Sports Highlights
By Don Lyons - July 27, 2006
Crowded at the top
The men's softball league's two leading teams, the Cannons and the Treds, had a rough go. Both lost twice. On the other hand, the Highlanders and Wildcats each won three games and the Hurricanes added two big W's to their record.
Monday evening the Treds were unceremoniously dumped by the Hurricanes, 17-6. After four innings it was a 6-5 horse race. But the 'Canes finished with a sprint to the wire, with five in the 5th, two in the 6th, four in the 7th while holding the Treds to a single run in the final four innings.
Also Monday, the Wildcats did battle with the Boilers and won, 19-15. It was the second inning that made the difference as the Cats scored seven times and held the Boilers scoreless. As for the rest of the game, the Boilers posted 15 runs to the Wild ones 12.
In the nightcap, the Highlanders won in a mercifully shortened game with the Riptide, 27-7.
Last Wednesday, the Wildcats squeezed by the 'Canes. 17-16 and the Highlanders handed the Cannons their first contested defeat, 18-15. The Cannons' only previous loss was a technicality, forfeiting to the Wildcats for lack of a full team.
Thursday evening the Hurricanes handed the Cannons their third loss, 16-12. and the Brewhas came from behind to overtake the Treds, 8-6.
In other action, Wednesday, the Highlanders crunched the Boilers and the Treds trod on Riptide. Thursday it was the 'Cats turn to surf the 'Tide.
Yesterday, the Brewhas and Cannons squared off and the Boilers (1-11) challenged Riptide (0-12) for mastery of the cellar.
Tonight the Brewhas mix it up with the 'Canes, the Cannons go at it with the Treds, and the Highlanders and Wildcats take turns at the plate.
The top of the league resembles a bucket of crabs. As soon as one team seems ready to climb out of the crowd to the undisputed top, a couple of others grab it and pull it back.
The league playoffs begin Monday, July 31, best two of three.
Tie-breaking will be done by (1) the head-to-head record (2) record versus teams ahead in the standings (3) total runs scored in head-to-head play (4) coin flip.
Standings G W L
Hurricanes 13 10 3
Cannons 12 9 3
Treds 13 9 4
Brewhas 12 8 4
Highlanders 13 7 6
Wildcats 13 7 6
Boilers 13 1 12
Riptide 13 0 13
Holmes Holers
The Holmes Hole Sailing Assn. Thursday evening harbor race was sailed with Tropical Storm Beryl bearing down on the Island. After canvassing the skippers. It was decided to proceed with the race on a triangular course from nun 6 to East Chop to West Chop and return. The wind was southwest at 15-20 knots, diminishing to 10 knots at the race's end. The first leg was a broad reach on the starboard tack. After rounding the green can at East Chop the boats sailed a beam reach on the port tack to red nun at West Chop. The homeward leg was a beat to windward.
First to finish was Kathy Logue in Rocinante III. Second was Phil Hale in Mischief. Then came (3) Mike Oliveira in Bora, (4) Dan Culkin in Magic Time, (5) Jerry Goodale in Stormalong and (6) Alan Wilson in Sara B.
Two harbor races were sailed Sunday. Five boats posted for the 10 am race on a cloudy, blustery and humid day with winds from the southwest at 15-30 knots. Again, the course was triangular. Twice around, from red nun 6 to green can 23A at East Chop to red nun 4 at West Chop and back to finish.
The first leg was downwind, then the fleet sailed close-hauled on the port tack to nun 4, then a beat to windward to red nun 6.
Dan Culkin in Magic Time was the only B division racer.
In A division Michael Loberg was first in Masquerade. Second was Jerry Coe in Indian Summer. John Amabile was third in Solitude and Roger Becker fourth in Gloria.
By 2 pm, the winds had decreased to 15-25 knots and ten boats reported to the starting line. A zig-zag course was set from red nun 6 to buoy RW NW in Nantucket Sound, to red nun 4 at West Chop to green can 23A at East Chop, to finish at red nun 6.
The fleet ran downwind into the sound where they were met by a strong, west-setting current. After rounding buoy RW NW, a beat to West Chop was called for, then a beam reach on the starboard tack to East Chop followed by a beat to the finish line.
Bob Jewett in the Soling Andiamo I was first to complete the course. Phil Hale in Mischief was second. Michael Loberg was third in Masquerade followed by (4) John Amabile in Solitude, (5) Jerry Coe in Indian Summer, (6) Roger Becker in Gloria and (7) Frank Sutula in Magic Twanger.
Leading the B division was Bow VanRiper in Tyche. Dan Culkin in Magic Time was second and Jim Pringle was third in Myfanwy.
The Holmes Hole sailors welcome new members and guests. Call Diane Hartmann at 693-4592 to learn more.
High school hockey
The first of Sunday evening's high school hockey league games between the Black and Gold teams was about as even as it could get. Not only was the score tied, 2-2, at the end of the game, but each team had taken18 shots on goal.
The only goal in the first period was by Chris Gallo, six minutes into the game, assisted by Darren Gazaille.
The Golds tied the score 11 minutes into the second period when Antone Silvia beat goalie Chris Hathaway, assisted by Joel Rebello.
Both teams scored in the third frame. Chris Gallo scored his second, unassisted, sliding the puck between the pads of Mike Capen at 6:03. Colin Hurd and Warren West combined for the evener at 10:35.
In the second game, Sunday, the White's Truman French buried a rebound off a shot by Scott Cleary. It was the only goal of the first period.
The second and third periods were colored crimson as the Red team scored three times in each frame.
Jason Schwab, assisted by Matt Flynn, started the onslaught 2:20 into the period. Two minutes later Stephen Greenberg put the Reds ahead to stay off a feed from Nick Billingham. Billingham then scored, assisted by Greenberg, to put the Reds up, 3-1.
Third-period goals, all Red, were by Greenberg unassisted, Zach Sylvia assisted by Ben Ferry, and Mitch Pachico, assisted by Greenberg.
The Reds took 15 shots on goal to 10 for the Whites,
Both the Blacks and Reds have won one and tied one. The Gold has two ties to its credit. The Whites have lost two.
G W T L GF GA Pts
Red 2 1 1 0 8 3 4
Black 2 1 1 0 6 3 4
Gold 2 0 2 0 4 4 2
White 2 0 0 0 2 8 0
Redoubled
With 11 tables in play, Joan and Bill Green beat all in the north-south seats at the Bridge Club of M.V. games, Saturday, at the Tisbury senior center.
Barbara Besse and Eleanor Hughes were high at east-west.
Place and show at north-south were Ted and Gloria Manning, Helene Wareham and Loretta Young. At east-west, silver and bronze went to Emily Robertson and Tillie Foster, Betty Morris and Regina McDonough.
The Bridge Club meets at 9 am Saturdays at the senior center.
"The nicest team"
A Martha's Vineyard all-star girls softball team recently competed in a senior Babe Ruth World Series double elimination tournament at Winchester. The first team they faced was from Revere.
The girls from Revere put runs on the board early, but the Islanders struck back to even the count at 3-3 in the fourth. At that point a thunderstorm halted play, to be continued the next day.
In the continuation, Revere exploded for 10 runs, enough to stop the game with the tourney's mercy rule in effect.
The Islanders' second game was with Winchester, Saturday morning. MV jumped off to a 6-0 lead in the first inning and increased that to 8-0 in the second.
Winchester put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. MV got one back in the fourth and added five in the fifth to claim the game under the same mercy rule, 13-2.
Bedford was the strong opponent in game three and handed the Island girls an 11-1 loss, a game that ended after four innings with the mercy rule in play.
Coach Ernie Chaves was able to report to MV team parents that their girls were well behaved, very coachable and that they had earned an encomium from a couple of Bedford players. The Vineyard players, they said, "were the nicest team that they had played."
Women at bat
The Creamers v. Snaps women's softball game, Tuesday evening at Veterans Park turned out to be a defensive gem with excellent catches in both the outfield and infield, making for a low-scoring game.
The league leading Creamers pushed across three runs in the first two innings, then added a fourth in the top of the sixth. The Snaps posted goose eggs until the bottom of the sixth when they scored three times and left runners in scoring position at the end of the inning.
Neither side was able to add to their run total in the seventh. Creamers 4, Snaps 3.
In other league play Tuesday, the Oysters ran off with a 10-2 win over the Late Fees.
Last Friday the Snaps stomped on the Wampum, 15-3. The Creamers feasted on Oysters 10-3. The Honeys swarmed around Late Fees, 11-1.
Teams G W L
Creamers 10 9 1
Shady Ladies 8 6 2
Oysters 8 6 2
Honeys 7 4 3
Late Fees 9 3 6
Coolers 9 2 7
Snaps 9 2 7
Wampum 7 1 6
Men's Basketball League
At Niantic Park
Teams G W L
Rage 7 7 0
Monstars 7 6 1
Cottage City Kings 7 4 3
High School Ballers 7 3 4
Pats 7 1 6
Young Gunners 7 0 7
High School League Standings
Teams G W L
Jaguars 4 4 0
Yellow Jackets 4 2 2
Purple People 4 1 3
Celtics 4 1 3
All-Stars at Track & Field
The Cape Cod Times has begun to print its selection of Cape & Islands All Stars. The paper's picks for girls track and field honors, dominated by powerhouse D/Y with six picks, included three Vineyarders, a senior, Allyson Flanders, a distance runner who broke her own school record in the two mile at 12:10.9, and two freshmen: Hilary Dreyer, whose specialty is the 800, and Emma Lee Iverson, a hurdler and discus thrower.
Hurdler and jumper Morgan Ibarrondo, shot putter Alice Hopkins, quarter miler and jumper Alexia Schroeder were mentioned with honors.
Senior Babe Ruth
The MV 16-19 senior Babe Ruth team defeated Bourne at Library Field in Bourne, last Wednesday, 11-3, to qualify for the championship finals at 5:30 pm, Wednesday, versus D/Y at the MVRHS field.
Matt Kurth started and went the distance at Bourne striking out 10. None of Bourne's three runs were earned.
After the Vineyard scored one in the top of the first, Bourne took advantage of some MV miscues and scored three in their half of the inning. Kurth allowed only one hit in the remaining six innings.
Meanwhile the Islanders took the lead with five runs in the third. They added four more in the sixth and one in the seventh, while Kurth was dominating Bourne batters and keeping them off the basepaths.
Billy Johnson led the MV offense with a home run and a double; he scored three times. Matt Kurth helped his own cause with a double and drove in three runs.
The Islanders played D/Y for all the marbles yesterday at the MVRHS field.
