The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

THE WEEK IN SPORTS Check it out on the Web/ site! www. goleader. com Sports Section Pages 1113

T. BARATTUCCI GETS 3 RBI, NIGRO SCORES 3 RUNS

St. ‘Pat’ Prevails, Passes Up Scrappy St. Thomas, 1411 By DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Offense was plentiful but it took four superb defensive plays on the part of St. Patrick to secure a 1411 victory over St. Thomas in St. Bart’s Oldtimers Men’s Softball League action at Jerseyland Field in Scotch Plains on July 13. “Pat” men Lee DiDonato, Dave Hawke and Pat Luongo were the ones who performed the remarkable feats of defensive

agility on the turf. But the softball took a beating as the “Pats” racked up at least 16 hits and the “Toms” accumulated at least 12. Tony Barattucci bopped three singles with three RBI and Pat Nigro went 3for4 and scored three runs for St. Patrick. Slugger Art Hobble hammered three hits, including a triple, while scoring two runs and

Mark DiFrancesco slapped three singles and scored one run to lead St. Thomas.

Nigro got the ball rolling for the “Pats” in the bottom of the first with a single past second and Barattucci followed by reaching safely on an error. Luongo’s sacrifice fly to left scored Nigro, and later, Ron DelPrete pushed an RBI single to right.

St. Tom came alive in the second and seized a 32 lead. Hawke’s fabu

CHRIS LOVE LAUNCHES 3 HRS, LIMA LULLS THE SUN

Marian’s ‘Coaches’ Eclipse Sun Valley Softballers, 223

By DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Marian Avenue, featuring several high school baseball coaches and Union High School Head Football Coach Gary Zakovic, blended athletic wisdom with offensive oomph to blot out the hopes of Sun Valley, 223, in Fanwood Old Men’s Softball Association action at La Grande Park in Fanwood on July 14. Superb

pitching and fielding along with plenty of thunder from the “metal sticks” foretold doom for the Valley men.

Marian’s Chris Love was vicious as he hammered three home runs

into the playground in left and amassed five RBI and four runs scored in the 26hit battering. Teammate Bill Mariani also walloped a solo homer, a triple and a single to drive in four runs and score three. And Tim Nielsen collected the most hits with four.

Veteran pitcher Pete Lima, after yielding three runs in the first inning, slammed the door on Sun Valley for

GILMORE, NIES HAMMER THREE HOME RUNS EACH

Vicious Sun Tavern Shatters Poor Charlie Brown’s, 2111

By DAVID B. CORBIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

The sky was not falling but the Sun Tavern showered Charlie Brown’s with a plethora of eight home runs and amassed a 2111 victory in Scotch Plains Softball League action at Jerseyland Field in Scotch Plains on July 12. Sun men Curtis Gilmore and Mark Nies hammered three monumental home runs each to shadow the skies over the Charlie Brown’s fielders.

The “Sun” was brutal as it burned Charlie Brown’s with 29 hits. Not only did Gilmore have three homers but also he added a double and a single while accumulating eight RBI and scoring five runs. Nies added a single to his three while having four RBI and scoring three runs. Additionally, teammates Dave Legg and Tom Penninpede each bashed the ball out of the park.

If offense was not enough, the Taverners’ infield turned four double plays which smothered several Charlie Brown’s scoring rallies. Twice pitcher Rich Wilson initiated secondtofirst double plays involving Fred Behr (second) and Mike Sevell (first), then he initiated one involving Rusty Meyer (short) and Sevell. Meyer initiated the other involving Behr and Sevell.

However, Charlie Brown’s had some clout themselves, totaling 19 hits. Leading their power portion was Frank DiGiovanni, former Westfield High School wrestling standout, who whacked two triples and a single with three RBI and three runs scored. Teammate Leo White went 4for5 with two RBI and one run scored.

“Charlie” was actually in the game for the first five innings and drew first blood with three runs in the top of the first. Jay White and Jim Gussis both singled then DiGiovanni thumped a tworun triple into the weeds in left. Next, Kevin Price poked an RBI single past short.

Gilmore was nice and singled in the bottom of the inning and Penninpede reached safely on a throwing error as Gilmore scored. Then Sevell narrowed the score to 32 with a bouncing RBI single past

second. Charlie’s Ed Novy and Paul Neade both singled in the second, then Novy scored on a throwing error but the “Sun” quickly followed with a fiverun solar flare. Doug Fischer singled and Gilmore blasted a tworun homer into the basketball court beyond right field. Nies plunged a solo homer into the trees in left and Penninpede followed with a solo shot into the void in rightcenter. Then Sevell drilled a single off the foot of the right fielder and flew around the bases to score.

“Charlie” fired back with two in the third, making the tally, 76, when Leo White singled and DiGiovanni

ripped an RBI triple into the left field fence, then Price punched an RBI single over second. However, Sun man Legg tripled and scored on Gilmore’s RBI double then Nies clobbered a tworun homer into the trees

in center, upping the score to 106.

Still in the game Charlie’s added three in the fourth when Novy and Neade singled, Ray Hurtt hacked an RBI single, Jay White grounded out to get an RBI and Leo White zipped an RBI single to right. But “Sun” came back with three of its own when Wilson and Behr both singled and scored, then Gilmore crashed a solo homer into the vastness of center.

DiGiovanni singled and scored in the fifth, keeping Charlie Brown’s in the game 1310 but their jaws dropped in the sixth when Behr, Fischer and Legg each singled and Gilmore launched a grand slammer into “Nevernever land”.

More burning came in the seventh when the Sun Tavern added four, pushing the score to 2110. Wilson sizzled a single over third, Behr doubled and Fischer lofted an RBI sacrifice to right. Legg lambasted a tworun shot to center then Nies walloped a solo shot over the fence in left.

Charlie Brown’s added the final run in the ninth when Ed Nugent scored on Leo White’s single past third.

Charlie Brown’s 312 310 001 11 Sun Tavern 253 304 40x 21

DELLOMO, COUNTRYMAN COLLECT TWO RBI EACH

Berkeley Heights Blue Skim Northstar Softballers, 76 By FRED LECOMTE

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

The Berkeley Heights P. B. A has taken a onegame lead in the best of three with an 87 victory over the Northstars in first round action of the Men’s TriTown Slow Pitch Softball League Playoffs on July 14 in New Providence. The entire Berkeley Heights PBA lineup contributed to the victory.

Pete Dellomo and Brad Countryman each collected two RBI while Mike Mathis’ clutch RBI single in the bottom of the eighth scored the winning run.

Winning pitcher Mike Delia said after the game, “This first game was won on strong defense and clutch hitting. It was critical on my part to keep our offense in it, realizing sooner or later our guys would come through with the big hits, and that’s exactly what occurred.”

Northstars captain, Merrill Clark in turn said, “That was a tough loss for us, certainly from a players perspective. In our upcoming game against them, we are looking to make several adjustments that hopefully will make a difference.”

In the top of the first, the Northstars jumped out with a 10 lead on a single by Tommy Phillips and an RBI single by Kenton Wride. PBA tied it immediately when leadoff hitter John DiPasquale ripped a single to right and Dellomo smacked an RBI single.

Northstar Mark Clark led off the third with a walk and Wride singled, advancing Clark to third. Then Frank

Veite tapped a tworun single. But PBA struck in the bottom of the fourth when Delia singled and Countryman rifled a shot deep to right for a RBI double.

The Northstars jumped ahead, 42, in the fifth scoring on a basesloaded walk. Several fine crucial plays by outfielders Tony and Gary Del Duca kept the Blue close.

The Blue knotted the score in the bottom of the fifth. Catcher Mike Mathis led off with a towering triple over the left fielder’s head, Gary Del Duca ripped an RBI double, then

Dellomo blistered an RBI triple, but suffered a hamstring injury, preventing a home run.

In the sixth, Northstar Jimmy Roberts ripped the ball directly into Delia’s glove. But the Northstars regained the lead, 64. Jimmy Phillips singled and Paul Sachs ripped an RBI single, then Tom Phillips performed a beautifully executed slide home.

PBA, Tony Del Duca scored on Countryman’s single narrowing it to 65 in the sixth. Then in the seventh,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

the remainder of the game. But Lima was assisted by several fine fielding plays, especially from the magical hands of shortstop Frank Malta – A. L. Johnson High School baseball coach – second baseman Zakovic,

first baseman Gary Ruban – former A. L. J. and present Wallkill Valley Head Baseball Coach – and outfielder Chris Roof – former Governor Livingston Assistant Baseball Coach, presently in Millburn.

Sun Valley presented a few high school coaches of its own and got help from Lou Cerchio – Westfield High School Assistant Wrestling Coach – who had an RBI single and a run scored and from Tony Spotto – Roselle Catholic Head Wrestling Coach – who singled in his first at bat.

The Valley did initially hold the lead with three runs in the top of the first. Phil Lotman lashed a leadoff single and Jeff Doyle followed with a chopping single past short before Lou Cerchio looped his RBI single over short. Bill Durow lofted an RBI sacrifice fly to center and Cerchio also scored when the relay flew out of play.

Things appeared competitive in the bottom of the inning when Marian leadoff hitter Paul Arrigo singled, Chris Love walked then Nielsen yanked a tworun double to left, narrowing the score to 32. Then after Nielsen, at catcher, nailed the Valley runner attempting to steal third in the second, Marian tied it in its half of the inning when Mariani mangled his solo blast to remote center.

Momentum shifted well to the Marian men as they grabbed a 74 lead in the third. Love launched a solo blast, Nielsen singled off the screen, Roof singled past second and Ruban tapped an RBI single to cenCONTINUED

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lous shoelace snag in right field tempered what could have developed into an out of control scoring frenzy. However, Hobble singled and Mike Rivera walked. Then Joe Matuska’s single to center slipped past center and two runs scored. John Chupko’s chopper to third allowed Matuska to score.

Consecutive singles by Mark Ro maine, John Wilkinson and Rick

Wustefeld loaded the bases in the second for the “Pats” Hawke sailed an RBI sacrifice fly then, when Nigro reached base safely on a throwing error, two more runs scored. Tony Barattucci upped the score to 63 with an RBI single over short.

Although “Tom” man Gerry Riepe scored on an RBI single by Mike Brennan in the third, DiDonato, at short, made the first of his two great snags when he grabbed a grounder on the run behind second and backhanded the ball to second for a force play.

But St. Thomas oozed with five runs of offense in the fourth. Hobble hammered a triple to far left and scored on Rivera’s RBI single. Luongo, in left, then dazzled onlookers with a mouthopening, shinsliding catch on the foul side of left. Chupko followed with a bouncing RBI single over second, Bill Canata singled, Mike Hayeck walked to load the bases, then DiDonato, with his back toward home, made an overthehead snag for the second out. Tom Henderson gave St. Thomas a 96 lead with a threerun single to left.

Things were evened in the lower half of the inning when Wustefeld singled, Hawke walked and Nigro, Tony Barattucci and DiDonato each tapped RBI singles. But scrappy St. “Tom” regained the lead in the fifth when DiFrancesco singled, Brennan walked, Tom McGall hit an RBI sacrifice fly and Hobble hacked an RBI single past short.

Their lead was ephemeral, however, as St. “Pat” responded with three in the fifth. Romaine reached on a fielder’s choice and Wilkinson looped a single over third, then a Hawke hack eluded “Brooks” Chupko at third and Romaine scored. Nigro singled to right and Tony

Fred Lecomte for The Westfield Leader and The Times READY FOR SUDDEN IMPACT… Berkeley Heights PBA power man Rick Armstrong prepares for sudden impact with the softball during a TriTown Softball League playoff game in New Providence.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times YOUTH FOOTBALL PROGRAM ON THE RISE… Participants of the Kehler Football Camp sit in the stands at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield on the final day of camp. More than 100 young boys from Westfield, Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Berkeley Heights and Cranford attended the camp.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times BEATING THE BALL TO SECOND… Mike Brennan of St. Thomas slides into second and glances at the relay from left field. St. Patrick pulled past St. Thomas, 1411, at Jerseyland Field on July 12 in St. Bart’s Oldtimers Men’s Softball League play.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times DEFINITELY SAFE AT THIRD… Sun Tavern player Rich Wilson is definitely safe at third after the ball is seen between the legs of Charlie Brown’s Ed Nugent.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times GUNNED DOWN AT THIRD… Sun Valley’s Matt Betau is tagged out by Marian’s Craig O’Connor while attempting to steal third.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times NOVY BEATS THE THROW HOME… Charlie Brown’s Ed Novy, center, beats the throw as Sun Tavern catcher Tom Penninpede skids in the dirt to catch the ball. Charlie’s Frank DiGiovanni, No. 9, looks on.