Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Gervais-Bros-Softball-Title

Full Text:

Consensus at the beginning of the 1995 Newtown Slo-Pitch Softball season was

that Newtown Exxon would defend its league championship.

With the team having beaten long-time rival Gervais 15-1 in last year's finale

and returning its entire cast of players, only the young Catering By George

squad was being considered a threat to its reign.

As scripted, both Exxon and George's coasted to 12-4 records during the

regular season, but then something happened.

The playoffs began.

And on Sunday morning, September 3, the revamped Gervais Bros juggernaut - who

had lost a total of four starting players and its coach from the previous year

- completed one of the most impressive comebacks in league history as they

pounded Newtown Exxon 23-12 to capture its fifth Newtown 'A' Division

championship in six years.

" This championship feels better than any of the ones before, " said GBros

player/manager Tom Wyatt. " This year nobody expected us to win. We had a lot

of new players and took a long time to gel, but we got hot when we had to. The

regular season goes out the window when the playoffs start. "

So out the window went Gervais' 6-10 regular season record that saw the team

sneak into the playoffs on the final day with the fourth seed.

Gervais then beat top-seeded Catering By George in the first round of the

playoffs and upset Newtown Exxon in the second round before winning the

championship in dramatic fashion on Sunday.

Gervais scored four runs in the top of the first inning on two-run homers by

Tom Wyatt and Jeff Saputo.

Gary Andrews belted a three-run shot in the bottom of the first, though, as

Exxon tied the ledger at 4-4.

But after a scorless second inning, Gervais took command for good.

Tom and Jeff Wyatt homered leading off the third inning and Gino LoRicco's

three-run in-the-park homer that followed Saputo and Chris Daly singles made

it 9-4.

In the fourth, Tom Wyatt's third home run of the game, a three-run blast,

highlighted another seven-run outburst that ran the total to 16-4.

Jeff Wyatt's three-run shot in the fifth - the team's seventh home run on the

day - helped make it 20-4 and the rout was on.

Exxon's only comeback bid came in the bottom of the fifth when it exploded for

eight runs, but 20-12 was as close as the defending champions could pull.

Matt Daly's three-run double in the Gervais sixth screwed the cap on the

scoring at 23-12.

For Gervais, Scott Waterbury, Tom Wyatt, Jeff Wyatt, Jeff Saputo, Chris Daly,

and Gino LoRicco (batting two-through-seven in the order) all had three-hit

ballgames. The remaining five players in the team's starting lineup including

Matt Daly, Bill Clark, Brian Leavitt, Andy Snow, and Steve Powers each

contributed two hits in the parade.

Andy Shpunt and Gary Andrews both had three hits for Exxon.

Gervais has now won the 'A' Division in 1990, 91, 92, 93, and 1995.

Other members of the championship team included Kris Svensson, Mike Capalbo,

Kim Harmon, and Doug DelVecchio.