The Central Florida League’s 12th summer season started on Tuesday with three games.
Following a special presentation to Bruce Harlan for being a team sponsor his CarePlus team defeated last season’s champs, Palm Ridge Dental 11-6.
The CarePlus team struck first with five runs in the top of the first. Mark Goodwin, Pat Rice and Dave Oatley all had singles, with Oatley driving in the first run. John Reedy followed with a triple to score two more runs and Jim Wiegand drove in Reedy. Dave Williams moved Wiegand to third with a single. Tom Winegarden sent Wiegand home with a sacrifice fly. Palm Rdge answered back with three runs as Mike Jeffries, Tom Brock, Jim Morton had singles. After a fielder’s choice Kenny Atkinson and Mike Hyott singled to drive in a run apiece. CarePlus scored five more runs in the second with Ed Wyks driving in Andy Betanzos with a triple and then scoring on a single by Manny Sanchez. Mark Goodwin, Pat Rice, Dave Oatley all singled, and John Reedy drove in the fifth run. Palm Ridge scored one run in the bottom of the second as pitcher, Carlos Lopez, and manager, Ken Scanlon, had singles. Lopez scored on a single by lead off man, Mike Jeffries. Palm Ridge got two more runs in the bottom of the third when Jim Morton reached on an error and Ken Atkinson had a double. They both scored on a hit by Mike Hyott. The next three innings saw no scoring as Palm Ridge turned two double plays. CarePlus got an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Ed Wyks scored after reaching third on a hit by Manny Sanchez and went home on a misplayed hit by Pat Rice.
Synergy Wealth broke open a 3-1 game as they scored 13 runs in the fourth through the sixth innings to beat Gators Dockside Brownwood.
Bob Buchanan and Jim Gordon led Synergy with four hits each. Dave Pope added three hits; and, Bill Reed, Craig Dahlquist, Bud Ramsey, Vernon Brooks, Al DuBuc, and Jeff Stein all chipped in a pair of hits. Winning his first game as a CFL pitcher, Bud Ramsey, held Gators Dockside Brownwood to just 10 hits in seven innings. John Leone, Pat Perkins, and Wayne Grunewald each had two hits for the Gators.
In the late game Softball’s R Game held off a late charge by FBC Mortgage to win 15-11.
Jim Crabtree stroked four hits to lead SRG, while Charlie Clare had three doubles and Gary Nicolay had a pair of triples. Jack Meagher and Bill Nisbet had three hits and two hits each came from the bats of Dennis Bauch and Dan Kincaid. FBC started their comeback in the top of the sixth as Marty Berger and Ed Haith had doubles to lead off the inning. Tim Wilcox drove in Haith and scored on a home run by John Barracato. Chuck Alexander followed with a solo homer to plate the fifth run of the inning. SRG scored four runs to answer back. In the top of the seventh Ed Joseph led off with a double for FBC and advanced on a single by brother, Jim, scoring on a single by Ed Konopka. Rich Pitts scored Jim Joseph with a sacrifice fly. The FBC squad loaded the bases with a fielder’s choice, a single, and a miscue before SRG got Marty Berger for the last out ending the game.
