Week 8: Holliston Senior Softball Wrap-Up: (thru 6/4)

June 9, 2023 / Ken Sawyers /

Kampersal remained undefeated as the pounded Johnson North, 19-5 behind DH Alex ‘The Big Hurt’ Kampersal’s 4 for 5 night that included a 3-run HR into his family’s farm in left field. LF Brad Rowe also homered in drove in 3 while RF Bill Sticka collected a 5th inning triple that drove in the 18^th an 19^th unanswered runs for Kampys after Johnson North jumped out to a 2-0 lead after their half of the first. JN LF Charles Kerchner’s battle with Bovinophobia (fear of cows) finally caught up with him as he refused to retrieve the HR ball hit by Kampersal. Apparently, a cow attack while at Camp Barky Mark & The Funky Bunks in Aug of ’89 has left Kerchner unable to function around large farm animals.

*Johnson North LF Charles Kerchner as a young camper just before the cow attack at summer*
*camp back in ’89.*

This game was actually over before it started. Seems Johnson North ‘inadvertently’ grabbed coolers belonging to the UMass Delta Gamma Sorority as they were headed to Taylor Swift at Gillette. Both squads were at the Milford Mobil getting ice for their coolers as they each prepared for a fun Sunday night and mixed up their coolers. Honest mistake, I’m sure. What other reason could there be for grown 35+yr old men for drinking White Claws in public. Luckily for them, they played Kampersal who ~~kept the whole situation under wraps~~ were relentless in their ridicule.

*LF Charles Kerchner offering a White Claw to the opposition during the postgame gathering.*
*There were no takers…*

DYR took down The Hood, 11-4 behind LF Matt ‘The Animal’ Rider’s 3 hits and 4 RBI while P Justin Lessard went the distance giving up just 2 ER and 5 hits on the night. Rider put the game away with a gargantuan 3-run blast in the 5^th that landed in Mrs. Peters 4^th grade classroom some 776 ft away despite a 25mph wind blowing in from center.

*The aftermath of Rider’s HR on Mrs. Peters’ classroom. Luckily no children were present.*

Dalton Rd beat Jasper Rock, 13-7 as 1B Jamie Ross went 3-4 with 3 RBI and CF Rob Waddell went 3-3 with 3 runs scored. Key play here occurred in the 5^th when Jasper loaded the bases with 2-out down 4 runs. Jasper’s Greg Williams stepped to the plate and popped one up behind the plate that looked like it was sailing over the fence foul but C Bob Cotting stayed with it and caught it while crashing into fence.

*Dalton Rd catcher Bob Cotting making the catch at the fence to end a Jasper threat.*

Kingz crowned (see what I did there?) Brentwood, 15-6 as lead-off hitter OF Ryan Smith went 3-4 with 3 runs while last year’s ROY Alex Wolf went 4-4 and drove in 4. IF Joe Robbins also was a perfect 4-4 and initiated the scoring in the 1st with a bases clearing triple to send Kingz on their way. P Patrice Snow went the distance giving up just 6 hits and 1 walk. Don’t look now but, Kingz has sole possession of 2^nd place in ‘B’ based on tiebreaker.

*George Constanza has the look most people have when looking at the ‘B’* *standings*.
*and seeing Kingz in 2^nd place. Congrats, guys..*

Braggville topped Mudville, 23-11 to extend the Mudville losing streak to 5 as 3B Darren Fells went 5-5 and drove in 6 while CF Paul Murphy had 4 hits and 4 RBI in the win. After an error at 3B in the 2^nd and then popping out with 2 on and 2-out in the 5^th, Mudville skipper/3B Eric Kuharich lost his cool as he and his team continue to struggle in ‘A’.

*Mudville 3B Eric Kuharich’s emotions boiled over as he popped out w 2 on in 5^th.*

Downtown, beat the Lions, 12-2 as P Mike Adams pitched a complete game 3 hitter with just 1 ER allowed. OF’s Scott Burke, Tim McCarron, and Jack Hendler all had 2 hits and 2 RBI in the win. Play of the game occurred in the 3^rd when LF Mike McKenna robbed Downtown’s John Drohan of extra bases with a diving over-the-shoulder catch that left both benches speechless.

*Lions LF Mike McKenna with a highlight reel catch in Sunday’s loss to Downtown*.

South nipped Anthony’s, 6-5 on a walk-off single by OF Kevin Abreu who collected 3 hits on the night. This game was a pitcher’s duel and Anthony’s P Chris Landers was the hard luck loser despite his excellent defensive work in the circle. Landers looked death in the eye 4 times in this game snatching 3-line drives headed for his skull. The fourth one, he deflected, picked up and threw it like 50cent over to first. Unfortunately, that South runner would come around to score and that would be the difference in this game.

*This is the throw Anthony’s P Chris Landers tried to imitate Sunday night vs South.*

Anthony’s had a chance to extend their 1-run lead in the top of the 7^th but left the bases loaded and set the stage for the South comeback. With 1 out and 1 on, OF Sean Jacquet launched a rocket to left that landed at the Medway town line which placed him on 3^rd w a triple and RBI. Not sure why it wasn’t an inside-the-park HR, but they won anyway as Abreu would have singled him home on the next pitch for the win.

*This photo shows Jacquet not exactly busting out of the box on his blast to left.*

Tough loss for Anthony’s as they now finish with Braggville and then Kampersal who sit atop the ‘A’ division. They should have the services of league instigator Mike DelPrete for these last 2 games which should make for some interesting write ups as he’ll butt heads with the always composed Chris Connors and professional agitator Tom Kampersal.

GAME OF THE WEEK for WK # 8 (6/11/23)

South (5-1) vs Johnson North (3-3) at Stoddard @ 6pm

Big ‘A’ matchup as Johnson needs this one to have a chance to get into the 4-team ‘A’ playoff.
If South wins, they secure their seat at the ‘A’ playoff table.
I will have complete coverage of this one next week.