Sports
By Don Lyons - August 23, 2007
Luke Jensen joked it up on and off the court. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Farm Neck Open is a slam dunk
By any measure, the M.V. Tennis Open at Farm Neck last weekend was a smashing success. In the final analysis the big winners were the MV Cancer Support Group, Inc. and the Mebitt Morano Memorial Scholarship Fund, which split the take, more than $20,000.
But from the opening cocktail party-auction to Saturday's Skills and Drills with kids at Vineyard Youth Tennis and Pro-Am to the Sunday open tourney finals, tennis never seemed so much fun.
The winning pair in the Women's B Doubles was Susie Safford and Sally Anderson who defeated Donna Fernandez and Roberta Kirshbaum, 7-5, 7-5.
At Women's A Doubles, it was Susan Kimball and Elizabeth Roberts over Penny Franklin and Laura Schroeder, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Murphy Jensen smashes a forehand.
Men's B Doubles winners were Jesse and Kenneth Kirshbaum over Don Barker and Jeff Fernandez, 6-4,6-3.
At Men's A it was Paul Adler and Sandy Nadelstein over Adam Bresnick and Eli Dubin, 5-7, 6-1, 10-8.
The Mixed Doubles winning combo was Joe Lambrosa and Vivian Normandeau who bested Ken and Pam Monahan, 6-4, 6-4, in the finals.
At the conclusion of the Tami Pine Willett Pro-Am Round Robin, Vince Ward and Luke Jensen claimed the trophy by defeating Mike Halisky of MVYT and Paul Adler, 5-1.
Mike Johns, Farm Neck Tournament Director, remarked, "A great effort was made by all our volunteers and many special Island businesses to make this such a wonderful success."
Trish Jendrick's home run drove in three.
Creamers claim women's title
Probably no one was surprised when the Mocha Mott's Creamers claimed the Women's Softball League Championship by defeating the Shady Ladies, 8-7, but everyone at the park was delighted when the Ladies scored four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game, however briefly.
The Shady Ladies scored a run in the top of the first inning. After Jill Napier flied out to center, Sarah Jolicoeur singled, took second on Chris Rasmussen's ground out and scored when Crystal Walker doubled.
In their half of the first, the Creamers put runners on second and third as Lori Rezendes and Trisha Jendrick hit safely but they were stranded when Alleyne Hughes popped up to the pitcher.
Neither team scored in the second.
In the Ladies third, Napier singled into left field and took third on Jolicoeur's liner into right but would stay there as Rezendes popped out and Walker grounded to second.
Crystal Walker was always a threat to go deep.
The Creamers sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs in the bottom of the third. Lisa Jendrick led off with a double and came home on Emily Cooney's single. Lori Rezendes followed with an infield hit. Trisha Jendrick drove in three runs with a homer into center field.
The Ladies would fail to score in the fourth and fifth while the Creamers increased their lead to 5-1 in the fourth and 7-1 in the fifth. Veronika Van de Geer beat out an infield hit to lead off the Creamers fourth, advanced on Sam Burns's base on balls and scored when Lisa Jendrick singled.
Lori Rezendes and Trisha Jendrick set the Creamers table in the fifth and scored when Elizabeth Dowd's grounder was misplayed.
The Ladies began their comeback in the sixth inning. Crystal Walker led off with a booming triple and came home when the next batter, Alison, singled and scored soon after when Sara Ahren's drive could not be handled at short.
But the big inning for the Shady Ladies was the seventh. Trailing 7-3, Jill Napier singled off pitcher Teri Arias, Sarah Jolicoeur circled the bases after hitting into right field. Chris Rasmussen singled up the middle. Crystal Walker singled into right. Beth Cranston singled through the left side. And when the dust settled the score stood tied, 7-7.
But the Creamers had what it took to win the game and claim the title. Lori Rezendes singled sharply through the left side, in the 5-6 gap. Next up, Trisha Jendrick lined into right. Rezendes took off for second at the clang of the bat and literally never looked back, but just kept running until she beat the throw to the plate with the game-ending winning run, 8-7.
It was a game to be remembered and cherished and a fitting end to a splendid season.
The summer softball league champion Brewhas smile for the camera. Photo by Emily Franklin
Brewhas win
The Hurricanes, who earned the league championship title in 2006 by defeating the Loose Cannons in the playoff finals, gave way to their traditional rivals, the Brewhas, last Wednesday, 5-2.
Both the Brewhas and Hurricanes had finished the regular season with league high 10-2 records. Each of the 'Canes season losses were to the Brewhas.
The Brewhas won the first of the final three game series, Monday, 7-3.
The Brewhas posted two runs in the top of the first inning, Wednesday. Lead-off batter John Van Putten drew a base on balls from pitcher Ray Tattersall. Kevin Hatt lined out to right. Dewey Greene skied to left. Tim Andrews drove the ball over the fence in right. Karl Kallinich flied out to right center, and the Brewhas were up, 2-0.
In the bottom of the first, Harry Holmes walked. Bill Jackson's drive up the middle was snagged by shortstop Van Putten who stepped on second and fired to first for a 6-3 double play. Jason Cabral bounced out to Hatt at first base, unassisted.
In the second inning, John Custer bounced out to third, Justen Ahren hit back to the pitcher. Jeff Mercier singled, Andrew Alibirti lined out to left.
The 'Canes put a run on the scoreboard in the second inning. Don McFarland singled and was awarded third when Van Putten's throw to first sailed out of play. James Rebello flied out to shallow right. Phil Regan's drive to right was deep enough for McFarland to score after the catch. Adam Golding singled through the left side. James Holenko flied out to right center.
The Brewhas added two more runs in the third. Monte Bizzarro's pop fly fell between three 'Canes in shallow right, a single. Van Putten's bouncer forced Bizzarro at second. Hatt's line drive cleared the fence in right. Greene skied out and Andrews bounced out to second. Brewhas 4, 'Canes 1.
In the bottom of the third, Jordan Hoehn led off with a double but he died there as Tattersall flied out to left, Pete McDowell looked at a called third strike and Holmes was thrown out, 4-3.
Kallinich led off the fourth with a ground rule double, when the ball skipped over the fence in the right-center gap. Custer followed with another double and Kallinich trotted home. Ahrens flied out to right, Mercier bounced out, third to first. Alibirti beat out an infield hit, Custer reaching third. Bizzarro lined out to right and the score stood at 5-1.
Jackson beat out an infield hit to third. Cabral's fielder's choice forced Jackson, 3-6. McFarland singled up the middle. Rebello grounded to Greene at third who stepped on the bag, outing Cabral. Regan flied out to right.
Brewhas Van Putten, Hatt, and Greene went in order in the top of the fifth.
Golding popped out to left center. Holenko's drive was a ground rule double. Hoehn reached on an error at third, Holenko scoring. Tattersall's bouncer was misplayed at short. McDowell hit back to Kallinich who threw to second, forcing Tattersall. With Hoehn at third and McDowell at first, Holmes's fielder's choice, 4-6, closed the inning.
After five the score stood at 5-2, the final count. Kallinich and Ahrens hit safely for the Brewhas in the sixth, Alibirti did as well in the seventh, but the scoring was over.
The only Hurricane hit in the final two innings was by Adam Golding
Taylor MacDonald of Sports Haven challenges Shirley's high-scoring Erly Pinheiro for control of the ball.
Soccer summit
The winners of the Vineyard Football (soccer) League's second season with identical 4-0-1 records, Shirley's Hardware and Sports Haven met at Veterans Park, Tuesday to decide which would challenge the Atlantic Football Assn. in the "super bowl."
Shirley's and Sports Haven finished the first season in last and fourth place, respectively. Shirley's lost every one of its 10 games. Sports Haven at 4-2-4 finished fourth of six teams in season one. But both found their stride in season two.
They played each other at Veterans Park Tuesday and Shirley's Hardware emerged with a 2-0 win and the right to take on the Atlantic Football Assn., winners of season one with a 7-2-1 record, on Wednesday.
