Dolphin Tiki, Snook Inn and Crazy Flamingo Midpoint Season Leaders

As the regular season of the Marco Senior Softball League reached the halfway point, Dolphin Tiki extended their winning streak to eight games and now holds a two-game lead over Nacho Mama’s in the Island Division. In the tightly contested Marco Division, Snook Inn leads Sandbar by one game and Brewery by one-and-a-half games. Crazy Flamingo remained unbeaten with two wins and now leads Oyster Society by two games in the Gulf Coast Division. For the complete, up-to-date results and standings, visit the league website at marcoseniorsoftballleague.com.

Tuesday January 30, 2024

Nacho Mama’s      17DaVinci’s      8

Frank Tedesco hammered a three-run home run in the third inning giving Nacho Mama’s a commanding 10-0 lead and they cruised from there to a convincing win over DaVinci’s. 

Tedesco was supported by Dick Nemmers with three hits and four RBIs, and Jim O’Toole and Paul Nussbaum who each had three hits and three RBIs. Mike Shone contributed three hits including a triple, and Brett Bartholomaus also added a triple to the cause.

DaVinci’s, who were held to one run through six innings before the bats finally warmed up, were led by Doug Aksimit, Bill Thompson, and Art Sinisi with three runs driven in apiece. 

Dolphin Tiki     16Verdi’s       7

First-place Dolphin Tiki continued their winning ways grabbing an early 7-2 lead then adding plenty of insurance runs in the late innings to secure the victory over Verdi’s. 

Dan Harrar led the hit parade for the Tiki with four hits, followed by Bob Masulis, Sal Tidona, Tom DeAngelo, and Mike Faria with three hits each. DeAngelo and Bill Novakovich each plated four runs, and Tidona and Dan Gulick two. One of Novakovich’s hits was a triple for the winners.

Mike Reale and Dave Koch both blasted home runs and Reale also tripled to lead Verdi’s. Koch and Dave Mayo each peppered the ball for four hits, and Reale finished with three. Nick Jacullo drove in two runs for Verdi’s.

Speakeasy    20Salty Dog      17

In a high scoring affair featuring fifty-nine hits and several early inning lead changes, Speakeasy put up a 5-spot in the bottom of the fifth to take a 16-12 lead, an advantage they never relinquished in gaining a hard-fought victory over the Salty Dog.

Ed Seery led the way with four hits, including two doubles and a triple and five RBIs, and Jeff Kaczka and Tim Rose also pounded out four hits for Speakeasy. Joe Rocco, Mike Compton, Dave O’Brien, and Bob Masulis all contributed three hits, Rose and Masulis each knocked in three runs, and Lou Marinaccio two for the victors. Glenn Davis pitched in with a triple.

Bill Coyle, Brian Alexander, and Jon Thomas all slashed four hits for Salty Dog, with Eric Phillips and Dan Marinelli adding three. Coyle drove home four runs, Alexander and Matt Evangelista three, and Carl Parker two for the Dog.

Thursday February 1^st, 2024

Verdi’s     16DaVinci’s    11

Hot-hitting shortstop Dave Mayo took matters in his own hands pounding the ball for five hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs to lead Verdi’s to the win over DaVinci’s. A five-run eighth inning highlighted by a two-run double by Mike Reale gave Verdi’s the cushion it needed to put the game away.

Reale finished the game with three doubles and a triple and knocked in three runs, and Nick Jacullo also had four hits. Dave Koch added three hits including a triple and had two RBIs, Matt Minik had three RBIs and Rod Lashley contributed two for the winners. 

Manager Gary Revall hammered out four hits and Ed Adrian three for DaVinci’s. Adrian, Bill Thompson, and Art Sinisi were responsible for two runs each for the game.

Nacho Mama’s    13Salty Dog   10

Nacho Mama’s opened up a 10-1 lead before Salty Dog began chipping away at the lead with two big innings but it wasn’t enough as Nacho’s prevailed in this tight contest.

Dean Stone had three hits to lead a balanced attack where everyone in the lineup had at least one hit for Nacho’s. Stone, Jim O’Toole, and Manager Frank Tedesco all drove in two runs in the victory.

Eric Phillips and Matt Evangelista both stroked triples for Salty Dog, Phillips’ was with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 10-6 at the time. Evangelista and Brian Alexander drove in two runs apiece and Bill Coyle had three hits for the Dog.

Dolphin Tiki    19Speakeasy 14

Dolphin Tiki continued their winning ways with their seventh straight victory as they erased an early 9-1 deficit to defeat Speakeasy. A five-run eighth which broke a 14-all tie provided the margin for victory. 

Sal Tidona came up big again for the Tiki with four hits and four RBIs. Dan Harrar blasted a two-run triple that broke the tie in the decisive eighth. Other hitting stars for the Tiki included Dave Johnson (three hits, two RBIs), Tom DeAngelo (three hits), Bob Masulis (triple, two RBIs), and winning pitcher John Nicholas (two RBIs).

Joe Rocco hammered a triple and had four hits, and Manager Tom Vander Aarde, Mike Compton, Jeff Kaczka, and Craig Cunningham all had three for Speakeasy. Compton and Jon Thomas each plated three runs, and Kaczka two.

Friday February 2^nd, 2024

Verdi’s     15Nacho Mama’s    12

Verdi’s used early offense to grab a 9-2 lead after five innings then had to withstand a furious rally by Nacho Mama’s before finally prevailing for their second win in as many days.

This time it was the power hitting third baseman, Matt Minik, who supplied the biggest blow with a towering two-run homer as part of a three hit, three RBI day. Minik had plenty of help from Dave Koch who tripled among his three hits and two RBIs, Manager Gary Grefer, and Nick Jacullo who each tripled, and Dave Mayo and Mike Reale who had two RBIs apiece. 

For Nacho’s, two-run doubles by Paul Nussbaum and Jim O’Toole, and a two-run single by Manager Frank Tedesco helped lead the comeback but it wasn’t enough in the end. O’Toole finished the game with three RBIs, Ken Polarek added two, and Mike Shone contributed an RBI triple.

Dolphin Tiki     21Salty Dog    18

Salty Dog and Dolphin Tiki were engaged in a tight game before the Tiki erupted for seven unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings. The Dog clawed back with a five-run rally in the ninth but fell short giving the Tiki their eighth straight victory while sending the Dog to another heartbreaking loss. The game featured sixty-three hits, thirty-three of them by Salty Dog.

There were plenty of hitting stars for the Tiki, led by John Nicholas who hammered a grand-slam home run as part of a three hit, five RBI day. Nicholas was assisted by Tom DeAngelo (five hits, three RBIs), Sal Tidona (four hits, three RBIs), Dan Harrar (four hits, two RBIs), Bob Masulis and Dave Johnson (three hits, two RBIs each), and Scott Golan (two RBIs).

Everyone in the Salty Dog lineup had at least two hits and nine had three hits or more. The hit parade included Dave Manzello (four hits, four RBIs), Matt Evangelista (four hits including a triple, three RBIs), Jon Thomas and Carl Parker (three hits, two RBIs), and Bill Coyle, Mike Schwab, Eric Phillips, Joe Lazzarotti, and Ed Caster (all with three hits). 

DaVinci’s    22Speakeasy    16

Third baseman Doug Aksimit blasted a two-run home run in the first inning and added a three-run double in the fourth to finish with three hits and six RBIs leading DaVinci’s to a convincing win over Speakeasy.

Other hitting heroes for DaVinci’s included John Haskins with four hits and three RBIs, Jack Martin and Bill Thompson who both had three hits including a triple and three RBIs, Tom Polston with three hits and two RBIs, and Ed Adrian who also had three hits.

Lou Marinaccio and Tom Vander Aarde led the Speakeasy attack, slashing four hits each, with Vander Aarde driving in three runs. Joe Rocco, Craig Cunningham, and Mike Garofalo contributed three hits each, Mark Whealy and Tim Rose both smacked triples, and Whealy, Glenn Davis, Dave O’Brien, and Bill Coyle each plated two runs.

MARCO DIVISION

Monday, January 29^th, 2024

Brewery     11Sand Bar   9

Brewery’s Kevin Smith, Manager Jim Vitas and Paul Shelton each had two RBIs while Ray Kane lined a triple as the Brew Crew surged to an early eight run lead and withstood Sand Bar’s comeback bid to claim its fifth win of the season. 

Vitas delivered his two RBIs with a single in the first inning, part of a five run Brewery outburst. In the fourth inning, Brewery again put up a five spot, with Smith and Shelton smacking key RBI singles, sparking Brewery’s 10-2 lead. Not to be outdone, Sand Bar stormed back with seven runs over the next three innings to make a game of it. 

Hitting stars for Sand Bar included John Gross, John Binns and Bob Williams who led the offense with three hits each. Gary Young also contributed to the Bar attack with a triple.

Sami’s   11Stonewalls    10

Sami’s Brian Craig blasted a grand slam, part of a five RBI day, and teammate Ray Capella added a solo HR as Sami’s overpowered Stonewalls in a nip and tuck affair. 

Sami’s leadoff hitter Doug Stang added three hits to aid the Sami’s offense. 

Stonewall's attack was led by left fielder Bob Traver and first baseman Jim Willert, who had two RBIs each. Traver plated two with a first inning single and Willert’s subsequent RBI single helped Stonewalls take an early 5-1 lead after one inning. 

With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Sami’s flexed its power when Craig bashed a grand slam home run, good for a 10-8 lead. Capella added insurance for Sami’s when he ripped a solo HR to leftfield in the sixth inning, part of a three RBI day for him.

Stonewalls Manager George Lancaster continued his red hot hitting with a triple, part of a three run third inning that helped Stonewalls reclaim the lead before Sami’s put on its power show late to pull away for the win. 

Snook Inn   22Joey’s Pizza    10

Snook’s Karl Kann (two RBI’s) and Bob Bejnerowitz each smacked four hits while teammate Gary Pringle drove in four runs as the Green and White overwhelmed Joey’s with its 29 hit offensive attack. The Snook hitting trio had plenty of support. 

Right fielder John Cavanaugh’s line drive triple in the fourth inning plated three runs, helping Snook take a 14-10 lead that it never relinquished. Other contributors to Snook’s offensive onslaught included: Bob Hermann, three hits and two RBIs; shortstop Jim Dorey, three hits; pitcher Jim George, two RBIs and Pringle, who smacked an RBI triple in the third inning. 

Pitcher Tim McKenna paced the Joey’s offense by driving in four runs which included key hits in the third and fourth innings that helped Joey’s pull within one run before Snook’s bats took over to seal the win. 

Wednesday, January 31^st, 2024

Sandbar     17Stonewalls   9

Sandbar’s Dave Schott, hitting in the number nine spot, smacked three hits while driving in two runs while teammates Bob Williams (three hits, two RBIs), Mitch Eli and Gary Young drove in two runs a piece as Sandbar used two five run innings to pull away for the win. 

Other stars for Sand Bar included John Binns, who went three for four which included a fourth inning triple; Larry Locks (three hits) and Charlie Lamb (three hits), who also delivered a solid pitching performance in relief of starter Mike Puskar. 

Stonewalls Manager George Lancaster paced the Orange and Black offense with three hits while left fielder Bob Traver, first baseman Jim Willert and outfielders Ed Boyle and Tom Breslin each drove in two runs. 

Joey’s Pizza 13Sami’s   11

Joey’s Manager Todd Whitney led his team’s offense with four hits and two RBIs while pitcher Tim McKenna drove in three runs as the Pizza Men rocketed to an eight-run lead before holding off a late charge by Sami’s to secure the win. 

Whitney and McKenna had plenty of support. Steve Chasin had two hits (including a triple) and two RBIs while Robert Stried and Howie Reitz each drove in two runs. Matt Lewis also had three knocks for Joey’s which seemingly had a comfortable 13-5 lead after four innings. However, Sami’s did not go quietly. 

Trailing by seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sami’s rallied to cut its deficit to 13-11, capped by Doug Stang’s line drive hit that plated two runs, part of a three-hit afternoon for Stang. However, Joey’s withstood the comeback bid, getting the final out on a pop out. In addition to Stang, midfielder Brian Craig had three hits while pitcher Ed Kingsbury contributed to the offense with two RBIs. 

Snook Inn 15Brewery 14

Snook Inn saved the best for last, erasing a 14-11 deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in a thrilling win over Brewery. 

Snook’s hitting heroes on the day delivered at crunch time for the Green and White. Steve Friend (three hits) lined his second triple of the game that scored two runs. Shortstop Jim Dorey tied the game at 14 with a clutch single, capping a four hit (including a triple) three RBI day. Outfielder Don Palmer then laced his third hit of the day, moving Dorey into scoring position. Karl Kann finished the Snooks rally with a single to center, his third hit and second RBI, igniting a Snooks victory celebration. Other hitting stars for Snook’s included Geoff Bentley who drove in four runs and John Cavanaugh who had two RBIs. 

For Brewery, Gary Menzies paced the offense with three hits that included two triples and three RBIs. Pitcher Jim Cuevas was three for three with two RBIs while Jon Wiseman and Mark Waks had three hits each. Manager Jim Vitas and Murph Knapke each contributed to the Brew Crew attack with two RBIs. 

GULF COAST DIVISION

Monday January 29, 2024

Crazy Flamingo     28Doreen’s        10

Crazy Flamingo scored five in the first inning and never let their foot off the gas as they scored in every inning to defeat Doreen’s. 

There were plenty of hitting heroes for the Crazy Birds in this one, including Manager Mick Keller, Jim Battye, and Alan Schneider each with four hits and three RBIs, Brian Bergman with a home run among his three hits and four RBIs, Ray Niemeyer (three hits including two triples and three RBIs), Nick Brooks (three hits, three RBIs), Jim O’Meara and Tom Rucks (three hits each), Barry Neale (home run), and Joe Barry (two RBIs).

Doreen’s was led by Frank Caso with three runs knocked in and John Robichaud with a triple and two RBIs.

American Legion     21Oyster Society        14

John Barrett drove in six runs on a two-run double and a grand slam to lead the American Legion to the victory over the Oyster Society. Barrett’s grand slam in the fourth inning was the decisive blow that extended the Legion lead to 13-7 and they continued to tack on insurance runs in each inning after that.

The Legion also received hitting contributions from Dick Folsom (four hits, two RBIs), Andy Pressler (three hits including a triple and two RBIs), Larry Anspach (three hits, two RBIs), Rick Herzog (two-run homer), and Joe Kruse (three RBIs).

Rich Klein pounded out four hits including a triple and two RBIs, and Manager Roger Fleming blasted a home run and double among three hits and two RBIs to lead the Oystermen. Nick Kopley, John Klebauskus, and Paul Glynn also had three hits, with Kopley driving in three runs and Glynn two. Bobby Smith also had two RBIs in the loss.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Oyster Society     10Doreen’s       6

The Oyster Society came out of the gate quickly, scoring five times in the first inning and added three more in the second which proved to be more than enough to subdue Doreen’s. 

Nick Kopley and Rich Klein both blasted triples among three hits to lead the attack for the Oystermen. Kopley drove in three runs and John Gill added two for the winners. 

John Robichaud and Dick Folsom each had two RBIs for Doreen’s, who were largely stymied by a strong defensive effort by the Oyster Society.

Crazy Flamingo     18American Legion       13

The American Legion grabbed an early 13-3 lead after two-and-a-half innings but Crazy Flamingo came storming back with fifteen unanswered runs to take control of the game and ultimately defeat the Legion.

Brian Bergman crushed a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to begin the Crazy comeback and finished with four hits and four RBIs for the game. Nick Brooks also had a big day for the Crazy Birds with three hits and four RBIs, Joe Barry added three hits, Barry Neale tripled, and Alan Schneider and Mick Keller each plated two runs.

Rick Herzog hammered a two-run home run for the Legion as part of a three-RBI effort. John Barrett contributed four hits and two RBIs, Dick Folsom added three hits and two RBIs, John DeRosa also had three hits, and Rand Krueger drove in two for the Legion.

ISLAND DIVISION STANDINGSWinsLosses

Dolphin Tiki81

Nacho Mama’s63

DaVinci’s55

Speakeasy46

Verdi’s36

Salty Dog27

MARCO DIVISION STANDINGSWinsLosses

Snook Inn73

Sandbar64 

Brewery54

Joey’s Pizza55

Sami’s46 

Stonewall’s27

GULF COAST DIVISION STANDINGS                  Wins             Losses

Crazy Flamingo80

Oyster Society62

American Legion37

Doreen’s19