Sports
Cardinals fly high, claim Little League Majors title
The final game between the A's and the Cardinals for the league championship was a wonder to behold.
Coach Kris Lukowitz shares the "thrill of victory" with the team. Charley Parkhurst, who scored the game's only run, holds the game ball. Photos courtesy Geoff Parkhurst
The game started with a bang when Charlie Parkhurst, leading off for the Cards, drove the ball into the right center gap. Charlie didn't stop running until he had reached third base. He had hardly caught his breath when Jonas Lukowitz drove him in with a single to deep short.
That was it for the offense. The rest of the game was a magnificent pitching duel. A's ace Colin Cameron would give up two more hits, four in all, while striking out 11. He was matched by the Cardinal's Austin Morely who fanned nine and gave up just two hits. Both pitchers went the distance, almost an oddity in the Little Leagues where pitches are counted and only 85 are allowed, a precautionary rule designed to prevent damage to young arms by overuse.
Pitcher Austin Morely shut out the A's, and the Cardinals claimed the championship, 1-0.
Playoff games leading up to the Cards-A's championship match began Monday when the fifth-place Mets thumped the fourth place Cubs, 17-3.
Tuesday it was the Red Sox over the Tigers, 10-4. Tucker McNeely and Jack Slayton shared mound duties for the Sox. McNeely was 4-for-4 at the plate.
Thursday, The top seeded A's got strong pitching from Mike Mussell and Colin Cameron and beat the plucky Mets, 8-2. The A's jumped off to a 7-0 lead in the first two innings on key hits by Lucas Dutton, Nainoa Cooperrider, and Cameron.
Tony Canha went the distance for the Cardinals, Friday, holding the Red Sox to a single run as his mates were crossing the plate ten times. The Cards played long ball. Jonas Lukowitz drove in three with a first-inning triple and a second-inning double. Austin Morely also tripled, scoring Tony Canha, who had been walked intentionally.
The A's (15-2) and Cardinals (12-5) were the top two seeds in the league and truly earned the right to duke it out for the majors title.
Dillon McAndrews, the Orioles closer, shows elevating elation at winning the Little League Minors Championship as Jack Murray and Hunter Cleary rush to join the team celebration at the plate. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Orioles Soar in Minors
The fifth-seeded Orioles surprised the minor league by claiming the championship trophies with a 12-3 pasting of the number two seed Rockies, Sunday, at Veira Park.
Jacob Gundersen led off with a bunt single, stole second and third and scored on Jack Murray's ground-out. The meat of the O's order - Hollis Kelly, Mercer Kelly and Dillon McAndrews - combined for 5 hits, 7 RBIs, and 9 runs scored.
Mercer and Dillon shared the mound and held the Rockies at bay.
The O's reached the finals by besting the Marlins, 9-6, Tuesday, and then upsetting the league-leading Twins, 6-2, on Thursday.
Umpire Greg Rollins prepares to make the call as Hollis Kelly approaches the plate. The Rockies catcher is Curtis Fournier.
The Rockies arrived at the finals with playoff wins over the Blue Jays, 8-6, and the Indians, 11-8.
Congratulations to the Little League boys and girls, both majors and minors, who played the national pastime and the coaches and umpires who helped them get it right.
Babe Ruth finales
In a Babe Ruth softball game at the high school last Sunday, the Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees, 10-7.
Beginning at 11 am, Saturday, the Babe Ruth softball leagues, majors and minors, will play the final playoff games to decide this year's league champions.
Diamondbacks pitcher, Katie Stewart, fires a fast one at Yankee Jenna Sylvia.
The minor league game will begin at 11 am. The majors game will follow. Food and soft drinks will be available.
Last weekend's scheduled Babe Ruth baseball playoff games were called off because of the threat of rain, which, in fact, did not fall. Today the final MV Babe Ruth baseball league game of the season pits the Sharks against the Bonitos on the new high school diamond. The game begins at 5 pm.
Cape League returns
Bill Lee, "the Spaceman", a favorite baseball personality to many, was an all-star pitcher for the Red Sox some 30 years ago. He won 17 games in 1973, '74, and '75, a stretch in which he pitched 17 complete games per year. Then, when the Sox thought his useful days were over, he was shipped off to Montreal in 1979 where he immediately won 16 National League games for the Expos.
In Bill Lee's commendation of Jim Collins's new book "The Last Best League," he wrote, "When I saw a map of Cape Cod, I saw a pitching arm, a left-handed arm, hurling a curveball toward the south Atlantic. Jim could hit that curveball."
Collins wrote on the dust jacket of his book, "Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, elite college baseball players gather in hopes of making it to The Show. The hopes are justifiably high: the Cape Cod Baseball League is the best amateur league in the world, producing one out of every six major league players." Cape League grads include Nomar Garciaparra and Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell and Barry Zito, Pudge Fisk and Jason Varitek.
Last year the Falmouth Commodores and the Wareham Gatemen played the first Cape Cod League game ever played on the Island. The game was played on the Vineyard's brand-new "Field of Dreams" at the high school, and Wareham won, 6-1.
The same teams are coming back for a return match on Thursday, July 9. A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Bill Lee. There is no entrance fee, but contributions will be gladly accepted at the gate to support the maintenance of the field.
Vineyarder takes the gold
Just turned 13 years old, which put him in the Youth Division (13 -14) of the New England Junior Olympics, Jeremy Tarter Alley of Oak Bluffs won the 800 meter race at Fitchburg State, Saturday, in 2:15.
Next for Jeremy is the Regional meet: New England plus New York and New Jersey. This year the regional meet will be held at Fitchburg State. Jeremy must finish in the top three to qualify for the nationals.
Don't bet against it.
Dick Pratt, Dee Lander, Chris Magee, and Gary Look stand with the #71 2008 Super Late Model Dodge Charger, which will be on display at Shirley's Hardware Sunday afternoon.
Hot rods at Shirley's
Classic car fans young and old will have the opportunity to see many of the Island's hot rods and custom machines Sunday from 5 pm to sundown at Shirley's Hardware on State Road in Vineyard Haven. The event is a benefit for the Tisbury Volunteer Fire Department. Food and fun for all.
Name game
The cutline under a picture in The Times last week identified the leaping soccer player as Alex Gordon-Beck. The correct spelling of his surname is GordonBeck.
Tennis, everyone?
The Ladies Flex Tennis League season, during which more than 70 players competed, has ended. Winners in the B Division were Merle Lincoln and Diane Morgan who beat Beth Kostman and Nina Howell, 6-3, 6-4.
In the C Division Beth Sawyer and Daphne DeVries defeated Orlaith Estes and Margaret DeAngelo, 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.
In other tennis action, Kent Leonard defeated Reid Yennie, 6-2, and took home the A Division Balle de Match Grand Prix held at Vineyard Youth Tennis (VYT).
Registration is ongoing for the USTA Junior Team Tennis League to be held at VYT beginning July 11. Children must be 14 years old or younger and must be able to keep score, serve and rally. Teams will consist of five boys and five girls with the winning team advancing to the sectional championships. Call 508-693-7762 to learn more.
VYT is also accepting registration for its Tournament/ Advanced Player Tennis Camp to be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to Noon and 1 pm to 3 pm Mondays and Fridays. A high level of play is expected with high school players and New England ranked players in attendance. Call Scott Smith for more information at 508- 693-7762.
Hoops
There is still time to sign up for Summer Recreational Basketball at Niantc Park, Oak Bluffs: man's and women's leagues for people 13 years or older, and camps for boys and girls 7 to 13 years old.
Register at Niantic from 9 am to 12 noon and 2 to 7 pm until Saturday, June 27.
For more information, see www,ci.oak-bluffs,ma.us.
Member-members tee off
The Mike Joyces, Mike junior and Mike the third, both former coaches of the high school golf team, won the Member-Member Palmer Flight tournament at Farm Neck, Sunday, with the low score of 137. Elmer Silva and Paul Chisholm took the Palmer Flight low gross prize, driving from the gold tees and carding a 143 effort.
In the Nicholas flight the Member-Member winners were Ed Medeiros and Steve O'Neal at 132.
Driving from the blue tees, Bucky Burrows and Rich Osnoss had the low gross of 153.
Also from the blue tees, in the Watson flight, Glen Peters and Bob Fournier won with a score of 123. They also took the low gross prize at 149.
Corner kicks
The Under-12 boys youth travel team defeated Dartmouth at Cape Cod Community College, 2-1, Saturday.
The Under-14 boys youth travel soccer team finished its impressive season at Taunton, Monday, regrettably with a 2-1 loss.
Having topped Dartmouth and Sandwich, the Under-16 boys have earned a ticket to the states.
The Under-18 boys team took its 7-1-1 record to unbeaten, once tied, Barnstable and came away with a 2-1 win on goals by Bill Reagan and Leandro Trindade.
The U-18s will play in the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions at Lancaster, Friday.
Vineyard Football Association
The Summer Soccer League is expected to play its familiar schedule of games, two each on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, this year at the West Tisbury school due to the resurfacing of Veterans Memorial Park.
It is expected that the same teams will compete in '09 as did in '08: the Atlantic Football Club, Monto Orthopedics, Coop deVille, Sports Haven, Shirley's Hardware and the MV Celtics.
Register to play in the VFA at Sports Haven in Vineyard Haven until Monday at noon. The draft will be held later that day and first games will be played Tuesday, June 30. Player registration forms and other information may be downloaded from www,vineyardfa.com.
Women's opener delayed
The Swingers vs. Creamers Women's Softball League first game, scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled due to the wet conditions prevailing at the playing field.
Summer softball leagues
Despite rumors to the contrary and the unavailability of Tisbury's Veterans Memorial Park, there will be a Men's Softball League season this summer.
League commissioners Dan Sharkovwitz and Ray Tattersall met with team captains Monday night in Edgartown to distribute schedules, score books, and softballs in preparation for yesterday's season opening games.
The Treds were scheduled to take on the Wildcats at Nunes Field, Edgartown, and the Highlanders were to play the Stampede at Manter. Games begin at 6 pm and are to be over by 8 pm. That may take some doing.
Tonight, the Brewhas and Land Sharks play two one-pitch games at Manter, again beginning at 6 pm.
Globe All Scholastics
Five Vineyard young ladies and two young men made it to the Boston Globe's list of Mayflower League All Scholastic athletes in track: Emma Lee Iversen, Shivonne Schofield, Kim Carlomagno, Kia Minor, Megan Dreyer, Mark Reppert, and Doug Asselin.
Matt Costello and Pat Hart were listed as all scholastics in the Maritime Lacrosse League.
