-Sal Riggio reporting, January 19, 2014
A little windy and a little chilly, but a big day for senior softball in the Neighborhood D3 League- just ask Summerhill! It took the Summerhill Seniors ten innings to pocket the “W”, and when it was over, these seniors looked younger than springtime! Hadley battled hard for three extra innings, got a second life from a controversial interference call, but in the end, the home Summerhill team prevailed as Mark Muha drove in the walkoff winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning.
Skip Hendrix hammered a three run double for Hadley in the top of the third inning to give the Hads a 5-1 lead. Summerhill responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth on Wayne Johnston and Jerry Boettcher singles, and Gene Schwenk, Dave Bronte and Mark Muha rbi singles. Hadley added another run in the top of the sixth, and two more on Al Koch rbi and another Hendrix ribbie in the top of the seventh for an 8-4 advantage. A great throw by Summhill’s short fielder Mark Muha to nail a Hadley runner at third kept the Hads from taking a bigger lead.
Hadley manager Jeff Bekasi banks out a hit.
In the botttom of the seventh, Boettcher got one of his four hits on the day and Schwenk his second hit followed by Mahu and Dave Bronte rbi singles. The big hit was delivered by manager Bill Maffia driving in two runs with a double to tie the score at eight all.
Neither team could manage a run in the eight inning, larger due to a huge catch by Summerhill left center fielder Gene Schwenk, but Hadley manager Jeff Bekasi drove in a run in the top of the ninth to take a 9-8 lead. But Summerhill tied the score once again with a Johnston rbi hit. Summerhill then seemed to have the game won when Roy Schwartz scored, but an interference call at second base negated the run, and the game went into the tenth inning.
Summerhill Team: Front: Wayne Johnston, pitcher John Blodgett, Otto “The Big O” Wentling, Dave Bronte, Jerry Boettcher; Back: Mark Muha, Arnie Bott, John Spitler, Gene Schwenk, Roy Schwartz, Roger Mott. Not present: Manager Bill Maffia, Jim Harris, Sal Riggio and Dennis Bernard.
Hadley came out strong in the tenth with a Koch single followed by a Doug Nantais single, his fourth, and a base on balls for Paul LaPointe. But a great double play initiated by second baseman Otto “The Big O” Wentling put out the fire.
This terrific game ended with the Bill Maffia walkoff hit to give Summerhill the 10-9 victory.
John Blodgett was the winning pitcher.
Neighborhood 3 Scores- January 18, 2014
Buttonwood (P)-16 Tall Trees (P)-6
Caroline (E)-11 Duval (E)-3
Hemingway (C)-8 Calumet Grove (C)-1
Lake Miona (E)-6 Belle Aire (E)-3
Lake Sumter (P)-13 Bonita Blue (P)-7
Largo (A)-4 Belvedere (A)-3
Liberty Park (E)-8 Springdale/Woodbury (E)-2
Mallory Square (E)-7 Bonnybrook/Lynnhaven (E)-3
Miona Shores Blue (C)-11 Piedmont (C)-4
Polo Ridge (A)-6 Bonita Silver (A)-2
Rio Ponderosa (P)-3 Tamarind Grove (P)-2
Sanibel (A)-13 Glenbrook (A)-1
St Charles (C)-7 Sunset Pointe (C)-3
St James (A)-14 Fernandina (A)-5
Summerhill (C)-10 Hadley (C)-9
Virginia Trace (P)-6 Sabal Chase (P
Standings:
| Team | Won | Lost | Streak | Pct | RF | RA | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Trace (P) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 16 | 10 | ___ |
| Rio Ponderosa (P) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 8 | 5 | ___ |
| St Charles (C) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 13 | 8 | ___ |
| Liberty Park (E) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 12 | 5 | ___ |
| Caroline (E) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 23 | 14 | ___ |
| Polo Ridge (A) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 13 | 4 | ___ |
| Sanibel (A) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 17 | 3 | ___ |
| St James (A) | 2 | 0 | Won 2 | 1.000 | 28 | 6 | ___ |
| Buttonwood (P) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 22 | 16 | 1.0 |
| Lake Sumter (P) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 16 | 12 | 1.0 |
| Tall Trees (P) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 12 | 17 | 1.0 |
| Sabal Chase (P) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 12 | 13 | 1.0 |
| Hadley (C) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 18 | 12 | 1.0 |
| Sunset Pointe (C) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Hemingway (C) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 10 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Summerhill (C) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 15 | 15 | 1.0 |
| Calumet Grove (C) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 6 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Miona Shores Blue (C) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 14 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Duval (E) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 8 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Lake Miona (E) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 9 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Mallory Square (E) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 14 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Springdale/Woodbury (E) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 10 | 15 | 1.0 |
| Largo (A) | 1 | 1 | Won 1 | .500 | 11 | 16 | 1.0 |
| Bonita Silver (A) | 1 | 1 | Lost 1 | .500 | 15 | 13 | 1.0 |
| Bonita Blue (P) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 8 | 19 | 2.0 |
| Tamarind Grove (P) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 9 | 11 | 2.0 |
| Piedmont (C) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 6 | 20 | 2.0 |
| Bonnybrook/Lynnhaven (E) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 3 | 12 | 2.0 |
| Belle Aire (E) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 14 | 18 | 2.0 |
| Glenbrook (A) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 3 | 20 | 2.0 |
| Fernandina (A) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 7 | 18 | 2.0 |
| Belvedere (A) | 0 | 2 | Lost 2 | .000 | 4 | 18 | 2.0 |
