Date: Fri 15-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

B-Division-Championship-1995

Full Text:

B Division Championsip, 1995

" HEY MY PLACE, JUST REMEMBER WHO'S NUMBER ONE! " As though the members of My

Place Pizza needed reminding, teammate Leo Spinelli made sure that the winning

feeling would last throughout the day several hours after his team had claimed

the 'B' Division championship of the Newtown Men's Slo-Pitch Softball League

on Sunday, September 10, by beating Apex Glass 13-10.

And each time Spinelli made his proclamation it elicited an excited roar from

underneath the Dickinson Park pavilion where the league's year-end picnic was

dwindling down.

Everybody else had gone home and, still, My Place Pizza was savoring the

spoils of its first-ever playoff appearance - a three-foot-high championship

trophy which was proudly displayed in the middle of the picnic table as the

celebration went on.

Over the course of the past few weeks four 'B' league teams had their sights

set on that coveted trophy as the post-season playoff tournament began. First

to bow out, though, was top-seeded Tilford Piano Movers, followed by

defending-champion Steve's, and finally Apex Glass.

But Apex didn't go quietly.

Having defeated Steve's 22-13 in the morning's nine o'clock contest behind a

pair of big three-run homers by Carl Strait and a pair of two-run shots by

John Hassleburger, Apex was warmed up and ready for Game One of what they had

hoped would become a two-game championship series.

My Place, who needed win only once, though, had other ideas.

Batting in the top of the first inning, My Place opened with five quick runs.

Mark Lawrence and Rick Stavac led off the game with walks and came around to

score on a three-run homer by Tim March. Rich Treadwell, Leo Spinelli, and

Rich Chiarella all followed with base hits which resulted in two more runs and

a 5-0 lead.

Singles by Rich Stook and Hassleburger, a walk to John Seman, and an RBI

single by Dave Marcinek helped Apex pull to within 5-3 in the bottom of the

inning and then Peter Graves, John Fretas, Stook, and Hassleburger singled to

produce three mor runs in the bottom of the second.

Ahead 6-5, Apex tacked on two more in the third on singles by Mike Hastey and

Graves to make it 8-5 and held to a 9-6 lead through seven innings.

Defensively, Apex had limited My Place to only three hits since that five-run

first, but in the top half of the eighth, the bats woke up.

Mark Tambascio singled to start the frame and moved around to third on a

double by Mike Beigel. Stavac then worked out a one-out walk to load the bases

before all three sprinted home on a game-tying triple by Mark Steinfeld.

My Place grabbed a 10-9 lead when March singled home Steinfeld and Apex came

to bat trailing by one.

Leading off for Apex in the bottom of the eighth, Carl Strait drilled a solo

home run, evening things at 10-10. And that's where it stood with one inning

left to play.

John Zadrovitz and Gene Martin slapped consecutive one-out singles through the

left-side hole to start the ninth for My Place. Mark Staiti, 0-for-3 on the

day thus far, then responded with a two-run double that proved to be the game

winner. Tambascio singled home Staiti and 13-10 was the lead with three outs

to go.

My Place pitcher Leo Spinelli then took the hill and induced three ground

balls which his infielders converted into three outs.

The middle of the dusty dirt infield then became the stage for the season's

final celebration.

" This feels great, " said an out-of-breath Mark Tambascio as he pressed

congratulatory flesh with a series of well-wishers. " We just never gave up

all year, and we came through again today. We flattened out there for a while,

but we got hot again when we had to. "

My Place had never made it to the playoffs before this season, improving

itself each summer with the same nucleus of players. The addition of Spinelli,

Chiarella, and Zadrovitz this year provided the extra push to help get the

team over the top.

All 12 starting players collected hits in the championship game for My Place

who finished with 18 hits to Apex's 16. " That's typical of what our season

was like, " Tambascio concluded. " Every player contributing. "