Pikesville Mens Softball League April 30, 2006

Northwest Regional Park Field 1:
Northwest Corridor (#5) 16 (WP-Howard Goldberg 8-5) Sky & Sky Inc. (#4) 13 (LP-Alex Newman 3-3)

Round #3 saw a rematch of last week's NWC vs Sky & Sky round #1 game. Both teams came out with great intensity eager to jump out to an early lead. NWC would strike first scoring 5runs in the top of the 1st. Jon Herbst and Scott Sweren set the tone for NWC leading the game off with a double followed by a triple down the 1st base line. Lee Pollak and Scott Landsman both had 2rbi base hits and NWC enjoyed a nice 5-0 lead. Sky&Sky would make sure the momentum wouldn't last long scoring 4 runs in their half of the inning. Goldberg started out a little shaky and rusty on the mound walking 3 Sky batters. All 3 would score helped by RBI hits from Chris Knorr and Donny Weinapple. NWC managed a hit and a walk against Alex Newman in the 2nd but couldn't push any runs across. Sky & Sky took a nice lead after 2 scoring 4 quick runs in the bottom of the 2nd. Newman let up an rbi base hit to Scott Landsman( playing in his 1st ever game at 3rd base ) and NWC edged a little closer. Goldberg cruised through the Sky batters in the bottom of the 3rd with some help from his defense. The gimpy pitcher would help his own cause in the 4th driving in Josh Rogers and Jon Herbst to even the score at 8-8. Brian Sky made sure that tie was very short, driving in Truit and Andy Bloom to go back up 10-8 after 4. NWC tried to rally in the 5th getting consecutive singles from Matt Bell and Lee pollak. Newman was able to get out of the inning unscathed forcing a 6un-3 double play. Goldberg was also able to get out of the 5th unharmed forcing a groundball fielder's choice and 2 flyouts. NWC made their move in the top of the 6th. Jon Goldman(1-1 3BB) led off the inning with a bases on balls. Josh Rogers followed with a clutch base hit and Jon Herbst drew another walk to load the bases. David Stein delivered with a 2rbi hit and NWC had shifted the momentum in the game. Another run would score on back to back hits from Howard Goldberg and Eric Wingrat and NWC went into the bottom of the 6th looking to close the door on Sky&Sky. Just like they'd done all game Sky refused to give up the lead scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th. Truitt, Bloom and Sky would all score and Chris Knorr delivered another rbi hit. NWC was down to their last at bat. With their backs against the wall NWC refused to go home without playing another game. Jon Goldman started the rally with another walk. Aaron Birenbaum followed with a screaming line drive double to deep right centerfield. Aaron was not supposed to be at the field today instead was playing daddy to his young daughter for the day but snuck up to the field anyway to come in as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning. Josh Rogers singled in the next at bat and Jon Herbst continued his hot hitting knocking them both in. Scott Sweren added 1 more insurance run and the NWC went into the bottom of the 7th with the lead. Sky & Sky couldn't put one last rally together and NWC held on to complete the upset.

Eager to provide an improved effort from last week's showing, Northwest Corridor came out firing on all cylinders. The Sky & Sky outfielders helped the cause tremendously turning two routine singles into a 2B and 3B respectively. That theme played out much of the day as right field continued to be an Achilles heel for Sky & Sky in their playoff run. A few walks and several hits later, NWC was sitting atop a 5-run first inning. Confident in their offense, Sky & Sky answered with 4 of their own, judiciously using only 2 hits in the process. Sky & Sky added 4 more in the b-2nd, this time using a 1B, 2B, & 3B, coupled with poor defense. NWC tied the game at 8 chipping away as they always do, before Brian Sky doubled home 2 runs. NWC pushed 4 across in the t-6th before Larry Newman got the call to the bullpen in relief of his son Alex. He stopped the gushing, and with their sights set on the Cannons, Sky & Sky quickly plated 3 in the b-6th. A base running mistake allowed NWC to prevent a 4th run from scoring as the ensuing run down was executed to perfection. Down 1, and nearing the end of a long season, NWC decided to come back. They battled in the t-7th using the 5th error by the Sky & Sky RF/RCF on the day to add 4 runs. Despite 2 singles and a walk in the b-7th, NWC held on to their 3-run lead. A gutsy performance by Howard Goldberg (outlasting two
Newmans) allowed this young team to finally develop the potential they've had into a team to be taken lightly no more.

NWC Hitting Stars:
Jon Herbst 3-3 4r 2BB 2-2B 2rbi
Lee Pollak 3-4 2r 2rbi
Jon Goldman 1-1 3BB 2r
Howard Goldberg 3-5 R 3rbi

Game Notes:

Northwest Regional Park Field 3:
Kings (#2) 7 (WP-Chuck Grant 13-6) Havana Club Cannons (#1) 6 (LP-Tom Paulshock 14-1)

The 2 top teams from the 2006 Regular Season met for the first time in the playoffs since Round #3 2002. Both teams put forth a solid effort with the Kings coming out ahead 7-6. With 2 quality starting pitchers available, the Cannons elected to throw undefeated Tom Paulshock against the Kings Chuck Grant.

The Kings got on the scoreboard first in the t-2nd. Following a Russ Dlin single to start the inning, Paulshock issued 1 out walks to Alan Varhaftik and Keegan Rettaliata. With the bases loaded and 1 out, Paulshock was able to retire Troy Hendricks on a line-drive to 3B, but Rob Barrow came through with a 2 RBI single, giving the Kings a 2-0 lead. In t-3rd, Kenny Salzman and Jan Katzen led off the inning with singles. Shilo Merwitz followed with an RBI single to score Salzman, with Dan Frignito following with an RBI SF scoring Katzen. The Kings scored 1 more run in t-4th when Paulshock dropped the ball on a tag play at the plate, allowing Keegan Rettaliata to score the 5th run for the Kings. Kings held 5-0 lead into b-4th when the Cannons got their offense out of neutral. Steve Henneman drew a 1 out walk, Paulshock hit a 2 out single, and Dan Kassel walked to load the bases with 2 outs. Clutch singles by Jeff Kurland (2 RBI) and Neal Charkatz (1 RBI) made the score 5-3. The Kings added to the lead in t-5th with a Rob Ressin single, Jan Katzen walk, and Shilo Merwitz walk loading the bases with Kings with just 1 out. Dan Frignito hit a 2 RBI single to put the Kings up 7-3. Of course the Cannons were not going to concede. In the b-6th, pinch-hitter Mark Yokel singled to lead off inning and 1 out later Jeff Kurland singled. Consecutive RBI singles by Neal Charkatz and Shawn Warner made the score 7-5 after 6 innings. In the b-7th, Grant was able to retire the first 2 Cannons batters, but Steve Hayes then homered off the top of the fence in LCF to pull the Cannons to within 7-6. Grant was able to retire Mark Yokel on a flyout to end the game.

HCC Offensive Stars:
Jeff Kurland (2-4,1 R,2 RBI)
Neal Charkatz (3-4,2 RBI)
Shawn Warner (3-4,1 RBI)
Dan Kassel (1-2,1 R,1 W)

Kings Offensive Stars:
Jan Katzen (3-3,2 R,1 W)
Dan Frignito (1-2,3 RBI,SF)
Keegan Rettaliata (1-2,1 R,2B,W)
Rob Barrow (1-3,2 RBI)
Rob Ressin (1-2,1 R,W)

Pitching Lines:
Cannons: Tom Paulshock (7 IP,29 AB,11 H,7 R,6 ER,5 W,1 K,1 2B,0 3B,0 HR, Losing Pitcher)
Kings: Chuck Grant (7 IP,36 AB,14 H,6 R,6 ER,3 W,1 K,0 2B,0 3B,1 HR, Winning Pitcher)

Northwest Regional Park Field 4: DC Dental (#6) (WP-Tzvi Friedman 7-7) Eastern Savings Bank (#3) (LP-Lane Gordon 1-3)

For the expansion DCD club, losing to ESB had become about as routine as a groundball to shortstop, Benji Engelhart. Dave Finkelstein's ESB squad entered round 3 of the playoffs with a 5-0 record against DCD. Whether it winning in blowout fashion (see round 1) or pulling out the tight one late in the game, ESB always did what it took to finish off DCD. But in the sixth matchup of the season the script finally changed for DCD as they held on for the 8-5 win to eliminate ESB and advance to the final four.

Early on the game resembled the first round ESB win as DCD jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Joltin Joe Orshan's questionable double off of the glove of ESB outfielder Alan Lazerow. ESB quickly answered back in the bottom of the first as their first 3 hitters reached base and scored. however, unlike last week, DCD answered back with a 5 run rally of its own in the top of the 3rd. The inning featured run scoring hits by Orshan, Friedman, and Strum. Orshan added another RBI baseknock in the fifth to make it 7-3. Meanwhile Friedman "Big Tatti" settled down after the rocky first and with the help of solid DCD defense, kept the potent ESB lineup in tact.

After ESB cut the score to 7-4, DCD added an insurance run in the top of the 7th as Engelhart scored from second after Gutman got into a rundown attempting to tag on a fly ball off the bat of Friedman. ESB was not finished though. In the bottom of the 7th ESB loaded the bases and had the tying run at the plate with one out. But Friedman again buckled down and a ground ball and a lineout to right to finish off the upset. According to the Mike Herr sports bureau the win meant that DCD became the first expansion team "in at least" 15 years to advance to the final four.

Hitting Stars for DCD:
Engelhart- 2 for 4 (Double, Single)
Gutman- 3 for 4 (3 singles)
Orshan- 3 for 4 (3 Doubles 3 RBI)
Lasson- 2 for 4 (single, double)
Ziffer- 2 for 3 (2 singles)

Northwest Regional Park Field 1:
Havana Club Cannons (#1) 9 (WP-Mark Yokel 13-2T) Northwest Corridor (#5) 5 (LP-Howard Goldberg 8-6)

The Cannons took the field after an hour layoff and NWC went to the plate after an 8 minute rest. With their adrenaline still flowing from the game 1 win NWC struck first. Jon Herbst, Scott Sweren and Dave Stein had consecutive hits to start the game off. Howard Goldberg delivered a long sac fly and Eric Wingrat reached on an error. Matt Bell and Scott Landsman would also land a couple singles and the NWC went into the bottom of the 1st with a 4 run lead. The Cannons plated 2runs of their own in the first and shut down the NWC hitters 1-2-3 in the 2nd. The Cannons shifted the momentum in the 2nd showing why they're the regular season champs pushing 4 big runs across. Eric Wingrat singled home Dave Stein in the 3rd inning and NWC inched a little closer to regaining the lead. Goldberg shut down the Cannons with ease in the 3rd and 4th inning but Mark Yokel bettered him not allowing another NWC run to score for the rest of the game. The Cannons added an insurance run in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th to take the victory.

NWC ends the 2006 season with a team record for regular season and playoff wins.

Northwest Regional Park Field 3:
Kings (#2) 14 (WP-Chuck Grant 14-6) DC Dental (#6) 0 (LP-Tzvi Friedman 7-8) (5 Innings)

Facing the Regular Season Champion Havana Club Cannons in Round #3 , the last team the Kings expected to see in Round #4 was DC Dental. The surprising 1st year team earned their Round #4 appearance with an upset win against Eastern Savings Bank in Round #3. DCD, coming off a high of a round 3 victory over ESB, was in for a rude awakening in the semifinals. The Kings, despite being without "the voice of the Baltimore inner loop", pounded the ball off of a tired Tzvi Friedman.

The Kings offense treated Friedman in a similar manner to his only Regular Season start against the Kings, a week #7 19-2 (5 inning) win. Chuck Grant tossed a shutout as the Kings won this game also in 5 innings, 14-0. The Kings scored 1 run in 1st, 3 runs in 2nd, and 10 runs in 3rd in an inning that seemed to never end for DCD. The win earned the Kings an appearance next week in the Championship Game against the Havana Club Cannons.

The Kings scored in b-1st on 2 out singles by Shilo Merwitz and Dan Frignito, with Merwitz coming around to score on an outfield error. In b-2nd, Chuck Grant led off inning with a 3B and scored on Alan Varhaftik's SF. Kenny Salzman hit a 2 out bases-loaded 2B scoring Troy Hendricks (W) and Rob Ressin (1B) as the Kings got out to a 4-0 lead. After retiring the first batter in b-3rd, 12 Kings batters reached base on 8 hits and 4 walks. During the inning 2 RBI hits by Grant (3B), Troy Hendricks (2B), and Jan Katzen (1B) keyed the 10 run rally. Orshan did pitch a no-hitter out of the bullpen although he allowed 17 walks (ok maybe it was only 4 but you get the point). The one highlight in the game for DCD was Joe Rombro's web-gem play on Jan Katzen's liner where the ball landed on the back of his forearm and he ultimately reeled it in with his bare hand. (some have suggested that the ball got stuck in Rombro's forest of arm hair).

DC Dental came close to scoring a run in t-3rd, but RCF Troy Hendricks throw to C Mike Herr nailed DCD's Johnny Feldman at the plate and Chuck Grant retired the next 2 hitters to pitch out of it. Grant earned his league-leading 2nd shutout of the season while limiting DCD to just 4 singles and 1 walk.

Despite the 2 touchdown loss, DCD held its heads high after a successful first season in the Pikesville Softball league.

Offensive Kings Stars:
Kenny Salzman (2-3,1 R,3 RBI,2 2B)
Chuck Grant (2-3,2 R,2 RBI,2 3B)
Troy Hendricks (1-1,2 R,2 RBI,2B,2 W)
Alan Varhaftik (1-2,1 R,2 RBI,SF)