2010 Pikesville Men's Softball League
Week 1:  April 4, 2010

Highlights submitted thus far by Cannons, Kings, NWC, Stingers, AR Bodies.

Northwest Regional Park Field 1:    Umpire- Reggie Grant
 Game 1: Cannons 15 (WP-Lee Densky 1-0) Stingers 0 (LP-Larry Newman 0-1)  4 Innings

The Cannons opened the 2010 softballs season in defense of their regular season and post season victories. The season kicked off against the Stingers.

The Cannons scored 2 in the first and 3 in the 2nd to take a 5-0 lead after two. In the bottom of the 3rd that bats exploded. Steve Hayes started the inning with a booming HR to left. Jonathan Edelman tripled and scored on a Tim Grap single. The brought Drew McLean to the plate who promptly crushed a 2 run HR to dead center. Chub, Kurland and Charkatz all singled and scored following a Mike Dubansky triple. The score after 3 was 13-0. The Cannons added two more in the bottom of the 4th to seal the 4 inning game 15-0. Lee Densky towed the rubber for the Cannons in game one and held the Stingers to 1 hit and 3 walks. Densky goes to 1-0 on the season.

The 2010 season started with many new faces in the Stingers line up drawing perennial champions, the Cannons. Game one of the double header started a bit slow for the Stingers. The bats didn't come alive being held to a single hit and a couple walks. The Cannons picked apart the Stingers defense resulting in an 8 run 3rd inning. In the end, the Stingers fell 15-0 in 4 innings.

Cannons game 1 hitting stars:
Jeff Kurland 2-2, 3runs, 2 RBI's 2B, BB
Neal Charkatz 2-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI's, BB
Steve Hayes 2-2, run, HR, BB
TIm Grap 3-3, 3 runs, 2 RBI's
Brad 'Chub' Shapiro 3-3, 2 runs, RBI

 Game 2: Cannons 23 (WP-Tom Paulshock 1-0) Stingers 5 (LP-Larry Newman 0-2) 

In game 2 the Stingers offense and defense surged in the beginning innings. The Stingers held the Cannons to a single run which they matched in the bottom of the inning off a RBI single by Shifrin. The score remained tied going into the top of the third where an unfortunate call at first with two outs resulted in an extension of the inning and an eight run rally by the Cannons. That was the beginning of the end as the Stingers would not be able to recover. In the fifth a couple walks and a triple by Sheridan led to a couple runs followed by a Beverly single brining in another run. That would be all the offense the Stingers would muster for the day falling to Cannons in game two in seven innings. Although not an ideal start to the season, the Stingers have set a platform to build on going into next week and the rest of the season.

Game two saw the matchup of two old timers...Tom Paulshock and Larry Newman. They battled for 2 inning as the score remained tied at 1-1. In the top of the 3rd the Cannons took to the offensive. All of the damage in the inning was done with 2 outs. Kurland led off with a single. After Newman retired the next two, 4 straight singles by Schwartzberg, Hayes, Edelman and Kreitzer started the rally. After a walk to Grap, back to back doubles by McLean and Chub plated the 8th and final run of the inning. The Cannons scored 2 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th, 2 in the 6th and 9 in the 7th for win 23-5. Tom Paulshock got the win to go to 1-0

Cannons game 2 hitting stars:
Kurland 5-5, 5 runs, RBI 2B
Schwartzberg 4-4, 2 runs, 6 RBI's, SAC
Charkatz 3-5, 3 runs, 2B
Dubansky 3-5, run RBI
McLean 3-5, 3 runs, RBI, 2B, 3B

Northwest Regional Park Field 2:    Umpire- Kory Rosenberg
 Game 1: Kings 4 (WP-Mike Herr 1-0) Northwest Corridor 3 (LP-Howard Goldberg 0-1) 

The Kings and Northwest Corridor opened the season against one another for the 4th time in the franchises' history (2002, 2004, 2006, 2010). The Kings improved their opening day record against NWC to 7-1 with a doubleheader sweep.

Neither team put on much of an offensive display in the opener. NWC starter Howard Goldberg tossed a 5 hitter in losing to the Kings 4-3. Goldberg, however, yielded 11 walks, including 4 in the 1st inning and 2 in the bottom of the 7th inning. Kenny Salzman's 0 out single to RCF in b-7th scored Scott Katzen with the winning run for the Kings.

4 of the first Kings 5 batters drew walks in b-1st, with the bases loaded walk to Arin Gelletly producing the first run of the season. Alan Varhaftik delivered a 2 RBI bases loaded single to put the Kings ahead 3-0 after 1 inning of play.

In t-3rd, Matt Silverman walked with 1 out and following a fielder's choice groundout, 2 out singles by Jon Herbst and Scott Sweren (RBI) got NWC on the board, trailing 3-1. In t-4th, leadoff singles by Adam Silverman, Gabe Unterman, and Josh Katz (RBI) pulled NWC to within 3-2.

The Kings bats remained quiet from the 2nd inning thru the 6th inning as Goldberg improved his control and limited the Kings to 3 singles and 5 walks during the middle 5 innings. Meanwhile, in t-6th, consecutive leadoff singles by Herbst, Sweren, and Goldberg (RBI) knotted the score 3-3. Following a flyout to keep the runners on 1st and 2nd base with still 1 out, a strange baserunning mistake by NWC took place. Gabe Unterman hit a high popup into the shallow grass area just behind Kings SS Shilo Merwitz. The infield fly rule was properly called out by umpire Kory Rosenberg, but the wind and/or sun caused Merwitz to muff the popup. The NWC runners did advance on the dropped ball "at their own risk" with the infield fly rule call and each runner was about to step onto the advancing base. Confusion on the part of the lead runner had him returning from third base to second base, where, with the ball still in play, Kings second baseman Kenny Salzman tagged out the baserunner. The Kings were fortunate to come out of the inning without allowing another run.

With the score still tied 3-3 headed into the home half of the 7th inning, Scott Katzen and Mike Herr drew walks to start the inning. Kenny Salzman hit a frozen rope single into RCF to score Katzen with the winning run.

NWC offensive stars (10-29 [.345 AVG], 3 R,3 RBI,0 2B,0 3B,0 HR,2 W,1 K,0 SF)
Jon Herbst (2-3,1 R)
Scott Sweren (2-2,1 RBI,W)
Adam Silverman (2-3,1 R)

Kings offensive leaders (5-23 [.217 AVG], 4 R,4 RBI,0 2B,0 3B,0 HR,11 W,0 K,0 SF):
Kenny Salzman (2-3,1 R,1 RBI,W)
Jeff Slutzker (1-1,1 R,2 W)
Alan Varhaftik (1-1,2 RBI,2 W)

Kings game notes:

NWC Game Notes:

Game 2: Kings 8 (WP-Chuck Grant 1-0) Northwest Corridor 3 (LP-Howard Goldberg 0-2) 

The Kings broke open a very close game with 3 runs in t-7th to take the nightcap 8-4. The 2 teams that had combined for just 15 singles in the first game, improved their offenses with a combined 28 hits including 5 doubles. The pitching improved also with just 6 combined walks.

Chuck Grant, the Kings all-time leader with 10 opening day starts, improved his opening day record to 9-1 with a solid pitching effort. Howard Goldberg took the hill again in the second game for NWC. NWC added Zack Scherr to the pitching staff for the 2010 season, but he did not see action on the mound today.

In t-1st, Kings threatened with 1 out 2B by Jan Katzen and 1B by Jeff Slutzker, but with runners on the corner and just 1 out, Howard Goldberg was able to get out of the inning on a hard line drive to thirdbaseman Adam Silverman and flyout to RCF Jon Herbst. In b-1st, Herbst drew a leadoff walk and was followed by Scott Sweren 1B. Wit 1 out, Adam Silverman singled home Herbst.

Into t-3rd, Dave Sandler walked and Kenny Salzman 2B to start inning. Following a called third strike, Jeff Slutzker delivered a 2 RBI 1B. The Kings loaded the bases with 2 outs when Keegan Rettaliata came through with a 2 RBI 1B. The Kings led 4-1.

The Kings lead became 5-1 when Rettaliata delivered another 2 out hit, this time a 1B to score Shilo Merwitz.. In b-5th, Lee Polak singled and scored on a Matt Silverman 2B. The game became very tight in b-6th. With 0 on and 2 out, Gabe Unterman walked, Josh Katz hit an RBI 2B, and Brad Rosenberg hit an RBI 1B. Grant was able to get out of the inning with a slim 5-4 lead when he retired Matt Bell on a flyout to LF.

The Kings built a comfortable lead with key 2 out RBI hits by Alan Varhaftik (RBI 1B) and Rettaliata (2 RBI 2B). All of Rettaliata's 5 RBI's in the game came via clutch 2 out hits. Grant escaped the b-7th without allowing a run and came out with the 8-4 pitching win.

NWC offensive leaders (12-33 [.364 AVG], 4 R,4 RBI,2 2B,0 3B,0 HR,2 W,1 K,0 SF):
Brad Rosenberg (3-3,1 RBI)
Josh Katz (1-3,1 R,1 RBI,2B)
Matt Silverman (2-3,1 R,2B)

Kings offensive leaders in game 2 (16-37 [.432 AVG], 8 R,8 RBI,3 2B,0 3B,0 HR,4 W,1 K,0 SF):
Kenny Salzman (2-4,1 R,2B)
Jan Katzen (2-4,2B,K)
Jeff Slutzker (3-4,2 R, 2 RBI)
Arin Gelletly (2-4,1 R)
Alan Varhaftik (2-3,1 R,1 RBI,W)
Keegan Rettaliata (3-4,5 RBI,2B,reached on error)
Dave Sandler (1-1,1 R,W)

NWC Game Notes:

Kings game notes:

Northwest Regional Park Field 3:      Umpire- Scott Snyder
 Game 1: AR Bodies / Raptors 8 (WP-Jeff Harris 1-0) Sky & Sky Inc. 4 (LP-Ken Zalis 0-1) 

It was a beautiful opening day in 2010, and it was a rematch from last year's opening day for AR Bodies and Sky. Last year Sky welcomed AR Bodies to the league with 2 easy wins, but the result would be different this year.

The Bodies started right where they left off last year with great pitching and defense, and threw in some nice timely hitting as well. Eric Radom started game one off with a walk, went to second on a fly ball from Jon Singer, and scored on an Andrew Welling single to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jeff Harris worked out of a jam in the bottom, which allowed the Bodies to open up a 6-0 lead in the second. Gabe Silber worked a one out walk to start the rally. Harris reached on a hard hit error, Jeremy Zinn had an RBI single, Jon Singer walked, and the rally was capped off by a 2 RBI double by Welling, and a 2 RBI triple from Chris Canosa. Sky's new pitcher Ken Zalas settled down after the first 2 innings and held the Raptors down until the 6th, but Harris continued to work as well. In the bottom of the third, Sky made it 6-1 on an Elliot Blank single and a Pat Wilcox sac fly, but some solid plays by the Raptors infield of Welling, Canosa, and Silber helped hold Sky to one run until the 6th. In the 6th, Silber started another rally with a walk. Harris and Zinn singled to load the bases, and Radom and Singer followed with RBI singles to make it 8-1. Sky made it 8-3 in the bottom of the 6th with a pair of triples from Sky. Sky added one more in the 7th and made it interested getting the tying run on deck, but Harris got Andy Bloom to end it at 8-4 Bodies.

Bodies Hitting Highlights:
>Jon Singer - 2-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R
>Andrew Welling - 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R
>Gabe Silber - 0-1, 2 BB, 2 R
>Jeff Harris - 2-3, 2 R
>Jeremy Zinn -2-3, RBI, R

Game 2: AR Bodies / Raptors 12 (WP-Jeff Harris 2-0) Sky & Sky Inc. 0 (LP-Alex Newman 0-1)  6 Innings

AR Bodies jumped out to another early lead in the bottom of the first off of Newman. Radom singled and Singer walked for Welling, who knocked Radom in with a single. Josh Cohen and Aaron Birenbaum knocked in Radom and Welling with singles after a Wilner walk. With one out, Silber knocked in Wilner for the 4th run with great hustle beating out a possible double play at first. The Bodies added 3 more in the second. Zinn lead off with a single followed by a Singer single with one out. Welling double in Zinn, and Canosa hit a sac fly to score Singer, and Winer singled to score Welling. The Bodies scored 2 more in the fourth when Welling double in Singer (1B), and Canosa single in Welling. In the fifth, the Bodies completed their scoring helped out with another 2 RBI's from Welling.

On the defensive side, Jeff Harris and the defense took it up a notch, shutting out Sky. Normal infielders, Singer, Cohen, and Birenbaum all played well in the outfield on the day. Welling was unstoppable at 3rd base on the day with 10 assists and no errors. Harris mixed up his pitches and was throwing gas in game 2, Giving up only 6 hits, 0 walks, and no runs in 6 innings. Harris only walked one on the day. Bodies win 12-0.

Bodies Hitting Highlights:
>Jon Singer - 3-3, BB, 3 R
>Andrew Welling - 4-4, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R
>Wilner - 1-2, BB, RBI, R
>Jeff Harris - 2-3, R
>Josh Cohen -2-3, RBI