The Central Florida League returned to action at Saddlebrook Softball Complex on Tuesday with a full slate of four games. The ninth team, Team Koller,provided scorers, announcers, subs and umpires. Special thanks to Jim Joseph and Rocky Spottwood for umpiring two games.
Synergy Wealth got off to a fast start with a 12-5 win over Arden’s Jewelers and its new manager, Don Melcher. Howard Charney led Synergy with four hits, including a home run. Jim Gordon added three hits with a triple. Sub John Ambrose had three hits with a double. Arden’s Jewelers got a pair of hits from Doug St. Andrews, Vinny Caso and Alan Zahm. The Synergy defense turned two double plays to end rallies in the fifth and sixth innings.
Summer season regular season champs Sammy Joe’s got a win with a 13-6 victory over Paul Davis Restorations. Sammy’s had three hits each from Charlie Clare, Mike Raines and Mark Hildebrand, who had two doubles and drove in four runs. Rich Bergman, Jeff Beatty and Rick Fredieu each had two hits for the winners. Paul Davis had three hits by Chris Iorio and a pair each by Don Brozick, Mike Waters and Jerry Woolsey.
Palm Ridge Dental, the summer tournament champs, started the season with a 17-14 win over Softball’s R Game. Smacking three hits each for Dental were Josh Sheldon, Bill Sass and John Leone. Adding a pair of hits were Ed Chirumbolo, Gary Nicolay, Dale Neff, Craig Dahlquist, Paul DiJulio, Ken Scanlon and Phil D’Adamo, who had a three-run homer in the third inning. Softball’s R Game had three hits by Jim Lambert and Art Anton. Chipping in a pair of hits were John Kushner, Rick Duemler, Jim Kitzler and Al Houle.
In a tight game, the new team in the league, Pie O Mine, lost to Babiarz Law Firm, 5-4. Babiarz got three hits from manager Tim Wilcox and a pair each from Maury Fjestad, Jim Wiegand, Ron Parson and sub Howard Charney. Pie O MIne had three hits from Ed Moriarity and a pair by Ted Bell. Pie O Mine’s attempt to come back in the top of the seventh saw Frank Raymond drive in a run with a double. Chick Cicatelli then followed with a single, but the next two batters flew out to end the game.
