Sports
By Don Lyons
Published: July 24, 2008
Cape Cod visits the Island
A carnival atmosphere attended the baseball game between the Wareham Gatemen and the Falmouth Commodores, Tuesday, at the high school "Field of Dreams." It was the first time ever that a Cape Cod League game was played on the Vineyard.
Tents had been raised to shade the lucky from a hot sun. Many more found some shade in the woods beyond the right field line. Not a few had thought to bring umbrellas. Booths offered food and programs, 50-50 raffle tickets, and opportunities to contribute to charities including the Jimmy Fund.
Photos by Ralph Stewart
Many chose to spread blankets on the embankment behind right field. Hundreds of kids collected autographs from accommodating players. Especially celebrational were the red and blue shirts worn by 120 campers from Falmouth who from time to time organized themselves into a cheering section for the Commodores, even attempting a wave or two.
The game was a win for the Wareham Gatemen, 6-1, extending their current winning streak to five games.
The Commodores struck first, posting a run in the first inning. But the Gatemen took advantage of Falmouth errors in the second and jumped to a 4-1 lead. Cole Leonida, of Georgia Tech, the Wareham catcher, capped the inning with a two-run homer. Wareham would add single runs in the last two innings.
It was a grand day for the grand American pastime and surely must have gratified the Islanders who worked so hard to build the field and successfully entice the Cape Cod League to pay it a visit.
Creamers snap streak
Tuesday, at Veterans Park, the undefeated Snaps Women's Softball team played last year's champion team, the Creamers, which had won all of its games this year except an earlier meeting with the Snaps.
The Creamers jumped off to a 3-1 lead in the first inning. After a scoreless second inning, both teams scored single runs in the third. The Snaps added a run in the fourth to draw within one of catching up, 3-4. In the top of the fifth the Snaps scored twice to take a 5-4 lead, but not for long. In the bottom of the fifth the Creamers crossed the plate three times. That's the way the game ended: Creamers 7, Snaps 5. The teams are now tied at the top of the league standings each with one loss - to each other.
Also Tuesday, the Honeys had their way with the Swingers, 14-8 and the Shady Ladies shaded the Late Fees, 11-6.
In Women's Softball League action at Veterans Park, Friday, the Creamers trailed the Honeys, 4-0. But in the bottom of the third inning the Creamers scored seven runs. The loudest blow was a two-run homer by Lori Kieras. Final score: Creamers 9, Honeys 4
Also Friday the Snaps held the Toppers to three runs while circling the bases 41 times. That's not a typo, 41-3
Men's softball
The Monday night men's softball games at Veterans Park produced more than the usual interest. To begin with, the Treds overcame a 6-2 deficit to the 'Canes with four runs in the fifth, tying the score, then posted a seventh run in the top of the sixth and three more in the seventh to lead 10-6.
No one was surprised when the 'Canes rallied in the bottom of the seventh, however, scoring three runs and needing only one more to make it to extra innings.
With men on base, a line drive set sail for the right field fence. From the bleachers behind home plate one could not tell if it would reach the fence. What could be seen was two Treds outfielders converging on the ball, then both "hit the deck." Had thy collided ? Were they hurt? Where was the ball. They were not hurt, nor had they collided, and the ball was safely in the hands of Graham Houghton. End of game. Treds 10, Hurricanes 9.
No one could remember with certainty when it was that the Treds had last beaten the 'Canes.
At the same time, at Manters Field, West Tisbury, the Stampede was trouncing the Boilers in a mercy-rule shortened game, 20-5. Both Eric Dawson and Matt Rivers hit three run-producing homers.
The second game at Tisbury, Riptide vs. Highlanders, was an 8-7 squeaker until the bottom of the fifth. Nate Briggs had hit a home run with two aboard for the 'Tide in the second. Chris Menne's homer drove in two for the Highlanders in the fourth.
The Highlanders had an 8-7 edge, then exploded for six runs in the fifth. The 'Tide responded with four in the sixth, but that was it. Final score: Highlanders 14, a much-improved Riptide 11.
Homerun Derby
Seventeen players representing all nine of the League's teams entered the second annual homerun derby on Monday, vying for prizes generously provided by Bill Miner and Sport Haven.
The first to take his allotted five swings was left-handed Matt Gebo who cleared the fence three times, a mark that held up through the contest. A three-player shoot-out was called for to break a three-way tie for the longest homer. Matt Gebo, Jeff Nader, and Matt Rivers took three more swings and Jeff won hands down with the longest poke of the evening, 308 feet.
Icing at the Arena
The Second East Coast Classic Hockey Tournament at the Martha's Vineyard Arena, Friday to Sunday, impressed hockey aficionados. The skating, shot selection, passing, defense and goaltending were of high order and proof positive that the game can be played with gusto without excessive fouls or fights.
Eight teams were registered to compete, including last year's champions, The Hamden (Conn.) Sports Bulldogs, an impressive mix of 16 college and professional players.
Trying to wrest the championship title from the Bulldogs were (1) the Bridgeport Boilermakers loaded with 11 players from Sacred Heart University; (2) Team Vermont, a collection of 14 collegiate players almost all from northern New England schools plus two pros; (3) the Dragon Club, 17 players from New England colleges including B.U. and UConn, as well as club players and two from Deggendorf, Germany; (4) Team Black Dog 15 players heavily weighted with New England skaters (Dartmouth, Harvard, B.C., Bowdoin, Hobart; (5) The Springfield Spitfires with college players from B.C., Babson, Fairfield, among others; (6) The Gators, a team glued together by the Classic's founder and president, Peter Alden that included some Martha's Vineyard players: Max Sherman, Matt Flynn, Derek Avakian and three skaters from Quinnipiac; (7) the Martha's Vineyard Mariners, all Islanders with familiar names and faces to anyone who followed Martha's Vineyard Regional High School hockey for the last 20 years.
The opening game was not auspicious for the Vineyarders, who lost to Hamden, 9-1.
But the Mariners recovered and finished in third place.
The Championship game on Sunday pitted the Gators against the Hamden Bulldogs. After the first 13-minute period the score was tied, 1-1. Hamden edged ahead in the second frame, 3-2. Just 12 seconds into the third and final period the Gators scored the evener and kept the pressure on, winning 5-3 to claim the cup and wrest the championship title from Hamden.
Heigh-ho, Silver!
Pond View at Saugerties
Four young riders from Pond View Farm competed in Lendon Gray' Dressage 4 Kids Festival in Saugerties, N.Y., last weekend: Alison McAndrews of Tisbury, Hannah Elias and Katelyn Weber of West Tisbury, and Andrew Randall of Chilmark.
Team Pond View placed first in its division and won honors as Reserve Champions (second place) among the 18 competing teams.
Alison placed first in Training Level B. Hannah was third in Training Level B, Katelyn won the Introductory Division and the Turn Out Inspection of more than 100 riders.
Andrew was second in Training Division A and received the Lindekrona Memorial trophy for highest scoring male rider.
The team acknowledges and thanks trainer Tracey Olsen and groom Jen Rose.
Photo by Polly Brown
Gigs race
Four rowing gigs raced as part of the Vineyard Cup weekend: the Saquish men's boat won the 3-nautical mile race in rough seas in 36.02, trailed by Cassie, the Martha's Vineyard men's boat, in 36.48 and Gloucester's gig with a mixed crew at 40.26. Grace, rowed by a crew of Martha's Vineyard women, finished in 42.27.
Gloucester's mixed crew won the first nautical mile sprint in 15.58. Grace was close behind in 16:54, and Cassie was third at 23:42. The Saquish men's boat edged out Cassie by nine seconds in the second mile sprint, 12:03 to 12:12.
