Game Day Gazette
August 17, 2026
One of our goals in the C division is to try to create and more importantly maintain competitive balance across the league. For the most part, that has been achieved as we have three teams that are currently separated by less than three games in the season-long standings after thirty-eight game dates. However, there will always be game dates when one team dominates another, and Monday was just one of those days!
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Game 1: Blue (5-9-0) vs. Green (6-5-1) 8:00 a.m. 8/17/26 |
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1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
Total |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Blue |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green |
5 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
X |
11 |
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Starting pitchers- Green- Tom Kelm; Blue- Tommy DeLeon |
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Mercenaries: Green- Patrick Schmidt and Bobby Hawthorne |
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Blue- Ken Brown |
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Home Plate Umpire- Jack Adams |
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First & Second Inning Recap:
Blue- notoriously slow out of the starting gate, Blue continued this disturbing pattern by getting blanked by P Tom Kelm in each of the first two frames. Tommy DeLeon led off with a single down the right field line followed by a walk to Mike Hill. Tim Coles, batting a robust .870 on the season, grounded sharply to 3B and Robby Vickery made a clean 5U put out at 3B for the first out. Don Roets followed with a grounder to short and Jack flipped to 2B to get the force for the 2nd out. Henry Flores’ drive down the left field line drifted foul to end the inning. 2nd – Donnie Janac and Alex Valles led off the 2nd with back-to-back singles. Again, Blue failed to come up with the clutch hits to advance the runners. Dave Berra flew out to CF for the 1st out. Lucky Hoffman fouled out for out #2 and Daniel grounded into a fielder’s choice to retire the side in the scoreless 2nd inning.
Green– leadoff man, Paul Rubin, fouled off two of P Tommy DeLeon’s offering for the 1st out. Jack Spellman got Green back on track with a line single to right. Denny Malloy, picking up the slack with Tom Brownfield and Ken Mockler out of the lineup, smoked a triple to left center to drive in Jack with the 1st run of the game. Tom Kelm slapped a single up the middle to score Denny. Mickey Poole grounded to short and I got caught in a rundown between 2B and 3B and was out at 2B for the 2nd out (sloppy baserunning on my part). William Powell lined a single over 3B to keep the ball moving. Robby Vickery blooped a single to right to score Mickey with Green’s 3rd run. Larry King drilled a single through the 5/6 hole to push William across with the 4th run. Luis Sanchez finished off the five-run 1st with an RBI single to right. 2nd– Patrick Schmidt led off the 2nd with a single to left. He was forced out at 2B on Bobby Hawthorne’s grounder to 3B, Frustratingly, yours truly fouled out for the 2nd time for the 2nd out. Jack, picking up the pieces, lined a single up the middle. Denny smacked another gapper that went for a triple to drive in two big runs. Following the 1st inning script, Tom K. drilled a single to left center to bring in Denny with the 3rd run. Mickey singled but William fouled out to retire the side.
End of 2nd Score: Green 8 Blue 0
3rd Inning Recap:
Blue-pushed across a single run to break up the shut out. Ken Brown led off with a single and moved to 3B on Tommy’s base hit to right. Mike hit a flyball to left that dropped just in front of Mickey in left. Ken scored easily on the play but the pinch runner from 1B hesitated, and Mickey’s throw beat him to the base for a force at 2B. Tim hit a towering flyball to medium deep CF for the 2nd out. Don ripped a double to right center to put runners on 2B and 3B, but Henry flew out to left, leaving both runners stranded.
Green– Robby opened the 3rd by lining out to P Tommy D. for the 1st out. Larry picked up his 2nd hit with a line drive to left. He was forced out at 2B on Luis’ grounder to short. Patrick singled but was forced out at 2B on Bobby’s fielder’s choice grounder to short to end the scoreless 3rd inning.
End of 3rd Score: Green 8 Blue 1
Fourth Inning Recap:
Blue– finally got the bats going but from a somewhat unexpected source. With one out, Alex singled to right. Dave hit a screaming line drive to left center that kept rising and sailed over Bobby’s head in left center. By the time he retrieved the ball, Dave had circled the bases for his first inside the park home run (congrats, Dave!). Suddenly inspired, Lucky and Daniel followed with back-to-back hits. Ken, appearing to try to go down the right field line, fouled off a couple of pitches for the 2nd out. Mr. Reliable, Tommy D.. reached on an infield single as the courtesy runner scored from 3B. Mike went down looking to close out the frame.
Green– with the lead down to four runs, Green responded by putting up three runs in the inning to regain their seven-run advantage. Finally able to keep it between the lines, Paul singled to left center to open the 4th inning. Jack capped off a perfect day at the plate with his 3rd single. Denny continued to rake as his single to left center scored Paul with the first run. Denny was huge for Green in this game with two triples and a single, accounting for three runs scored and four driven in. Tom Kelm, also perfect at the plate for the day, ripped a double to right center to drive in two more runs to up the lead to seven. P Tommy D. was able to get the next three batters on groundball outs to get out of the inning without any further damage.
End of 4th Score: Green 11 Blue 4
Fifth “Open” Inning Recap:
Blue– chasing seven runs, Blue had no answer to Tom’s pitching or Green’s defense. Tim Coles finished off a stunning 0-3 day at the plate by grounding sharply to short to open the frame. Jack made a nice backhand stop on the ball and his strong throw to 1B beat Tim for the 1st out. Don bounced one back to P Tom K. for the 2nd out. Henry’s grounder to 2B was handled easily by Denny for the final out and a victory for the Greenies!
Final Score: Green 11 Blue 4
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Game2 Gray (6-6-1) vs. Orange (8-4-0) 9:00 a.m. 8/17/26 |
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1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
Total |
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Gray |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
15 |
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Orange |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
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Starting pitchers- Gray- Ray Pilgrim; Orange- Terry Thompson |
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Mercenaries- Gray- Jack Spellman, Donnie Janac and Morris Carter |
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Orange- Ken Brown |
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Home Plate Umpire- Tom Kelm and Dave Berra on bases |
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First & Second Inning Recap:
Gray– having hyped this game up as an instant classic in last week’s edition of the Gazette, the results were somewhat disappointing as Gray dominated this one from the get-go. Scott Wright drew a walk, and Mike Carroll slashed a base hit to right center to start the game. Louie Caputo made his first out as a member of the Gray squad memorable as he bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. Peter Atkins started a two-out rally by reaching on an infield single with Scott scoring from 3B on the play. Ray Pilgrim followed with a hard-hit grounder through the 5/6 hole. Lynn Simpson hit a soft liner up the middle that Jack Adams gloved but could not hold on to as the speedy Peter raced home with the 2nd run. Larry Coons walked but P Terry Thompson retired David Safely on a grounder to 2B to end the inning, 2nd– Jack Spellman ground out to 2B to open the 2nd. Donnie Janac and Morris Carter followed with back-to-back hits to turn over the lineup; Scott flew out to center for the 2nd out. Mike slapped a single to right center to drive home Donnie with the 1st run. Louis, making up for the 1st inning double play, smashed a ball to left for a two-run double. Peter singled to move him to 3B. Ray grounded to short, but Peter beat the relay to 2B. However, Orange did not give up on the play and Jerry Mylius threw to 1B ahead of Ray for the final out.
Orange- the hottest team in the league, currently on a six-game winning streak had their work cut out for them as they trailed by five in the early going. P Ray Pilgrim looked sharp in retiring the first two batters getting Terry Thompson to foul out and Jack Adams on a flyball to left center, Jim Foelker picked up the first hit on a liner to left center. Steve Kending lofted a ball to right field and David just missed making a spectacular catch as the ball bounced out of his glove while he was laid out flat on the ground. David had trouble bouncing back to his feet and made an awkward throw from a prone position allowing Steven to reach 3B with an RBI triple. Barry McRee ended the inning with a groundout to 2B. 2nd– P Ray shut down the Orange in order in the 2nd. Jerry Mylius bounced out to 2B, Adam Gordon popped out to short, and Rick Parker grounded out to 3B to quickly retire the side.
End of 2nd Score: Gray 5 Orange 1
Third Inning Recap:
Gray-P Terry held the powerful Gray lineup without a hit in the 3rd to keep the lead at four runs. Lynn flew out to CF, Larry popped out to short and David went down swinging to complete the 1-2-3 inning.
Orange- looking to get back into this one, Orange failed to mount any offense in the 2nd. Ray struck out the first two batters before Kan Brown smacked a two-base hit. Ray got a rare 3rd strikeout in an inning by getting Terry on a swing and miss to retire the side..
End of 3rd Score: Gray 5 Orange 1
Fourth Inning Recap:
Gray- extended their lead with a couple of runs in the 4th. Jack Spellman led off with a single to left but was forced out as Donnie bounced out to short. Morris struck out and there were quickly two men gone. Scott started a two-out rally with a sharp single to right. Mike continued to stay hot at the plate with a line single to left center to drive in the 1st run. Louie came through with another single to score Scott before Peter grounded back to the pitcher to close out the frame.
Orange- finally got untracked and put up a three-spot in the 4th. Jack Adams singled through the 5/6 hole to lead off the inning. Jim ‘s hard shot to left got past the shortstop for a hit as Jack moved to 3B. He scored on Steve’s hit to left. Barry grounded into a fielder’s choice at 3B for the 1st out, Jerry’s walk loaded the bases with one-out. Adam dropped in a bloop single to left to score Steven with the 2nd run. The next play had lots of twists and turns so hopefully I got it mostly right. Rick grounded to short and Jack went to 3B for the force. Adam was racing towards 2B, heading to 3B when Scotty threw back to 2B and got Adam for the final out, However, the runner from 3B, Barry, had crossed the plate before the final out was made so his run counted.
End of 4th Score: Gray 7 Orange 4
Fifth “Open” Inning Recap:
Gray- after their slow start, Orange had cut the lead to three runs and this was still anyone’s ball game, that is until Gray lit it up in the top half of the buffet. The Gray Ghosts batted around, pounding out nine hits on their way to an eight-run inning that put this one out of reach. The first three batters, Ray, Lynn and Larry, all doubled to bring in two run while getting some help from some sloppy outfield play. David popped out to 2B for the 1st out. Jack S. ripped a two-run double to right center and Donnie singled to keep the ball rolling. Morris was retired on a fielder’s choice for the 2nd out. Scott’s single to right brought in the 4th run. Mike completed a perfect 4-4 day at the plate with an RBI single to right center. Louis kept the hit parade going with an RBI single to left. Peter crushed a ball to dead center that went over Barry’s head. With Peter’s speed, this looked like a sure fire three run inside the park homer but a strong relay to the plate just beat the runner for the final out as Gray concluded their eight-run buffet.
Orange- down by double digits with the bottom of the lineup due up, things looked bleak for the Orangemen. Greg popped out to 3B, and Bubba grounded out to 1B for two quick out. Ken singled to left center and Terry reached on an infield single, but Jack Adams ended it by grounding into a fielder’s choice to finish the game and end Orange’s win streak.
Final Score: Gray 15 Orange 4
Current Session Standings:
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ASSL C league 2026 3rd Session Standings |
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Win |
Loss |
Ties |
Win % |
Scored |
Given up |
Diff. |
Games Behind |
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Orange |
8 |
5 |
0 |
0.615 |
44 |
22 |
22 |
– |
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Green |
7 |
5 |
1 |
0.538 |
158 |
137 |
21 |
0.50 |
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Gray |
7 |
6 |
1 |
0.500 |
147 |
158 |
-11 |
1.00 |
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Red |
6 |
7 |
0 |
0.462 |
114 |
121 |
-7 |
2.00 |
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Blue |
5 |
10 |
0 |
0.333 |
156 |
169 |
-13 |
4.00 |
Season-to-date Standings:
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ASSL C league 2026 Season to-date Standings |
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Win |
Loss |
Ties |
Win % |
Scored |
Given up |
Diff. |
Games Behind |
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Gray |
22 |
13 |
2 |
0.595 |
427 |
381 |
57 |
– |
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Green |
19 |
11 |
1 |
0.613 |
398 |
309 |
68 |
0.50 |
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Orange |
17 |
14 |
1 |
0.531 |
342 |
313 |
19 |
3.00 |
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Blue |
12 |
21 |
0 |
0.364 |
290 |
389 |
-86 |
9.00 |
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Red |
10 |
21 |
0 |
0.323 |
282 |
347 |
-58 |
10.00 |
No major shakeup in the standings as the two front runners came out victorious. Orange is just three behind and Red is only a game out of 4th. Lots of games yet to be played so anything can and will happen.
Next Games: Thursday August 20, 2026
Game 1 8:00 a.m. Gray (7-6-1) vs. Green (7-5-1)
Does it get any better than this? #1 vs. #2 midseason showdown to see which is the better team (at least for one day!). Promises to be a barn burner, don’t miss it!
Red has umpiring duties for this one.
Game 2 9:00 a.m. Red (6-7-0) vs. Orange (8-5-0)
Can Orange bounced back after taking one on the chin from big, bad Gray? Last time out, Red kicked some butt against Gray, but rumor has it Ken Brown is heading out of the country to set some new track records and won’t be available to spearhead Red’s attack. Can someone else step up (John Flowers are you there?). All will be revealed come Thursday.
Gray will be taking on the umpire responsibilities in this game.
Blue will have a bye on Thursday allowing their players to have priority in the draw and a potential impact on the outcome of the above games!