base hits and the hit by Elmer drove home the fifth run.
The Astros responded with three runs in the eighth and had to score four in the bottom of the ninth to pull out the victory. A single by Ed Neumyer was final nail in the coffin that sealed the fate of the Rockies.
The American League one run game was exciting to watch and drew a crowd of about six to eight fans. Almost standing room only for this one!
The second place Ingram Financial Royals took on the fourth place Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays and the Royals probably expected an easy win over the hapless Rays. The win did eventually come but easy it was not.
The visiting Rays began with a gapper double by Hugh Lessard. Hugh had a hot bat today as he went 5 for 5 with four extra base hits in the contest. Tim Gallagher and pool player Ed Gazarek singled before power hitter Jerry Remington tripled. Fred Dampier singled in a run and tried to stretch the hit into a double but was declared out at second. After the second out was made on a grounder to second baseman Bill McEllister, the hits began again. Ken Wilson, Larry Williamson, and John Abramo each had base hits and the single by John drove home the fifth run.
The first four hitters in the Royals lineup scored and the tying run stranded at third in the opening frame. Ed Guspyt singled and scored on a Jim Laffoon triple. Jim’s bat was scorching hot. He ended the day going 7 for 7 with five extra base hits that found the gaps in the outfield. Jim scored on a Don Bercaw single. Dangerous hitter Brent Alumbaugh also had a base hit. The two runners on base could not advance when the next batter flew out to short leftfield but Bill McEllister did the job with a hit. Cal Leigh also had a base hit but Bill and Cal were left on base.
After one inning of play was in the books, the Rays lead 5-4.
The top of the lineup for the Royals was practically unstoppable and they were all
perfect in the first three frames. The first four batters, Ed Guspyt, Jim Laffoon, Don Bercaw, and Brent Alumbaugh, each scored in the first through the third innings while they went 12 for 12 with four doubles and four triples.
The Fantastic Four of the Royals gave their team a 13-6 lead heading into the top of the fourth inning.
The Rays fourth began with the lower part of the order and they answered the call. Larry Williamson and Bart Gongaware each had base raps and crossed home plate when Hugh Lessard cranked a triple out of the grasp of rightfielder Tom Snider. Tim Gallagher was patient at the plate as he drew a walk. Ed Gazarek and Jerry Remington had RBI singles to tie the score at 13-13. Six runs had crossed the plate in the eventful inning.
After the fourth frame, the game cooled off to almost a low idle. A run scored here and there but both teams couldn’t ignite a big rally.
The Rays scored twice in the ninth to take a one run lead and the bat of Sam Lopez awoke just in time for the Royals in the bottom of the inning. He lead off with a deep triple way over the head of defending leftfielder John Abramo. Needless to say, he scored but no one else did in the ninth. Bill McEllister and Ken Ota each singled and both were still on base when the third out was recorded.
The Rays went three up and three down in the tenth inning. A two team tie will play only one extra inning as stated in the rules. After 10 innings, the game will be considered complete. The Rays could only hope for a tie.
Jim Laffoon lead off the bottom of the tenth with a double. Don Bercaw wouldn’t go fishing so he walked as did Brent Alumbaugh. Up stepped Sam Lopez, who scored the tying run in the ninth. Could he do it again in the tenth? Righty Sam hit a screaming grounder down the first base line to drive home the winning run.
American League premier power hitter Don Erb was at it again. The Polk Therapy Athletics player hit two over the fence on Field “D” in his last two at bats.
Don’s teammate Ted Taylor had an inside-the-park homer.
National League inside-the-park home runs were hit by Rusty’s Relics Rockies pool player Erv Fitzke and Play It Again Sports Mets player Bill Ayer.
| Trustco Bank Astros | 23 | Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 22 | ||||
| Play It Again Sports Mets | 30 | Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 14 | ||||
| Ingram Financial Royals | 19 | Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 18 | ||||
| Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 10 | Florida Cardiology Tigers | 21 | Polk Therapy Athletics | 16 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Trustco Bank Astros
Doug Chamlee - 4 for 4.
Ed Kline – 4 for 5 with 1 sacrifice fly.
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Erv Fitzke – 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Play It Again Sports Mets
Bill Ayer – 5 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Ron Augustine - 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 2 doubles.
Bernie Peterson - 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Frank Miller - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Fred Ducham - 4 for 5.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Sam Harrell - 4 for 5.
Ron Thompson - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Ron Carrothers - 3 for 4.
Ingram Financial Royals
Jim Laffoon – 7 for 7 with 1 triple & 4 doubles.
Don Bercaw – 6 for 6 with 1 double & 1 walk.
Bill McEllister – 5 for 5 with 1 walk.
Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays
Hugh Lessard – 5 for 5 with 2 triples & 2 doubles.
Ed Gazarek – 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 2 doubles.
Jerry Remington – 5 for 5 with 1 triple.
Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox
Gale Doty - 3 for 3.
Joe D’Herin - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Chris Constantine - 3 for 4.
Florida Cardiology Tigers
Eddie Diaz - 3 for 3 with 2 doubles & 1 walk.
Bill Ravo - 4 for 5.
Mike Urell - 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Bill Rutan - 3 for 4 with 1 double & 1 walk.
Denny Shaffer - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Polk Therapy Athletics
George Radlein - 3 for 3 with 1 sacrifice fly.
Dennis Holder - 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
Don Erb – 3 for 4 with 2 homers.
Ted Taylor – 3 for 4 with 1 homer.
Bob DiPietro - 3 for 4 with 3 doubles.
Rich Moots - 3 for 4.
Most of the ball players stayed around the park after the games because there were pizza and drinks for everyone compliments of the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club funds.
February 13th - Friday the 13th proved to be an unlucky day for the Ingram Financial Royals. They needed a win to stay close to the Florida Cardiology Tigers, the first place team that is tearing up the American League.
The Royals squared off against the Polk Therapy Athletics in a two team contest on Field "D" this morning. The Athletics, lead by power hitter Don Erb, have been playing some solid softball lately and are working their way up in the standings.
Royals manager Bob Zelazny chose a pool player in the lead off position and it paid some immediate dividends. Ed Gazarek began the game with a single, the first of three consecutive hits by the Royals. The second and third hitters, Jim Laffoon and Bob Zelazny,
also singled to begin the game. Clean up batter Brent Alumbaugh lifted a ball deep fly ball into the outfield but leftfielder Bob DiPietro picked it up on his radar and tracked it down. A run scored so Brent was credited with a sacrifice fly. Pesky hitter Sam Lopez doubled in a run and Bill McEllister singled to load the bases. Once again, a run was scored on a sacrifice fly. Larry Powell did the job this time. Cal Leigh singled with two outs but wasn’t moved past first base. Four runs scored for the Royals in the top of the first and things were looking good.
But now it was time for the Athletics to have their turn at bat. Newly acquired player Bob DiPietro, who was moved from the pool and playing his first game with his new team, singled to lead off the bottom of the first. Speedy Freddy Gonzalez doubled Bob home for the first run. Don Erb followed with a long triple, scoring Freddy, and then manager Russ King eyed a bases on balls. Singles by Cal Leigh, Ted Taylor, George Radlein, Mike Tomasso, and Art Zakrowski drove in the final three runs. Five scored for the Athletics and no outs were recorded.
The battle was on. The Royals came out firing again in the second. Ed Gazarek, Jim Laffoon, and Bob Zelazny all singled before Brent Alumbaugh tripled in a couple of runs. Brent stood at third base with one out in the books. The next batter fouled out and a fly out to rightfielder Ted Taylor completed the inning with Brent still parked at third base. But three runs did score in the top of the second.
After the first three batters came to the plate in the bottom of the second for the Athletics, two outs were already logged so it was looking like an uneventful inning. Then Bob DiPietro stepped to the plate. He drove a double in the gap and Freddy Gonzalez placed a triple out of reach. Don Erb singled Freddy across the plate and singles by Russ King and Ted Taylor pushed Don home.
After two innings of play, the Athletics had taken a 9-7 lead and the game was beginning to lean towards a score that would look normal for a football game.
With the Royals slowing down to a crawl in the third and fourth frames, the Athletics didn’t let up for a breather. The maximum 10 runs crossed home plate in those two innings. Art Zakrowski and Dennis Holder each scored two times and the entire lineup pounded the ball around all parts of the field.
The fifth displayed more hitting for the Athletics. No outs were recorded although a couple of errors occurred by the time five runs had scored.
The Royals, who were down 24-12 heading into the sixth frame, staged a comeback. Every player plus one batted in the inning as they tried their best. Brent Alumbaugh, Sam Lopez, and Bill McEllister all singled before the first out went into the books. The second out immediately followed and it was looking bleak as only one run had found it’s way home at that point. Then the sticks heated up. Tom Snider, Larry Wells, Ed Gazarek, Jim Laffoon, and Bob Zelazny all had base hits. By the time the inning came to a close, six runs had scored for the Royals. That was the good news. Now the bad news. They were still trailing by six runs. Just one touchdown behind without the extra point and the game would be deadlocked but it didn't happen today.
The Athletics were just too much to handle this morning as they chalked up a win against the second place Royals.
Inside-the-park homers: Randy Hill hit a three run homer and a solo shot for the Trustco Bank Astros and Ron Thompson hit one for the Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals in National League play.
Florida Cardiology Tigers team mates Don Witmer and Dick Mahon hit homers in the American League.
| Play It Again Sports Mets | 18 | Trustco Bank Astros | 12 | ||||
| Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 20 | Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 16 | ||||
| Polk Therapy Athletics | 30 | Ingram Financial Royals | 21 | ||||
| Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 9 | Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 7 | Florida Cardiology Tigers | 16 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Play It Again Sports Mets
Frank Miller - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Bernie Peterson - 4 for 5.
Doug Chamlee - 3 for 4.
Trustco Bank Astros
Randy Hill – 4 for 4 with 2 homers.
Elvis Abney - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Ron Thompson – 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 2 triples, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Sam Harrell - 5 for 5.
Ron Carrothers - 4 for 5 with 2 triples.
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Reg Barnes - 4 for 5.
Bob Lewis - 4 for 5.
Polk Therapy Athletics
Bob DiPietro - 6 for 6 with 3 doubles.
Don Erb - 4 for 5 with 2 triples, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Russ King – 4 for 5 with 1 double & 1 walk.
Art Zakrowski – 4 for 5.
Rich Moots - 4 for 5.
Ted Taylor – 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Ingram Financial Royals
Bob Zelazny – 6 for 6.
Jim Laffoon – 4 for 5 with 1 sacrifice fly.
Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays
Roger Edwards - 4 for 4 with 3 doubles.
Wally Granger - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox
Joe D’Herin - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Al Andrews - 3 for 4.
Florida Cardiology Tigers
Don Scarbrough - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
February 17th - The games this morning went down as the day of upsets. Both of the top teams in the National League tasted defeat at the hands of the two lower teams. The two highest ranked teams in the American League teams couldn’t pull out a victory, either.
Rusty’s Relics Rockies scored often against the first place Play It Again Sports Mets as the Mets lost only their third game of the season. Rockies pitcher Elmer Wilcox and owner Rusty Landahl sparked the team with 5 for 5 performances. Pool player Wayne Mundy scored every time he got aboard in the victory while newly acquired Jack Valliere was right behind with four runs scored.
The top of the lineup for the Mets practically did all the damage, with the exception of four runs of the 22 total that scored in the game. Frank Miller and Ron Augenstein each scored four times in the game. Opposing pitcher Rich Palmer had a perfect 5 for 5 day at the plate and he is getting stronger by the minute. Just a couple of months ago, Rich was taking a pinch runner from home plate but today he legged out a double and a triple.
Second place Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals lost a heartbreaker against the Trustco Bank Astros. The Astros built up an enormous 25-13 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but the Cardinals exploded for 12 runs to tie the game. Ray DePalma, Don LaMay, and Ron Thompson each
went 2 for 2 in the seventh frame. One of the hits by Don was an inside-the-park homer.
Early in the game, the Astros scored the maximum five runs five times to build up their 25-13 lead. After three innings of play, they had already put 15 runs on the score board. Elmer Black and Ed Kline banged out consecutive inside-the-park homers in the second inning. The whole lineup contributed in the win and every player with the exception of one unnamed man scored at least one run.
After relinquishing the huge lead, the Astros had to pull it out in the bottom of the ninth since the score was knotted at 28-28. Winning pitcher Dick Sessink produced a big one out hit, was pushed
to third on a Dave Podbielski base hit, and ended up scoring the winning run.
In American League action, the Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox logged an impressive 17-9 victory over the first place Florida Cardiology Tigers. The loss was the second against eight wins and the Tigers still hold a game and one half lead in the American League.
The Red Sox had two big innings, the third and fifth frames, and that outburst seemed to be enough to dampen the will of the Tigers. In the fifth, manager and lead off batter Al Andrews slammed a double in the outfield gap to drive home two runs and that hit was followed by singles from the bats of Chris Constantine and Don Keller. Both Chris and Don scored before the inning was complete.
After five innings of play, the score stood at 13-6.
The Tigers got off to a good start in the first inning. Three runs crossed the plate. Don Scarbrough singled and scored, Don Witmer doubled in a couple of runs, and Don scored after singles from Dick Mahon and Denny Shaffer.
The other productive Tigers inning occurred in the sixth and ended up being the last time they put numbers greater than zero on the board. Lead off hitter Mike Stepp, perfect at the plate with a 5 for 5 day, singled to begin the frame. Pool player Ken Ota drew a walk and Don Scarbrough hit a one out run producing single. Ken and Don scored when the Dick Mahon and Denny Shaffer combination came through again with base hits.
In the three team affair, the Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays got their fourth win of the season at the expense of the Polk Therapy Athletics while the Athletics scored enough runs to win against the Ingram Financial Royals. The Royals could not string together enough hits and lost to the Rays.
The Rays started off with hot bats as they scored the max five runs in the first and second frames. The first three batters, Pat Accetta, Fred Dampier, and pool player Ed Gazarek, each scored one run apiece in the first two frames. Fred walked and had a three run inside-the-park homer and Ed
walked once. Jerry Remington crushed two doubles in his first two plate appearances, driving home two runs. He ended the day with three two baggers.
The Rays, defending against the Athletics, had a 20-10 lead heading into the middle of the fifth inning. The Athletics eliminated that lead as they managed 10 runs with the help of a small handful of errors. Don Erb, manager Russ King, Ted Taylor, and George Radlein began with singles. After the first out was recorded, Bill Rutan singled, Keith Linton drew a free pass, and Dennis Holder and Rich Moots had base hits before Bob DiPietro doubled. Ted Taylor drove home the tying run.
The Royals had some major offensive woes this morning. They started off with two runs in the first and appeared like they were headed towards a respectable game. Pool player Don Bercaw was inserted into the lead off position and he got things going with a single. He advanced to second on a fly out to right centerfielder Russ King and scored on a Bob Zelazny base rap. Brent Alumbaugh followed with a single, which pushed Bob to third base. Sam Lopez drove home the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly. Incidentally, Sam hit two sac flies in-a-row, because he hit another one in the third inning when he drove Jim Laffoon home.
It took until the last inning for the Royals to score in double figures. The top of
the lineup came through once more. Don Bercaw tripled and scored on a Jim Laffoon single. Afterwards, Bob Zelazny and Brent Alumbaugh singled. Bob scored when Bill McEllister reached base on a misplayed ball in the infield.
The Rays were tied at 20-20 when the seventh inning began. Royals starting pitcher Larry Powell left the park after the sixth, which presented manager Bob Zelazny with the unenviable task of having to shift the defense all around to accommodate for the loss of an impact player. Rightfielder Cal Leigh took the mound and walked the first two batters, Bob Christiansen and Larry Williamson. Cal is a good pitcher but hasn’t thrown in a game situation lately. Don Bercaw was brought in from the rover position to pitch next. The first batter got aboard on a dropped fly ball in the outfield, thus allowing one run to score. That run was charged to Cal. Randy Lane singled home the other run that was charged to Cal, closing the books on his pitching appearance. After the first out was recorded on a ground out fielder’s choice, Pat Accetta doubled and Fred Dampier tripled. The second out immediately followed when Ed Gazarek lifted a sacrifice fly to left centerfielder Bob Zelazny. Before the inning was over, Jerry Remington, Ken Wilson, Larry Williamson, and John Abramo had all punched out singles. A total of 10 runs touched home plate, giving the Rays a much needed 30-20 lead as they headed into the field for some defensive play. They would eventually win their part of the three team contest by the score of 30-21.
Inside-the-park homers: In the National League, Randy Hill hit two for the Astros and Ray DePalma hit two for the Cardinals. One each was hit by Bill Evans of the Rockies, Bernie Peterson of the Mets, and Don LaMay of the Cardinals. Astros players Elmer Black, Ed Kline, and John Smith each hit one.
American League inside-the-park homers were hit by Pierre Boissonneault of the Red Sox and Fred Dampier of the Rays. Eon Erb hit one over the leftfield fence on Field “D” but he didn’t get credit for the round tripper, since the team didn’t need his run to round out the inning with five runs.
| Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 29 | Play It Again Sports Mets | 22 | ||||
| Trustco Bank Astros | 29 | Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 28 | ||||
| Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 17 | Florida Cardiology Tigers | 9 | ||||
| Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 30 | Polk Therapy Athletics | 21 | Ingram Financial Royals | 10 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Rusty Landahl - 5 for 5 with 1 double.
Elmer Wilcox - 5 for 5.
Wayne Mundy - 4 for 5.
Lee Tomlinson - 4 for 5.
Jack Valliere - 4 for 5.
Play It Again Sports Mets
Rich Palmer - 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Ron Augenstein - 4 for 5.
Trustco Bank Astros
Doug Chamlee - 5 for 5 with 2 triples.
Dave Podbielski – 5 for 5.
John Smith – 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 2 doubles.
Ed Kline – 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Elmer Black – 4 for 5 with 1 homer.
Jose Agosto - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Randy Hill – 3 for 4 with 2 homers, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Dick Sessink – 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Ron Thompson – 5 for 5 with 2 triples.
Ray DePalma – 6 for 7 with 2 homers.
Harvey Rennie - 4 for 5 with 1 triple.
Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox
Gale Doty - 3 for 4.
Florida Cardiology Tigers
Mike Stepp - 5 for 5.
Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays
Ed Gazarek - 3 for 3 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Jerry Remington - 4 for 5 with 3 doubles.
Fred Dampier – 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 1 walk.
Larry Williamson – 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Bart Gongaware - 3 for 4.
Polk Therapy Athletics
Keith Linton - 3 for 3 with 1 walk.
Russ King – 4 for 5 with 1 triple.
Don Erb - 4 for 5 with 2 doubles.
Bob DiPietro - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Dennis Holder - 3 for 4.
Ingram Financial Royals
Brent Alumbaugh – 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Bob Zelazny – 3 for 4.
One new player joined the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club this morning. Brad Hitt is in the area for the winter but spends his summer months in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He will play in the American League during the season. Welcome aboard Brad.
February 18th - Wednesday - Each year during the season, Floyd Welton puts together a team of Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members and travels to Nalcrest for two games against the Nalcrest Eagles.
At the twin bill this year, the Wonders lost the first game 19-16 against the Eagles "A" team. Power hitter Don Erb crushed three balls over the fence for home runs in the losing effort. Elvis Abney, Don Bercaw, and Fred Dampier are on the Nalcrest Eagles team.
The Wonders easily won against the Eagles "B" team. The final score of that game was 15-1.
Other pictures of the event are located on the OTHER TEAMS link near the bottom of the main web page.
February 20th - It was a chilly day at the old ballpark this morning. The high is supposed to reach only 64° F and this shouldn’t happen until the afternoon. Besides the cooler weather, the wind was blowing around 15-20 MPH most of the time.
The first and second place teams battled it out in the National League. When the dust had settled, the Play It Again Sports Mets remained at the top of the heap and added another win to pull two games ahead of the Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals in the standings. The top of the lineup did the most damage for the Mets while the middle to lower part for the Cardinals did the job.
The Mets began the game with a five spot. Frank Miller, Ron Augenstein, manager Rich Palmer, and Bill Ayer all singled and scored in the opening frame. Mitch Mitchell walked and scored after back-to-back singles from the bats of Jim McPartlan and Ed Schmiedeke. From early on, it was looking like it was going to be another mark in the win column for the Mets.
The Cardinals stood their ground and scored five in the top of the second, five more in the third, and added four in the fourth to take a 14-12 lead after four innings of play. Manager Harvey Rennie scored in both the second and third frames and so did Joel Freedman. Both players achieved only one hit each, though. The other times they scored were at the expense of forcing another teammate out on the base paths. Ron Cerotzke singled in the second and third innings and scored both times.
When two runs were scored in the seventh for the Cardinals, the game was tied at 14-14. Pitcher Marvin Taylor singled and scored the tying run when Gene Baker made it on base.
The back breaker came in the Mets seventh inning. Fred Ducham, Frank Miller, Ron Augenstein, Bernie Peterson, and Rich Palmer all singled and scored. The final blow of the inning was a triple by Bill Ayer. Five runs crossed the plate in the Mets seventh.
The Rusty’s Relics Rockies hung in there and won their game in the ninth inning against the Trustco Bank Astros.
The Astros began strongly but put two goose eggs on the board in the last two frames. Leadoff batter Elmer Black was a driving force as he scored five runs while getting on base all six times he batted. The team scored the maximum five runs in three of the first four frames. They were still in the lead, although by only two runs, after four innings of play were in the books. Doug Chamlee batted well. He recorded four extra base hits in five trips to the plate. A fly out to rightfielder Lee Tomlinson in his last at bat was the only out he made in the game.
The Rockies dug themselves a hole by the time it was their turn to bat in the eighth inning. Down by eight runs with a score of 24-16, the team ignited for seven runs. A two run inside-the-park homer by Bill Evans began the scoring rally. Bob Lewis had singled to begin the inning but was forced at second base for the first out. After the Evans dinger, pitcher Elmer Wilcox singled
and a Walt Leggett double put men on second and third. Pool player Wayne Mundy stepped to the plate and slammed a triple to the opposite field. He scored on a two out single by Rusty Landahl. The two outs didn’t deter the team from continuing their timely hitting. Bill Triolo and Gene Morey also had RBI base raps after the second out was recorded.
The Astros were shut down in the bottom of the eighth, which allowed the Rockies to put the finishing touches on the hard fought victory. They scored two in the last frame. The first two batters reached base on hits as Bob Lewis and Reg Barnes each scored before the inning was completed. A Wayne Mundy double was the game winning hit as it turned out, since the Astros could not manage a run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Florida Cardiology Tigers showed the American League why they are sitting alone at the top of the standings. They scored at least two runs in every inning except when they were shutdown in the the ninth against the last place Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays.
The Tigers had only a one run lead on the Rays after two innings were in the books. Both teams began with vigor. The Tigers jumped out with five runs in the first inning. Lead off hitter Mike Stepp, who finished with a 5 for 6 performance, singled and Carl Luebking also had a base knock. Three consecutive long balls, doubles by Don Witmer and and Don Scarbrough, to go along with a Dick Mahon triple, were huge hits.
The Rays batted around in the first to get their four runs. Pat Accetta and Fred Dampier began the home half with free passes. After the next batter fouled out, Jerry Remington singled to load the bases. Ken Wilson coaxed a bases loaded walk to drive in a run. After the second out was made, pitcher Larry Williamson and John Abramo got base hits before Randy Lane also walked. The bases were loaded when the last batter in the lineup grounded out unassisted to first baseman Mike Urell.
The Rays tailed off in the third through fifth innings, as they scored a zero in the third and fifth and put up three in the fourth. But the Tigers continued with their hot bats. Denny Shaffer singled and doubled in the third and fourth frames and scored twice and pitcher Eddie Diaz singled twice and scored each time.
The Tigers built their lead to 21-11 at the time with a five run fifth inning. Marshall Bloom, Carl Luebking, Bill Ravo, Don Witmer, Don Scarbrough, and Dick Mahon each had base hits in the frame.
The Tigers were just too overmatched for the Rays this morning but the Rays they refused to go out quietly. They pushed across five runs in the last inning. Fred Dampier began with a double down the leftfield line, and pool player Roger Edwards singled Fred home. After that hit, Jerry Remington, Ken Wilson, pool player Bill Rutan, Jerry Williamson, and Randy Lane all had singles as the Rays played the "Merry-Go-Round" game. The base runners advanced only one base with each hit. The final out was made on a bases loaded double play that began with a grounder to rover Don Scarbrough. Don flipped the ball to shortstop Ron Butler and Ron finished the twin killing with a strike to first baseman Mike Urell.
There was only one winner in the three team game on Fred White Field. The Ingram Financial Royals scored 18 runs and gave up 14 while in the field against the Polk Therapy Athletics. The Athletics allowed 16 runs to the Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox and lost 16-14. The Red Sox scored 16 but surrendered 18 to the Royals.
The Royals batted first and had three runs on five hits. Manager Bob Zelazny, Brent Alumbaugh, Sam Lopez, and Bill McEllister each had base hits after the lead off batter flew out
to rightfielder Pierre Boissonneault. Cal Leigh had a two out single before the inning was over but didn’t find his way home.
More of the same occurred in the Royals second inning but with a bit more power this time. Bob Zelazny, Bill McEllister, and Cal Leigh each blasted doubles in the frame. Cal ended the inning stranded at second base.
The Athletics scored six runs in the first two innings and the team spread the runs throughout the scorecard. Bob DiPietro, Mike Tomasso, and manager Russ King all had singles in the first. In the second, Art Zakrowski, Keith Linton, and Dennis Holder loaded the bases with singles before Bob DiPietro smashed a ball deep to rightfield for a grand slam, inside-the-park homer.
The Red Sox had two big innings and they came in the third and fourth frames. Bob Lundquest, Chris Constantine, and pool player Danny Parker had clutch hits in the third. A single by pitcher Jerry Witter finished the scoring opportunity for the Red Sox.
The fourth inning run production sported practically the same cast of members. Bob Lundquest, Chris Constantine, pool player Dean Schapeler, and Danny Parker all punched out base hits, while Pierre Boissonneault smashed a double. Jerry Witter singled in the fifth run, although two more runs were needed to tie the score.
A five run sixth sealed the victory for the Royals. Larry Wells, Jim Laffoon, and Bob Zelazny each singled and scored while both Tom Snider and Brent Alumbaugh walked and scored, Sam Lopez, perfect at the plate with a 5 for 5 performance, doubled in the last two runs.
National League inside-the-park homers: Bill Evans and Wayne Mundy for the Rockies; Elmer Black, John Smith, and Floyd Welton for the Astros; Bill Ayer for the Mets.
American League inside-the-park homers: Bob DiPietro hit two and Ted Taylor hit one for the Athletics.
| Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 25 | Trustco Bank Astros | 24 | ||||
| Play It Again Sports Mets | 20 | Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 17 | ||||
| Florida Cardiology Tigers | 28 | Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 19 | ||||
| Ingram Financial Royals | 18 | Polk Therapy Athletics | 14 | Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 16 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Walt Leggett - 5 for 6 with 2 doubles.
Gene Morey- 4 for 5.
Trustco Bank Astros
Elmer Black - 5 for 6 with 1 homer.
John Smith - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 2 doubles.
Doug Chamlee – 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 3 doubles.
Play It Again Sports Mets
Ron Augenstein – 4 for 4 with 1 walk.
Bill Ayer - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 2 triples.
Frank Miller – 4 for 5 with 1 walk.
Jim McPartlan – 4 for 5.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Sam Harrell - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Marvin Taylor - 4 for 5.
Ron Cerotzke – 3 for 4.
Florida Cardiology Tigers
Dick Mahon – 5 for 6 with 2 triples.
Mike Stepp - 5 for 6.
Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays
John Abramo - 5 for 6.
Larry Williamson – 5 for 6.
Roger Edwards - 3 for 4 with 2 walks.
Ingram Financial Royals
Sam Lopez – 5 for 5 with 2 doubles.
Bill McEllister – 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Polk Therapy Athletics
Bob DiPietro – 4 for 5 with 2 homers & 1 double.
Russ King – 3 for 4 with 2 triples.
Art Zakrowski – 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Mike Tomasso – 3 for 4.
The Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members have been chosen for the three teams in the competition against the Lakeland seniors. Please see Don Witmer for team rosters. The first set of games will take place at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven on Wednesday, March 4th and will conclude at the Southwest Complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, March 11th.
February 24th - The two leading teams each dropped their game but didn’t lose any ground in the standings because the second place teams lost, too.
The Trustco Bank Astros took care of the first place Play It Again Sports Mets in the National League but the game went down to the wire. It wasn’t until the eighth inning, with the score deadlocked at 18-18, that the Astros pulled it out. Manager Floyd Welton, who finished with six runs batted in, doubled home Elmer Black for the first run. Elmer had reached base on a fielder’s choice after Jose Agosto singled. The other two runs scored on singles from the bats of Dick Sessink and Doug Chamlee. Elvis Abney also had a base hit in the eighth but didn’t score.
The Mets big inning came when they needed six runs to tie the score at 18-18 in the seventh frame. Both Terry Feehan and Frank Miller walked and scored. Bill Ayer belted a two run double in the eventful inning.
The last place Rusty’s Relics Rockies were victors over the Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals.
Although they are still sitting in second place, the Cardinals are now playing .500 ball with their six wins and six losses.
Rockies pitcher Elmer Wilcox had a prosperous day at the plate. Besides recording the win, he went 5 for 5. Elmer topped off his day with a triple and a double in his last two plate appearances. The double came in the six run ninth inning. With one out in the books, Les Wolff, Bob Lewis, and Reg Barnes each singled before Elmer smashed the two bagger. Wayne Mundy also singled and scored.
Ron Thompson, Ron Carrothers, and Marvin Taylor all hit well despite the loss. Ron Carrothers ended the day going 5 for 5 while Marvin went 4 for 5. Ron Thompson had two doubles and one triple.
The Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox once again proved to be the thorn in the Florida Cardiology Tigers side.
The Tigers have lost only three games and two have been to the Red Sox by lopsided scores of 17-9 on February 17th and 27-8 in the game today.
When the Red Sox are in sync, they are a force to be reckoned with. They displayed it this morning in abundance in the top of the ninth inning. Eight runs crossed the plate as almost everyone in the lineup scored a run. Pitcher Jerry Witter began the frame with a double and punched out a single before the third out was recorded. After the lead off double by Jerry, four base hits in-a-row came from the bats of Gale Doty, Jerry Noble, Vassurl Bess, and Bob Lundquest. That all happened even before the first out was in the books. A string of three hits came directly afterward the initial out. Manager Al Andrews and Chris Constantine each singled and Joe D’Herin hit a double down the leftfield line. Jerry Witter produced his second hit of the ninth before the inning was over.
The Tigers began and ended well but didn’t do much in-between. They scored three in the first and didn’t push another run across until the eighth inning. Carl Luebking was the bright spot on the team as he scored in the first and eighth frames after getting aboard with base hits. He also reached base on a walk.
There was only one winner in the three team contest. The Ingram Financial Royals inched closer in the standings with a win as they topped the Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays by a score of 28-7. The Rays couldn’t get
uncorked. The team scored only seven runs while surrendering 17 against the Polk Therapy Athletics. The 17 by the Athletics wasn’t enough to defeat the Royals.
Athletics lead off batter Don Erb scored four runs on a 4 for 5 day at the plate. Three of the four hits were doubles. Art Zakrowski has been on a hitting streak and finished with a 5 for 5 performance this morning.
The Athletics had a chance at a win until the Royals erupted for five runs in the sixth and four more in the final frame. In the last two innings, Sam Lopez, Bob Christiansen, and Bob Zelazny each hit triples in the gap between the right centerfielder and left centerfielder while Ed Guspyt and Brent Alumbaugh had inside-the-park homers.
The Rays had a tough game. Pool player Ed Gazarek was called upon to help the team and responded with a 3 for 4 game. He scored one run and wasn’t moved beyond second after he had a one out double. Bart Gongaware, the catcher for the Rays, filled in at first base and missed completing a double play by a fraction of an inch. After taking a throw on a groundout, he fired to fill in catcher Sam Lopez when the runner from third made a dash home. Bart also went 2 for 3 today.
National League inside-the-park homers: Floyd Welton hit two for the Astros and team mate Dick Sessink had one homer. Bill Ayer and Frank Miller each hit one for the Mets.
The only two American League inside-the-park homers were hit by Royals players Brent Alumbaugh and Ed Guspyt.
| Trustco Bank Astros | 21 | Play It Again Sports Mets | 18 | ||||
| Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 25 | Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 19 | ||||
| Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 27 | Florida Cardiology Tigers | 8 | ||||
| Polk Therapy Athletics | 17 | Ingram Financial Royals | 28 | Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 7 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Trustco Bank Astros
Floyd Welton - 5 for 5 with 2 homers & 1 double.
Jose Agosto - 5 for 5.
Elvis Abney – 4 for 5.
Erv Fitzke - 3 for 4.
Play It Again Sports Mets
Frank Miller – 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 2 doubles, & 1 walk.
Bill Ayer - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Rich Palmer – 3 for 4.
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Elmer Wilcox - 5 for 5 with 1 triple, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Rusty Landahl- 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Ron Carrothers – 5 for 5 with 1 double.
Marvin Taylor – 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Ron Thompson – 3 for 4 with 1 triple, 2 doubles, & 1 walk.
Sam Harrell - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox
Joe D’Herin – 5 for 6 with 2 doubles.
Polk Therapy Athletics
Art Zakrowski – 5 for 5.
Don Erb – 4 for 5 with 3 doubles.
Russ King - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Ingram Financial Royals
Ed Guspyt – 5 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Brent Alumbaugh – 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 double, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Jim Laffoon - 4 for 4 with 1 triple, 2 doubles, & 1 walk.
Sam Lopez – 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Larry Powell - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Bob Christiansen – 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Cal Leigh - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Tom Snider - 3 for 4.
Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays
Ed Gazarek - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
The fourth annual Canada vs USA game will take place tomorrow at the DiamondPlex on Fred White Field. Team Canada is out for revenge as Team USA has won each of the three previous challenges.
February 25th - The fourth annual Canada vs USA game was held on Fred White Field at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven. The AmeriCanada Cup was up for grabs as the winner of the game will take home the trophy for a year. Team USA won the 2008 contest by the score of 12-5.
It took 10 innings of play to determine the winner this year. Click HERE to see the results of the game, view team pictures of the Canadian and American teams, view some individual pictures, and read the game recap.
February 27th - The month ended with some very nice weather for a day at the park. The high is expected to reach close to 80° F. There was a wind factor in the outfield and the home run total in the games this morning is a good indicator of how much the wind came into play.
The Trustco Bank Astros blew away the Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals in one of the National League games. The Astros scored often and put the maximum five runs on the board in four of the eight innings they batted. Manager Floyd Welton scored a run all five times he batted. Elmer Black and Ed Kline weren’t far behind as they each scored four runs. Exactly one half of all the Astros runs were distributed between those three players.
The Cardinals couldn’t mount any sort of offense except when they scored three of their six runs in the third inning. Lead off hitter Sam Harrell connected for an inside-the-park homer with one out and nobody on base to slow him down. Afterwards, Ray DePalma singled and strolled to second when Don LaMay drew a free pass. Each base runner moved up a base when the next batter flew out. Ron Carrothers then banged a single to drive both of the base runners home.
Astros pitcher Dave Podbielski handcuffed the Cardinals batters most of the game. Five innings were logged with goose eggs and the Cardinals managed only one run in three frames.
The first place Play It Again Sports Mets continued their ride through the National League with another victory. The Rusty’s Relics Rockies didn’t go down without a fight, though. The game ended at 24-21 but it was not as close as the final score indicated. The Rockies were down by 10 runs heading into the bottom of the ninth. The team batted around plus one batter as seven players crossed home plate. Owner Rusty Landahl began with a single before he was erased from the base paths when the next batter grounded into a double play. One more out and the Mets would walk away with a 24-14 win. But that last out was elusive. Pool player Bill Spring walked and so did lead off batter Bob Lewis. Then the merry-go-round started. Single after single found holes and chinks in the armor of the Mets. The two hole through the six hole batters punched out base hits - Jack Valliere, Bill Evans, Walt Leggett, Elmer Wilcox, and Doug Chamlee all refused to make the last out of the game. Directly after all those hits, the third out was muffed, which allowed a run to score before the game mercifully ended when the next batter grounded out.
The Mets hit well throughout the lineup. With the exception of one man who had an off day, everyone scored at least one run. The top half of the order did the job in the first, sixth, and eighth innings and the lower half did their job in the fourth and sixth frames. Terry Feehan ended the day with a 3 for 4 performance. Two batters above him in the lineup, Jim McPartlan, finished batting .800 as he went 4 for 5. The Rockies could not figure out the formula to get Ron Augenstein out. He went 3 for 3 and drew two walks. He has a keen eye and is difficult to pitch to, since he stands soooooooooo far away from the plate. Frank Miller was also perfect at the plate, going 5 for 5. Frank hits from line to line and uses the entire field so he is a hard batter to get out.
In the American League, the Ingram Financial Royals maintained a stronghold onto second place as they defeated the Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays by a close score of 25-20. The first four batters for the Royals, Ed Guspyt, Jim Laffoon, Bob Zelazny, and Brent Alumbaugh, are all tournament quality players. In fact, three are on Florida Half Century tournament teams. Between the four, they combined for three doubles and four triples among their 16 for 21 game. They also had two walks and two sacrifice fly balls.
The Rays did their best to hang with the Royals potent lineup and did so for a short while but had to play “ketchup” ball most of the time. After the initial five run inning, they held off until the fifth and seventh frames to erupt for five runs again. Don Bercaw and Fred Dampier pounded out back-to-back doubles in the fifth and Bart Gongaware absolutely crushed an inside pitch deep to rightfield for a triple. Outfielder Tom Snider gave chase as the ball rolled all the way to the fence after the long flight.
There were two winners in the three team contest on Fred White Field. The first place Florida Cardiology Tigers threw their second string pitcher, shortstop Don Witmer, and did well enough to earn their tenth triumph. They are the only team with double digits in the win column.
The Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox evened their record with a victory. They scored 13 runs and allowed 10 while on defense. The Polk Therapy Athletics weren’t as blessed as they scored 10 but allowed 16 runs.
The Tigers did most of their damage in the second and third frames. In the second, Dick Mahon smashed a double down the leftfield line and Mike Urell followed with a triple in the outfield gap. A Ron Butler single rewarded Mike with a run for his effort.
The Tigers third displayed an extra base hit, too. Bill Ravo lead off the inning with a double. Don Scarbrough, Dick Mahon, and Ron Butler singled after the two bagger. A Mike Stepp single drove home the fifth run.
The Red Sox hung on for a win but wasn’t able to log the “W” until the seventh and final frame. They were tied at 13-13 with the Athletics but a three run inside-the-park homer by Chris Constantine was enough to seal the victory. Before the opposite field hit by Chris, Vassurl Bess and Al Andrews had gotten aboard with base hits.
Athletics power hitter Don Erb knocked two over the fence for round trippers. One was a solo shot and the second drove in two runs. After that, he was intentionally walked and rightly so. Don had a double before the two long balls.
National League inside-the-park homers: Ed Kline hit one for the Astros, Sam Harrell hit one for the Cardinals, Mets players Frank Miller and Bernie Peterson each hit one, and Jack Valliere hit one for the Rockies.
American League inside-the-park homers: Larry Powell hit one for the Royals, Don Bercaw hit one for the Rays, and Chris Constantine hit one for the Red Sox. As mentioned earlier, Athletics player Don Erb hit two over the fence on Fred White Field.
| Trustco Bank Astros | 26 | Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals | 6 | ||||
| Play It Again Sports Mets | 24 | Rusty’s Relics Rockies | 21 | ||||
| Ingram Financial Royals | 25 | Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays | 20 | ||||
| Florida Cardiology Tigers | 16 | Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox | 13 | Polk Therapy Athletics | 10 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Trustco Bank Astros
Jose Agosto - 5 for 6.
Dave Podbielski – 4 for 5.
Bob Sciamanna - 4 for 5.
Dick Sessink - 4 for 5.
Floyd Welton - 4 for 5.
Ed Kline - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 walk.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home Cardinals
Ron Carrothers – 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Harvey Rennie - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Play It Again Sports Mets
Frank Miller – 5 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Ron Augenstein - 3 for 3 with 2 walks.
Rich Palmer - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Jim McPartlan – 4 for 5.
Fred Ducham - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Terry Feehan – 3 for 4.
Rusty’s Relics Rockies
Walt Leggett - 5 for 5 with 1 triple.
Ingram Financial Royals
Bob Zelazny – 5 for 6 with 2 triples & 1 double.
Ed Guspyt – 5 for 5 with 1 triple, 1 double, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Jarrett Gordon Ford Rays
Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 1 triple, 2 doubles, & 1 walk.
Florida Cardiology Tigers
Don Scarbrough – 4 for 5 with 1 triple.
Mike Urell – 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Ron Butler – 3 for 4.
Steven D Reddick, DMD Red Sox
Jerry Witter - 3 for 4.
Polk Therapy Athletics
Don Erb – 3 for 3 with 2 homers, 1 double, & 2 walks.
Bob DiPietro - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Russ King - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 walk.
The Polk County Senior Games softball tournament will take place at the Southwest Complex in Lakeland beginning tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. The tournament will take up just about all the daylight hours. There are four teams in the 60s bracket, four in the 65s bracket, and 2 teams in the 70s bracket. Many Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members are on the different tournament teams and will participate tomorrow. Please drop by the outhwest Complex in the morning to show your support for the guys.
