A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, August 13, 2009 Page 11

THE WEEK IN SPORTSSports Section Pages 11-15

V-J Day (Victory over Japan)August 14, 1945 (U.S. time)

LORENZ HRs, 3Bs, 5 RBI; HENNESSEY, GERGICH HR

Sofa Kings Spring into Action,Mesmerize Hocus Pocus, 19-2

By DAVID B. CORBINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Game 2 of the Scotch Plains Men’sSoftball League B Division semifinalround turned out to be quite a contrastto Game 1 when second-seeded SofaKings sprang into action in the lateinnings to mesmerize third-seededHocus Pocus, 19-2, at Jerseyland Fieldin Scotch Plains on August 5.

Throughout the game, Hocus Pocuskept tapping their wand and lookinginto their bag for some tricks but themagic had been exhausted after hav-ing endured two one-run games in arow with a 9-8, 10-inning win overNeighborhood Painting on August 3and a 12-11 loss to the Sofa Kings onAugust 4.

Neither team displayed any impres-sive offensive magic for the first fiveinnings, with the exception of SofaKing’s Tom Hennessey blasting a two-run home run in the top of the fourth.But the Sofa Kings stopped lounging

around cold turkey in the sixth andseventh innings, plating five and sevenruns, respectively, and Brandon Lorenzwas at the center of that blitz with atwo-run triple in the sixth and a three-run homer in the seventh.

Some defensive magic, however,sparkled throughout the game. Hocusthird baseman Randy Tarnofsky andfirst baseman Ollie Androska madeglittering plays in the third and eighthinnings and centerfielder Scott Gilesmade a spectacular diving grab in the

sixth. Sofa King third baseman Lorenzperformed magic with his glove inthe first, fifth and ninth innings,pitcher Billy Mariani made a leapinggrab in the sixth and shortstop DougDelle Donne absorbed a wicked linerto end the game in the ninth.

Lorenz finished 4-for-5, while scor-ing three times, and Hennessey fin-ished 4-for-5 with three RBI, whilescoring twice. Ryan Gergich smasheda two-run homer and a double, while

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LOMBARDI TOSSES 4-HITTER, GIBBONS RIPS 3B, 2B, 1B

Babooshka Blanks SMC, 15-0,Gets Top Seed in U. C. Playoff

By DAVID B. CORBINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Babooshka, in a three-way jostlingmatch with Buffy’s Tavern and Aw-nings Galore, got a fine pitching per-formance from Tom Lombardi and adevastating offensive attack acrossthe board to secure the top seed in theUnion County Senior 50+ SoftballLeague with a 15-0 shutout of S.M.C.at Jerseyland Field in Scotch Plainson August 6.

“It all comes down to percentagepoints. It depends on who wins to-night. If we win, it’s a lock,” saidBabooshka’s Keith Gibbons prior tothe game.

Babooshka pounded out 17 hits in

the five-inning, mercy-rule game andGibbons was right in the thick ofthings with a triple, an RBI doubleand a single, while scoring twice inhis three at bats. Brian Williams alsowent 3-for-3 and scored twice with apair of RBI singles and a double, andLombardi added to his confidence onthe mound with three singles, twoRBI and a run scored. Larry Esoldorapped a two-run triple, an RBI sacri-fice fly and a single, while scoringtwice, and Tony Williams drilled anRBI double, singled and scored twice.Joe Massimino scored three times,singled and had an RBI, and TonyRadice slapped a two-run single. DaveLaValle had a pair of RBI and scored

once. Keith Hertell and Ed Belfordeach singled, while Steve Ferro andTim Deegan each scored once.

Of S.M.C.’s four hits, Harry Streepdoubled, while Paul Levinberg, SteveCauley and Ray Pelesko each singled.But S.M.C. did make several finefielding plays, beginning withLevinberg’s grab of a tough popupnear third base. From his position onthe mound, Streep initiated a second(Barney Tracy)-to-first (JohnnySymczak) double play (DP). Streepadded another fine putout in the thirdinning and Tracy hauled in a scaryline drive in the fourth.

Lombardi figured in all three of

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesSMACKING A TWO-RUN SINGLE TO LEFT…Sofa King Johnnie Lyp smacked a two-run single and an RBI single togo with his other single and two runs scored against Hocus Pocus.

BERGER TIES IT, KAUFFMAN CRACKS WINNING RBI

Investors Savings Nudges PastDeegan Roofing in ‘A’ Game 1

By DAVID B. CORBINSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Opportunity for glory comes rarelyfor many but sometimes often for afew. The few, Investors Savings, win-ners of three of the past four A Divi-sion championships in the ScotchPlains Men’s Softball League, had astruggle on its hands but managed toscore two runs in the bottom of theeighth inning to grab a 4-3 lead thenheld on to nudge past Deegan Roof-ing in Game 1 of the championshipseries at Brookside Park in ScotchPlains on August 10.

Only one extra-base hit, an RBItriple by Deegan’s Jeff Bendix, whoalso scored a run, mingled with thenine singles that each team had.Deegan’s Tom Straniero (RBI), MikeJuchnik and Marty Marks each had apair of singles. Jerry Isolda (RBI),Steve Brainard and Kevin Woodringeach singled and Rich Banasiakscored once. Neil Kauffman andEmidio Monaco led Investors with apair of singles and an RBI. Ed Zazzalihad an RBI single. John Lehberger

and Dave Martorano each singledand scored, and Mark Nies, whowalked in all three of his at bats,scored once, while Tim Walsh andJohn Rachko each singled. CoreyBerger had an RBI sacrifice fly.

Prior to the showdown, Investors’veteran Brian Dayton, originally fromDoylestown, Pa. who has been withthe league 18 years, said, “I startedout in the B Division with Emidio.Three or four of us have come all thatway. I got a job at Ciba-Geigy inSummit. I met Emidio and he got mein the league. Now I bought a house inScotch Plains.”

Most of the players on the teamhave won three titles in the past fouryears under the sponsorship of Inves-tors Savings and, previously, they havewon titles as Checchio Chiropracticand Geeks on Call.

Dayton added, “We’ve won the lastcouple of years with Investors. Moneyin the Bank!”

Nies, a Watchung Hills graduatewho has been a premier home runhitter throughout his tenure with the

league, said, “This is my 12th yearwith the league, sixth with this team,also Phoenix Tube, PEPCO andGeeks. Nine of 12 years I’ve won it(title).”

A veteran of many leagues,Straniero a 1972 Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School graduate, whohas been with the league since gradu-ation, commented, “I played a littlebit of baseball but I played football,wide receiver and defensive back.You had to be 18 to play. We actuallyput together a bunch of high schoolfriends.”

Straniero, who has been on two,maybe three championship teams with

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

See photos of Sports:on www.goleader.com

Investors Savings/DeeganWatson Ave./Willoughby

Babooshka/S.M.C. UC 50+Sofa Kings/Hocus Pocus

Val Decorator/T&J Outlaws

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The TimesENDURING A RUGGED PLAY AT SECOND…Deegan shortstop Mike Juchnik managed to complete his second doubleplay despite dealing with a rugged slide by Investors’ Ed Zazzali.