By Ray ‘Shutta’ Shaw

As the clouds broke Sunday morning, locals seeking respite from a week of havoc and mayhem brought on by Mother Nature were no doubt looking for peace and sunshine in their day. Little did they know just around the corner at Dickinson Park the local vintage nine were conjuring-up a little havoc and mayhem of their own.

After two seasons as resident gypsies, the Sandy Hooks, thanks to the support of Newtown Park and Recreation, were finally able to christen the old Dickinson Pond area which for decades had been the swimming hole for the generations of Newtowners.

Though the week’s rain had formed numerous puddles and quagmires on the outer features of the pitch, the diligent P&R Department was on the scene attempting to fill dangerous gaps.

With the initial match of two being played by 1867 rules, Dennis ‘Muhl’ Snyder manned the box for the Newtowners and ‘Mudcat’ Albano handled the backstopping duties. With the help of their mates, they went on to mow down their guests in short-order in the first frame. In the bottom of the inning, the Sandy Hooks greeted the battery of Mike ‘Crusher’ Smith and Bo ‘Champagne’ Muschinsky with six base hits supported by three stolen bases to put the home side up by what seemed at the time to be a comfortable 6 to 0 advantage.

Margolus, Pernerewski, Pendergist, Albano, Long and Dieckman all plated aces for the home club.

In the second frame the Dark Blues put their bats to work to close within one of the Hooks, while the Hooks responded with four more runs in the last of the second to maintain a five run cushion.

Through eight frames complete, both clubs were knotted at seventeen and everyone held their collective breath knowing inning nine would be ‘the game’ for both clubs.

The Sandy Hooks had a great chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth but, with the bases full and two hands down, a catastrophic base running blunder suppressed the potential rally and left the locals dumbstruck.

In the top of the ninth, the Dark Blues went quickly to work, smacking ‘The Muhl’s offerings around the ball yard to manufacture five hard-earned runs to close their day with a seemingly insurmountable 22 to 17 lead. Smith returned to the box for the last of the ninth knowing the hope of his club rested on three remaining outs.

Looking for five runs to tie and six to win, the Sandy Hooks went about their work like professionals. In the bottom of the ninth, ‘Kid Rambo’ Rambone, just returned from Storrs Agricultural School, stepped to the dish and laced a single to right and continued the aggression stealing two sacks with abandon as ‘Bulldog’ Paes waved his willow at three hittable pitches and ‘Herman’ Weiner flied deep to left to put the hometowners in a serious hole.

Nonetheless, with two hands down, ‘Doughboy’ Norwich confidently stepped to the line and smashed a single to left-center plating Rambone with an ace. (Dark Blues 22, Sandy Hooks 18)

It was up to the top of the order to continue what they had accomplished with aplomb throughout the day. With only one hand remaining, ‘Moose’ Margolus jumped on the first pitch from Smith for a single moving ‘Doughboy’ into scoring position at third. (Two men out and men on the corners)

After Margolus found his way to second, ‘Honus’ Pernerewski, wielding his 43 ounce hand-carved tree bough, unleashed a double to the gap, driving in Norwich. (Dark Blues 22, Sandy Hooks 19)

As ‘Pops’ Pendergist approached to the dish a hush came over the cranks and opponents alike. Responsible up to this point for three hits in four trips, including four runs batted in, ‘Pops’ picked out a Smith offering and crushed his second gargantuan double of the day which immediately cleared the bases for the Hooks. (Dark Blues 22, Sandy Hooks 21)

‘Mudcat’ Albano, who spent much of his day on hands and knees wallowing in the muck behind the dish, bouncing through the air trying to retrieve foul tips and stealing four bases, plated the game-tying ace with the third double of the inning. The blast visited the trees that dot left and left center garden and rattled around for a time before the Hartford leftfielder could retrace his steps and get the ball back into the infield. The ‘Mudcat’, not known for his baserunning prowess, showed no fear on this day as he swiped four and turned a normal single into a game tying double. (Dark Blues 22, Sandy Hooks 22)

With the score knotted again, two men down and Albano hovering around third base, ‘Muhl’ Snyder, who had had what was, for him, a dreadful day at the plate, challenged hurler Smith’s offering and took a flat inside pitch between first and second base for a single and the game deciding walk-off RBI, which resulted in the twenty-third and final ace of the match.

Quickly, what looked like a sure victory for the Dark Blues had become storybook jubilation for the Newtown Sandy Hooks.

In the final analysis, the line score read Newtown Sandy Hook 23 runs, 33 hits and numerous errors verses 22 runs, 28 hits and numerous errors for the Dark Blues.

The two teams played the tightest, most exciting match this scribe has experienced in vintage ball and congratulations go to both sides for a most memorable Opening Day match.

Pop’s Pendergist was the star of the day for the Sandy Hooks with 4-for-5, 3 runs scored, 6 RBI, 5 stolen bases, a triple, two doubles, and two gravity-defying catches to snuff-out rallies in the field. Rookie ‘Honus’ Pernerewski continued his torrid offensive pace with a 4-for-5 day, 4 runs, 3 RBI and 3 stolen bases.

‘Mudcat’ was 4-for-5 with 4 aces plated, 3 RBI and a historic 4 stolen bases. Margolus, Dieckman, Carasone and Rambone collected three hits each as Snyder, Long, Paes, Norwich and Weiner contributed two hits a piece.

In match number two, the elated Sandy Hooks met the deflated Dark Blues in a less energetic ‘1861’ style match (where perfectly placed base hits result in less fulfilling ‘bound-outs’). The Dark Blues show their prowess in this match to an evidently ambivalent Newtown nine, and assumed the nightcap by an advantage 9 to 8.

On Memorial Day weekend the Sandy Hooks will travel to the Pittsfield 1886 Tournament to take on the powerful Pittsfield Elms. A second match will take place on Sunday with place and time to be determined.