By Ray ‘Shutta’ Shaw

For the second year in a row, Mother Nature left the Northeast waiting and anticipating as storm drains and ball fields gushed like monsoon creeks. In spite of that fact, Saturday morning woke bright and dry as our local ballists mounted their trek to the far reaches of Hartford County to take on the Simsbury Taverneers.

A renewed Newtown nine, coming off a marginal ‘06 campaign, appeared confident and refreshed as they donned their fashionable new togs (patterned after 1860’s baseball kit) and took the field at Memorial Park in Simsbury. Six rookies embarked on their first vintage game including two founding members of the newly formed Bridgeport Orators who joined nine veterans from the prior season’s club to don the colors of ‘NSH’ for the mid-morning ‘1867’ event.

‘Pudgey’ Dieckman, appearing revitalized and ready, returned to the box after an extended layoff on the DL while a support cast of Snyder, Paes, Norwich, Pernerewski, Edwards, Wheat and the father and son tandem of Pendergists manned their positions on the manicured field for inning one, game one.

The Taverneers, having played their fair share of overhand matches, showed no compunction to test the hurler’s early offerings and jumped on the first pitch that passed within their reach to test the Sandy Hook fielders. In what seemed like the click of a shutter, the home town nine lit-up the score sheet before the tally keeper’s line-ups had dried on the page.

In response, in the early innings the Sandy Hooks, suffering from a high level of over-exuberance and undisciplined ‘muffin’ techniques, failed on numerous occasions to challenge the confident Taverneers. Thanks to ever-present speed of ‘Pops’ Pendergist and the cat-like reflexes of ‘Muhl’ Snyder, who served as game quarterback at the ‘behind’ position, the Hooks confiscated a large volume of enemy missiles to help the visitors maintain pace with their upstate opponent.

Dieckman, trying to challenge the Taverneer strikers with every combination of junk in his bag of tricks, held the advisories at bay while his mates acclimated themselves to the Simsbury hurler’s offerings.

By the sixth inning, the momentum seemed to shift in behalf of the Sandy Hooks as their patented ‘Katy bar the door’ hit-and-run attack kicked into full gear. Ignited by ‘Moose’ Margolus, Edwards, ‘Pops’ Pendergist, Dieckman and Snyder combined to drive home three aces in the sixth and four more in the eighth to take an unanticipated and dominating lead.

As if finally comfortable with each other and their new surroundings, the Sandy Hook boys put on a hitting and base running clinic that harkened-back to similar, successful outbursts late in the ‘06 season. At the end of nine frames the Hooks had manufactured a total of ten aces while maintaining a stouthearted defense and no holds barred offensive explosion that had the Taverneers staring at their shoe tops.

Final tally: Sandy Hooks 10, Taverneers 9.

The Taverneers jumped out of the gate quickly in game two, earning four unanswered aces in the first three frames before the impatient Hooks had managed a single hit. Eventually, the Newtown hitting attack gelled in the fourth thanks to the strategic hitting and aggressive baserunning by Edwards, Snyder, Kirkpatrick, Pendergist and Phil ‘90’ Keane, who made his first appearance in a NSH uniform in over a year.

By the sixth, down 5-3, the more confident Hooks shifted the momentum again with a five run outburst ignited by newcomers ‘Zack’ Wheat and ‘Honus’ Pernerewski, while ‘Express’ and ‘Pops’ Pendergist and ‘Doughboy’ Norwich cleared the bases thanks in a large part to ‘90’s’ timely hitting.

Unfortunately, in the bottom of the frame, as the Hooks were celebrating their two run advantage the Taverneers unleashed a four run barrage that would seal the victory for the home town nine and earn a split in the time shortened second match.

Final tally: Taverneers 9, Sandy Hooks 8.

As the he obligatory ‘huzzahs’ were celebrated both clubs left the yard certain the ‘07 campaign will be both exciting and entertaining.

The Sandy Hooks will tune-up Saturday morning at Dickinson Park prior to heading back on the road for the Waterbury Tournament on Sunday, May 6.

NOTE: The Waterbury vintage base ball team is named the Connors in honor of Waterbury’s own Hall of Fame baseball player, Roger Connor, the original 19th-century home run king. Stop by old St. Joseph’s Cemetery on the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Silver Street to see the gravesite of Roger Connor – Section D, Lot 333, Grave 6.