Sports
By Don Lyons
Published: June 17, 2010
Women's softball off and running
The Martha's Vineyard Women's Slow Pitch Softball League got off to a rousing start Tuesday, at Tisbury's Veterans War Memorial Park with three well-contested games, the third one under the lights.
Ryann Gold whacks one for the Snaps. Click on photo to enlarge.At what the league calls Field B, the field close to the small children's play area, the MacDonald Rug Sox took on one of the league's established front-runners, the Mocha Mott's Creamers. The Sox jumped off to a 5-2 lead in the first inning and held it to the third when the Creamers scored four times to draw even, 6-6.
Both teams played excellent defense and the score remained tied and unchanged until the bottom of the seventh (last) inning when Alleyne Hughes drove in Lori Rezendes with the tie-breaking, winning run for the Creamers.
Meanwhile, on Field A, last year's champions, the Wharf Honeys, were doing battle with the Island Entertainment Late Fees.
Lauren Weaver stretches for the out; Elizabeth Dowd legs it to first in the Creamers vs. Rug Sox game. Click on photo to enlarge.Neither team scored in the first inning. Both scored three times in the second, The Honeys nosed ahead in the third scoring twice to the Fees once, 5-4. Each team added a run in the fourth.
The Honeys jumped ahead in the fifth, adding four runs to their total while closing the door on the Late Fees. It was 10-5 after five, 12-5 after six. The Honeys crossed the plate seven times in the top of the seventh (last) inning. Final score: Honeys 18, Late Fees 7.
In the late game under the lights the well-matched Snaps and Shady Ladies traded hits, runs and impressive infield play. When the final out was made the score stood at 10 to 9, favor of the Snaps.
A goodly number of enthusiastic fans were on hand to see the action.
Tonight the Rug Sox mix it up with the Long and Meehan Snaps at Tisbury's Field B and the league's new team, the MV Community Services Phoenix, tackles the Creamers at the West Tisbury School.
Alleyne Hughes drives in the winning run for the Creamers. Click on photo to enlarge.
Kelly Sylvia sets to field a hot grounder for the Honeys; Beth Sawyer hurries to back the play. Click on photo to enlarge.Men's League
The scores tell the story. The MV Men's Softball League is capable of close competition.
Monday, at Tisbury's Veterans Park, the Stampede edged the Highlanders, 14-13 and the Wildcats scratched out a win defeating the Land Sharks, 12-11 — in eight innings.
It was 9-2 after two innings, but 11 up after seven.
Nate Briggs strokes a triple for the Wildcats in the second inning. Click on photo to enlarge.
Josh Cotterill snags a would-be home run crashing through the left field wall. Click on photo to enlarge.
Port-sided Jeremy Scheffer pitched for the Highlanders. Click on photo to enlarge.Little League logistics
The Cubs surprised the Cards at Veira Park, Saturday, riding on the back of Chris Mayhew who was four for four at the plate and scored three runs. Chris also closed out the game on the hill. Jacob Cardoza had an outstanding game for the Cubs with three hits and two runs.
Emily Turney's clean stroke drove in all four Cardinal runs. Click on photo to enlarge.Emily Turney, who has been solid all season, was four for four and drove in all of the Cardinals' four runs.
Minor League
Last Saturday at Nunes Field, Edgartown, Ben Nadelstein pitched his first win in his first appearance on the mound as the Orioles beat the Twins, 10-5.
Also Saturday, both Curtis Fournier and Garrett Broadly batted safely three times when the Rockies squeaked by the Rays, 8-7.
Another close game was the Reds over the Marlins, 6-5. The Reds scored four runs early and held on to make it stand up.
Summer All Stars
Coaches for the summer all-star teams will be: 12-year-old players – Bob Moore; 11-year-old players – Kris Lukowitz; 10-year-old players — Ernie Chaves; 9 year-old-players — Drew Kelly.
Chris Mayhew did it all for the Cubs, Saturday. At the plate he was 4-for-4, then took the mound to close against the Cards. Click on photo to enlarge.Major League standings
Team G W L RF RA
Tigers 13 11 2 110 51
Red Sox 13 9 4 102 50
Cardinals 13 8 5 76 82
A's 13 7 6 62 56
Cubs 13 2 11 42 84
Mets 13 2 11 38 105
Minor League standings
Team G W L RF RA
Rockies 13 10 3 134 94
Orioles 12 8 4 102 77
Marlins 13 7 6 108 89
Reds 12 6 6 99 125
Rays 13 4 9 79 88
Twins 13 3 10 107 156
Vineyarder Rainy Goodale rubbed shoulders with some of the best, here with Cullen Jones, a gold medal winner in the 2008 Olympics. Photo courtesy of Les Cutler. Click on photo to enlarge.Rainy days
Rainy Goodale of Vineyard Haven was one of some 2,000 swimmers at the U.S. Masters Swimming Short Course Yards National Championships at the Georgia Tech Swimming Center, Atlanta, May 21-23.
The meet was highly competitive as more and more former collegiate swimmers return to the sport, stimulated, apparently, by the 2008 Olympics, "the Michael Phelps effect."
Swimmers included Rowdy Gaines who won three gold medals in the 1984 games, and Cullen Jones, a member of the gold medal 4x100 meter relay team with Michael Phelps.
Rainy Goodale has moved into the 40-45 years age group, one of the most competitive in masters swimming. Rainy placed third in the U.S. in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:38.16, just missing her own New England record she set at Harvard in March.
She was fourth in the nation in the 50-yard breaststroke and sixth in the 100. Rainy also swam well in the 100 and 200 yard individual medley events and was a member of the New England Masters women's team finishing seventh in the country in both the 4x50 yard freestyle and the 4x50 yard individual medley relays.
Later this month, June 25-27, Rainy will be one of the Martha's Vineyard Masters swim team at the New England Long Course Meters (Olympic distance) Championships at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Photo by Barbara Armstrong. Click on photo to enlarge.Tisbury's fun run
The third annual Tisbury school half-mile fun run took off on Monday, June 7. Shown above: first graders are led by (left to right) Raphael dos Santos, Eric Reubens, Reed Seaver, Bizu Horwitz, Jeremias Esnal, and Alyssa Strelecki, all under the watchful eyes of the teachers: Mrs. Lopes and Mrs. Baynes. The event was a fundraiser for the school PTA and realized $3,000.
Honoring Ray Ellis
The first Walter Cronkite Award will be presented to Ray Ellis at the 19th annual Seafood Buffet & Auction on Saturday, July 10 at the Tisbury Wharf, a benefit for the sailing and educational programs of Sail Martha's Vineyard.
The Beetlebung Steel Band will provide the music. V. Jaime Hamlin will cater the seafood buffet. Kathy Kingston of Kingston Auction Company will be the auctioneer.
No tickets will be sold at the door.
Tennis clinics at VYT
Roscoe Tanner, sometime fourth-ranked tennis player in the world, will be holding clinics at Vineyard Youth Tennis for adults and children on Tuesday, June 29. High-school-aged players are invited to the Junior Clinic, from 9:00 to 10:30 am. The clinic for adult women will be from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, men from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.
A cocktail party will follow with a question and answer session. Admission price is $35 to benefit the Vineyard Youth Tennis scholarship fund. Space is limited so early registration is recommended.
Roscoe Tanner was known for his 153-mph serve, now second fastest to Andy Roddick's 155-mph serve. He lost an historic 5-set match to Bjorn Borg in the first Wimbledon final to be broadcast in the USA. He will be in Vermont in late June for a New England Tennis Weekend and has decided to visit his fellow Tennessean and friend, Scott Smith of VYT.
Reminder
For the third year in a row, two of the Cape Cod Baseball League will visit the Vineyard's "Field of Dreams" to play for the John and Dorothy Connors Memorial Cup. The Falmouth Commodores will be host to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks on Thursday, July 8 at 1:00 pm.
U-11 boys soccer
The Under-11 boys youth soccer team won it s last two games defeating Sandwich on Island, 8-1 and Nantucket on the Whalers field, 5-1. They finished their season with an 8-1 record; their only loss was to Dartmouth.
They are the co-champions of the South Coast Soccer League, Under-11 Boys Division One
The Times congratulates the boys with their head coach David Wallis and his assistant, Richard Andre.
Over The Hill gang
The Vineyard FC Masters finished up its second season in the Over the Hill Soccer League in second place in Division 6 South after a tough 4-1 loss to Southborough, last Sunday.
But not only has the Vineyard FC earned a spot in the higher division 5 next season, but their best runner-up record qualifies them for a wild card position in the Division 6 playoffs. Vineyard FC plays at Hopkinton this Sunday in the semi finals. If successful, Vineyard FC Masters will play in the finals at Lexington a week later.
Summer soccer
Player registration for the 2010 Football Association summer soccer league is now open. Registration forms are available at Sports Haven, 5 Beach Road, in Vineyard Haven.
Registration deadline is Tuesday, June 22. First games will be played at Tisbury's Veterans War Memorial Park on Tuesday, June 29.
For more information see www.vineyardfa.com.
Youth lacrosse
The MV Youth Lacrosse Under-11 boys' team played three games in the Falmouth Jamboree Sunday winning one and losing two.
The Islanders bowed to the Falmouth Maroons, 5-2. Donald O'Shaughnessey and Jacob Gunderson (assisted by O'Shaughnessey) scored for the Vineyard. Jack Rizza was in goal.
Later that same day, the Islanders lost to Old Rochester, 5-3. MV goals were by Jackson Mahaffey, Sam Wallace and Donald O'Shaughnessey. Goalie was Jacob Gunderson.
The Islanders defeated the Falmouth White team, 7-4 at Falmouth Academy.
O'Shaughnessey scored three times and assisted three times. Chris Patnaude, Jacob Gunderson, Brendan Morris, and Ben Peters also scored. Riley Amaral, Ben Peters, Mahaffey, O'Shaughnessey (2), and Peters were credited with assists. Hunter Ponte tended the net.
Coach Bruce Mahaffey commented, "Great effort in the final game of the season! Teamwork and unselfish play were (and will always be) rewarded."
