Sports Highlights
By Don Lyons - August 10, 2006
All-Stars sweep
They saved the best for last.
The MV 12-year-old Little League All-Stars swept the Falmouth tournament, winning all five of their games, often enough in a grand manner. "It was fabulous," said faithful fan and proud father Stan Hersh.
Friday evening it was MV 8, Falmouth A's 4. Ben Ciciora and William Stewart divided the pitching chores and combined for 7 K's, walking none, and allowing 5 hits and 4 earned runs. The Islanders big hit was a grand slam by Ciciora. Peter Keaney drove in two runs with two doubles. Mike deBettencourt, Kevin Galligan, and Jack Roberts also hit safely.
The first of two games, Saturday, was a 7-1 win over Barnstable. Stewart and Ciciora again shared the mound this time striking out 14, issuing 6 walks, and giving up just two hits. The big inning for MV was the 3rd. Roberts, Keaney, and Ciciora hit consecutive singles, which, combined with a fielding error, two bases on balls and a single by Alec Tattersall, amounted to five runs.
The Islanders really teed off in game three, Saturday afternoon, trouncing Mattapoisett in a mercy rule shortened game, 15-4 in four innings. Noah Stobie hurled for three innings and Keaney relieved in the fourth. Together they gave up five hits and fanned seven.
Stobie forwarded his cause going 3-for-3 at the plate. Galligan drove in 3 runs with two doubles. Del Araujo also doubled twice.
The three wins put MV first in their bracket and gave them two byes in the single elimination finals tourney.
They faced Rochester in the semi, Sunday morning, and eked out a 1-0 win. It was a Stewart-Ciciora effort and the Vineyard aces struck out 10, allowed two hits and walked four. The game's only run came across the plate in the first inning. Roberts led off with a line drive single into left field. Keaney grounded into a fielder's choice replacing Roberts at first. Ciciora's single to right moved Keaney to third. Keaney tagged and scored on Araujo's fly into right field. Rochester threatened in the fifth, but Alec Tattersall threw to Stobie at the plate to put out the fire.
The championship game with Sandwich was played Sunday, at 5 pm.
Stewart and Ciciora again pitched in tandem allowing two hits, one walk and striking out seven. Ciciora's solo homer in the bottom of the fourth gave the Islanders a leg up. But Sandwich tied the score in the fifth when Jordan DeBettencourt doubled in a teammate who had walked.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ben Ciciora's walk-off homer ended the game. MV 2, Sandwich 1.
Head coach Bruce Stewart commended the play of Stuart Hersh at first base and Jack Roberts at second. He added that Andrew Williamson ran down a fly ball in deep center in the fifth inning.
Ben Ciciora had three home runs and reached in every trip to the plate but one, batting .700 for the tournament.
The MV All-Stars finished the tournament season with an 11-4 record, including 4-2 in the World Series games, and finishing 3rd of 20 District 7 teams. They were 2-2 in the Sandwich tourney and 5-0 at Falmouth.
P-town or bust!
Tisbury fire chief John Schilling and Edgartown lawyer Jim Reynolds made the two-day, Pan Massachusetts bicycle ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown for the Jimmy Fund over the weekend; John for the 15th time, Jim for the 12th.
As usual, they spent Saturday night bedded down at the Mass. Maritime Academy.
Persons wishing to sponsor these intrepid riders by contributing to the Jimmy Fund at the I.G. Farber Institute after the fact are encouraged to call John at 508-693-2352 or Jim at 508-627-3711.
Stars
The Cape Cod Times picked the right man for the honor of sailing Coach-of-the-Year when it chose Doug Heil, the coach of the MVRHS sailing team. The Island school is blessed with outstanding and dedicated coaches, but none more committed to the task than Doug Heil.
Three Islanders were chosen by the Times for Cape & Island All Star honors: Elise Swartwood and Dylan O'Brien, both seniors, and Pat Ryan, a sophomore.
High school hockey
At the Arena, Sunday, the Red team edged the Gold in a low scoring game, 2-1, and the Blacks kept the Whites winless, 4-1.
Monday, the Whites won their first game edging the Reds, 2-1, and the Black and Gold played to a 3-3 tie.
High school league standings
Team G W T L GF GA Pts
Black 5 3 2 0 23 9 11
Red 5 3 1 1 12 14 10
Gold 5 1 3 1 13 11 6
White 5 1 0 4 7 20 3
Triathletes
Bill Brown and Kim O'Callahan of Vineyard Haven and Brian Usher of Edgartown swam, biked, and ran the 8th annual Ford Ironman Lake Placid Triathlon on July 23, swimming 2.4 miles, bicycling 112 miles (in the Adirondacks!) and finishing with a 26.2-mile run.
Kim had the best time, finishing 905th in 12:29:08. Brian's 1,260-place finish took him 13:16:10. Bill, recovering from knee surgery, was 1,650th of the 2,200 triathletes in 14:31:45.
Bill's next scheduled challenge - the Tulsa marathon in November.
'Tide upsets 'Canes, then ebb; Cannons drop Brewhas
Monday's men's softball league games at Veterans Park provided lots of spectator entertainment.
In the first place, game one pitted the Riptide against the Hurricanes, because the Rippers, who had not won a single game during the summer season, defeated the top seeded Hurricanes, last week, 4-2, thereby forcing a third and series-deciding game. Everyone, except those in Hurricane uniforms, and their significant others, was rooting for the 'Tide to come in. But it wasn't to be. They did score five runs in the top of the 6th, but they were already 11 runs down and ended up on the short end of a 15-6 tally.
The 'Canes brought some heavy "lumber" to the park jumping off to a 6-1 lead in the first on a three-run homer by James Rebello and a two-run triple by Phil Regan. Adam Golding added a solo homer in the second.
The 'Canes had to go right back on the field for the second game, the first of their best two of three with the Wildcats, which had bounced the Treds from the Playoffs with a 16-10 win Wednesday followed by a 24-12 thrashing on Thursday,
But the Wild ones left their game elsewhere and looked like tame kittens, Tuesday, bowing in a shortened contest midway through the fifth, 22-1.
The 'Canes Adam Golding belted a 3-run homer in the 6-run first. Jason Cabral drove in 3 with a long ball and James Rebello two more in the 5-run second. Jordan Hoehn had a bases-loaded triple in the 4th.
But the piece de resistance was the third game of the night, with the Loose Cannons at home to the Brewhas: savvy tradition versus youthful exuberance.
For half of the game it looked like tradition would hold sway, especially after Eric Hatt's boomer drove in John Custer, John Van Putten, and Dewey Green in the fourth, putting the Brewhas up 12-4.
But young men are confident of their strength, and with reason. The Cannons scored 2 in the bottom of the 4th and 3 in the 5th and by the 7th inning needed four to tie. They scored five! Cannons 14, Brewhas 13.
They played their second game Wednesday after the 6:30 'Canes vs. 'Cats game.
Holmes to Robinsons
Last Thursday's Holmes Hole Sailing Assn. race in Vineyard Haven Harbor had nine boats sailing the usual triangular course in 10-knot winds. John and Lisa Stout finished first in the Gannon and Benjamin sloop, Isabella. Maude Chilton was second in Lark. Then came Dan Culkin in Magic Time, Ernie Mendenhall and Kathy Logue in Rocinante III, Roger Becker in Gloria, Brad Elliot and Frank Satula in Asylum, Phil Hale in Mischief, and John Amabile in Solitude.
Sixteen boats posted for the annual Robinsons Hole Rendezvous Race, Sunday, sailing across the starting line at 10 am heading for red nun 4 at West Chop, the only mark on the course.
After rounding the nun, sailors headed downwind toward the west end of Naushon. After the first four boats arrived at Robinsons Hole the wind died, leaving the rest of the fleet to bob about in the Sound until a southerly breeze filled in.
The A division winner was Phil Hale in Mischief. Michael Loberg was second in Masquerade and Jerry Coe third in Indian Summer, trailed by (4) Brian Roberts's Starfish, (5) Roger Becker's Gloria, (6) Jerry Goodale's Stormalong, (7) John Amabile's Solitude (8) Bob Jewett's Andiamo II, (9) Irving Gates's King Kiwi and (10) Don Rappaport's Juliani.
Woody Bowman was the first in B division in the catboat Julia Lee. Alan Wilson was second in Sara B and third, Dan Culkin in Magic Time with (4) Tom Graham in Swallows and Amazons, (5) Tom and Laura Welch in Eastaway and (6) Art and Caroline Spengler in Raven.
After a raft up with lunch and race results in West Cove, Naushon, the fleet enjoyed a leisurely sail home.
HHSA summer racing continues tonight, Thursday, and Sunday at 10 am and 2 pm. Guests and new members are welcome. Call Diane Hartmann, 693-4592, to learn more.
Hoops playoffs
Playoffs begin at 6:30 pm, Friday, in the Oak Bluffs Men's Basketball League, at Niantic Park, when the Cottage City Kings take on the Young Gunners at 6:30 pm and the High School Ballers jump ball with the Pats at 7:30 pm.
The leading teams, Rage and Monstars, have byes in the first round.
Final standings
Rage 9-2
Monstars 9-2
Cottage City Kings 5-6
High School Ballers 5-6
Pats 3-8
Young Gunners 2-9
Reminders
Students planning on playing sports at the high school in the fall (cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer) must attend Meet the Coaches Night at the high school performing arts center, Monday, August 14, at 7 pm, accompanied by a parent or guardian. Students unable to attend should call the Athletic Director's office, 693-1033 ext 123, immediately.....The seventh annual Richie Madeiros softball tournament begins Saturday morning and continues Sunday, benefiting the Richie Madeiros Children's Fund.
