Friday, May 28th
It was another very good 3 team game played on Field E today. The Winter Haven City Employee's were using the rest of the fields for their annual Spring Olympics. Looked like they had a good time as Lee Baker will attest as he was over supporting the coed wiffle ball game. Lee retired from the City of Winter Haven.  Way to go Lee. Lee did have 2 hits for the winning team, Zelazny's Zepplins. Final was Z's 19 Smith's Scrappers 18 and Witmer's Wonders 14. It was 18-18-14 going into the bottom of the 7th and Duff Hill led off with a single. He ended up on 3rd base with 2 outs after a couple of fly balls. Then Jeff Simon stepped to the plate already going 3 for 3. He promptly jumped on the first fastball and lined it firmly up the middle for the WALK OFF SINGLE. 

Defensive play of the game was fantastic backhanded over the shoulder catch in left center at the warning track by Juan Toro. Great catch. Maybe best of the season. 

FANS IN THE STANDS 

   Roman

   Debbie Hicks

   Sally Strait.                      SEE YALL TUESDAY !!!!!  

On Field B Bob Zelazny led the hitting team; Gonzalez, Hicks, Rad, Doerbaum, Dampier, Pepin, Zelazny, Butler, Reponen, Vandenburg and Marino.  Opposing them Don Witmer fielded the team of Alumbaugh, Witmer, Shirer, Giordano, Hapeman, Crowell, Reagan, Smith, Coffman, Hite, Wells and Capozzi.  The game was played in a very sharp 89 minutes with both teams playing good defense, delivering timely hits and running the bases with speed and skill.  The bottom 5 for the home or field team had to be the heroes of the game.  The game was close for the entire contest.  In the 8^th with the visitors leading 14 to 11 the home team scored 3 to tie the score and setup a dramatic 9^th inning.  The visitors went 1-2-3 in their half of the inning; with Brett Alumbaugh making a shoestring catch, in left, of Rad’s sinking liner. Tom Capozzi singled to center and was replaced after reaching first by Bobby Reagan.  Then doubled to third Bobby Reagan scored the winning run on a ground out by Don Witmer.  The play was close and could have been called either way.  Producing 15 hits, including 2 doubles, a triple and sac fly while scoring 9 of the teams 15 runs.   

Leading Hitters:

Doerbaum 4 for 5, 2B

Pepin 3 for 4

Zelazny 3 for 4, 3B
Butler 2 for 4

Vandenburg 2 for 4 

Witmer 3 for 5

Shirer 3 for 3, BB, 2B, HR

Smith 4 for 4, 2B
Coffman 3 for 4, 3B
Hite 3 for 3, 2B, Sac
Capozzi 3 for 4

Written and posted by Bob Hite

Four Teams Today. What I know from field B is whatever team Ron Pepin was on won and he was glad to be back from Connecticut where it was quite cold. 

Field C. The old guys.    Simon's Smashers vs Fabian's Flyers with a final score of Simon 19 Fabian 13. Smashers started strong with 17 by the end of 4 and got 2 more in the 8th for their final count.
Flyers started slow with only 6 by the end of 5 but came on in the 7th and 8th for 8 more for the final score. 

Ron Thompson pitched strong for Simon till the 8th when he walked in 3 runs and gave way to Sammy Lopez who got the save and win for Ron. 

Reggie Barnes had a very busy day at 2nd for the Flyers and had a fantastic BACKHAND play

to save the 5th run of an inning. 

Russ King and Loren Fabian had a great collision at 2nd base in the 8th.  Everyone is okay with Russ getting the better of the collision but Loren completing the second double play of the day. Arms and knees are fine and we're all comrades. 

See y'all Friday 

Submitted by Loren Fabian.             (Thanks Russ). For the handshake. 

Apology to Melanie HITE. I did not mean to marry you to Steve Hicks. I'm learning. 

Fans in the stands

   Pat Merritt

   Sally Strait

   Nancy Frazier

   Roman 

Keep coming out fans. 

Submitted By Loren Fabian

Friday May 20th
It was another entertaining 3 team game. 

Smith's Scrappers.        Simon's Smashers.         Fabian's Flyers 

Dampier.      2-4 HR.       Chrest.      3-4 4 runs.    Rad.          4-5

Pepin.          3-4.             Simon.      3-4.               Marino.      3-4

Hicks.          2-4.             Tony Q.     3-4  3B.         Lopez.       2-4

Wells.          3-3. 2B.       Accetta.    2-3. SF.         Shirer.         2-4 HR

                                       Angel F.     4-4. 3B.        Vandenburg 3-4

                                       Bess.         2-3.              King.            3-4

The Smashers scored in every inning except the 5th for a total of 18. The Flyers scored 9 in the second to pull within 1 run of Simon's who had put up 5 in the first 2 innings. Smith's tallied 5 in the 2nd and 4 in the 3rd but couldn't get on the board again. Final was Simon 18, Fabian 12, Smith 9. 

2 defensive plays of the game. Johnny Merritt took 2 steps in to snag a wicked line drive off the bat of one of the Flyers. Fabian slid on his knees to glove a grounder headed up the middle and flipped it to King to save the 5th run of the inning. 

FANS IN THE STANDS.   Pat Merritt, Melanie Hicks and Sally Strait. 

Write up by Loren Fabian

New Video

Don LaMay sent me this Senior Softball video he did on Animoto. Pretty cool Don!


https://animoto.com/play/x5XTQPO4PUbHvn02cGQpAA

One of the best 3 team games ever witnessed was played today once it all got sorted out with Witmer's Wonders only having 9 players, Smith's Scrappers only having 9 players and Simon's Smashers having 10. So many players had to be borrowed for defense and umpiring duties shared. Witmer's Wonders started very slow and only plated 1 run in the 3rd but then put up 5, 2, 5 and 1 for a total of 14. Smith's Scrappers started quick with 4 and 2 but only got 3 in the last 5 innings for a total of 9. Simon's Smashers were down by 2 going into the last frame but the top of the order came up with 4 in the 7th to win it 16-14-9. Very entertaining  game for a 3 teamer as the fans in the stands will attest to. Ask Sally and John Merritt's wife. 

SIMON's SMASHERS.         WITMER's WONDERS.               SMITH's SCRAPPERS 

Rad.              4-4 HR.           Lafoon      4-5.                            Matta.          4-5

Hicks.            4-4.                Rivera.       3-5.                            Smith.          2-4

Bobby Z.       3-4.                Jacobs.      4-5.                            Shirer.          3-4

Lopez.           3-4.                Wells.         3-4. 2B.                      Marino.        4-4

Quinones.      3-4 HR.          Strait.         3-4 2B, 3B.                Hite.             2-4

Vandenburg.  3-4.                G. Baker.    2-4

Defensive play of the game was actually made in the 1st inning when Vandenburg made a quick throw to the plate from 2nd to keep the 5th run from scoring. Lee Baker caught it in the palm (not the web) of his glove and hung on. He revealed the catch in a post game interview. GREAT PLAY. 

Jimmy Laffoon turned 4 second to first double plays. 

Submitted by Loren Fabian. 

See y'all Friday weather permitting. 

Tuesday, May 17th

Games are on. Rain predicted for 10:00 am. Bring your umbrella.

Don Witmer
>
Sent from my iPad

Tuesday May 17 th

Games are on. Rain predicted for 10:00.

Bring your umbrella.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

FRIDAY, MAY 13th


The game on field B between Simon's Smashers and Fabian's Flyers was "LUCKY " for hitters and but was the reason why the 13th was tagged "UNLUCKY" for fielders. I won't get into that any further. It started off fast for hitters and offense in general. After 4 innings it was Fabian 18 Simon 12 and the decision was made to only play 7 innings due to the sun and heat.  Well, Simon promptly put up 6 runs in the top of the 5th to tie it up and low and behold, the Flyer's bats went silent and they put up goose eggs in the final 3 frames. The Smashers scored 1 in the 6th and 3 in the 7th for a final of Simon 22 Fabian 18.

Chrest.           4-5.                  Accetta.           3-5

Grabb.           4-5.                  Duff.                 4-5

Laffoon.          5-5.                Yasz.                5-5

Strait.             3-5.                  Scarbrough.   3-5

Bess.              4-5.                 Moots.              3-5

Barnes.          4-5.                  Fabian.             3-5

                                              Powell.              4-5

                                              Lopez                4-5

Defensive play of the game was a fantastic, over the shoulder running catch by Larry Strait behind 1st base. Great job Larry 

WP.  Ron Thompson 

Write Up by Loren Fabian

Jeff Simon's sluggers and Larry Powell's powerhouse squared off against each other for an old fashioned error filled marathon. Larry's visitors started strong with 5 in the 1st but only 3 more thru the 4th. Jeff's team plated many in the same 4 innings and led 13-8. Larry's started a scoring machine thru the 8th and had 22 runs with 1 inning to go. Jeff's team could only muster 8 more runs thru the 8th and it stood at Powell 22 and Simon 21 with the final inning to go. Larry's team only got 1 hit and no runs in the 9th leaving the door open for the home team but they played copycat and also got 1 hit and no runs in the 9th. Final 22-21 Powell.

Johnny Merritt had a very busy day in RF and never let a ball get past him thus saving many runs. 

Simon.         4-5.           Yasz.             3-6

Dampier.       3-5.          Aufiero.          5-6

Lopez.          6-6.          Accetta.         3-6

Mohan.         3-6.          Merritt.           3-5

Bess.            3-5.          Coffman.        4-5

Haines.         3-5.          Powell.           3-5

                                     Poke.             5-5.    3B

                                     Grabb.           4-5.    HR

WP.     Powell

Submitted by Loren Fabian. 

GAME TIME CHANGES ON TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016


Don't forget to be at the ballpark no later than 8:30 AM. League play will begin around 9:00 AM.


Don Witmer