Pikesville Mens Softball League April 30, 2006

Northwest Regional Park Field 1:
Game 1: Sky & Sky Inc. 13 (WP-Larry Newman 11-11) DC Dental 7 (LP-Tzvi Friedman 5-6)

The heart of the Sky & Sky line-up pushed 2 across in the t-1st only to see D.C. Dental tie things up in their half of the 1st. Small ball allowed the bottom half of the Sky & Sky line-up to make its presence known as they added 2, while D.C. Dental answered with 1 of their own completing the second inning. The rarest of events saw the D.C. Dental OF play a single into a HR by Alan Friedman. Reports by several D.C.Dental infielders claimed to hear Friedman cursing the outfielder for not getting in front of the line drive, thereby forcing Friedman to sprint around what seemed like a quarter mile of bases. Forty two seconds later, as Friedman crossed home plate, his teammates rushed Gatorade and an oxygen tank to his rescue. In the t-5th Sky & Sky pushed across 5 more using several hits, errors and walks. Two more in the 6th with successive extra base knocks by Steve Truitt and Andy Bloom extended the lead to 9. Sloppy defense allowed D.C. Dental to close to within 5, but that was it and Larry Newman defeated Tzvi Friedman. Chris Knorr and Donny Weinapple had 3 hits each.

DC Dental continued through its treacherous late season schedule with a battle against the feisty Sky and Sky squad. The game began as a seesaw battle with DC Dental answering Sky and Sky's two-run first with a two-out-two run rally with four straight singles: Orshan, Friedman, Minkove, and Lasson (2 run single). The game remained close early with Sky clinging to a 4-3 lead. However, after some defensive lapses by the dental suppliers and some timely hitting by Sky, Sky and Sky poured out 8 straight runs to take a 12-3 lead. Larry Newman was able to sustain a late rally by the Dentists to capture the 13-7 win.

Game 2: DC Dental 7 (WP-Tzvi Friedman 6-6) 6 Sky & Sky Inc. 2 (LP-Alex Newman 2-2)

The nightcap saw two lackluster teams go at it, with the sun beating both teams by the end of the game. A 6-2 final with little offense on both sides allowed D.C Dental's Tzvi Friedman to outlast Alex Newman. Mike Rotts reached base safely in all three plate appearances while Chris Knorr contributed a 2-3 effort.

In the nightcap, Tzvi Friedman, the Dental Bulldog of the staff toughed out the heat as he held Sky and Sky to 2 runs and earned his 6th win of the year. DC dental did its offensive damage early in this one scoring three in the higlighted by a two-run triple by Friedman over the head of Newman, who had lost his peripheral vision as a result of his turban. Dental added two more runs in the second and was then able to withstand several small rallies by Sky and Sky as they salvaged the split. Orshan contributed 2 hits in the victory despite complaining of "irritable bowels."

Northwest Regional Park Field 2:
Game 1: Northwest Corridor 18 (WP-Terry Lanciotti 3-1) L.O.F.T. 1 (LP-Andy Peksa 1-12) (5 Innings)

After a few week layoff NWC was eager to shake the rust off against a pumped up LOFT squad. Terry Lanciotti shut the LOFT batters down in order in the 1st and NWC attacked quickly. Jon Herbst set the tone for the day with a leadoff triple. Five singles one walk and an Aaron Birenbaum triple later and the NWC had a nice 6-0 lead. Lanciotti wouldn't need much more run support on the day limiting the LOFT batters to just 5 singles on the day. His shutout was broken up in the last inning when a LOFT batter advanced on a throwing error. Lanciotti walked zero LOFT batters and put in a truly dominant performance. The offense was led by the triumphant return of team captain Howard Goldberg. Playing in his first game since May 21st he came back with a bang going 4-4 with a 2b and 3b. The NWC 1-5 hitters went a combined 16-18 in game 1. Scott Sweren also went 4-4 in the game.

Hitting Stars for NWC:
Scott Sweren 4-4 2b 2r rbi
Howard Goldberg 4-4 2b 3b 3r 2rbi
Eric Wingrat 3-4 2rbi r
Jon Herbst 3-3 3b 2r rbi sf
David Stein 2-3 2b 2r 5rbi sf

Game 2: Northwest Corridor 13 (WP-Howard Goldberg 6-5) L.O.F.T. 7 (LP-Andy Peksa 1-13)

The second game of the double header wasn't as easy as the heat was evidently getting to both teams. LOFT put a nice 1st inning rally together off of Goldberg scoring 3 quick runs. NWC again played small ball peppering singles all over the field to score 4 of their own 1st inning runs. NWC broke things open in the 2nd led by doubles from Herbst and Stein and Scott Sweren homerun. LOFT refused to give up adding three more runs but falling short to NWC 13-7 in game 2. Goldberg took the win and Peksa the loss. Andy Peksa put together maybe his finest pitching performance of the season. Pitching both games despite the heat he walked just 3 NWC batters combined for both games.

Hitting Stars Game 2
David Stein 3-4 3b 2b 2r 2rbi
Scott Sweren 3-4 2b hr 3r 3rbi
Jon Herbst 3-4 2-2b 3r

Northwest Regional Park Field 3:
Game 1: Havana Club Cannons 14 (WP-Mark Yokel 11-2) NEK Entertainment 1 (LP-Dave Pridgen 6-12) (5 Innings)

On a week when the Cannons played both games of the double header with only 9 guys. Game 1 say the Cannons come out poised for a victory. A 5 spot in the 1st would be all the Regular Season Champs would need and timely hitting and some shaky NEK defense gave the Cannons a 14-2 5 inning win. Mark Yokel picked up the win.

Game 2: Havana Club Cannons 6 (WP-Tom Paulshock 13-0) NEK Entertainment 3 (LP-Dave Pridgen 6-13) (5 Innings)

Game two was a much closer affair. Tom Paulshock continued his solid pitching this season. Tom's pitching performance was much needed as The Cannons bats fell asleep and could only manage 6 runs off NEK starter Dave Pridgen. Pridgen seemed to settle down and was able to keep NEK in the game. Paulshock however was able to limit the hits as the Cannons finished off the sweep 6-3.

Northwest Regional Park Field 4:
Game 1: Kings 15 (WP-Dan Frignito 4-0) Stingers 3 (LP-Darron Tabatznik 5-11) (5 Innings)

The Kings broke open a 3-3 game with 8 runs in b-5th and came away with a 15-3 2nd place clinching victory. Stingers starting pitcher Darron Tabatznik was feeling under-the-weather, but started well in limiting the Kings offense early. Kenny Salzman began the Kings b-1st with a single and scored the game's first run on a SF by Shilo Merwitz. Kings starter Dan Frignito aided his own cause with a 2 RBI 2 out single in b-3rd to give Kings 3-0 lead. In t-4th, leadoff singles by Tim Palo and Joe Wantz set the table for a 1 out Brad Starobin RBI single and 2 RBI single by Mike Basoco. With the score still tied 3-3 entering b-5th, the Kings offense finally came to life. 9 straight Kings batters reached on 8 hits and 1 walk with 2 out and none on in the inning (Dave Sandler 1B,Shilo Merwitz 1B,Frignito 2 RBI 3B, Alan Varhaftik RBI 1B, Keegan Rettaliata 1B, and Jan Katzen RBI 1B, Troy Hendrick W, Rob Barrow 2 RBI 2B, Rob Ressin 2 RBI 1B). The Kings added 4 more runs off Stingers reliever Tim Palo in b-6th to end the game an inning early. Palo yielded just 1 hit, but 4 walks, a sacrifice fly (Rettaliata) and an error led to the runs.

Game 2: Kings 17 (WP-Dan Frignito 5-0) Stingers 0 (LP-Darron Tabatznik 5-12) (4 Innings)

Tabatznik came back out to start game 2 for the Stingers, but the Kings bats remained on fire scoring 17 runs in just 4 innings, sending everyone home early 17-0. Dan Frignito again took the hill for the Kings and let up just 1 hit in 3 innings of work, letting Shilo Merwitz mop up with his knuckle-ball in the final inning of the regular season for both teams.

The Kings scored 5 runs in t-1st, 4 runs in 2nd, 3 runs in 3rd, and 5 runs in 4th. While scoring just 3 runs in the first 4 innings of play today the, the Kings scored 29 runs in their final 5 1/3 innings. Troy Hendricks (2-3,3 R,2 RBI,2B,W), Mike Herr (2-2,2 R,2 RBI,W), and Dan Frignito (2-2,2 R,2 RBI,W) all had multi-hit and multi-RBI games.