Game Day Gazette
May 19, 2025
Half of our teams have now completed 30% of their season schedule (18 games out of a total of 60) so there is still plenty of softball to be played this year. Not sure if it was due to other time commitments, vacations or lingering injuries but we had the highest use of mercenaries today than on any other game day this season! For those that are hurt, we wish for your speedy recovery and a chance to return to the ballpark sometime in the very near future. For those lucky enough to be on vacation, enjoy your time away!
Game 1 8:30 a.m. Sultans (2-3-0) vs. Senators (1-3-0)
First & Second Inning Recap:
Sultans– as has been there modus operandi (MO) for most of the season, the Sultans started fast, putting up nine runs in the first two innings. Senator’s pitcher Raul DeLeon struggles with his control in the 1st inning as he walked four batters. Phil Stanch and Donnie Janac opened the game with back-to-back walks. Ray Pilgrim singled to load the bases. Chris Villareal drove in the 1st run with a fielder’s choice groundout to 2B. Gary Coyle drew the 3rd walk of the inning to load the bases again. Jeff Broussard followed with an RBI single to right for the 2nd run. Adam Gordon drove in the 3rd run with an infield single. Christ Hurst fouled out before Lucky Hoffman drew the 4th walk to force in the 4th run of the inning. Jack Kelly capped off the five-run inning with a looping single to right. 2nd– Ray Saldana led off the 2nd with a line single up the middle. Phil and Donnie had back-to-back singles to load the bases. Ray P. stepped up and ripped a screaming line drive to right center for a three-run bases clearing triple. Chris V. P Sal retired the side in order in the brought him home on a sharp single to right. Gary ground into a fielder’s choice out at 2B for the 1st out. Jeff then bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning but not until the Sultans put up 9 runs.
Senators- Terry Thompson led off with a single to left. Greg Lloyd grounded to short, and Adam stepped on 2B for the force and threw to 1B to complete the 6U 6-3 double play. It looked like Greg beat the throw, but Larry’s call was so convincing it stood. Raul DeLeon flew out to CF to retire the side. 2nd– Tim Cole led off the 2B with a line single up the middle. Terry Watts singled but Henry Flores grounded to 3B to force out Tim for the 1st out. Curt Ashmos and Jerry Mylius had back-to-back RBI singles to get the Senators on the scoreboard. Will Scheerer hit into a fielder’s choice for the 2nd out as Henry came across for the 3rd run. Jim Aaron, playing as a priority mercenary until we can decide on a permanent home for him, drilled a pitch to the left field fence for an RBI triple. Morris Carter walked and Terry stepped up and drove a ball to left for a single to score Jim with the 5th run.
End of 2nd Score: Sultans 9 Senators 6
Third Inning Recap:
Sultans– extended their lead to six runs after putting up three runs in the 3rd. The first four batters in the inning reached base. Singles by Adam, Chris H. and Lucky brought in the 1st run. Jack’s single to right plated the 2nd run and the final run scored on Phil’s fielder’s choice
groundout to 2B.
Senators- battled their way back into this one with their 2nd consecutive five-run inning. The Senators marched ten men to the plate and their eight hits produced the five runs. Greg opened the frame with a single and scored on Raul’s double to deep left. Tim’s high pop to short left center fell in for a single to drive in Raul. Terry W. flew out to CF for the 1st out of the inning. Henry lofted a fly over the left center fielder’s head for a run-scoring double. Curt ripped a line single to left to score Henry with the 4th run. Jerry kept the hit parade going with a hit to right. Will’s single up the middle loaded the bases. Jim hit a hard grounder to Adam, who in turn made a great throw (equally great catch by Ray S.) to the plate that just beat Curt for the force and the 2nd out. Morris came through with a single to drive in the 5th run of the inning.
End of 3rd Score: Sultans 12 Senators 10
Fourth Inning Recap:
Sultans- Raul settled down on the mound and held the Sultans scoreless in the 4th inning. Ray P. led off with a single. Chris lined out to Raul for the 1st out. Gary hit into a fielder’s choice out at 2B for out #2 and Jeff flew out to Terry W. in right center for the final out.
Senators- did not let up on the attack as they put up four runs to take their first lead in this contest. Terry T. led off with a line single and the next three batters (Greg, Raul and Tim) all produced RBI doubles to quickly put three runs on the board. Terry W. popped out to 3B for the 1st out but Henry delivered with a sharp single to left to score Tim with the 4th run.
End of 4th Score: Senators 14 Sultans 12
Fifth Inning Recap:
Sultans– unfortunately for the hard luck Sultans, they were unable to muster any offense late in the game and went down in order in the buffet inning to lose another close one!
Final Score: Senators 14 Sultans 12
Game 2 9:30 a.m. Braves (3-2-0) vs. Pioneers (4-1-0)
The battle between the two front-runners in session #2 became the “take a mercenary to work” day as the Pioneer’s needed five players and the Braves needed four to fill out their lineups for this game (see detail list of mercs below):
Pioneers – Gary Coyle, Patrick Schmidt, Donnie Janac, Will Scheerer and Ray Saldana
Braves- Tim Cole, Raul DeLeon, Ray Pilgrim and Terry Thompson
First & Second Inning Recap:
Braves- started fast and never let up in this one. The Braves marched eight men to the plate in the 1st without making an out. Doc Hobar led off with a single and moved to 3B on Paul Rubin’s double to left. Lynn Simpson drove in the 1st two runs of the game with a single to right. Dave Berra and Jim Foelker had back-to-back singles to load the bases. P Sal Lopez walked Billy Hill to force in the 3rd run. Tom Kelm and Joe Dayoc followed with back-to-back run scoring singles to wrap up the Braves five-run 1st. 2nd-the mercenaries took over in the 2nd with Tim Coles leading off with a double. He moved to 3B on Terry Thompson’s single to left and scored on Ray Pilgrim’s hard single up the middle. Raul DeLeon followed with a single to drive in Terry with the 2nd run. Doc kept the rally going with a single to load the bases. The stretch of thirteen consecutive batters reaching base ended as Paul fouled out of the 1st out. Lynn followed with a pop out to the pitcher for the 2nd out. Dave slapped a hard single to right to bring in two more runs. The final run scored on Jim’s single to left as the Braves put up ten big runs to start the game.
Pioneers– were able to scratch out a run in the1st as Scott Wright led off with a single. He was forced out at 2B on Mike Carroll’s grounder to Raul. Mickey Poole also hit into a fielder’s choice out at 2B for the 2nd out. Larry King slapped a single over 3B Tim Coles and Sal Lopez came through with a line shot to left to score the Pioneer’s only run. 2nd-much like the Braves, the Pioneer’s mercenaries took over in the 2nd guiding the men in Blue to a five-run inning. Gary Coyle led off the 2nd with an infield hit as he easily beat the throw to 1B. Patrick Schmidt followed with a single to right. Donnie Janac’s single scored Gary with the 1st run. Will Scheerer laced a single to right center to score the 2nd run. Ray Saldana walked to load the bases with nobody out. Scott singled to bring in Donnie with the 3rd run. Mike drove in the 4th run with a fielder’s choice groundout to 2B and Larry put a bow on this five-run outburst with a run soring single to cut the Braves lead to four runs.
End of 2nd Score: Braves 10 Pioneers 6
Third Inning Recap:
Braves– Billy popped out to 2B to start the inning. Tom K. lined a ball to left that Patrick tried to make a shoestring catch on. The ball got by him and Tom cruised into 2B with a double. Joe popped out to 3B for the 2nd out of the inning. Tim drove the next pitch over the center field fence for a two-run home run to put the Braves up by six runs.
Pioneers– kept this one in reach by putting up two runs to match the Braves output in the top half of the inning. Sal was retired on a groundball to 3B to start the inning. Bubba singled but was forced out at 2B on Gary’s grounder to short. Patrick then lined a shot between CF and RC that rolled to the fence allowing him to circle the bases for a two-run inside the park home run.
End of 3rd Score: Braves 12 Pioneers 8
Fourth Inning Recap:
Braves-Sal held the powerful Braves lineup to a single run in the 4th to keep this one close. Raul flew out to left for the 1st out. Doc followed with a hustling double, but Paul popped out to short for the 2nd out. Lynn salvaged the inning with a line single to right center to score Doc with the only run of the inning.
Pioneers– continued to keep pace but were unable to cut into the Braves lead on the 4th. Terry T. came in to pitch in the 4th and was able to limit the Pioneers to a single run. Ray S. ground out to 3B to lead off the inning. Scott doubled on a drive to right center and scored on Mike’s single down the right field line. Mickey singled to put runners on 1B and 2B but Terry got Larry to ground into a fielder’s choice out at 2B for the 2nd out. Sal drew a walk to load the bases. Bubba lined a shot up the middle that Terry was able to glove just a few inches off the ground to end the inning.
End of 4th Score: Braves 13 Pioneers 9
Fifth (Open) Inning Recap:
Braves- broke this game open with a six-run outburst to take a ten-run lead and invoke the flip flop rule. The first three batters (Billy, Tom K. and Joe) all singled to load the bases. Tim doubled to drive in the 1st two runs. Terry T. followed with a line single to score two more runs (Terry completed a perfect 6-6 day as he never made an out in two games played today!). Ray P. and Raul had back-to-back hit to bring in the 5th run. Doc finished off the scoring with a single to right to put the Braves up by ten runs and invoke the flip flop rule.
Pioneers– chasing ten runs, the Pioneers put up a good fight, but it wasn’t quite enough. Gary led off with a single and moved to 3B on Patrick’s two base hit. Donnie smacked a single to score both runners. Will singled but Terry was able to retire Ray s. on a grounder to short for the 1st out. Scott hit a hard grounder to Tom K. at 1B, and he made an excellent defensive pay get a force at 2B for the 2nd out. Mike made the final out as the Braves moved into a 1st place tie with the Pioneers for the session #2 lead.
Final Score: Braves 19 Pioneers 11
2nd Session Standings:
The Braves are now tied with the Pioneers for the session lead because of their head-to-head win today. All the other teams remain close and as we have seen any team can beat another on any given Monday or Thursday.
|
|
ASSL C league 2025 2nd Session |
|||||||
|
|
Win |
Loss |
Ties |
Win % |
Scored |
Given up |
Diff. |
Games Behind |
|
Pioneers |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0.667 |
79 |
77 |
2 |
– |
|
Braves |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0.667 |
74 |
55 |
19 |
– |
|
Senators |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0.400 |
64 |
72 |
-8 |
1.50 |
|
Keystones |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0.400 |
50 |
63 |
-13 |
2.00 |
|
Sultans |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0.333 |
76 |
76 |
0 |
2.00 |
Full Session Standings:
|
|
ASSL C league 2025 Season To-date Standings |
|||||||
|
|
Win |
Loss |
Ties |
Win % |
Scored |
Given up |
Diff. |
Games Behind |
|
Braves |
13 |
5 |
0 |
0.722 |
245 |
179 |
66 |
– |
|
Pioneers |
10 |
8 |
0 |
0.556 |
210 |
221 |
-11 |
3.00 |
|
Senators |
8 |
9 |
0 |
0.471 |
223 |
230 |
-7 |
4.50 |
|
Keystones |
7 |
10 |
0 |
0.412 |
205 |
218 |
-13 |
5.00 |
|
Sultans |
6 |
12 |
0 |
0.333 |
218 |
253 |
-35 |
7.00 |
The Braves continue to lead in the season long standings with the Pioneers lurking in 2nd place now three games behind.
Next Games: Thursday May 22, 2025
Game 1 8:30 a.m. (H) Sultans (2-4-0) vs. (V) Pioneers (4-2-0)
Game 2 9:30 a.m. (H) Keystones (2-3-0) vs. (V) Senators (2-3-0)
The Braves will have a bye on Thursday, and their players will have priority in the draw.
Paul Rubin