Winter Haven Senior Softball Club
December 2009 News Archive
Winter Haven Senior Softball Club
 December 1st - The new month rolled in with absolutely perfect weather. The skies remained cloudy throughout the games although there was no threat of rain.
Enough players showed up to justify six teams with three fields.
After both team scored five runs in the opening frame, it seemed this contest would be filled with the thunder of the bats. But the thunder subsided for the home team. They were blown away as the visitors more than doubled the score of their opponent. Doug Chamlee brought his extra base bat. He finished with a 6 for 6 performance. The balls bounding off his bat went to all fields and over the heads of the defending outfielders with ease. Doug had two inside-the-park homers and three doubles. Not bad for a day's work. Another standout for the visiting team was Joltin' Joe DeForge. He collected two hits and walked once. Joe was credited with four runs scored. LEADING HITTERS: Doug Chamlee - 6 for 6 with 2 homers & 3 doubles. Sam Harrell - 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double. Marty Martinez - 5 for 6 with 1 double. Gene Morey - 4 for 5. Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 3 doubles. Rich Moots - 3 for 4 with 1 walk. Greg Bombard - 3 for 4.
While Dick Sessink was busy shutting down the big bats of the visiting team the first four innings, the good guys continued to rack up the runs. The score was 13-0 after the completion of four frames. That would change. The away team found a chink in the opposing pitcher's armor and chipped away for eight runs in the sixth inning. Bob Cooper and Bernie Mohan banged out 
doubles. Five other hits in the inning were singles. One batter reached base on a misplayed ball and scored.
When it was time for the ninth inning, the visiting team had fought back to within one run of a tie. Two huge runs scored in the top of the last frame. Aching Frank Acevedo requested a pinch runner from home and singled down the leftfield line. After the next batter flew out, Don Kemp smashed an opposite field shot that couldn't be corralled by the rightfielder. As Don raced around the bases, he was instructing the runner ahead of him to "GO! GO! GO!". The dinger was the second of the day for Don. Needing one run to tie and force the game into extra innings, the home team immediately had two outs after the first two batters stepped to the plate. After that, Dick Sessink singled and took a pinch runner from first. A single by Marshall Bloom pushed the tying run to second and a walk to Ed Schmiedeke forced him to third. Raymond Mills stepped to the plate and delivered a base hit in the clutch situation. One run scored and the game was deemed a tie after nine innings without an extra inning to be contested. LEADING HITTERS: Denny Shaffer - 5 for 6 with 1 double. John Stewart - 4 for 5. Ed Schmiedeke - 3 for 4 with 2 walks.
The visitors were shut down for only two innings as they powered their way to 24 runs. Freddy Gonzalez hit a two run inside-the-park homer in the first and another shot in the seventh. The home team answered in the first with back-to-back doubles by Danny Parker 
and Neil Gelpi to take an early one run lead heading into the second inning.
The home team was down seven runs when it was their turn to bat in the bottom of the sixth frame. Every player in the 10 man lineup all batted to tie the score. Danny Parker and John Wolff each doubled, George Radlein tripled, and Doug McLellan knocked an inside-the-park homer in the sixth frame. There were also four singles hit during the onslaught. The wake up call in the bottom of the sixth jump started the visiting team. They gathered four runs to retake the lead. Freddy Gonzalez second homer, a two run inside-the-park opposite field hit, drove in the final two runs. Larry Wells doubled after the tater but was stranded at second base when the inning had been completed. Humor of the day: Elmer Black brought a note from his wife excusing him for missing the last three games. The note is permanently stored in the HUMOR & OTHER TIDBITS link but can be viewed HERE. Thank you Elmer - that was classic! LEADING HITTERS: Neil Gelpi - 4 for 4 with 2 homers, 1 double, & 1 sacrifice fly. Freddy Gonzalez - 5 for 6 with 2 homers & 3 doubles. Clair Auchey - 5 for 6 with 1 triple & 1 double. George Radlein - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 sacrifice fly. Inside-the-park homers this morning on the three fields: Doug Chamlee, Freddy Gonzalez, and Don Kemp hit two homers apiece and one each were hit by Jim Laffoon, Doug McLellan, and Ted Taylor. Jose Agosto dropped by the old ballpark, watched some of the action on Fred White Field, then volunteered to umpire behind the plate. Chuck Duff works as a volunteer umpire on a regular basis when he isn't on the playing field. He manned Field D this morning. Thank you Jose and Chuck. Three players returned from the north. Ron Carrothers arrived from Thedford, Ontario, Canada; Don LaMay returned from Livonia, Michigan; and Larry Williamson returned from Swartz Creek, Michigan. Larry is recovering from back surgery and will not be able to play this season. Welcome back Ron, Don, and Larry. Greg Bombard played this morning and did very well. He patrolled leftfield for the home team on Fred White Field. Please come back and join the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club, Greg. 
December 2nd - Wednesday - The all star team from the Barefoot Bay community made the two hour commute for a doubleheader against the Nalcrest Eagles. Barefoot Bay is a 1,500 acre area with 10,000 residents and is located on the east coast between Melbourne and Vero Beach.
Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members who played on the Nalcrest Eagles team and are members of their softball 
program were Elvis Abney, Fred Dampier, Sam Harrell, Ed Kline, and John Stewart. Hank Gomez held down the coaching job at third base.
The Barefoot Bay All Stars hit with precision when needed and won the first game by the score of 16-8. John Alversa was the Nalcrest Eagles pitcher of record in game one. Gary Quartana hit the deepest shot of both teams when he tripled over the right centerfielder's head. That was quite a feat, considering the wind was blowing in from rightfield at approximately 8-10 MPH. After a fifteen minute break following the first game, Nalcrest Eagles manager and organizer Joe Nittoli took the mound for the second contest. Fred Dampier connected for a ground rule double 
over the rightfield fence in the first inning as the Eagles took a two run lead to start the game.
Gary Quartana was at it again as he crushed a ball over the left centerfielder for a triple. Later in the game, Gary hit the third triple of the day. Al Ruffino also hit a deep drive. The ball was hit sharply and split the left centerfielder and right centerfielder. Al pulled easily into second base for a two bagger. Heading into the top of the seventh, 
the Eagles had a 5-2 lead. Then the bottom fell out of the barrel. Barefoot Bay scored eight runs and ended up winning 10-5.
The Nalcrest Eagles performed some nice defensive plays. In the outfield, John Stewart, who partolled right centerfield in the first game, charged in as fast as his feet would take him and made a shoestring catch on a potential base hit. Tim Gibson took over the right centerfield duties in game two and made all three catches in the second inning to tie a long standing record. He made a nice grab on a ball hit in front of him during play in the fourth inning. Tim also threw out a runner at third base. He scooped up the base hit and threw a strike to third baseman Elvis Abney to get the runner who was trying to advance two bases from first. In the infield, Elvis Abney leaped up and stretched his glove arm as high as he could to nab a hard line drive hit down the third base line. Pitcher Joe Nittoli made a nice stop from the pitcher's mound to retire the batter. An easy toss to first baseman J.C. Crowell sealed the out. After the game, the teams were treated to hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, baked beans, and drinks, compliments of Nalcrest Senior Softball. A big "Thank You" goes out to the volunteer barbeque crew, order takers, and servers who worked the event. December 4th - A cold front blew in during the evening hours last night, along with a dose of rain. It is forecasted that about three inches of rain will touch down in the area within the next 24 hours. The high today is expected to reach only 63° F.
As a result of the nasty weather, one game was played with three teams.
The top of the first inning began rather quietly compared to the shape of things to come. Elmer Black and Fred Dampier started off with base hits. Jim Laffoon, batting in the three hole, doubled in both base runners. After that clutch two bagger, the next thee batters failed to hit the ball out of the infield. The second team looked and played strong in the opening frame. Ed Kline was patient at the plate and drew a lead off walk. Singles from the bats of Don Kemp, Brent Alumbaugh, and Bob Zelazny followed. After the next batter flew out to left centerfielder Denny Shaffer, Ted Taylor, Carl Luebking, and Rich Moots all punched out base hits. At that point, four runs had scored and the fifth run was standing on third base with one out in the books. Art Zakrowski delivered 
with a deep fly ball over the head of right centerfielder Fred Dampier for a long single and the fifth run of the first.
The home team began with an out by the lead off batter. Al Andrews and Ron Butler each singled afterwards. The second out occurred with a pop up to the infield. Jerry Witter came through with a bloop single to rightfield to drive in the only run of the home first inning. The third squad was the lone team to put up numbers in the second frame. Milo Macko began with a single down the third base line. Milo stood on first as the next two batters popped up to third baseman Pat Accetta and shortstop Doug Chamlee, respectively. A booted ball in the infield allowed Jerry Noble to reach second base as Milo advanced to third. Ari Harris singled in the two base runners before Lee Baker drew a free pass. The inning came to a conclusion with Ari stranded on second base and Lee on first. Although four runs crossed the plate in the top of the third, perhaps the highlight of the inning took place when third baseman Ari Harris fielded a grounder hit by Pat Accetta and threw out the runner heading home. Catcher Lee Baker took the throw from Ari. Team Two added three runs to hold their lead through three innings of play. Brent Alumbaugh doubled to open the frame. He finished with two doubles while batting 1.000. Brent collected three hits in three trips to the plate. Two infield outs followed the hit by Brent so he was still at second base with one out to go before the inning was complete. Ted Taylor got aboard on a booted ball in the infield. That should have retired the sides but the inning continued when Carl Luebking singled to drive home the first run. Carl also went 3 for 3 on the day. One of his hits was a double. A dropped ball in the outfield allowed a run to score and a single by Art Zakrowski knocked in another run. That hit by Art was his second consecutive RBI single of the game at that point. The home third through the seventh, five innings in total, was scoreless. Pitcher Ed Kline held the team to three hits while giving up one base on balls. Elmer Black cranked an inside-the-park homer in 
the top of the fourth frame. Les Wolff singled before the dinger that split the left centerfielder and right centerfielder.
One run scored in the middle of the fourth. Joltin' Joe DeForge connected for this second straight single. The runner for Joe raced to third when Ed Kline achieved a base hit. After the next batter grounded into a fielder's choice to erase Ed from the base paths, Brent Alumbaugh doubled towards right centerfielder Fred Dampier and rightfielder Frank Miller. Fred chased down the ball and fired it to cut off man Jim Laffoon, who threw to catcher Les Wolff to cut down the runner at home. The next inning had a defensive replay of the previous frame. This time, Carl Luebking doubled in the gap. Fred Dampier retrieved the ball and threw to rover Jim Laffoon. Jim made an accurate throw to catcher Les Wolff for the second consecutive inning with an out at home with the same combination of defensive players. A score keepers nightmare and odd play unfolded in the bottom of the sixth inning. One base runner ran up the back of another to begin the play. The runner on second didn't advance to third, and rightly so, but the batter rounded first and headed to second with his head down. Approximately three quarters on the way to second, he realized a team mate was parked on second base. The only action available for the batter was to retreat back to first base. A run down was initiated. Rover to first to rover to second baseman,etc. In the meantime, the runner from second made it to third and decided to try to score. Alert second baseman Rich Moots threw home to catcher Joe DeForge to get the runner out at home. Whew! The only inside-the-park homer was hit by Elmer Black. LEADING HITTERS: Brent Alumbaugh - 3 for 3 with 2 doubles. Carl Luebking - 3 for 3 with 1 double. Elmer Black - 3 for 4 with 1 homer. Jim Laffoon - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double. Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Frank Miller - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Jerry Noble returned from Sullivan, Maine. He was one of the outfielders for the third team and scored one of the three runs for the squad. Welcome back Jerry. Two new players took the field this morning. Jack Benson is a snowbird who spends his summer months in Franklin, New Hampshire. He joined the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club this morning. Welcome aboard Jack. Wishing to try out today before making a decision to join, Mario Meglio was the second baseman for Team One. He pulled up lame before the game was over, so he may be nursing a pulled or strained leg muscle the next couple of days or so. Get well soon and return to play, Mario. December 8th - The cool mornings are over for awhile and the warm Florida weather has returned. The games were played mostly under cloudy skies, although there was not a chance of rain before noon.
The top of the lineup for both teams scored 34 runs and the bottom scored once. Ed Guspyt lead the winning team as he touched home five times in five plate appearances. Ron Augenstein knocked 
in several runs. He batted after Ed and went 4 for 4 on the day.
Al Andrews lead the home team with his bat. He was a single short of hitting for the cycle but he did connect for two doubles. The home team didn't end up with the victory but had an early lead. After three innings of play, they were ahead 9-6. The five run third inning was accomplished without a single out being recorded in the scorebook. Ed Kline hit a two run inside-the-park home run. He drove in Don LaMay, who had singled beforehand. Elmer Black doubled right after the homer and John Stewart drove in the final runs with a triple. The home team lead disappeared in the sixth as the visitors took charge of the game at that point. Lou DeCarlo began with a single before the next batter popped up for the first out. A single by Reg Barnes and a Doug Chamlee double got the team on the boards in the sixth. Marty Martinez had a key single and Ron Augenstein drove home the last two runs with a double. LEADING HITTERS: Ron Augenstein - 4 for 4 with 1 double & 1 walk. Al Andrews - 4 for 5 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 2 doubles. Elmer Black - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Ed Kline - 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 double, & 1 walk. Marty Martinez - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Chris Constantine continued his run towards the MLB home run record. He's hit round trippers in the past five games he has played in Winter Haven. That is quite a feat and his bat is still hot to the touch in morning ball. 
He ended the day going 4 for 5 with two dingers.
Dean Schapeler was another bright spot for the overmatched visiting team. He smashed a triple and a double. He also scored three runs. The home team absolutely dominated from beginning to end in the lopsided game on Field D. Every batter scored at least one run during the contest. To vividly illustrate how one sided the lineups were, the number three and number nine batters were the leaders for the team in runs scored. Number nine hitter Len Cameron went 3 for 4 and Greg Bombard, batting tenth, went 5 for 5. Inside-the-park homers were finding all the gaps for the home team. Denny Shaffer hit two to the opposite field. Winning pitcher Jerry Witer and Bernie Mohan hit one tater apiece. Milo Macko blasted a deep double over the head of defending left centerfielder Dean Schapeler. When he gets his leg strength back, everyone had better keep an eye out on this hitter. After banging five triples early in the off season, Pat Accetta hit number six today. He drove the ball deep to right centerfield. LEADING HITTERS: Greg Bombard - 5 for 5. Chris Constantine - 4 for 5 with 2 homers. Jerry Witter - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 2 doubles. Bob Zelazny - 4 for 5 with 2 triples & 1 double. Bernie Mohan - 4 for 5 with 1 homer. Freddy Gonzalez - 4 for 5 with 3 doubles. Len Cameron - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
The visiting team started off with a bang as four runs came home in the opening frame. Don Kemp and Joe D'Herin each singled after the first batter flew out. Powerful Chuck Duff drove in the first run with his sixth sacrifice of the off season. Big Russ King singled 
after the sac fly to set the table for starting pitcher George Radlein. He tripled in two runs and then scored when Walt Leggett singled.
The away guys added three more to their shutout lead in the second frame. Keith Linton reached base on a misplayed ball in the infield and was pushed to second when Les Wolff had a base hit. Clair Auchey followed with a base hit but was forced at second when Don Kemp grounded into a fielder's choice. The next two runs scored when Joe D'Herin hit a sacrifice fly ball to leftfield and Chuck Duff singled. After the slow start by the home team, the sleeping giant awoke in the second half of the game. Doubles in the fifth and sixth innings by Don Keller assured his team scored in both innings. Danny Parker scored runs in his last four at bats as he finished the day going 5 for 6. Down by two runs heading into the bottom of the ninth, the very top of the lineup was due up for the good guys. Vassurl Bess singled before number two batter Neil Gelpi flew out to leftfield. Danny Parker tripled in Vassurl for the first run and he scored when the next batter made it on base. A walk to Doug McLellan set up the RBI single by Don Witmer to win the game. LEADING HITTERS: Joe D'Herin - 4 for 4 with 1 sacrifice fly. Danny Parker - 5 for 6 with 1 triple. Larry Wells - 4 for 5. Inside-the-park homers: two by Chris Constantine and Denny Shaffer. One each by Al Andrews, Fred Dampier, Russ King, Ed Kline, Doug McLellan, Bernie Mohan, and Jerry Witter. Ed Guspyt returned from Port Washington, Ohio and played well today. He was inserted into the clean up slot for the visiting team on Fred White Field and responded with a triple and a double. Welcome back Ed. Jose Agosto, Larry Powell, and Larry Williamson were the volunteer umpires behind the plate this morning. Thank you for helping Jose, Larry, and Larry. Hank Gomez dropped by the old ballpark and watched the action. He hasn't been playing very often in Winter Haven this year but can be found on the Nalcrest Eagles field either in the coaching box or covering first base. It was good to see you Hank. Two prospective members played this morning. Len Cameron is a snowbird who resides in Newcomerstown, Ohio during the summer months. Warren Turner is retired and lives in the area. Please come back and join the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club, Len and Warren. December 11th - The high yesterday reached 80° F and the temperature is predicted to better that by one and hit 81° F tomorrow. But today was a different story. It was in the 50s when the players were taking batting practice and is supposed to only make it as high as the 65° F mark. Besides that, the wind was blowing 15-20 MPH. B-r-r-r-r-r! Never heard of a one day cold front until now which shows that you're never too old to learn something.
Team One took charge of the game and never let go as they scored one run under the maximum through four innings. In the first frame, Chris Constantine singled in Ted Taylor, who had walked before Chris batted. Then Floyd Welton had a base rap followed by a two run triple by Bob Zelazny. Don LaMay, who went 4 for 4 with two doubles this cold morning, doubled in the fourth run. Between Teams Two and Three, the 
only hit in the first inning came from the bat of Roger Edwards. He hit a two out double for the home team.
Gene Morey and Skip Morrison began the second with back-to-back singles. Skip would end up with two hits and two runs for the day. Ted Taylor, perfect at the plate with a 3 for 3 performance, doubled. An opposite field inside-the-park homer by Bob Zelazny knocked in two runs. The fifth run of the inning and ninth of the game through two frames scored from a combination of hits by Elmer Black, Dick Sessink, and Don LaMay. Meanwhile, Team Two and Three were having their struggles. Ron Augenstein and Dave Podbielski singled for the middle team while Doug Chamlee and Rusty Landahl had base hits for the third team. No runs were scored by either team in the second inning. Five more were scored by the first team in the third and fourth innings. Skip Morrison and Ted Taylor both scored in each of the two frames. At the end of three innings of play, the score stood at 14-0-0. Team Three busted out with 13 runs in the last two innings but still were four runs down in the final score. Ed Guspyt and Doug Chamlee each went 2 for 2 with one double and scored twice in the sixth and seventh innings. Sam Harrell and Rusty Landahl each collected two singles and two runs. Ron Thompson, umpiring behind the plate, came up with an unpopular idea that he put into action in the sixth inning. The leading team took the field after batting in the top of the sixth, as they should have. However, Ron told them to stay in the field for the bottom of the sixth as well. That wasn't all, though. Instead of batting in the seventh, Team One remained in the field when Team Two batted again. They also were on defense when Team Three batted in the bottom of the seventh. In all, Team One played the equivalent of four straight innings on defense without a rest. Needless to say, many players voiced their disapproval but who could blame them? The weariness of Team One was made apparent when the home squad scored eight runs in the bottom of the last inning. LEADING HITTERS: Don LaMay - 4 for 4 with 2 doubles. Ted Taylor - 3 for 3 with 1 double & 1 walk. Doug Chamlee - 3 for 3 with 1 double & 1 sacrifice fly. Ron Augenstein - 3 for 3. Bob Zelazny - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple. Ed Guspyt - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double. Roger Edwards - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles. Chris Constantine - 3 for 4 with 1 triple. Floyd Welton - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Rusty Landahl - 3 for 4. John Smith - 3 for 4.
The slugfest on Field E was a see-saw battle from beginning to end. The game opened with five runs for the visiting team. Vassurl Bess, Don Kemp, and Brent Alumbaugh each singled to start the rally. A double by Neil Gelpi drove home two runs. After the first out was recorded, Bobby Ayers singled, Larry Wells doubled, and Art Zakrowski singled to account for the third, fourth, and fifth runs. The home team answered when the first four 
batters crossed home plate in the bottom of the first. Clair Auchey drew a walk to begin the home first frame. Don Keller singled, and Jim Laffoon and Freddy Gonzalez both doubled.
After the limit was scored in the top of the next inning, the home team was down by six runs heading into the bottom of the second. That didn't worry the team because they put together hits, along with some defensive miscues, to tie the score. Don Keller pounded an inside-the-park homer during the comeback. The visitors took a four run lead in the third. The big hit of the inning came from the bat of Brent Alumbaugh. He tripled in two runs. The three bagger was the first of four triples on the day for Brent as he went 6 for 6. After the home team went scoreless in the third and the visiting team repaid the favor in the fourth, the good guys tied the score at 14-14 in the fourth frame. Jerry Witter, who is hitting very well lately, doubled, and Don Bercaw slammed an inside-the-park homer. Also, Richard Marino hit a triple. Before the game was in the books, Richard connected for a double and finished batting 4 for 6. The game continued with one team going up only to let the other squad tie throughout the entire game. The score was tied at 20-20 after six frames and tied again at 22-22 through seven innings of play. By the time the ninth inning began, the visiting team was ahead by one run. They padded their lead to three by pushing across two runs in the last frame. Apparently the three run lead wasn't enough padding because the home team pulled out the victory with four runs in the home ninth. A big double by Richard Marino won the game. LEADING HITTER: Brent Alumbaugh - 6 for 6 with 4 triples. Inside-the-park homers: Don Bercaw, Don Keller, and Bob Zelazny. Volunteer umpires today were Chuck Duff, Ron Thompson, and Larry Williamson. Thank you Chuck, Ron, and Larry. Returning players included Don Bercaw from Lima, Ohio; Terry Feehan from Deshler, Ohio; and Mike Urell from Maine. Welcome back Don, Terry, and Mike. 
December 15th - The largest turnout of players since the end of the 2009 season occurred this morning. A grand total of 64 ball players took the field for the games.
Three fields of two teams were contested today.
The home team took an early lead but let it slip away as the game progressed into the latter innings. Nine runs scored in the first two frames. Dean Schapeler tripled and doubled in his first two at bats, Don Keller singled and doubled, and Frank Miller singled twice. Frank ended with five hits in five tries. He also gathered a double among the five hits. The visitors did just fine in the first two innings, too. Vassurl Bess scored two runs while collecting one hit. Don Bercaw doubled in the first and scored when Larry Wells banged out a single. Neil Gelpi hit a two run inside-the-park homer in the second to move his team to within two runs of a tie. Three big runs crossed the plate for the home team in the fourth. After the lead off batter grounded out, Dean Schapeler and Chris Constantine each singled but Chris was erased from the base paths when the next batter grounded into a fielder's choice. Three successive singles brought the three runs home. Frank Miller, 
Dick Sessink, and Floyd Welton all had base hits.
At the end of four innings of play, the score was 13-7 in favor of the home team. That ended the scoring for the good guys until the final frame. In the meantime, the visitors started putting runs on the board. The five runs scored in the seventh put the visitors ahead for the first time in the game. Don Bercaw started off with a double. He raced home when Larry Wells singled. A deep triple by Bernie Mohan drove Larry home and Bernie scored on an Art Zakrowski base rap. The last two runs scored on two errors along with a single by Richard Marino. The visitors lead 17-14 after seven innings of play were in the books. The home team was down 18-13 heading into the bottom of the ninth frame. Don Keller singled to begin the comeback attempt. Frank Miller doubled after the hit by Don. Dick Sessink, Floyd Welton, and Ken Ota all had base hits before the first out was recorded. Mike Urell had a base rap after the out. Bill Spring, the last batter in the lineup had not batted since the sixth inning but was not the second out in the ninth, as he should have been. Instead, lead off hitter Mike Stepp stepped to the plate and knocked a base hit. A fielder's choice followed the hit by Mike for the second out. Chris Constantine singled to win the game. Six runs scored in the bottom of the ninth as the good guys overcame a five run deficit to pull out the victory. LEADING HITTERS: Frank Miller - 5 for 5 with 1 double. Don Bercaw - 4 for 5 with 2 doubles. Floyd Welton - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Vassurl Bess - 4 for 5.
Who would have guessed the outcome of this game after the completion of three innings of play? The visiting team jumped out of the gates with five runs in the first frame. Mike Tomasso began with a single and scored when Denny Shaffer doubled. Freddy Gonzalez followed with a base hit before the cleanup hitter lined out to shortstop Russ King. Four straight singles ended the inning with the maximum five runs. Base knocks were 
produced from the bats of Ron Augenstein, Ed Kline, Rusty Landahl, and John Merritt.
Four more scored in the home third. Bob Zelazny hit a two run inside-the-park homer. Two batters later, Ed Kline stepped to the plate and bopped a two run inside-the-park home run. The visitors were down 9-7 heading into the top of the fourth inning but they rallied for five runs and continued to add to their lead as the game continued. The first two batters grounded out to begin the top of the fourth inning before Joltin' Joe DeForge singled. Al Andrews hit a two bagger, pushing the runner for Joe to third base, and a single by Elmer Black drove two runs home. With still two outs in the books, Russ King had a base hit and Doug McLellan banged a deep triple over the head of defending leftfielder Denny Shaffer. Doug scored the fifth run when Ted Taylor had a base hit. All five runs scored after the first two batters grounded out. Nice rally, guys. Five more runs scored in the top of the fifth inning on a combination of hits and errors. Don Scarbrough, Elvis Abney, and Russ King each singled and Elmer Black smashed a triple down the leftfield line. Doug McLellan scored three times in his final three trips to the plate. Don Scarbrough, Russ King, and Elmer Black all scored two runs in their last two at bats. LEADING HITTERS: Freddy Gonzalez - 3 for 3 with 1 triple, 1 double, & 1 walk. Russ King - 5 for 6 with 1 homer & 1 triple. Elmer Black - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 walk. Ed Kline - 3 for 4 with 1 homer. Ron Augenstein - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
The home team gathered their runs in bunches to pull out the win on Field E this morning. Five runs scored in the opening frame with no outs logged in the scorebook. Pat Accetta singled before the next batter reached base on a booted ball in the infield. That set the stage for a three run, inside-the-park homer by Roger Edwards. Ed Guspyt followed with a double and John Stewart was walked to set up a force out at any base. That strategy didn't work because Sam Harrell and Don LaMay each singled. The hit by Don drove home the fifth run. The fourth frame was productive for the home team. John Stewart started with a gapper triple to the opposite field between left centerfielder Chuck Duff and right 
centerfielder Fred Dampier. Afterwards, an infield error allowed John to score before Don LaMay singled and Ted Granoski drew a free pass. Before the inning was over, Gale Doty had singled and Pat Accetta doubled. The ball hit by Pat was so deep, he would have had an inside-the-park home run but his run would have been one more over the limit for the inning.
The top of the lineup was at it again in the home seventh. Roger Edwards tripled and Ed Guspyt slammed an inside-the-park homer deep over defending rightfielder Jim McPartlan. The visiting team scored one run in the second inning from singles by Jerry Witter, Dave Podbielski, and Rich Moots but it wasn't until the fourth before they opened up with their offensive surge. Fred Dampier lead off the fourth with a triple. Ron Butler and Chuck Duff connected for base hits following the three bagger. A dropped ball in the outfield scored a run before Jerry Witter had a base hit. Another error scored the fourth run. Reg Barnes and Fred Dampier had singles in the fifth frame after the first batter grounded out. Chuck Duff tripled in both runs and scored when Doug Chamlee crushed a deep double. Chuck Duff had two inside-the-park homers in his last two at bats. Both dingers drove home two runs apiece. His second homer, hit in the ninth, moved his team to within one run of a tie. The tying run remained at second when the game ended. Doug Chamlee doubled but wasn't advanced. LEADING HITTERS: Chuck Duff - 4 for 5 with 2 homers & 1 double. Pat Accetta - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Don LaMay - 3 for 4. Inside-the-park homers: Two by Chuck Duff. One each by Roger Edwards, Neil Gelpi, Ed Guspyt, Russ King, Ed Kline, Doug McLellan, and Bob Zelazny. Mike Tomasso returned from Harleysville, Pennsylvania and patrolled the third base area for the visiting team on Field D. He was inserted into the lead off spot. Welcome back Mike. The draft for the 2010 season took place after the games today. The teams will be posted when they are made available. December 18th - The games were rained out this morning. More wet weather will sweep the area throughout the day. The temperature will dip below 70° F later in the day and into the evening hours.
The 2010 team rosters will be posted after a few details are ironed out. Four teams will comprise the National League and the American League will also have four teams. December 22nd - The cold temperature was again the highlight of the morning. The wind was blowing about 5-8 MPH and it made the air temperature feel much colder than the low 50s that the thermometer read.
A group of ball players enough for five teams made up the last play date before Christmas.
The first team did almost all their offensive damage in the first three frames of the seven inning affair. In the first, Reg Barnes lead off with a single up the middle before Frank Miller drew a walk. After the number three hole batter popped up to shortstop Russ King, Dean Schapeler singled to load the bases. Bernie Mohan cleared the bags with a triple and scored the fourth run when Rich Moots 
had a base hit.
The top of the third was productive as five runs crossed the plate. Frank Miller, Ron Butler, and Dean Schapeler had successive base hits to begin the frame. Dean was erased from the base paths when Bernie Mohan grounded into a fielder's choice. Three more singles immediately followed the first out. The base raps came from the bats of Dick Sessink, Rich Moots, and John Smith. A Gale Doty single drove home the fifth run. Only one run scored for Team One in the last four innings. Reg Barnes doubled and was driven in after singles by Frank Miller and Bernie Mohan. Rich Palmer recorded the win for Team Two as they outscored the other two teams. Ed Kline opened the game for the middle team with a double to right centerfield. Ron Augenstein singled Ed home and advanced one base when Marty Martinez had a base rap. Singles by Rich Palmer and Don LaMay rounded out the inning. Four of the team mates for the second team scored each time in the second and fourth innings. Terry Feehan walked and reached base on a booted ball in the infield. The runner from first base for Terry scored two runs. Ron Augenstein singled and made it on base by way of a defensive error and scored twice. Marty Martinez singled and got aboard on a fielder's choice for his two runs, and Bob Zelazny doubled and scored two times. In all, Marty Martinez found his way home four times during the contest and so did Bob Zelazny. Four important runs scored for Team Two in the last frame. Terry Feehan and Ed Kline each had one out singles. After the second out was recorded, Marty Martinez singled and Bob Zelazny hit his second inside-the-park homer in the game. The three run dinger in the seventh came 
after his two run homer in the sixth.
The home team was the squad to beat through four frames but they relinquished the lead in the sixth. Singles by Elmer Black and Floyd Welton began the bottom of the first. Russ King doubled in a run and Mike Stepp singled in another run. Pitcher Sam Harrell helped his cause by driving Russ home. The inning was topped off with a two run triple by John Stewart. John had a sizzling hot bat today as he banged out an inside-the-park homer and two triples. Back-to-back doubles by Elmer Black and Floyd Welton capped off the second. Bob Cooper, Dave Podbielski, and Russ King each punched out singles in the second frame. The home team lead 9-13-14 after four innings of play. The four in the fourth were all needed to maintain the lead. Russ King, Mike Stepp, Dave Podbielski, Sam Harrell, John Stewart, and Bob Cooper each had singles all in-a-row. The hit by Bob drove home the go ahead run of the inning. By the time the bottom of the last inning arrived, the good guys were down by five runs. But the top of the lineup was due to bat. Elmer Black and Floyd Welton were a good one-two punch this morning as they both went 4 for 5. They each singled to start the bottom of the seventh. Mike Stepp and Sam Harrell each had run scoring hits but the team fell two short of tying the game. LEADING HITTERS: Frank Miller - 3 for 3 with 1 walk. John Stewart - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 2 triples. Elmer Black - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Russ King - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Ed Kline - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Floyd Welton - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Marty Martinez - 4 for 5. Rich Palmer - 4 for 5. Reg Barnes - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Rich Moots - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Bob Cooper - 3 for 4.
The game on Field E was a tight contest. Both teams were ahead at various points in the game but the visiting squad had the home team chasing them most of the time. The visitors scored four runs on three doubles and two defensive miscues in the first. Clair Auchey, Jim Laffoon, and Larry Wells each powered the ball deep in the outfield. The two batters who reached base on errors scored so the misplays were critical for the home team. Neil Gelpi made it to first when a ball was dropped in the outfield and Frank Acevedo got on base from an infield error. The home team answered with three in the opening frame. Vassurl Bess began by getting on base from a booted ball in the infield and Don Scarbrough doubled Vassurl home. Don was scorching the ball today. He connected for a double that hit the warning track on the fly and another ball hit the fence later in the game with a deep double. He ended the day with a 5 for 5 performance with three two baggers to his credit. After the double by Don, consecutive singles by Don Kemp, Carl Luebking, and Jerry Witter accounted for two more runs. Both teams went dry 
and posted a goose egg in the second inning, but the visitors rang up three in the third. Fred Dampier lead off with a solo inside-the-park homer. After the tater, Jim Laffoon singled, Neil Gelpi doubled, and Frank Acevedo had a base hit. A two out hit by Larry Wells was the last bit of production in the third. Jim Laffoon had the hot bat for the visiting team. He finished with four doubles and a single in five trips to the plate.
The five runs in the fifth frame put the home team ahead 10-9 at that point in the game. With the exception of the Don Scarbrough double, they did it with dink singles and well placed base hits. Brent Alumbaugh, Don Kemp, Jerry Witter, Dan Whisler, Richard Marino, and Pat Accetta all had base raps to help put their team up by one run. When the top of the sixth began, the first team took back their lead after two runs crossed the plate. Ken Ota got on base from an infield error and Les Wolff smashed a double deep over the head of defending leftfielder Greg Bombard. Clair Auchey doubled home Les for the temporary lead. Greg Bombard had a bit of redemption in the bottom of the sixth when he connected for a double between leftfielder Clair Auchey and left centerfielder Fred Dampier. He scored from a Don Scarbrough double. At the end of six innings of play, the score was knotted at 11-11. No one was leaving early for this barnburner! The offensive production in the seventh and eighth frames allowed the visiting team to regain the lead. Jim Laffoon had a part in both innings as he went 2 for 2 with a pair of doubles. Art Zakrowski and Mike Urell each had RBI base hits in the seventh. Fred Dampier doubled and Les Wolff singled in the eighth frame before the two bagger by Jim Laffoon. The home team was down five runs heading into the bottom of the last inning. But there was absolutely no quit in that team! Vassurl Bess and Don Scarbrough began the home ninth with base hits. Don Kemp also singled. Don was unstoppable at the plate this morning. He had five line drive singles in five at bats. After the hit by Don, Jerry Witter came to the plate with the bases juiced and pulled a screeching ground ball down the leftfield line to bring his team within one run of a tie. Jerry later made it to third base but was stranded there when the game came to a conclusion. LEADING HITTERS: Jim Laffoon - 5 for 5 with 4 doubles. Don Scarbrough - 5 for 5 with 3 doubles. Don Kemp - 5 for 5. Jerry Witter - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Inside-the-park homers: Two by Bob Zelazny and one each by Fred Dampier and John Stewart. Two new players tested the grounds this morning. Dan Whisler played with the winning team on Field E and covered the first base area. Welcome aboard Dan. One new prospective player injured his leg early in the game and had to take himself out. Marry Christmas to everyone. The Winter Haven Senior Softball Club will resume play on Tuesday, December 29th. December 25th - Merry Christmas to everyone involved with the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club, and happy holidays to their friends and loved ones.
May our Lord bless us in the upcoming year with good health and a renewed spirit of happiness and joy.  December 29th - Just when it seemed it would not get any colder, a day like this morning creeps up and bites everyone in the cheek. Right before sign in time, the temperature was down to 38° F with the high expected to reach upwards to 61° F. Message to Mr. Weatherman: This is sunny Florida, mister. Turn on the heat.
The visiting team won a squeaker of a game on Fred White Field. They kept the lead, but the home team was always in the hunt for a victory. Unfortunately, the home team would not taste the savoring aroma of a win this chilly morning. Some long balls were pounded out by the visitors early in the game to give 
opposing pitcher Sam Harrell a preview of the rest of the contest. Marty Martinez connected for an inside-the-park homer in the first frame. Fred Ducham had singled beforehand so he scored ahead of Marty.
Marty Martinez was at it again in the third. A triple from his bat drove home John Stewart, who had singled to right centerfield. Marty had one of those "career days" during the game. He hit for the cycle with two triples as he went 5 for 5. He also scored four runs and drove six team mates home. After the triple by Marty, Denny Shaffer cranked a two run dinger deep to right centerfield. That poor fielder was underpaid and overworked today. A single by Frank Acevedo and a three bagger by winning pitcher Walt Leggett followed. Don LaMay singled home Walt, giving the visitors five runs in the third inning. Meanwhile, the home team was doing some hitting of their own. Al Andrews, who went 6 for 6 with four doubles, singled to open the home half of the first. Ron Carrothers got on base to move Al to second before Dean Schapeler smashed a three run shot to the gap between right centerfield and left centerfield for an inside-th-park homer. Gene Morey walked to start the home second frame. A single by Jim McPartlan pushed Gene to second base and Mike Urell singled to load the bases. Gene was sure to score now. Not so. The next batter grounded the ball and the infielder chose to wing it home for the out. Mike Urell scored the only run when Al Andrews singled with two outs in the books. The home third began with an explosion. Ron Carrothers and Dean Schapeler each had base hits before Russ King doubled to the opposite field. Right centerfield and rightfield were busy for both teams today. The visitors lead 9-6 after three innings of play. The home team gained a run in the next two innings 
by outscoring the opponent 4-3. Three runs came home in the top of the fourth frame. Gale Doty had a one out single before Richard Marino got aboard on an infield error. Consecutive base hits by Fred Ducham and John Stewart scored before Marty Martinez tripled in two more runs.
The home squad went dry in the fourth but put up a four spot in the fifth inning. Al Andrews and Russ King each doubled while Larry Wells and Bert Snyder had base knocks. Ron Carrothers drew a free pass and made it all the way home for one of the four runs. The first team scored five runs in the sixth and seventh innings and four in the eighth to make it very difficult on the opposing squad. Marty Martinez singled and doubled while scoring twice and Neil Gelpi walked two times and scored two times. With the exception of Fred Ducham, the rest of the team scored one run apiece during those three innings. Fred did get on base though. He singled and reached base on a booted ball in the infield. Try as they may, the home team could not muster up enough offense to catch the visitors. But try they did. Ron Carrothers, Dean Schapeler, and Jack Benson each scored two runs in the last three frames. A two run triple by Jack in the ninth was huge for his team. He scored on the fourth double by Al Andrews. LEADING HITTERS: Al Andrews - 6 for 6 with 4 doubles. Marty Martinez - 5 for 5 and hit for the cycle with 2 triples. Russ King - 4 for 4 with 2 doubles & 1 walk. Dean Schapeler - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 triple. Don LaMay - 4 for 5. Frank Acevedo - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles & 1 walk. Denny Shaffer - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 sacrifice fly.
The offensive fireworks on Field E were more spread out than their counterpart on Fred White Field. The game was close in the end but the home team stayed a step ahead most of the time. Six batted in the top of the first but no hits were allowed by pitcher Elmer Wilcox. It wasn't until the second before the visiting team managed a hit. 
Jerry Witter tripled down the leftfield line that Vassurl Bess had to give chase as Jerry stepped it up around the bases. He scored when Reg Barnes blooped a single over the infield. Reg also scored. He moved to second when Tom Bonds got aboard on a throwing error in the infield. A double by Rich Moots drove the run home.
Seven scored in the first three frames for the home team. Lead off hitter Pat Accetta absolutely crushed the ball to leftfield and ended up with his seventh triple of the off season. He made it home as Frank Miller grounded out to second baseman Ari Harris. Don Keller, batting in the three hole, hit a deep fly over the head of left centerfielder Don Kemp for an inside-the-park homer. The ball hit the warning track on the fly. Don apparently ate a energizing breakfast before the game. There's more to report on Don later in the game. Larry Powell played for the first time since shoulder surgery many months ago. 
He has been aching to play ball and responded with a 3 for 4 game today. He singled in the second and ended up making it all the way around the bases by means of two fielder's choice plays.
The home squad put some hits together in the third frame and scored four runs. Pat Accetta had a one out single, advanced to second when Frank Miller reached base on a misplayed ball in the infield, and both runners scored when Don Keller tripled. The next batter flew out but not deep enough to score Don from third. Now the team had two outs in the score book. Singles by Ed Kline, Vassurl Bess, and Larry Powell assured the team of two more runs. 
The visitors finally took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. No outs were recorded either. Ed Schmiedeke, Lee Baker, Art Zakrowski, and Ron Butler all had base hits before Fred Dampier doubled in two runs. A single by Don Kemp rounded out the scoring as the visiting team scored five runs to take a 9-7 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth frame. Not to be outdone, the good guys added two runs to their total. Frank Miller doubled to begin the home fifth and Don Keller singled Frank home. A hit by Brent Alumbaugh advanced Don to third base and he scored in an infield ground out. Three runs in the home seventh was enough to assure the one run victory. Don Keller lead off with a home run over the right centerfield fence. Fred Dampier tried to track it down but ran out of acreage as he watched the ball sail over the wall. Brent Alumbaugh doubled after the homer and scored when Larry Powell singled. An Elmer Wilcox double accounted for one more run, which turned out to be the deciding and game winning run. So, not only did Elmer knock in the winning run, he also notched a victory while on the mound. Way to go, Elmer. LEADING HITTERS: Don Keller - 4 for 4 with 2 homers & 1 triple. Reg Barnes - 4 for 4. Pat Accetta - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double. Art Zakrowski - 4 for 5 with 1 double. Jerry Witter - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple. Brent Alumbaugh - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Elmer Wilcox - 3 for 4 with 1 double. Don Keller hit a ball over the fence on Field E. He also hit an inside-the-park home run. Other inside-the-park homers were hit by Marty Martinez, Dean Schapeler, Denny Shaffer, and Jerry Witter. Elmer Wilcox returned from Beals, Maine to record a pitching win on Field E. He also had a nice batting day, finishing with a .750 average. Welcome back, Elmer. Steven Hill joined the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club while living in Ohio. He is a snowbird and began playing today. Steven walked in his inaugural at bat and doubled in his next trip to the plate. Welcome aboard Steven. |
November 2009
