Week #2: Holliston Senior Softball Wrap-Up: (thru 4/28)

With new uniforms, Mudville beat Lions 19-11, behind the bat and arm of P/Manager Eric Higgins.  The skipper went 3-4 w a 3-run HR in the 4^th that landed in the coral in left to extended their lead to 7 while pitching 7 innings of 8-hit ball. From his lead-off spot, 3B Eric Kuharich went 3-4 w 3 runs scored and OF Josh Burke had 2 outfield assists (both at home) to keep the Lions off the scoreboard.  Lions OF Ernie Tomacelli shined in the loss with 3 hits and 4RBI.

Not going to lie, these new Mudville hats are sweet.  Kudos to new Manager Eric Higgins for changing the toxic culture that previously existed.

Downtown nipped Brentwood, 32-2 behind the bats of, well, everybody.  OF Mike McKenna (5-7, 7 RBI), OF Scott Burke (6-7, 6 runs), and SS John Drohan (5-6, 5RBI)  paced the offense while P Mike Adams went the distance giving up just 5 hits and 1ER.  Brentwood P Doug Schmidt was visibly shaken after the game and was seen mumbling to himself as he headed to his car and seemed to be ducking/dodging imaginary line-drives.  His teammates called the mental health support hotline provided by the league and Doug will get the care and support he needs to be back out on the mound next week. 

Brentwood P Doug Schmidt talking to his league-appointed therapist after his teams lopsided loss on Sunday vs Downtown.

DYR pounded Kingz, 23-8 as OF Doug Reeley and SS Jason MacDonald each went 4-4 with 4RBI while P Justin Lessard (also 4-4 w 4 runs) gave up just 4ER in 7 innings of work.  KingZ jumped out with 3 runs in the top of the first but DYR answered with 3 of their own in the bottom half highlighted by a 2-run triple by your humble correspondent.  During the play, the KingZ SS blocked the 2B bag and feigned the throw from RF causing me to stop/avoid/ and start again towards 3B.  Public Svc Announcement: we are all 1 step away from an ALC, hamstring, or an achilles injury so the fake tag stuff is bush league. Don’t do it.. We all just want 3-4 AB’s, not to get hurt, then tailgate with each other.  OK?  Good.  Now, back to the summary: Lessard silenced the Kingz line-up in the middle innings allowing DYR expand the lead to 19-5 through 5 innings, humbling this Kingz crew.  Making his ’24 debut was DYR infielder and law enforcement extraordinaire, Zack Raymond.  The big guy missed week 1 with ‘visa issues’ upon his return from a solo trip to Thailand (odd, right?) and promptly went 3-4 and dropped a perfect throw from me in LF to force out Kingz OF Sean Foley who was trying to stretch a single into a double down 23-5 in the 7^th and, thanks to Zack, he succeeded.  Welcome back, Zack!  Kingz OF Alex Wolfe (3-4, 2 runs) and 1B John Crean (3-3, 2 RBI) led the offense.

Happier times for Zack: entry was easy.  

Anthony’s blasted The Hood, 25-8 as ROY candidate OF Travis Jonasson (4-5, 4 RBI) loved the friendly confines at Patoma and blasted a 3-run HR in the 3^rd that knocked a hawk’s nest out a pine tree approx 60 ft up and 275 ft from Homeplate.  Leadoff hitter Joe Barry was 5-5 w 4 runs scored and 3B Dan Higgins was 4-5 with 3 RBI.  Ironically, Week 2 also marked the return of Anthony’s P Chris Landers who was also ‘overseas’ and had re-entry issues causing a week 1 absence.  Landers delivered in the circle, though, going the distance and giving up just 5 hits and 5 ER in the win.

Photo evidence of Anthony’s P Chris Landers being detained upon his return from an overseas ‘business trip’ to a country that rhymes with Pieland

This drive into the trees in RF at Patoma off the bat of Anthony’s OF Travis Jonasson ricochets off a Hawks’ nest. (No animals were hurt during this play.)

Kampersal blasted Jasper Rock, 23-8- as OF Brad Rowe (5-5, 6 RBI) and C Brian McShane (4-5, 3RBI, 3 runs) paced the offense. With their 2 young star infielders missing, player/mngr Tom Kampersal started at SS and veteran infielder Keith Carlton stepped in at 3B and were flawless defensively.  The game was not without issues for Kampersal as an OF collision in the 3^rd led to an early exit for LCF Chris Boggess who limped off the field after a collision with Rowe.   Looks like it was a knee/hip injury, but post game, Boggess looked good and walked without a limp leaving the clubhouse.

Kampersal OF Chris Boggess appears no worse for the wear after colliding with teammate Brad Rowe in Sunday night’s game vs Jasper.

One of the top HSS agitators, Jasper Rock C Greg Williams was in rare form Sunday vs Kampersal.  Seems he was quite ‘chatty’ behind the plate Sunday in an attempt to get the Kampersal hitters off their game. May need to work on his script as Kampys still put up 23 but, if anyone is up to the challenge, it’s Mr. Williams.

Braggville strangled Johnson North, 13-1 behind the 5-hit gem tossed by P Johnny Marsell.  OF Dan Kittredge and 1B Chris Connors both had 3 hit nights at 2 RBI apiece.  Defense paved the way for Braggville as the middle infielders made several key plays to keep JN off the board.  2B Dan Devine had an unassisted DP in the 4^th to squash a JN rally and SS Jason Cooper with a highlight reel put out in the 5^th on a grounder in the hole to end the inning.

Jasper C Greg Williams engaging with Kampersal hitters as they step into the box.

Braggville SS Jason Cooper making the throw from deep in the hole at SS to get Johnson’s Chuck Kirschner.

South nipped Dalton Rd, 6-5 as C Bryan Sweeney drove in OF Dave Franco with the go-ahead run w a clutch, 2-out single in the 6^th to back a solid pitching performance from Greg Copeland (7 in, 5H, 3ER).  Dalton was sloppy defensively in the early going spotting South 2 unearned runs in the first behind back-to-back infield errors.  Dalton tied it at 5 in the 5^th behind a 2-run double off the bat of OF Mitch Cotto which, unfortunately, set the stage for the Sweeney heroics in the 6^th.   Luckily for Dalton and those at Anthony’s post gm, Sweeney was magnanimous, respectful, and dare I say, humble when discussing his big hit.  You wouldn’t have even known about it unless you asked him so, thank you, Bryan for keeping it classy and not rubbing it in to your opponents or other softball patrons at the bar.  

South’s Bryan Sweeney humbly entering Anthony’s after his game winning single  against Dalton Rd.

GAME OF THE WEEK for WK #3 (5/5/24))

Dalton Rd (1-1) vs Johnson North (1-1) at Kampersal 6pm

• Can the young guns bounce back from a disappointing big game performance in week #2?
• Will Dalton have the #’s to compete?
•  Can Dalton wipe away the image of the ‘Sweeney Celebration’ from last week’s tough loss to South?

Division A Standings through 28 Apr

Position	Team	Won	Lost	Tied	Pct	Runs For	Runs Against	Opp Wins
1	Braggville	2	0	0	1.000	32	4	2
2	Kampersal	2	0	0	1.000	41	11	1
3	South	1	1	0	0.500	18	19	1
4	Johnson North	1	1	0	0.500	15	25	1
5	DYR	1	1	0	0.500	26	26	1
6	Dalton Road	1	1	0	0.500	16	11	0
7	Downtown	1	1	0	0.500	35	21	0
8	Jasper Rock	0	2	0	0.000	13	34	0

Division B Standings through 28 Apr

Position	Team	Won	Lost	Tied	Pct	Runs For	Runs Against	Opp Wins
1	Anthony’s East	2	0	0	1.000	43	15	1
2	Kingz	1	1	0	0.500	17	31	1
3	Mudville	1	1	0	0.500	27	20	0
4	The Hood	1	1	0	0.500	17	32	0
5	Lions	0	2	0	0.000	18	28	0
6	Brentwood	0	2	0	0.000	9	50	0