Week #11: Holliston Senior Softball Wrap-Up: (thru 6/30/24)

Dalton Rd edged Johnson North, 6-5 as OF Steve Cotto (3-3, 2B, 3RBI) continued his recent hot streak at the plate and drove in the winning run w his double in the 6^th.  With only 9, Johnson asked for a courtesy catcher and were denied by Dalton which should make next year’s rematch one to circle on the calendar.  Johnson North captain SS Chris King was fired up at the denial and promised payback.

Johnson’s Chris King being restrained from going after the Dalton Rd table at the banquet Sunday night.

Playing their 3^rd straight game at Goodwill, Lions smacked Kingz, 16-8 as OF Ned Daniels (3-5, 2B, HR, 4RBI) smashed another homer at his new favorite field.  With the score tied at 5 in the 5^th, Lions exploded for 8 runs to put the game out of reach.  LF Zac Smith (4-5, 3B, 2RBI) started the big inning with a leadoff triple and would score on 2B James DeRosa (3-4, 2RBI) single. Daniels would then add his 2-run HR later in the inning that landed in the pavilion in left.  After a promising start to the season, Kingz lost 5 out of their last 6 giving up almost 50 runs in their last 2.  But manager Sean Foley has a solid core and is not ready to hit the panic button. 

Kingz manager Sean Foley giving his team the season-ending pep talk.

Downtown beat Jasper Rock, 13-4 as P Mike Adams twirled a gem (7IP, 5 H, 2ER) and had a shutout thru 6 1/3.  OF Jack Hendler (3-4, HR, 3RBI) got Downtown on the board in the 1^st with a 2-run HR to left that scored leadoff hitter Scott Burke (4-4, 2B, 3R).  A little bit of controversy in the 5^th as 3B John Lynch (2-4, 2R) had seen enough of John Drohan (3-3, 2B, R, 2 errors) at SS and hid his glove to take over at short while Drohan searched for it.  Lynch was flawless defensively with 3 straight putouts.  Despite the win, Downtown will drop down to the B division in ’25 and Manager Mike Adams will have some decisions to make this offseason regarding his infield as Drohan’s 63^rd birthday falls on opening day next yr.

 Drohan’s did eventually find his glove but not in the condition he left it. No word if  Lynch is behind the sabotage.

DYR nipped South, 10-9  thanks to a top of the 7^th sacfly from SS Jason MacDonald (2-4, 2RBI) that scored 2B Zach Raymond (2-4, 2R) who led off with single and avanced to 3^rd on a FC and error.  DYR jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to the hustle of lead-ff hitter P Justin Lessard ( 3-4, 2B, 3R) who scored from 2B on a long fly to RF by your humble correspondent. To counteract the hustle and athleticsm of Lessard, I awkwardly stepped on the first base bag and rolled my ankle as I was watching the nice catch made by South RF Ryan Looney (3-4, 2R). I tried to stay in the game in left field (warrior, I know) but soon switched positions with our swiss-army knife and all-around team player, C Gerry ‘The General’ DiLuzio (2-4, RBI, R).

Me tripping over the 1^st base bag in the first inning.

South would answer in their half of the first with 4 and then add 5 more in the 3^rd thanks to a Dave Franco (3-4, 3B, HR, 5RBI) 3-run HR to right.  Trailing 9-4 in the 6^th, DYR would tie it capped by a 2-run single by 3B Ben Leverone (3-4, 2B 3RBI) which would set the stage for J-Mac in the 7^th. South battled in their half of the 7^th and had runners on 1^st & 2^nd with 1-out when Looney lined a shot up the middle that was snared by MacDonald just behind the bag at 2^nd who then stepped on 2^nd for the unassisted double play as the runner there assumed it was through to the outfield.

DYR’s Jason MacDonald jogs off the field after his unassisted DP sealed the win over South.

The Hood bashed Brentwood, 17-3, despite the absence of starting P Shawn Peters. Alan K (7IP, 5H, 1ER) was stellar in Peters’ place and was staked to a 10-run first as SS Greg Andreola (3-4, 2B, 3R, 2RBI) got the party started with a 2-run double in the first while 3B Alan Plante (5-5, 2B, 3B, HR, 5RBI) hit for the cycle in the win.  Alam K was so dominant in the win, Hood players took a post-gm vote on if Peters should get his spot back in ’25.  I was told he’s back…barely.

Anthony’s, boosted by the presence of former teammate and HSS legend, John Shanahan, exacted some revenge on Mudville with a 9-4 win.  Both teams will be moving on up to A next year while Downtown and Jasper Rock will take their place in B.  LF Ben Pratt (3-4, 2 2B, 4RBI) and 3B Dan Higgins (3-4, 2B, 3R) shined offensively while SS Dave Robinson (2-4, 2B) was a vacuum at SS with 7 put-outs. Mudville was led by manager and P Eric Higgins (3-4, 2B, 2RBI) and 1B Errick Spada (2-4, 2B, 2RBI).  There doesn’t appear to be any bad blood between team management and mercurial 3B Eric Kuharich (2-3, BB, 2R) after Kuharich’s unexcused absence last week.  In a closed-door pre-game meeting, all dirty laundry was aired and both sides seemed to appear satisfied.  

Higgins and Kuharich discussing the events from last week.

And, for the 3^rd straight year, Kampersal is your Holliston Senior Softball Champions with a convincing 15-1 beatdown of Braggville.  Winners of 28-straight, Kampersal was in a battle, up just 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 5^th thanks to a first inning gargantuan 2-run HR off the bat of 1B Alex ’The Big Hurt’ Kampersal (3-4, 2B, HR, 3RBI) that landed deep in the playground in left.  They broke it open with a 5-run 5^th thanks to a 2-run double off the bat of 3B Keith Carlton (3-3 2B, 2RBI, 2R). Then in the 6^th, they poured it on as LF Chris ‘GQ’ Boggess (2-3, HR, BB, 2RBI) and RF Denis Dietz (3-3, HR, 2RBI) went back-to-back with solo blasts to extend the lead in the 7-run inning.  P George Kampersal (7IP, 7H, 1ER) was masterful all night keeping that potent Braggville line-up off balance.  Despite their flawless 3-yr run, Kampersal, every now and again, can play like mere ‘old man’ mortals.  Case in point in the 4^th, bases loaded no out, lead-off hitter 2B Tom Kampersal (2-3, 2R) laces a sinking liner to right that former LSU star OF Rich Cordani makes a nice running catch on but, Garrett Quinn (2-3, 2R) on 2^nd gets a little too far off the bag and Riche throws behind him to double him off, 2-out.  Then, to take the spotlight away from Quinn, the runner on 3^rd, Bryn Smith decides now is the time to head for home and takes off despite SS Jason Cooper holding the ball next to 2B.  Cooper throws home to nail Smith by approximately 50 feet, inning over, no runs, Tom Kampersal hit into a triple play, and 2 roster spots are now open for Kampys.

Smith headed for home and being thrown out by 50 ft on the triple play.

Manager Tom Kampersal removing Quinn & Smith from the line-up after cutting them  Mid-gm due to their base running blunder.

The 2024 HSS Champs