Sports
By Don Lyons - July 26, 2007
John Van Putten wings it to first to complete a double play. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Hurricanes blown away
There are no unbeaten teams in the MV Men's softball League but the two teams with the best records, Hurricanes 10-1 and Brewhas 10-2, met in Monday's early game. In their last meeting, July 2, the Brewhas prevailed, 12-9. That was the 'Canes only loss. The Brewhas, on the other hand, have lost to the Highlanders and the Wildcats.
Monday's game would either result in a tie at the top of the league standings or the 'Canes squaring their account with the Brewhas. As it turned out, it was the Brewhas night to howl, 22-13. Both Dewey Greene and Tim Andrews homered twice for the Brewhas; one of Tim's was a grand slam. Adam Golding drove in two with a fence-clearer in the bottom of the second for the 'Canes.
Jason Cabral avoids the tag of Andrew Aliberti to score for the Hurricanes.
The Brewhas elation at winning was tempered when their teammate Eric Hatt had to be helped off the field after injuring an already painful knee.
Also Monday, the Highlanders made quick work of the Riptide 21-6 in five innings and the Wildcats bested the Boilers, 17-9, despite Eric Wolfe's two home runs.
Last Thursday the Brewhas tromped on the Treds, the 'Canes spiked the Cannons, and the Wildcats ripped the Riptide.
Last night was the league's first-ever home run derby. Results may be found in the online news ticker and will appear in next week's Times.
Gary Ben David drives off the 14th tee.
On the Farm and in the Meadow
Farm Neck Results
Gary Ben David emerged as men's club champion at Farm Neck, beating Elmer Silva, one up in match play despite Elmer's three birdies, on the 1st, 7th and 11th holes. Gary birdied the 7th. It was Gary's third championship in the last four years.
Elmer Silva had gotten by Paul Chisholm and last year's champ Mike Joyce III on his way to the final round. Ben David's path to the championship went by Mike Poirier and John Ledden.
In the A Flight Dick Barbini earned bragging rights by winning matches with Chas Deary, Wally Gold, and finally Steve Kelly.
Richard Wright was the class of flight B, outlasting Allen Schweikert in 20 holes.
Paul Lewis defeated Diego Messina 3 & 2 to win at Flight C and Frank Peri took senior honors from Al Alexander after 19 holes.
Valerie Levy won her repeat contest with Anne Lemeneger and claimed the Ladies Club Championship, two up.
In the A flight, Debbie Crews beat Connie Campbell, 3 & 2. Kathy Severno bested Maureen Molinari, 4 & 3 in B flight.
Cameron Eck defended his Junior Club title by defeating Dan Parisi one up on the 18th hole.
Mike DeBettencourt overcame a 2-stroke deficit to best Jack Roberts in the Junior A Flight and Matt Marchand took 10 holes to top Tim Roberts at Junior B.
Lenny Vanderhoop chips onto the fourth green.
Champs crowned at
Mink Meadows
Lenny Vanderhoop earned the title of Men's Club Champion at Mink Meadows Golf Club, Saturday, with a round of 75, which, combined with the previous weekend's scores of 78 and 73, gave him a winning score of 226, two better than runner-up Austin Smith's 228. Smith made it interesting starting on Saturday four strokes down with rounds of 75 and 80 the previous weekend. Smith closed on the leader Saturday by shooting 73 on the par 71 course.
No one deserved the championship more than Lenny Vanderhoop who has finished second to perennial champ Rusty Hitchings on more than one occasion. An injury prevented Hitchings from defending his title this year.
Other club members winning honors in the several flights were:
Flight A Champion, John Verret, 243 (84-86-73); runner-up, Pat Gregory, 254 ( 84-83-87).
Flight B Champion, Frank Cecilio, 254 (82-89-83); runner-up, Dave Doran, 260 (83-84-93).
Flight C Champion, John Bean, 259 (85-93-81); runner-up, Sandy Shapiro 278 (88-94-96).
Flight D Champion, Charlie Flathers, 288 (93-98-97); runner-up, Joe Krauthamer 295 (98-100-97).
Jan Lehmberg defeated Laura Allen for the women's Club Championship.
James Holenko eyes the hoop, Chris Joyce eyes the ball. Referee Russ MacDonald eyes both of them.
O.B.S.L. at Niantic
The Oak Bluffs Summer (Basketball) Men's League is not for the faint-hearted nor for those who think basketball is properly a non-contact sport. (Dr. Naismith's fifth of 13 original rules says, " No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of the opponent shall be allowed.") But if a fast-paced, go-to-the-hoop, devil-take-the-hindmost style of play is your bag, Niantic Park is where you should go when the eight men's teams of the OBSL are in session:
Last Friday, the two previously undefeated teams, the MonStars and the Rage, took the court. Things were close for the first half hour, the MonStars were up by a point, 12-11, with five minutes remaining. But then the Rage stopped scoring. The MonStars didn't set the world on fire but at the half they were up by six, 17-11.
The second half was like the first. Teams matched hoops with the Stars maintaining a six to eight point lead until five minutes were left on the clock when the Stars grew a 28-20 advantage to 36-23.
The league's top scorer, Terrell Johnson, paced the MonStar attack, scoring 18 points, half of his team's total.
In Friday's early game, the Celtics faced the Future. Despite a late flurry of a half dozen treys by Chris Joyce the Celts took the cake.
