Sports Highlights
By Don Lyons
Published: July 3, 2008
Up and coming
The second annual Baseball Fest will be held at the Vineyard Baseball Park (the new field at the high school) on Thursday, July 17, beginning at 5:30 pm offering games, batting cages, hot air balloon rides, a radar gun (time your fast ball), face painting and ball park food.
"The Field of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner will be shown on the big screen in the outfield at 8 pm. Tickets will be available at the gate.
On Tuesday, July 22, the first ever Cape Cod League game will be played on the Vineyard at the Baseball Park when the Falmouth Commodores are home to the Wareham Gatemen. Presently the Commodores are fourth and the Gatemen fifth in the five-team Western Division of the Cape Cod League, currently headed by the Cotuit Kettleers.
Rendezvous at Robinson's
Sunday morning was mostly sunny with a brisk southwest wind filling in for the 10 am start of the annual Rendezvous Race to Robinson's Hole, a passage between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay at the west end of Naushon Island.
Six boats reported to the starting line outside the Vineyard Harbor breakwater.
The fleet broad reached out to red nun 4 on the port tack. As the boats entered the Sound the fleet hardened up and beat to windward to the finish line. A strong west setting current pressed the boats against the wind.
Winner in the A division was Roger Becker in the C&C 25, Gloria. Second was John Amabile in the Swan 36, Solitude. Jerry Goodale was third in Stormalong, a Pearson 32. Irving Gates in King Kiwi was fourth.
In the B division, Art and Caroline Spengler in Raven, a Nonsuch, beat out Tom and Laurie Welch in the Vineyard Vixon, Eastaway
Thursday's harbor race sailed a triangular course from red nun 6 at East Chop, to red nun 4 at West Chop, to green can 23A at East Chop, and return to red nun 6. It was downwind to West Chop. A broad reach on the starboard tack to East Chop, followed by a beat to the finish line.
First of the six competing skippers to finish the course was Bo Van Riper in Tyche, a Vineyard 15. John and Lisa Stout were second in the Gannon and Benjamin Sloop, Isabella. Phil Hale was third in Mischief, followed by Jerry Goodale in Stormalong, Dan Culkin in Magic Time and Art Whitworth in Fair Dinkum.
The Holmes Hole Sailing Assn. summer racing series continues tonight, Thursday, with a Harbor race at 6:00 pm, and two Harbor races Sunday at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.
The HHSA welcomes new members and guest boats. Interested sailors should call Diane Hartmann at 693-4592.
Martha's Vineyard's Big Brown
He did it!
Bill Brown of Tisbury realized his goal of running a marathon in every one of the 50 states, on Saturday, June 21, at Anchorage, Alaska.
Bill's time was 4:11.
His 49th state was Minnesota. Bill crossed that one off the list on May 24. Having made a clean sweep of the states, one might think Bill would retire from the marathon lists. Not so. Bill's next marathon will be the Cape Cod at Falmouth in October, "one of the 10 most scenic courses in America." Despite its proximity to the Vineyard, Bill has never run the Cape Cod which has been staged every year since its inauguration in 1978.
The Cape Cod will be another significant mile post in Bill's distance running career. It will be his 100th marathon.
Talk about the Energizer Bunny!
Run the chop
On Saturday, July 5, Murdick's Fudge hosts its annual Run the Chop Challenge, a five-mile road race benefit of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Martha's Vineyard. The Fun Run for children age 12 and under starts at 8:30 am; the classic five-mile race kicks off at 9 am. Both races begin at the Tisbury School on Spring Street. The cost is $20; $5 for the Fun Run. Free tee-shirts for the first 250 runners, and prizes for the winners will be awarded. Visit runthechop.murdicks. com to register online, or sign up on the day of the race from 7 to 8:45 am.
Open Lax
Men's (college-aged and up) open lacrosse games will be played at the Oak Bluffs school on Tuesdays, beginning at 6:30 pm.
Bring a reversible. For more information, contact John at laxonmv@gmail.com
Little League
The Vineyard's entry in the national Little League double elimination tournament, the one that ends up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, lost its first game, Saturday, to Barnstable then defeated Lakeville off Island in extra innings, 3-2. Oscar Hansen and Eli Berlow shared pitching duties at Lakeville
The winning run crossed the plate in the top of the 8th. Ian Bardwell singled, went to third on Austin Stevenson's single to right and scored on a passed ball.
Mike Mussell had cut down a would-be scorer with a bullet thrown from short in the bottom of the 7th.
At Nantucket, Wednesday, the Vineyarders defeated the Whalers, 4-1 behind starter Ian Bardwell, who was touched for one run in four innings, and Colin Cameron who pitched the final three shutout frames.
Eli Berlow drove in two with a third-inning home run. He also stroked a double.
The 2-1 Islanders await word about Sunday's game with either Barnstable or Sandwich.
The roster
Members of the Vineyard Little League All Stars are:
Mike Mussell, Eli Berlow, Colin Cameron, Sean McAndrews, Zoli Clarke, Joe Turney, Ian Bardwell, Tyson Araujo, Oscar Hansen, Ben Lukowitz, Austin Stevenson, Tyson Araujo, Tony Canha, and David Andrews.
Photo by Ralph Stewart
The trophy visits
Ray Allen, one of the "big three" who led the Celtics to their first NBA Championship in two decades, visited the Island and brought the championship trophy to Farm Neck Golf Club where photographer Ralph Stewart found it and took its picture.
Senior Babes on a roll
The Martha's Vineyard Senior Babe Ruth team lowered the boom on Yarmouth/Dennis, Saturday winning the first game of the twin bill, 20-2. Obviously lots of Islanders were involved in the offense, notably Zach Coutinho who was 2-for-4, walked and drove in two and scored three. Cole Maciel-Wingate was 2-for-4 and had four RBI and scored three runs. Scott Cleary was 2-for-3 and scored three runs. Joe Keaney also scored three times. Ben Ciciora, the winning pitcher with four Ks, allowed four hits and drove in five runs with two hits. He stole two bases and scored three runs.
Martha's Vineyard won the second game with half the runs, 11-1. Pitcher Taza Verycrusse earned the win.
Steve McKenna was 1-for-2 with an RBI. He scored twice. Coutinho was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a steal. Evan Sosa was 1-for-2, walked once and scored.
Yesterday the team was scheduled to play Lower Cape at Orleans.
