Sports Highlights

By Don Lyons - June 15, 2006

Summer on ice

Sign up for the MV Boys Summer Hockey League is Monday, June 26, from 5 to 6:30 pm, at the MV Arena. Eligible are boys ranging from those going into the 8th grade to those about to start their senior year in high school. Registration fee is $135.

Four teams will play an eight-week schedule beginning Sunday, July 16. All games will be played Sunday or Tuesday evenings.

Coaches are Bruce Mahaffey, John Fiorito, Cole Powers, Mike MacLean, and Ryan Mundt.

Call the Arena at 598-693-5329 with questions.

How's that again?

The Hurricanes were reigning champions last year; this year it is the Brewhas. James Rebello (not Belcher) homered for the 'Canes. The MVRHS JV softball team won their final game, 19-11 over Carver. A picture in last week's Times showed Ryan Uva hitting a baseball off a tee during a Farm League game, not a Tee-ball game.

Table Tennis anyone?

Monday, June 19, is the date; 6:30 pm to 8:30 is the time, The Aquinnah town hall is the place for the Aquinnahpong Ping Pong tournament. Everyone is invited to play and/or watch at no charge.

Call John Walsh with questions: 508-645-9090.

Gymnastics

Three Vineyard girls entered the State Championship Gymnastics meet for level 4 girls at the Medway Middle School, June 3 and 4.

Hadley Chapman, 8, of West Tisbury led the MV trio with 36.1 points and finished 11th overall, the highest individual all-around score of any Island gymnast at any level this season. Hadley was 5th on bars (9.275) and 9th on the balance beam (8.8).

Right behind Hadley in 13th place was Emma Caron, 8, of Oak Bluffs, with an all-around score of 35.35. Emma was 13th in the vault (9.4) .

Jessica Haynes, 8, of West Tisbury, was 23rd overall, shining best on floor and bars (8.1).

Spring Fling

At the last in-house meet, on May 20, the Spring Fling, 16 gymnasts from six to 13 years old competed. The youngest girl gymnasts, the level-3 Butterflies, won with 137.55 points, led by 7-year-old Francesca Varela who scored 35.1 all around. Tamara Nash, 7, and Whitney Schroeder were also high-pointers with 34.3 and 34.2, respectively. Sarah Pertile and Lia Potter, both 6, were close behind with 33.95 and 33.7, but only the top three counted for the team score. The team did best on the vault with a 9.05 average.

The Ladybugs, level 4-6 girls, were second at 136.05. Hadley Chapman's 35.25 was tops, followed by Jessica Haynes and Sarah Alexander with 34.05 and 33.6. Zana Van Rooyen was best on floor (9.0) and Chantal Booker, Lauren Dostal, and Macayah Goodell were all best on beam, each with 8.6.

The Dragonflies boys squad, levels 4-9, were paced by Wayman Harrison (50.25). The Booker brothers - Ben, 8, and Spencer, 11 - helped the team total with 49.3 points, a personal best for Ben at level 4, and 49.25 points for Spencer at level 5. Thomas Goodell earned 41.15 points in four events.

Little League update

The Cubs won two games last week topping the A's, Tuesday at Veira, 12-1, and the Tigers, Thursday, 6-1. Jack Roberts and Kyle Altieri shared the mound Tuesday, allowing the A's two hits and three walks with seven K's. Alec Tattersall and Del Araujo together had four hits and four RBI's. Nick Nelson scored the A's run. Carlos Guzman and Oliver Filley had the A's hits. Carlos, Oliver and Harry West shared the mound.

Thursday, the Cubs scored three runs in the second on Delmont Araujo's base-clearing double.

The Tigers scored their only run when Matthew Marchand doubled, driving in Kyp Cooperrider.

Noah Stobie went the distance for the Cubs, giving up one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out four. Peter Keaney hurled for the Tigers striking out eight, walking two, hitting a batter and allowing seven hits.

This week is for making up games called for rain.

Monday the Mets surprised the Dodgers at Nunes. Yesterday the Red Sox took on the Tigers and the Mets met the Cubs.

Friday, it's Cubs versus Dodgers .

Playoffs

After rain-caused make up games are completed, the 11th annual Richard C. Brown Playoffs will begin, Monday.

The two leading teams will get a bye. The sixth and third teams will play at Veira and the 5th and 4th at Nunes in the first round.

The second round, Wednesday, will pit the lower team remaining against the number one team and the higher remaining team will play the number two team.

The championship game will be played Saturday, at Nunes Field in Edgartown a 11 am. (Rain date: Sunday)

The Minor League championship game will follow the awards ceremony, probably about 2 pm.

Babe Ruth baseball

The Mashpee Indians (6-1) were in town, Sunday, for a double header with the Vineyard Twins.

In the first game the Indians enjoyed strong pitching and lots of base running winning the game, 10-1. Tad Gold drove in the Islanders only run in the bottom of the first inning.

The nightcap was the reverse of the opener, as Taza Vercruysse hurled a one-hitter with eight K's and his teammates crossed the plate eight times. MV's infield of Lamar Moreis, Ken Handy, Jack Wadleigh, and Jason Schwab was outstanding in support. Billy Fields drove in two runs with two hits.

The Vineyard Cup

Sail Martha's Vineyard, the Island organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the maritime traditions of the Vineyard, will sponsor the first Vineyard Cup and Seafaring Festival, Friday to Sunday, July 7-9.

On Friday, round one of the Vineyard Cup East Coast Junior Olympic Windsurfing Championship will be held as well as the Vineyard Cup Island Opti Cup Race, a junior sailors' event.

Saturday will see round two of the Junior Olympic Windsurfing Championship and the Vineyard Cup Northeast Region Championship Series Gig Race.

Sunday the Vineyard Cup Race begins at 10 am.

The weekend will include The Vineyard Cup Northeast Region Championship Series Gig Race, round two, the Vineyard Cup East Coast Junior Olympic Windsurfing Championship, round three, and the Vineyard Cup 420 long-distance race.

To register or for more information, visit www.vineyardcup,com.

150 years and counting

The Martha's Vineyard Shipyard will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a regatta, Saturday, July 29, at 2 pm. Too much rain or too little wind will postpone the regatta to Sunday.

The regatta course will start between red Nun 6 and the shipyard workboat Titan, proceed to red Nun 4 off West Chop, leave that mark to starboard, then proceed to green Can 23A off East Chop, leaving that mark to starboard, and finish between Shenandoah mooring and the Shipyard dock

Following the regatta, will be a cookout at the Shipyard with presentation of awards and drawing for door prizes.

Also, see www.mvshipyard.com for a wide variety of shipyard apparel produced by such brand name companies as Columbia and Polo.

Adult soccer

The MV Adult Summer Soccer League will begin play on Tuesday, June 27 with games at 5:30 pm and 6:45 at Veterans Park behind the Tisbury Fire Station.

Five of the six teams that competed last summer will enter the lists again this year: the Association Football Club (aka the high school team), Broadway Screen Printing, Sports Haven, MV Lathe & Plaster (sometimes called the Irish team), and last year's champs, Coop deVille. Shirley's Hardware replaces W.R. Russell Painting.

Team captains will draft registered players on Thursday, June 23, the final date to register for league play at noon

Minor League baseball

Friday, the Twins defeated the Marlins, 18-8. Curtis Farrell was impressive in relief for the Marlins and Cyrus Breese had three big hits.

The Blue Jays ran away from the Reds, 22-8. Brothers Nicholas and Jacob Cardosa had strong games for the Reds and Felix Tucker did his bit playing tight "D" at the hot corner.

Gabe Bergeron was solid on the mound for three innings and Felix Tucker followed in the 4th and 5th. Jacob McCracken finished up pitching the 6th.

Minors standings (provided by Ernie Chaves)

W L T
Twins 14 13 1
Blue jays 13 10 3
Marlins 14 8 6
Orioles 12 7 5
Rockies 11 7 4
Indians 14 6 8
Reds 14 2 12
Devil Rays 14 0 14

Playoffs start Monday with games at Manter Field and the West Tisbury School and continue Tuesday and Thursday.

Babe Ruth softball

Last week was the week of the slaughter rule. The rule was applied in three of the four Babe Ruth softball games played.

In the final game of the season, a battle for third and fourth place, the Devil Rays scored 24 runs in a single inning, trouncing the A's, and filling the third slot.

Emily Williston was the winning pitcher. Lauren Metell and Emily Alosso were bright spots for the A's.

The A's bounced back in the preliminary round against he last place Yankees. Emma Frizzell, Kate Mahoney, and Haley Panek paced the A's rout. Eva Faber, Liz Reid, and Celia Mercier did their best to stem the tide for the Yanks.

In the playoffs first round Diamondbacks shut out the Devil Rays, 12-0. Leanne Jackson applied the whitewash. Kia Minor had an outstanding game for the Rays.

Tuesday, the first place Braves romped at the expense of the A's. Emily Alosso took the loss. Caroline Davey got the win. Hannah Marlin and Kelsey deBettencourt led the Tribe's tight defense.

The stage is set for the Saturday's championship game at 1 pm, on the high school field.

Current records: Braves 12-1; Diamondbacks 10-3; A's 5-8; Devil Rays 4-9; Yankees 0-13.

The Lower Softball League

After much work on the rain-soaked field at Veterans Park, the Phillies and Red Sox played under the lights - game and BBQ starting about 7:30 pm.

Starting pitchers were Emma Yuen for the Sox and Katie Johnson for the Phillies. The Sox led after one inning, 6-3. The Phillies scored four in the 2nd and two in the 3rd. The Sox scored six more in the bottom of the 3d to lead, 12-9.

Alex Mazza, Katie Stewart, and Emily deBettencourt all scored twice for the Phils. Katie Johnson had two is. Both Kenya Peters and Aoife Estes crossed the plate twice for the Sox.

Monday, the Dodgers bested the Orioles.

Tuesday the Sox and Phillies faced off in the first playoff game, won by the Phillies, 14-0.

Kat deBettencourt pitched the shutout and helped her cause with four hits and four runs. Katelyn Marchand, Sammi Chaves, Kendall Robinson, Carter D'Angelo, and Katie Johnson all scored multiple runs for the Phillies.

Devon Webster had the Sox only hit.

The championship game is Saturday, 11 am, at the high school.