Sports Highlights
By Don Lyons - July 13, 2006
Cannons are lonely at the top
Wednesday's Treds vs. Loose Cannons softball game at Veterans Park, a clash of the league's two undefeated teams, did not disappoint.
The Cannons scored twice in the bottom of the first inning and added six in the third and three more in the fourth while playing errorless ball in the field and holding the Treds to a single run. After four innings the Cannons led 11-1.
But the Treds unbeaten record is no fluke. They rallied for six runs in the top of the fifth and three more in the sixth, then added two in the seventh, all the while spiking the Cannons offense with great "D," giving up just one run in the sixth.
At the end of the regulation seven innings the score was tied at 12.
In the extra inning eighth, Tony Cortez popped out to second, Asa Vought lined into right where Mike Dowling made a diving catch. Jason Chalifoux beat out an infield hit to third. Treds team captain Bart Kent hit into a 5-4 fielder's choice.
In the bottom of the eighth, Treds shortstop Olsen Houghton was unable to come up with Dowling's drive up the middle, and Mike made it to second base. Ben Connelly popped out to Richie Roy in right. Dowling chose not to test Roy's strong arm and held his base. Geoff Phillips singled up the middle. With the outfield drawn in, Dowling could go no further than third. Next up, Cannons pitcher Seth Abbott hit a deep fly to left, plenty long enough for Dowling to wait for the catch, tag, and scamper home with the winning run,
Loose Cannons 13, Treds 12.
The only home run in the game was hit by Cannon captain Jeremy Scheffer in the fourth with one on.
Also played
In the second half of Wednesday's double-header, the Hurricanes blew away the Riptide 21-2 in a mercy-shortened five-inning game.
Thursday's games
The Boilers departed the winless ranks navigating past the Riptide, 16-13. The Wildcats avenged their opening day loss to the Treds, 21-9. The Highlanders upset the Brewhas, 12-8.
Monday action
Scoring in every inning but the second, the Treds easily won their game with the Boilers, 24-8.
The Hurricanes ran up two dozen runs to drop the Highlanders, 24-13. The Brewhas ended a four game losing streak at the expense of the Riptide, 16-7.
Standings as of Tuesday
W L
Loose Cannons 8 0
Hurricanes 7 2
Treds 7 2
Brewhas 5 4
Highlanders 4 5
Wildcats 3 5
Boilers 1 8
Riptide 0 9
Last night the Wildcats were home to the Cannons and the 'Canes to the Boilers.
Tonight the 'Cats go against the Brewhas, the winless Riptide has to play the unbeaten Cannons, and the Treds host the Highlanders.
Middleboro gets the best of MV
The unbeaten Middleboro All Stars (3-0) made the trip to the Vineyard, Sunday, for an afternoon baseball game with the also unbeaten Vineyarders (2-0).
Both teams featured fastball pitchers and nifty fielding infielders, so it was no surprise that the score was tied, 0-0, after three innings.
Caplinger, Levesque, and Arsenal grounded out to short, second, and third in the top of the first.
In the bottom of the inning, Peter Keaney and Will Stewart bounced out to short. Ben Ciciora reached on an error at third and went to second on a passed ball. Delmont Araujo was called out on strikes.
In the top of the second, Middleboro went down in order again, a ground out to short, a swinging strikeout, and a bouncer back to pitcher Stewart.
Middleboro pitcher Traves Levesque fanned Kevin Galligan, walked Chris Morris, and then struck out Mike deBettencourt and Alec Tattersall.
Stewart faced three batters in the third, resulting in one strikeout and two weak bouncers back to the pitcher.
In the MV half, Andrew Williamson dropped a bunt down the third base line but pitcher Levesque fielded it and fired to first just in time to catch Williamson. Peter Keaney was out, third to first. Stewart singled sharply down the right field line. Ciciora hit back to the pitcher.
Facing the Middleboro lineup for the second time, Stewart fielded yet another come-backer, the third in a row. Then Caplinger reached on a drive into left and Levesque homered over the right field fence. Arsenal and Newcomb grounded out..
The Islanders got one back in the bottom of the inning. Araujo walked. Stuart Hersh, pinch-hitting, took a called third strike. Eric Bryant drew a base on balls. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Noah Stobie, the third pinch-hitter in a row, took a third strike. Alec Tattersall lined a single into right, scoring Araujo and sending Bryant to third. Williamson was out, bunting for a hit down the first base line.
Middleboro added a run in the fifth. After Holsworth grounded out to short, a walk, a single and a hit batsman loaded the bases. The next batter grounded to third. Williamson handled the bouncer cleanly and fired to the plate for the force, but catcher Ciciora had trouble securing the ball and Kevin Gray slid under the tag. Caplinger popped out to third and Levesque hit into a fielder's choice.
Keaney led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and immediately stole second. But Stewart bounced out to short, Ciciora went down swinging and Araujo took a called third strike.
In the visitor's sixth, Arsenal reached on an error at short. Newcomb fanned. Holsworth bounced back to the pitcher. Grey's hit into center was mishandled and Arsenal scored. Pinch-hitter Johnson walked, putting runners at first and second. They moved up on a wild pitch. Szulak .popped out to pitcher Stewart..
In the bottom of the sixth, two Islanders walked, but pitcher Levesque, still throwing golf balls, struck out Morris and Williamson and retired DeBettencourt, 5-to-3.
Last Thursday, the MV All Stars edged Mashpee, there, 3-2, behind Ben Ciciora's 4-hit, 9-K pitching. The Islanders had only three hits, a double by Peter Keaney and two singles by William Stewart, who drove in all three MV runs. His hit in the top of the sixth scored Chris Morris and Stuart Hersh with the tying and winning runs.
An outfield error put a Mashpee runner on third with one out in the bottom of the 6th, but Ciciora retired the next two batters to seal the win.
Six of the original 20 teams are left in contention in District 7: Middleboro and Barnstable in the winners' bracket, the Vineyard, East Bridgewater, Nantucket, and Wareham in the losers' bracket. MV played East Bridgewater last night. The winner of that game plays the winner of the Nantucket vs. Wareham game later this week.
Hoops for junior high girls
A basketball league for junior high girls in grades 6 - 8 is forming to play at the Boys & Girls Club in Edgartown free of charge. Games are played Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm. Call Lynne Silvia with questions: 508-693-7439.
Summer on ice
Summer adult A level men's ice hockey games begin at 8 pm, Tuesday, July 18, at the Arena. Stop at the Arena and sign up.
Call Jimmy Rogers with questions: 508-693-4124..
Bay State Gamers
Adam Herman, Joshua Jackson, Antulio Neto and Ben Post have registered to play soccer on the Coastal Region team at the 25th annual Summer Bay State Games. We wish them well.
Bridge port
Alice Childs and Betty Morris took the blue ribbon at the Bridge Club of MV tables, Saturday, at the Tisbury Senior Center.
In second place were Dave Selin and Ken Gasworth. Clara .J. Hargraves and Stanley Segal were third..
Vineyard Football Assn.
Last Thursday, MV Lath & Plaster shut out Broadway Screen Printing, 2-0. And Sports Haven edged Shirley's Hardware, 2-1. Tuesday it was Atlantic Football Club 4, MV Lath & Plaster 0. Goals were scored by Antulio Neto, Jeff Taylor, Ben Post, and Nica Cuba. In the second game, Shirley's Hardware kept Coop deVille winless, 2-0. The Vineyard Football Assn. is in action tonight and tomorrow at Veterans Park, behind the Tisbury Fire Station.
Standings as of 7/11
G W T L P GF GA
Atlantic FC 3 3 0 0 9 7 0
Shirley's Hdw 4 2 1 1 7 3 2
Lath & Plaster 4 2 0 1 6 3 4
Sports Haven 3 1 1 1 4 3 3
Broadway S P 3 0 2 1 2 1 3
Coop deVille 2 0 0 2 0 1 7
The league's leading scorer thus far is Lath & Plaster's John DeWitt with four. Antulio Neto of Atlantic FC has three.
Woburn or bust!
The Vineyard women's 4.0 tennis team is on the verge of qualifying yet again for the district tournament at Woburn. Their record against the Mid Cape Blues is 3-0, having completely dominated the Blues in their matches, 5-0, each time.
The Islanders also lead their traditional rivals, the Mid Cape Whites, 2-1, with wins of 4-1 and 3-2 and one 2-3 loss.
The MV ladies traveled to Falmouth last night to play the Cape Whites again. It would take a sweep by the Whites to draw even to the Islanders, a paper possibility but no more.
Members of the Island team are: Laura Schroeder, Nina Bramhall, Sally Lasker, Hope Callen, Liz Roberts, Judy Bramhall, Linda Leahy, Penny Franklin, Lucia Hayman, Kelley Nagi, Carla Araujo, Lisa Grain, Barbara Garfinkle, Caroline Fournier, and Eileen Malloy.
Coach of the team is Mas Kimball, head tennis pro at the Island Inn.
