Sports
Summer softball leagues open
Men play one-pitch games
The Men's Summer Softball League opened play, Wednesday with single-pitch double-headers at Manter Field, West Tisbury and Nunes Field, Edgartown.
At Manter the Highlanders took both ends of the twin bill from the Stampede. The first game produced an 8-8 tie at the end of regulation seven innings, then ended suddenly when Jeremy Scheffer crushed a walk-off home run over the right field fence.
The second game was close until the top of the seventh when the Highlanders sent 24 batters to the plate, collecting 16 runs on 14 hits, including a three-run homer by Ben Gunn, four walks, and two Stampede errors.
At Nunes, the Treds and Wildcats went at it. The Treds won both ends of the double-header, 21-10 and 21-17.
Both Bart Kent and Neil Estrella hit grand slams for the Treds. The 'Cats led for half of the second contest, but couldn't keep it.
Thursday, at Manter, the Brewhas dropped the Land Sharks twice, 4-2 and 17-15. Tad Gold homered twice for the Sharks. The Hatt brothers, Kevin and Eric, cleared the fence for the Brewhas,
Monday, the Brewhas took two from the Treds at Manter, 24-20 and 24-3.
At the West Tisbury school the Wildcats scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to gain a split with the Land Sharks.
Women's League warms up....
The Women's softball League played a warm-up game at the West Tisbury school, Thursday. The Dairy Queen Swingers defeated the MacDonald Rug Sox, 15-12. The fourth inning was the most prolific: the Creamers scored eight and the Sox had ten.
The ladies have chosen to play once a week at three venues every Tuesday: the West Tisbury school, the Gretchen Manter Memorial Field, and Nunes Field.
....and gets going
The season began in earnest Tuesday.
At Manter, the Honeys cleaned the Rug Sox, 15-5.
The biggest inning for the Honeys was the third, when they broke a 2-2 tie by scoring seven runs. Errors hurt the Sox.
At the West Tisbury school the Creamers bested the Swingers in a game closer than the final 17-10 score. Trish Jendrick stroked a solo home run in the first inning for the Creamers. Taylor Hughes was 3-for-3 and scored all four times she came to the plate. Lori Rezendez had three hits, all for extra bases including a round-tripper. Alleyne Hughes also was 3-for-4, including a double.
At Nunes Field in Edgartown, the Shady Ladies shaded the Late Fees, 15-12. Close all the way the score was tied at 8 after five innings. The Late Fees edged ahead in the sixth but the Shady ones would not be denied.
Senior Babes
The Martha's Vineyard Senior Babe Ruth boys team has won six and lost two thus far.
Their first win was a 14-0 shutout of Sandwich B team, a game shortened to five innings. Pitcher Kendall Chaves was touched for one hit. He walked one and struck out 11. Corey Perotta reached four times and scored twice. Evan Rosa scored three times.
Game two versus the Sandwich A squad was a loss, 12-3.
MV did all its scoring in the first inning. Ben Ciciora was 2 for 3 at the plate.
The Vineyard rallied late, scoring 10 runs to beat Mashpee 11-9. Chaves started on the mound and was relieved by Anthony Pilan. Taza Verycrusse shone with the mitt and the bat.
Taza went the distance against Sandwich A and the Islanders won, 6-3. Scott Merritt was 2 for 4. Will Stewart scored twice.
Kendall Chaves pitched a complete game, fanning six and picking off two, in the 6-5 defeat of Dennis Yarmouth. Chaves also drove in what proved to be the winning run. Will Stewart had a hit, an rbi and scored.
MV topped DY, Saturday, 9-7, behind Ryan Fisher. Will Stewart drove in three with a sixth-inning triple, then scored on Cody Coutinho's sac fly.
The Vineyarders split Sunday's double-header with Barnstable winning the first game, 7-5, and losing the second, 3-2, in the second game, which was shortened by the visitors felt need to catch a ferry. Chaves was 2-for-2 and scored both MV runs.
Tuesday at Harwich the Islanders lost to Lower Cape, 5-2.
The Cape team scored four runs in the first inning and were never headed. Kendall Chaves drove in the MV runs with a double in the third inning. The Islanders threatened in the fifth loading the bases but could not take advantage.
Next Tuesday the Islanders will be away. On Saturday, July 11, MV hosts Lower Cape in a double-header beginning at noon.
The Lancaster 3
The Vineyard sent three travel soccer teams to the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions at Lancaster, Saturday. The Under-12 boys lost a marathon semi-final game to Ludlow, 1-0. At the conclusion of regulation time, the teams were both scoreless. They were still scoreless after two overtime periods. Penalty kicks were ordered to find a winner which, at the end of two rounds of penalty kicks, turned out to be Ludlow, 1-0.
The Under-18 boys also lost a close game in the semi-finals to Weymouth, 3-2. Jock Cooperrider scored the Vineyard's first goal ten minutes into the first half. Alex Poole beat the Weymouth goalie on a penalty kick in the second half.
Holmes Hole races
Nine sailors of the Holmes Hole Sailing Assn. competed in a handicap race from Vineyard Haven Harbor, Thursday evening, June 25
It was a muggy, partly cloudy night. Not ideal, perhaps, but no one complained. It was a definite improvement on the recent cold, rainy days of the previous weeks.
The fleet sailed a triangular course from red nun 6 to green can 23A at East Chop, then to red nun 4 at West Chop and back to finish at the starting line.
The first leg was a run downwind. After rounding the green can the boats beat to the red nun. The homeward leg was a close reach on the port tack.
First to finish was Phil Hale in the Alerion sloop, Mischief. Second was Stephen Besse in the J 120, Apres. Then came (3) Bob Jewett in Andiamo II, (4) Roger Becker in Gloria, (5) Mike Loberg in Masquerade, (6) Dan Culkin in Magic Time, (7) Bo Van Riper in Tyche, (8) Jerry Goodale in Stormalong, and (9) Alan Wilson in High Tide.
The crews enjoyed the hospitality of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club and admired the new building constructed by Holmes Hole Builders and Gary Maynard.
Sunday was overcast with variable winds from dead calm to 12 knots. The race committee set a 10.2-mile course in waters on the border of Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds, a triangular course from the starting line north to red nun 16 off Great Pond in Falmouth, east to red nun 14 off Falmouth Harbor, returning to Vineyard Haven Harbor. The current in the Sound was setting across the course to the East throughout the race.
The fleet beat to windward by nun 4 at West Chop, keeping the buoy to port, and then sailed across the Sound on a close reach on port tack, keeping the nose of the boats high of the mark to account for the current. After rounding nun 16, the boats sailed a beam reach on the port tack to nun 16, moving fast with the tide. Upon rounding the mark, a slow downwind leg commenced with the boats staying further west prevailing over those that were swept east by the current.
Finishing first in the A Division was Stephen Besse in Apres. Second was Mike Loberg in Masquerade, then came (3) Jerry Goodale in Stormalong, (4) John Amabile in Solitude and (5) Bob Jewett n Andiamo II.
In the B Division, Dan Culkin was first in Magic Time. Alan Wilson in High Tide was second. Jim Pringle in Myfanwy was third, Guest boats were welcomed. Undine, sister ship to Masquerade, was skippered by Ed Cellio. Winds Eye, Tom Hale's old boat, was sailed by Larry Otto.
Thursday, tonight, the HHSA will race at 6 pm in Vineyard Haven Harbor. Sunday is the annual Chappy Rendezvous beginning at 10 am.
Interested sailors should call Dianne Hartmann at 693-6592.
Girls Babe Ruth Island Softball Champs
The Diamondbacks won the MV Girls Babe Ruth Softball League championship game, Saturday, 7-6, at the high school softball field. Kate Stewart was the winning pitcher. Hailee McCarthy went the distance for the Yanks.
Kat deBettencourt was 3-for-4 at the plate with a single, double, and triple. The triple, in the bottom of the sixth, turned out to be the winning run. She also played a stellar shortstop. Also earning kudos from their D-back coach were catcher Haley Maciel and outfielder Molly deBettencourt.
Bella El-Deiry shone at second for the Yankees.
After six innings, the Diamondbacks led 7-3. In the top of the seventh, the Yankees pulled within one run. With bases loaded and two outs, Kat deBettencourt fielded a slow roller to just beat the Yankee runner at first, ending the rally and the game.
Sharks gobble Bonitos
The Sharks defeated the Bonitos in the final game of the Island Junior Babe Ruth baseball season, Thursday, at the "Field of Dreams", aka the new field at the high school.
The Bonitos scored twice in the top of the first inning off Sharks starter, Sean McAndrews. Jack Roberts took the mound for the Sharks in the third inning and shut out the Bonitos in the third and fourth. Closer Andrew Williamson kept the Bonitos off the scoreboard in the last two innings, Final score: Sharks 8, Bonitos 2.
VFA postpones start
The Vineyard Football Association has postponed the beginning of the Summer Soccer League season one week. VFA registration will close on Sunday, July 5, at 12 Noon. League play will begin Tuesday, July 7, at the West Tisbury school.
Calling hockey players
The MV Arena will hold an open registration from 5 to 7 pm, Thursday and Friday, July 9 and 10, at the Arena.
For persons unable to attend, there are forms on the Arena's website, www.mvarena.com under the adult hockey category.
The Arena will open for the season on July 11. For more information, contact Beth O'Connor at blankenshipb @yahoo.com.
Coach of the Year
Ned Fennessy, coach of the high school tennis team, was named Division 3 coach of the year by the Boston Globe in its recent All Scholastics section. The Globe acknowledged that in his 19 coaching seasons his teams have qualified for the states 15 times and that this year's 15-5 season raised his win total to 200.
Congratulations to Ned for a well-deserved honor.
Men's Flex League
The Vineyard Men's Tennis Flex League wrapped up its spring doubles program last week. Forty-four men played more than a thousand games in the doubles tournament from April to June on multiple Island courts.
Adam Bresnick and Robert Hayman claimed the Championship title, just edging out Paul Adler and Sandy Nadelstein in the A Division.
The B Division was divided into two flights, Stephen Dantzig and Todd Hollister won one, Steve Mussell and Marin Street won the other. In the final playoff, Dantzig and Hollister prevailed.
Another Tennis Flex League will be organized for both men and women in the Fall months. To learn more see VineyardTennis.com .
LAX Jamboree
In mid June, the MV Girls youth Under 15 Lacrosse team competed in an al-day jamboree at Acton Boxboro, winning all its games against stiff competition from Natick, Framingham and King Philip. Alayna Hutchinson had a hat trick in the Natick game and Taylor Poggi scored twice. Against Framingham, Alayna scored four times and goalie Keila Geddis had three saves. Both Alayna Hutchinson and Zoe Nugent scored twice in the King Philip game.
The U-13 girls tied King Philip, and won their other two games, including Reading.
Bridge work
The Saturday morning Bridge Club of Martha's Vineyard had its first summer duplicate game at the Senior Center in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, June 20.
With four tables in play, the leading pair was Tillie Foster and Emily Robertson. Deidre Ling and Foster Greene were second and Brooks Robards and Jim Kaplan third.
Last Saturday the best score belonged to Judith Spruance and Maureen DeLoach. Then came (2) Maggie Gasnick and Brenda Davenport and (3) Marge Raskin and Dave Selin. Four tables were in play.
Down the road
Men's Island Softball League Commissioner Dan Sharkovitz has announced plans for a softball tournament on Saturday, September 12, to celebrate the grand reopening of Tisbury's Veterans Memorial Park. Rain date, Sunday, September 13
Open at the Neck
The 2009 Martha's Vineyard Open tennis tourney to benefit the MV Cancer Support Group will be held July 31-August 2 at Farm Neck. The weekend will feature an exhibition game between Luke Jensen and Jimmy Arias on Friday at 5:30. Mr. Jensen will conduct a clinic Saturday at 9 am to be followed by a Pro-Am at 2 pm.
The entry fee of $100 includes a minimum of two games and the clinic with Mr. Jensen
For more information and/or to register, call Mike at the Farm Neck Pro Shop at 508-693-9728.
