2009 Pikesville Men's Softball League
Week 15:  July 12, 2009

---

Northwest Regional Park Field 1:    Umpire- Reggie Grant
Game 1: Sky & Sky Inc. 10 (WP-Larry Newman 3-6) Cannons 9 (LP-Lee Densky 2-1) 

The Cannons posted two in their opening at-bat, but an OF error on Sky & Sky’s very first batter was a sign of things to come for The Cannons game one efforts. Five hits and two walks later Sky & Sky had answered with 5 runs in the b-1st, batting around despite an inning ending line drive DP. The dreaded leadoff walk pushed the lead to four runs before The Cannons scratched out two more runs tightening things after three complete. The t-4th was the big inning as Johnny Edelman’s gift wrapped 2B scored two, and he also came around to score. The Cannons pushed across 4 runs in the inning and extended their lead in the t-5th with another tally. Not wanting to waste their early barrage of hits, Sky & Sky closed the gap to one run in the b-6th taking advantage of Brian Sky’s 2B and another Cannons OF error. The Cannons did manage to limit the damage with another inning ending DP, the third time they turned the trick during this contest. Sky & Sky was chasing one run in the b-6th , but the leadoff free pass came back to haunt The Cannons. Three singles in a row by Andrew VanLandingham, Pat Wilcox, and Andy Bloom turned the tables on The Cannons, who now needed to get at least one across in the t-7th. Larry Newman was able to shut down their bats, including retiring 8 of the last 9 hitters he faced, preserving the win over Lee Densky. VanLandingham went 2-3, 3B, BB, & 2 runs including the winning run, Andy Bloom went 3-4 with a 2B, 2 runs, & 2 rbi including the game winner, and Brian Sky chipped in with a 2-3 performance including a 2B, BB and 2 runs.

In game one Lee Densky took the hill for the Cannons against Larry Newman of Sky and SKy. The Cannons jumped on the board first with 2 in the top of the 1st. Kurland, Charkatz, Schwartzberg and Edelman all singled. Sky came right back to take the lead with 5 in the bottom of 1st as 3 Cannon errors led to the runs. SKy added one more in the 2nd to take a 6-2 lead. The Cannons got 2 back in the 3rd as a Jim Davis single plated Mike Dubansky who had singled to lead off the inning. The Cannons took the lead in the 4th scoring 4 runs. Kurland singled and went to 3rd on Mike Dubansky's single. After a walk to Schwartzberg to load the bases, John Edelman drove in 2 with a double to center. Jim Davis followed with a SAC to left. Evan Kreitzer drove in Edelman with a single to give the Cannons an 8-6 lead. The Cannons picked up a run in the top of the 5th for a 9-6 lead. Sky came back with 2 in the bottom of the 5th and bottom of the 6th to take a 10-9 lead. Newman was able to retire the Cannons in the 7th for the 10-9 win. Lee Densky took his first lose of the year to fall to 2-1.

Cannons game 1 hitting stars:
Jeff Kurland - 3-5, 3 runs
Mike Dubanksy - 3-5, 2 runs
Jeff Robbins - 2-4, RBI

Game 2:   Cannons 5  (WP-Tom Paulshock 6-3)  Sky & Sky Inc. 4 (LP-Alex Newman 4-5)

Game two featured a much tighter defensive game, which again saw the winning team escape with a 1-run margin of victory for the fourth time in four games between these rivals. A walk and three hits only produced one run in the t-1st for Sky & Sky. Johnny Edelman’s 3B tied things after two. Pat Wilcox and Andy Bloom each singled in a run in the t-3rd, as 4 consecutive runners reached base for the “big offensive explosion” of the game. Meanwhile Jason Schwartzburg’s rbi single helped to cash in a leadoff BB, base hit, and an OF error as The Cannons tied things up after four. A Jeff Robbins 3B scored one and he eventually scored the winning run. Brian Sky’s matching triple in the t-6th was the last offense from the Sky & Sky bats as he scored the fourth and final run allowing The Cannons to win 5-4. Tom Paulshock gained the victory over Alex Newman. The same three hitters from game one showed up in game two as Brian Sky went 2-3 including that 3B, Andy Bloom singled twice and had two rbi, and Andrew VanLandingham chipped in with two hits and a run. Paulshock limited the 7 thru10 hitters to a BB and one hit in 12 plate appearances.

Game two saw Tom Paulshock match up against Alex Newman. Sky took a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st. The Cannons tied it in the bottom of the 2nd after a double from Edelman and a SAC fly by Jim Davis. Sky retook the lead in the 3rd plating 2 runs. In the bottom of the 4th, Kurland led of with a walk. Dubansky singled to right. The ball got under the right fielders glove allowing Kurland to score and Dubanksy to go all the way the 3rd. Schwartzberg then singled to plate Dubansky to tie the game at 3-3. The Cannons took the lead in the bottom of the 5th. Three straight hits by Evan Kreitzer, Jeff Robbins and lee Densky gave the Cannons a 5-3 lead. Sky got one back in the 6th but Paulshock was able to shut them down the rest of the way. Cannons wins the 4th one run game between these two teams this year. 5-4. Paulshock gets the win to improve to 6-3

Cannons game 2 hitting stars:
Evan Kreitzer - 2-3, R was the only Cannon to have more than one hit

Northwest Regional Park Field 2:    Umpire- Ken Seaman
Game 1: Kings 15 (WP-Mike Herr 5-0)  Northwest Corridor 3 (LP-Howard Goldberg 7-10)  5 Innings

With 7 of the regular 13 Kings players out of the lineup, the makeshift squad pounded out 15 hits in an abbreviated 5 inning, 15-3 win. Kings Jeff Slutzker and Alan Varhaftik each knocked in 4 runs, while Troy Hendricks had 3 and Steve Levy 2.

NWC got on the scoreboard in t-1st on consecutive 1 out singles by Scott Sweren, Gabe Unterman, and Howard Goldberg (RBI). Adam Silverman followed with a SF to put NWC ahead 2-0 before the Kings came to bat. In Kings b-1st. the Kings also rallied with 1 out. A walk to Jeff Webster, singles by Jeff Slutzker and Alan Varhaftik (RBI), walkd to Jan Katzen, and 2 RBI 1B by Troy Hendricks gave Kings 4-2 lead. The 4th run of the inning came home on a Steve Levy RBI fielder's choice.

The Kings extended lead in b-2nd. Scott Zolotorow reached on a leadoff infield error. 1 out later Robbie Ressin singled and Jeff Webster drew a walk to load the bases. Jeff Slutzker hit a SF to LCF, Alan Varhaftik lined a 2 out 2 RBI 2B, and Jan Katzen followed with an RBI 1B. The Kings led 8-2 after 2 innings.

In t-4th, Howard Goldberg led off with a single and advanced to second base on an outfield throwing error. A courtesy runner for Goldberg scored 1 out later on a SF by Brad Rosenberg. The Kings cashed in 3 more runs in b-4th on RBI 1B by Hendricks, RBI 1B by Levy, and SF by Koby Sarubin.

The Kings ended the game early with 4 runs in b-5th. Loading the bases with 0 outs, Jeff Slutzker cleared the bases with a 2B. Slutzker scored the game ending run on another RBI hit by Varhaftik.

NWC game 1 offensive leaders:
Howard Goldberg (2-2,1 R,1 RBI)

Kings game 1 offensive leaders:
Robbie Ressin (2-3,2 R,1 W)
Jeff Slutzker (2-3,2 R,4 RBI,2B,SF)
Alan Varhaftik (3-3,3 R,4 RBI,2B,W)
Jan Katzen (2-2,2 R,1 RBI,W)
Troy Hendricks (2-3,1 R,3 RBI)
Steve Levy (2-3,2 RBI)

Game 2: Northwest Corridor 10  (WP-Howard Goldberg 8-10)  Kings 4 (LP-Mike Herr 5-1) 

Northwest Corridor, which was limited to just 6 singles in game 1, pounded out 16 hits including 2 doubles in a 10-4 nightcap win over the Kings. The game 1 victory for the Kings was costly in that 2B Jeff Webster badly pulled a hamstring and P Mike Herr further aggravated a left heel injury. With 7 of the 13 regular Kings roster players out-of-action for the week and having just 10 players in attendance, NWC dominated the game 2 action. NWC pitcher Howard Goldberg himself pitching for the past several weeks with a hamstring injury allowed just 8 Kings hits (all singles) and contributed offensively with a 4-for-4 performance.

In b-1st, with 2 outs and nobody on, singles by Gabe Unterman, Goldberg, and Adam Silverman gave NWC 1-0 advantage. Kings knotted score in t-2nd on Koby Sarubin 1B, Mike Herr walk, and 2 out Jeff Webster RBI 1B.

Kings took 4-1 lead in t-3rd on 4 singles to start the inning-- Steve Levy, Jeff Slutzker, Alan Varhaftik (RBI), and Jan Katzen (2 RBI). Those would be the last runs on the day for the Kings as Goldberg would limit them to just 3 singles and 2 walks over the final 4 innings.

In b-3rd, 2 ground ball errors to start the inning were ominous for the Kings. The next 5 batters lined base hits with 2 RBI 2B by Goldberg, RBI 2B by Adam Silverman, and RBI 1B by Brad Rosenberg. When the damage was done, NWC held a 6-4 lead. An RBI 1B by Goldberg and SF by Silverman in b-4th extended the NWC lead 8-4.

In b-5th, Matt Bell and Aaron Bierenbaum began the inning with singles. An outfield throwing error and a SF by Matt Silverman made the NWC lead 10-4. The Kings bats were not able to match the production of the NWC offense. The NWC hits also led to a very uncharacteristic 7 errors overall by the Kings, the majority on outfield overthrows.

NWC game 2 offensive leaders:
Gabe Unterman (3-4,3 R)
Howard Goldberg (4-4,1 R,3 RBI,2B)
Adam Silverman (2-3,1 R,3 RBI,2B,SF)
Matt Bell (2-2,1 R,1 W)
Aaron Bierenbaum (3-3,1 R)

Kings multi-hit players in game 2:
Alan Varhaftik (2-3,1 R,1 RBI,W)
Jan Katzen 92-4,2 RBI)

Kings game notes:

• Catcher Scott Zolotorow made his Kings debut. Zolotorow is the 101st players to wear a Kings jersey in the team's 21 year history. He goes to the bottom of the alphabetized list replacing Chris Zoeller.

• Zolotorow was replacing C/1B Keegan Rettaliata who earlier this week fractured his wrist playing a boxing game in a bar.

• Kings veterans Robbie Ressin, Steve Levy, and Jeff Webster filled out the replacement roster for the Kings. It was the first appearance in 2009 for all 3 players. Prior to today's games, there Kings game totals were Levy 296, Ressin 72, Webster 51.

• The cooperative weather allowed 3B Robbie Ressin to participate in his first game action since receiving off-season treatment for mouth cancer. While still down around 20 pounds from his 2008 playing weight, Ressin displayed his consistent patience at the plate along with his smooth up-the-middle swing. Welcome back Robbie!

Northwest Regional Park 3:    Umpire- Rick Simmons
Game 1: NEK/ESB Bombers 14 (WP-Ted Winner 5-7) Stingers 10 (LP-Albert Hoffman 2-4) 

Stingers and Bomber had a slugfest in game one. Between the two teams there were 20 runs produced between the 1st and 2nd innings. Little shots driven by both teams taking advantage of each other made the early innings all offensive as the Bombers led the Stingers 11-9. The Bombers then looked to extend things in the t-3rd adding 2 more runs and taking further. Innings 4 and five were a much different story though as neither team would be able to produce much. Bombers took advantage of some mistakes of the stingers in the b-6th to make it a 14-9 game. Stingers did not go down without a fight though. The battled back another run to come with 5 of ting the game. With runners in scoring positions, the Stingers looked to com even closer an possibly comeback, but unfortunately the Bombers did have the same thoughts.

The Bombers are really starting to find their identity. After sweeping the Stingers they are now on a four game winning streak. In game one the Bombers jumped on the Stingers for 11 runs in the first inning. To the Stingers credit they fought back valiantly against starter and winner Ted Winner. The Stingers scored five in the first and four in the second to make it an 11-9 game. The Bombers batted around in the first. Raashad led off with a double and Mikey followed with a run scoring double. Ben Guttman, Dan Guttman, Dovid Flamm, Teddy and Marc Loeb all followed with run scoring singles. After Petey reached on an error Dave Pridgen followed with a run scoring single, Cameron Brown added a sacrifice fly and Chaim Finkelstein followed with a two run double.



Ted Winner shut down the Stingers the rest of the way holding them to one run the rest of the game. The Bombers scored a run in the third, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to win the game to 14-10.

David Flamm made several great defensive plays at 3rd base and Ben Guttman played a great left centerfield.

Game 2: NEK/ESB Bombers 16 (WP-David Pridgen 1-0) Stingers 2 (LP-Brett Eisenberg 0-1) 6 Innings

Game 2 showed the old bats of the Stingers. Bombers jumped out to a two run lead after the first for the lead. Stingers would try to get the bats going again but they were still cold. Bombers jumped ahead thereafter to a 10-0 lead after 5 innings of play. Brett Eisenberg only allowed 4 walks in his debut, but it was the fielding that got the better of the Stingers as the Bomber’s Gutman brothers put on a highlight show to keep the Stingers in check and the win for the day.

In game two the Bombers sent out Dave Pridgen for the first time this season and through three innings he pitched a perfect game. Meanwhile, the Bombers scored two in the first and two in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Mikey who played a great left field started off the first with a single followed by a single by Ben Gutman. David Flamm walked and Marc Loeb who has been swinging a very hot bat hit a two run single. In the 3rd D. Gutman and Flamm started off the inning with singles and scored on a Loeb single and a bases loaded walk to Chaim Finkelstein. The Bombers scored four more runs in the fourth and six in the fifth to end the game with a 15-2 victory. Star catcher Damon Cobrin ended the game after 5 with a massive triple to the left center field fence. (you know he had to hit it a long way if he was able to get a triple). Marquiex Garrett and Marc Loeb made several outstanding plays in the field and Dave P. held the Stingers offense at bay the whole game.