My Business - 2012 RESULTS / STANDINGS

After 16 weeks of very competitive play in extremely hot weather the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League will crown a Champion as the Northeast Collision Americans and the Bishop Burke Knight’s face off for the title. In Round II play-off action the Knight’s won their 12th straight game with a 7-4 victory over Wallenwein’s while the Americans upset the 2^nd place Sparkle Cleaners Sparks 5-3 to advance to Championship game.

The Knight’s scored 2 runs in the second inning on 4 consecutive singles. Veteran Mike Smith provided the base hit that plated 2 runs. The scored jumped to 7-0 in the 3^rd as the Knights smacked 7 more singles. Winning pitcher Mike Hallinan, Peter Rich and Gary Preischel all had RBI’s in the big inning. The Dudas of Wallenwein’s plated 3 runs in the top of the 6^th inning in a comeback attempt. John Cimperman, Jim Kane and Dave Richards all singled with Joe Shanahan then knocking in 2 runs with another drive down the 3^rd base line. Terry Belz drove in Richards from third base with a sacrifice fly to complete the scoring. In the top of the 7^th Lenny Mazurkiewicz singled and later scored on a Doug Hayes base hit making the final score 7-4 sending the Knights to the title game.

The Americans jumped to a 5-0 lead after 3 innings and held the Sparks to just 7 hits in their 5-3 win. Boris Kuvshinoff, Ken Stuck and Jeff Becker played errorless ball in the infield while Jeff Gianiodis and John Furey made excellent running catches in the outfield for the winners. Dave Corbelli smacked a two-out, 2 RBI double in the 2^nd frame to make the score 2-0. In the third singles by Kuvshinoff, Dan Ozimek, Furey and a double by Becker gave the Americans a 5-0 lead. The Sparks scored a run in the 3^rd on a double by Mike Hawco and 1 more in the 4^th as Greg Bajdas singled home Phil Teibel. Paul Bauchle tripled and Dave Carlson hit a sacrifice fly in the 5^th to close the gap to 5-3. Winning pitcher Tony Rusinek worked out of 2 men on base jams in the 6^th and 7^th innings to preserve the victory.

The defending Champion Knight’s come into the title game with a Glory Days League record 12 straight game winning streak. The Americans allowed just 4.0 runs per game over their 16 games played and lost 3 contests by just 3 runs or less. Two excellent, veteran teams will take the field to play for the third Glory Days Championship trophy.

Round I of Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League play-off action saw the Wallenweins Dudas defeat the BAC and the Northeast Collision Americans squeak by the Surfin Birds to advance in post season play. The Dudas will face the defending champion Bishop Burke Knights while the Americans will take on the Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners in Round II Play-Off action.

Wallys won their 6^th game out of the last 7 with a convincing 6-1 victory over the BAC Grillers. In the 1^st inning singles by Jim Kane and Dave Richards were followed by a massive Joe Shanahan HR to left field giving the Dudas a quick 3-0 lead. The BAC got a run back in the 3^rd as Roger Scott drove in Perry Cimmerman with a sharp single. The Dudas scored their final 3 runs in the 5^th behind singles by Sam Cullis, Ken Horton and a sacrifice fly by veteran Len Mazurkiewicz. Tony Roncone got the hill win with strong defensive support from Frank Bartolomeo in the outfield and the infield of Cullis, Richards, Kane and Terry Belz who turned several double-plays. Team veterans Doug Hayes, Tony DiFillipo and Greg Hunt all chipped in to assist with the big win.

The Americans and Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds played a classic Glory Days wood bat game that included tremendous defensive plays on sides, clutch hitting and extra innings. The Americans made it 1-0 as Tom Spulecki singled home Boris Kuvshinoff. The Birds scored in the 4^th inning when left fielder Bob Bierk tripled home Mark Brinkel who had singled. Bierk was sent home after an over throw but was gunned down at the plate by third baseman Ken Struck of the Americans.

With the score 1-1 in the bottom of the 8^th inning the Americans put two runners on base with 2 outs via a single by Jeff Gianiodis and a walk. Cagey veteran Ron Bright stepped to the plate and smacked a line drive off the top of the third basemans glove that carried into the outfield. The throw to home was wide of the plate giving the Americans a thrilling 2-1 play-off victory. Tony Rusinek got the mound win while Kuvshinoff at shortstop and Jeff Becker at 2B played strong defensive games for the winners. Joe Tighe had 2 hits, Ken Mamon was great at 3^rd base and Larry Allen made several tough plays at 1^st base for the Birds in support of pitcher John Hulslander who deserved a better fate.

Round II play-off games will begin at 6:30 PM at JP Nicely Memorial Park in West Falls. For more information please check out www.woodbatsoftball.com

After 14 weeks of extremely competitive play the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League now moves to three Rounds of Play-Off action. During the regular season 70% of the games were decided by 5 runs or less and an amazing 25% were one run victories. In Round I of the Play-Offs Wallenweins will take on the BAC Grillers and the Northeast Collision Americans tangle with the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds.

The Bishop Burke Knights won their 11^th straight defeating the Wallenweins Dudas 9-4. The score was tied 2-2 after 5 innings on Kevin Larsons 2 RBI single for the Knights and Joe Shanahans single plating 2 runs for the Dudas. In the bottom of the 6^th the Knights exploded for 7 runs on a triple by Mike Smith and a grand slam by Kevin OBrien. Jim Kane smacked a 2 run HR and John Cimperman went 3 for 3 for the improving Dudas.

The Sparkle Cleaners Sparks avenged an earlier loss to the BAC Grillers with a 5-3 victory. The Grillers jumped to a quick 1^st inning lead on hits by Mike Geraci, Mike Herb and Roger Scott. The Sparks took a 3-2 lead on RBI singles in the 2^nd by Brian Guise, Moon Mullins and Mike Hawco. Paul Young and Mullins drove in the final 2 scores for the Sparks behind winning pitcher Denny Collins who added 2 hits and set a league record with 11 regular season pitching wins in a year. The record previously was 10 set by both Craig Zielin of the Birds and Mike Hallinan of the Knights. Greg Bajdas and Paul Bauchle added 2 hits each for Sparkle Cleaners.

The Canes handed EA Wireless their 8^th consecutive setback by the score of 10-5. The Canes were led by Greg Voytovich and Bob Kurowski with 2 hits and 2 RBIs each. Joe Militello was sharp on defense and was involved in all 3 double-plays turned by the Canes. Bob Stampfer and Captain Fred Marshall had 2 for 3 days at the dish for EA Wireless.

The Surfin Birds rallied on a 5^th inning double by Tom Tighe to pull out a tough 3-2 win over the Americans. John Hulslander gave up just 5 hits from the hill, Mark Brinkel was perfect at 3^rd base and Rick Folck made a spectacular diving catch in the outfield to preserve the victory. Larry Allen and John Roedel each had 3 hits to pace the Birds attack. The Americans were led by Ken Struck and John Furey with 2 hits each.

First place in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League was claimed for the 2012 season by the Bishop Burke Knights as they held on to beat the BAC Grillers 4-3 in action at JP Nicely Park in West Falls. The win was a League record 10^th straight for the Knights and with an 11-2 record they clinched the top spot in the standings. Wallenweins, Northeast Collision and the BAC are all tied for third place with just one regular season game remaining.

The Knights jumped to a 1-0 lead in the 1^st inning as Kevin Larsons double drove in Al Schum who had stroked a single. Two more runs scored in the 4^th frame as Kevin OBrien doubled, Peter Rich singled him home and later scored on a fielders choice play. The Knights made it 4-0 as winning pitcher Mike Baetzhold singled, Rich Nassoiy followed with a hit and Al Schum drove in what proved to be the winning run. The Grillers rallied in the bottom of the 7^th with 3 scores on hits by Roger Scott, Tim Armstrong and John McKenna. The game ended when Knights right-fielder Nassoiy made a perfect throw to 2^nd base to gun down a BAC runner trying to stretch a single into a double. The BAC scores in the 7^th inning ended the Knights remarkable streak of consecutive innings without allowing a run at 26 which is another League record..

Sparkle Cleaners clinched second place in the standings with a 3-2 win over the ever improving Canes. The Sparks scored in the 2^nd inning on a Tim Bajdas triple. The Canes took the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning as Jim Navagh tripled and Tom Richert, Julian Laggett and Tom Urbanski all smacked singles. Sparkle Cleaners plated the winning runs in the top of the 6^th on key hits by winning pitcher Denny Collins, Mike Hawco and Phil Teibel. The Canes had a great chance to tie the score but on a single Sparks left-fielder Darryl Szarpa hit cut-off man Bajdas who made a sharp throw to catcher Hawco who tagged out a Canes runner at the plate. Paul Young added a single and was strong at 2^nd base and Paul Bauchle had 2 hits for the winners.

The Wallenweins Dudas won their 5^th straight defeating the Americans 8-2. Wallys never trailed as Tony Roncone picked up the hill win with great defensive support from Dave Richards at shortstop and Jeff Souder in the outfield. Jim Kane socked a four-bagger while Doug Hayes and John Cimperman added two hits each for streaking Dudas. Steve Pinewski had 2 hits for the Americans.

The Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds clinched the final play-off spot with a 13-1 thrashing of EA Wireless. Mark Brinkel got the mound win and had 2 hits as did Tom Tighe, John Grabon, Rick Folck and John Roedel. Bob Bierk added 3 hits including a double. EA Wireless dropped their 7^th straight contest which ties the League record despite great defensive games by John Marshall and Lance Over. Marshall was 2 for 2 with a double at the dish.

The battle for first place in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League was won by the Bishop Burke Knights as they defeated the Sparkle Cleaners Sparks 1-0 in a great defensive battle. The defending Champion Knights set a League record for most consecutive shut-outs at 3 games and tied the record for most wins in a row at 9 games.

The Knights lone score of the contest came in the 4^th inning with 2 outs and Al Malke on 1^st base. Kevin Larson poked an opposite field double just inside the right field foul line to plate Malke and that was the ball game. Both Mike Hallinan of the Knights and Denny Collins of the Sparks pitched superb games with tremendous defensive support. Kevin OBrien doubled while Mike Smith and Mike Baetzhold each added singles for the winners. Tim Bajdas had 2 hits including a double and Joe Bellanti added 2 singles for the Sparks.

The Wallenweins Dudas won their 4^th straight with a 7-4 win over the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds. Trailing 4-1 the Dudas scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 5^th frame to pull away. The attack was led by the bottom part of the line-up including winning pitcher Tony Roncone who had a key 2 RBI hit, Doug Hayes RBI single and Greg Hunts triple. Sam Cullis at third base turned a great double-play in the 6^th inning to kill a Birds comeback rally. John Hulslander and John Grabon each had 3 hits, Ed Engels doubled, Joe Tighe and brother Tom added 2 hits while Ken Mamon made some spectacular plays at third base for Lehner Masonry.

The BAC Grillers doubled the score on the EA Wireless Connection with an 8-4 victory. Tom Riggs led the Grillers attack with a round-tripper and 5 RBIs. Roger Scott added 4 hits and scored 4 runs while Steve Stick Brady went 4 for 5 and also smacked a HR. Captain Fred Marshall and Bob Barry each had 3 hits, John Marshall had a 2 for 3 day at the dish and shortstop Lance Over had 7 put-outs for the Connection who dropped their 6^th straight.

The Americans of Northeast Collision beat the Canes 7-4 in a tight ball game to round out the schedule. The score was tied 4-4 in the 7^th when the Americans tallied 3 runs to win the contest. Coach Ken Struck had an infield single with the bases loaded in the 7^th and Tony Rusinek followed with a 2 RBI Texas Leaguer for the winning scores. Boris Kuvshinoff, Ron Bright and John Furey all played great defensive games for the winners. The hard luck Canes were led by 3 hits from Dave Raponi and 2 each from Bob Richter, Frank Walsh and Jim Navagh.

The Bishop Burke Knights held onto first place with their 5-0 win over the Northeast Collision Americans in Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League play. The victory was the 8^th straight for the Knights who will face the second-place Sparkle Cleaners squad this week.

The Knights jumped out to a quick 3-0 first inning lead on a double by Kevin Larson and key singles by Kevin OBrien, Al Malke and Pete Rich. Rich finished with 3RBIs, Dave Stepien was 2 for 2 at the dish, Mike Hallinan tossed a 6 hitter and Jimmy OBrien made several nice running catches in the outfield for the Knights. Twin brothers Kevin and Ken Struck each had 2 hits and were strong defensively for the Americans.

The Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners kept pace with the Knights as they won big over the EA Wireless Connection 11-0. The Sparks scored 4 runs in both the first and third innings as the top of the line-up pounded the ball in support of winning pitcher Denny Collins. Greg Bajdas had a triple, Paul Young had 3 hits with a double, Tim Bajdas doubled, Paul Bauchle added 2 hits and Joe Bellanti returned from injured reserve and went 3 for 3 at the plate. Young scored 3 runs; Dave Carlson had 2 hits while Darryl Szarpa and Denny McMullen were strong in the outfield for the Sparks. John Marshall stroked 2 hits and Don Ripper went 1 for 2 for the Connection. The EA Wireless bats havent matched the recent hot weather as the team has scored 4 runs over their past 5 outings.

Wallenweins won their 3^rd straight with a 9-5 victory over the Canes. The Dudas of Wallenweins scored 5 runs in the 4^th and 4 more in the 6^th inning to hand Tony Roncone the pitching win. Terry Belz socked a 3 run triple, Joe Shanahan tripled, Ken Horton had a nice 3 for 3 evening, Lenny Mazurkiewicz had 2 RBIs and Sam Cullis scored 2 runs and was solid at SS for Wallys. Tom Urbanski and Joe Militello each went 3 for 4 and Jon Backus had 2 hits for the losing Canes.

The final game of the night was an 8 inning thriller with the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds defeating the BAC Grillers 9-8. The Birds had led 7-0 only to watch the BAC take the lead 8-7. The Birds pecked out a run to tie in the 7^th frame and a towering four-bagger by Ed Engels in the 8^th won the ball game. Tom Tighe had a great 4 for 4 night while Mark Brinkel, Coach John Grabon and Jerry Krawczyk all chipped in with 2 hits. The Surfin Birds set a League record by turning 5 double-plays in the game. Steve Brady, Tim Armstrong and John McKenna all went 2 for 3 at the plate for the Grillers.

Ken Lorrentz of EA Wireless smacks a ball towards 3rd base in a 7-12-12 contest vs. Sparkle Cleaners. Notice the dry grass after 2 weeks of no drain and temperatures in the high 80's.

Tim Bajdas of the Sparks smacks a single to right centerfield in a 5-3 win over the Surfin' Birds on July 5th. Sparks 3rd base coach Darryl Szarpa looks on as does catcher Ed Engels and third baseman Rick Folck of the Birds. Game time temperature was 84 degrees!

The heat and the holidays combined to keep scoring down during recent play in the Glory Days Wood Bat Softball League games at J.P. Nicely Memorial Park in West Falls. The Bishop Burke Knights remained in 1^st place as they defeated the Canes by the very rare slow-pitch softball score of 1-0. It was the Knights 7^th straight victory.

The Knights scored the only run of the tremendous defensive game in the 2^nd inning when Kevin Larson and Mike Hallinan each singled to put runners on 1^st and 3^rd base. Veteran Peter Rich hit into a fielders choice to the right side of the infield scoring the winning run. Hallinan was the winning pitcher allowing just 6 hits while assisting on 7 put-outs. Al Malke in left field and Al Schum at shortstop each made great leaping catches for the Knights. The Canes had 2 hits from Tom Urbanski and turned 4 double-plays as they continued their impressive defensive play.

The Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners held on to 2^nd place as they squeaked by the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds 5-3. The Sparks scored 4 runs in the 2^nd frame on RBI hits by Bob Hanlon, winning pitcher Denny Collins and Mike Hawco. Paul Young had 2 hits, Dave DiPietro was strong in left field and Greg Bajdas made several circus catches at 1^st base to lead the Sparks. Bob Bierk went 2 for 3 with a double, rookie Mike Tighe had 2 hits and Coach John Grabon had 2 hits and 2 RBIs for the Birds.

Wallenweins beat up on the BAC Grillers winning 10-4 despite the early exit of hall-of-famer Len Mazurkiewicz. Wallys scored 3 runs in the 1^st inning after two outs on 6 straight hits. Joe Shanahan led the attack with a 4 for 4 day including a double, Dave Richards had 3 hits and scored 2 runs and Frank Bartolomeo had 3 hits in 3 trips to the plate. Tony Roncone got the mound win in relief on Tony DiFilippo. Shanahan made a great running catch in the outfield and Wallys infield turned a tough 5-4-3 double play to hold the BAC in check. Tim Armstrong and Mike Herb each had 2 hits for the Grillers.

The Americans of Northeast Collision shut-out EA Wireless 7-0 behind the 7 hit pitching of Tony Rusinek. Boris Kuvshinoff played a great defensive game at shortstop while adding 3 hits including a double. Coach Ken Struck had 3 hits, his brother Kevin added 2 more and Tom Spulecki poked 2 hits and sparkled in the Americans outfield along with Jeff Gianiodis. The Connection of EA Wireless were led defensively by Lance Over at shortstop and John Marshall at 3^rd base who had 11 assists on the day.

The Wallenweins Dudas upended EA Wireless 12-1 and moved into a tie for the final play-off position in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League. The Dudas, Canes and Surfin Birds all have identical 3-6 records with five regular season games remaining.

Wallys jumped out to a quick lead by scoring 5 runs in the 1^st inning as Tony Roncone coasted to the hill victory. For the winners; Joe Shanahan poked a four-bagger and double, Dave Richards drove in 3 runs, John Cimperman was 3 for 3 at the dish, Frank Bartolomeo had 2 RBIs while Sam Cullis was strong at short-stop and also knocked in 2 runs. The EA Wireless Connection turned a sharp Lance Over to Ray Orr to Bob Stampfer double-play. Barry Guido went 2 for 3 for the Connection.

The BAC Grillers and Canes split a double-header. The Grillers won 9-5 in the opener behind 3 hits each by Coach Don Weiss and Tim Scooper Armstrong. John McKenna was flawless defensively at 3^rd base and added 2 hits for 2 RBIs. Jon Backus and Greg Voytovich each had 2 hits for the Canes.

In the nightcap, the Canes Joe Militello pitched shut-out ball while adding 3 runs-batted-infor a 7-0 victory. Steve Welk was perfect at the plate in 3 trips while Tom Richert, Tom Urbanski and rookie Bob Kurowski chipped in with 3 hits each for the Canes.

The Knights stayed as hot as the weather winning their 6^th straight with a 9-2 conquest of the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds. The Knights scored 7 runs on 8 consecutive hits in the 1^st inning to put the game away for winning pitcher Mike Hallinan who gave up just 3 hits to the Birds. Al Schum had a 3 for 4 day scoring 3 times, Al Malke went 2 for 4, Kevin OBrien was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs while Kevin Larson and Mike Smith each knocked in 2 runs. Jimmy OBrien and Carl Bueme each made several shoe-string catches in the outfield to solidify the winners defensive. For the Birds Ken Mamon smacked a double, Larry Allen clubbed a triple and Jerry Krawczyk made a tremendous over the shoulder running catch to steal an extra base hit from the Knights Peter Rich.

The Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners beat the Northeast Collision Americans 7-2 in a well played defensive battle. The Sparks turned 4 double-plays and only four Americans reached 2^nd base or beyond during the game. Denny Collins got the hill win and added 2 hits. Bob Hanlon went 3 for 3 with a double, Denny McMullen was a perfect 3 for 3, Dave Carlson was 2 for 3, John Moon Mullins had a key RBI single in the 6^th inning and Dave DiPietro had 2 hits for 2 RBIs. For the Americans John Furey had a 2 for 3 day, Duane Carr socked a triple and Dave Corbelli doubled.

It took nine weeks of play but finally the defending Champions of the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League gained the top spot in the standings with a double-header sweep. The Bishop Burke Knights of Columbus beat EA Wireless by scores of 15-2 and 6-1 to move into first place for the initial time this season.

The Knights jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first game as Jim OBrien, Carl Bueme, Al Malke and Kevin Larson all smacked singles and scored. A 7 run second inning basically put the game away for winning pitcher Mike Hallinan who went 3 for 4 at the dish. Dave Stepien had 2 hits and 2 RBIs and Peter Rich went 3 for 4 for the winners. Bob Barry had 2 hits for EA Wireless.

In the second game Rich cleared the bases with a double in the first inning as the Knights scored 4 runs and cruised to the 6-1 win. Gary Preischel added 3 RBIs as Hallinan gained the win. Bill Gonsa, 69, came out of retirement to pitch well for the Connection while adding 2 hits. Lance Over, Arnie Eisensmith and Ray Orr were tough on defense as Barry Guido and Fred Marshall each had 2 hits.

The Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners won two against the Wallenweins Dudas. The first game was an 11-10 thriller with the Sparks scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the 7^th to pull on the win. With 2 outs, nobody on base and trailing by 2 runs consecutive singles by Phil Teibel, Greg Bajdas, Paul Young, Dave DiPietro and Tim Bajdas won the game. Denny Collins got the mound win and went 2 for 2, DiPietro and Tim Bajdas smacked 4 baggers and Ken Kowalewski added 2 hits. The Dudas were led by John Cimperman with two HRs, Greg Hunt 3 for 4, a long ball by Jeff Souder and 2 hits by Terry Belz.

The Sparks pulled away 10-1 after 2 frames in the nightcap to win 11-2. Greg Bajdas had 3 hits with a triple, his brother Tim poked an HR, DiPietro doubled, Teibel had 3 hits and John Moon Mullins went 2 for 2 at the plate to lead the attack. Tony Roncone and Cimperman each had 2 hits for Wallenweins.

The BAC and Northeast Collision split their DH. In game one the Americans put on an offensive show winning 21-2. Prior to this defeat the Grillers of BAC were allowing just 5.4 runs per game. John Furey, Dan Ozimek, Dave Corbelli, Jeff Becker, Jeff Gianiodis and Steve Pinewski all had 3 hits for the winners. Ken and Kevin Struck, Tony Rusinek, Boris Kuvshinoff, Duane Carr and Ron Bright all played great defensive games for the Americans.

In the second game 5-3 victory by the BAC John McKenna pitched a 7 hitter keeping the mighty American under control. Steve Flaps Brady had 3 hits while Roger Banks knocked in 3 runs with 2 hits. The Grillers feasted on BBQ pork tenderloin after the win. For the Americans Ken Struck and Furey added 2 hits.

In the only single game of the day the CANES played great defense and upset the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds 5-4 in 12 innings. Greg Voytovich smashed a base hit up the middle with the bases loaded to win the marathon game. Steve Welk went 4 for 5, Tom Urbanski had 3 hits while Dave Raponi and Tom Richert added 2 singles each. The Birds were led by a 3 run double by Mark Brinkel, 4 hits by John Hulslander and 3 hits each by Ed Engels and Ken Mamon. Tom Tighe and Rick Folck each made great plays in the outfield.

Nik Wallenda stayed on the high wire with little trouble. The Sparkle Cleaner Sparks couldnt and with a 3-0 loss to the BAC Grillers fell from the heights of 1^st place to 3^rd in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League standings. The Bishop Burke Knights defeated Wallenweins and took over the second spot with a 4-2 record.

The Grillers scored twice in the 1^st inning as Tim Armstrong led off with a single and later scored on a hit by Steve Stick Brady. Chuck Kabza knocked in Roger Scott for the other score. In the top of the 7^th frame Brady stroked a triple to left-centerfield and came home on a throwing error. Winning pitcher Mike Geraci held the Sparks to just 7 singles. Paul Young had two hits and was sharp at 2^nd base for Sparkle Cleaners while losing pitcher Denny Collins struck out three and yielded just 6 hits.

The Knights beat the Wallenweins Dudas 8-4 with a 7 run outburst in the 5^th inning. Pete Rich, Kevin Larson, Al Malke and Kevin OBrien each had RBIs in the big inning. The Dudas were led by Doug Hayes with 2 RBIs; John Cimperman added 2 hits and Tony DiFilippo sparkled in the field.

The Northeast Collision Americans won their 4^th straight game as they squeaked by the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds 6-4. Tony Rusinek got the mound win with great defensive support from Kevin Struck at 2^nd base and Dan Ozimek at shortstop who also added 3 hits. John Furey was on base 4 times with 2 hits and 2 walks. For the Birds Bob Bierk socked 3 hits, Ken Mamon was razor sharp at third base, Joe Tighe added 2 hits with 2 RBIs while Larry Allen went 2 for 3 at the dish and made several running catches in left field.

The Connection of EA Wireless won their second game of the season with an 8-2 victory over the Canes. In a great team effort every member of EA Wireless had a hit including Bob Barrys huge triple. Ed Conboy, Ken Lorentz and Barry Guido each had 2 for 3 days in the box. Ray Orr was brilliant on the hill and Mike Waddy led the defense with 9 assists at 3^rd base. Coach Tom Urbanski tripled for the Canes while Jon Backus and Bob Richter each chipped in with 2 hits apiece.

The Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners defeated the Canes and jumped back into 1^st place in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League standings as the previously undefeated BAC club fell to the Knights. It was the 2^nd week in a row that the defending champs, Bishop Burke Knights of Columbus, knocked off an undefeated team.

The Sparks jumped off to a 1^st inning 5-0 lead as Dave DiPietro tripled and Dave Carlson smacked a four bagger. In the third 4 more scores put the game away as Paul Young doubled, Tim Bajdas hammered a triple and DiPietro added a double to his 3 for 3 day at the dish. Denny McMullen went 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored, Paul Bauchle had 2 hits in 3 at-bats with 2 RBIs and winning pitcher Denny Collins had 2 hits. Greg Bajdas had 2 hits, John Moon Mullins made a daring hook slide at home to score a run and Young had 3 RBIs for the winners. Frank Walsh smashed an RBI single in the 7^th and Tony Kempa drove in the other run for the Canes.

The Knights came from behind to beat the BAC Grillers 7-6 as winning pitcher Mike Hallinan drove in Kevin Larson who had tripled with a sacrifice fly to plate the winning run. The BAC had led 3-0 after 3 innings and then 6-4 going to the bottom of the 6^th frame. Gary Preischel had 2 hits and an RBI as did Tom McQuillan for the winners. Al Malke added a key double and Jim OBrien had 2 hits and sparkled in the Knights outfield. Roger Scott went 4 for 4 with a triple, Tim Armstrong doubled while Chuck Kabza and Coach Don Weiss each added 2 singles for the BAC.

The Northeast Collision Americans won their 3^rd straight as they defeated the Wallenweins Dudas 13-1. The Americans were led by a barrage of triples and the strong pitching of Tony Rusinek who held the Dudas to just 6 hits. Steve Piniewski and Tom Spulecki each powered 2 triples to lead the attack. Jeff Becker had 2 hits and helped lead a very solid infield defense that turned 2 double-plays. Wilson Curry drove in the only Dudas run with a sharp single to right field that brought up chalk.

The final game of the day saw the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds get back to the .500 mark with an over-powering 18-2 victory over the EA Wireless Connection. Winning hurler John Hulslander belted a 3 run HR and held the Connection to 7 hits. John Wichman had 3 hits and 11 assists at shortstop as the Birds recovered their historic great defensive style. Bob Bierk, John Roedel, Joe Tighe and Ken Mamon all delivered doubles while Larry Allen had 4 hits and 2 doubles. Tom Tighe made a spectacular diving catch in the outfield and also added 3 hits for the Birds. For the Connection Barry Guido went 2 for 3, Fred Marshal tripled and Joe Levesque doubled to drive in the 2 runs on the score sheet.

The newest entry in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League, the BAC Grillers, took over sole possession of 1^st place as they edged the EA Wireless Connection 8-7 in recent play. The previously unbeaten Sparks of Sparkle Cleaners fell to the Knights in 10 innings and thus dropped into 2^nd place in the standings.

The Grillers won behind the hitting of Tom Riggs and John Coach McKenna who each added 3 hits and combined for 3 RBIs. Perry Cimerman knocked in 3 runs with 2 hits as the Grillers enjoyed their usual post game feast following the game in the top spot. For EA Wireless Dom Patterson, Mike Waddy and Barry Guido had perfect 3 for 3 days at the dish. Rookie Rick Osieja added 2 hits and Brian Andrzejewski was sterling in the infield with 9 put-outs.

The Bishop Burke Knights scored in the bottom of the 10^th inning to beat Sparkle Cleaners 9-8 in a thrilling and wild game. Jim OBrien socked a three run HR, drove in the tying run in the bottom of the 7^th and scored the winning run in a great individual offensive performance. Peter Rich drove in the winning run with a sharp single to right field. Dave Stepien stroked a double and Gary Preischel added 3 hits and scored 2 runs for the winners. The Sparks were led by a 2 run four-bagger from Greg Bajdas, 3 hits by Phil Teibel, a triple by Mike Hawco and 2 hits each by Dave DiPietro and Paul Young.

In the other extra-inning game of the day, the Northeast Collision Americans scored in the bottom of the 8^th inning on a base hit by Jeff Becker with 2 outs to beat the Canes 3-2. Tony Rusinek got the hill win with great support from Jeff Gianiodis who made a superb diving catch in the outfield to keep the score knotted at 2-2. Coach Ken Struck, John Furey and Dan Ozimek all added 3 hits for the victory. Dave Raponi and Jon Backus led the offense for the Canes who have lost 3 games this season by a total of 4 runs.

A reinvigorated Wallenweins team scored 4 runs in both the 6^th and 7^th innings to pull away from the Surfin Birds of Lehner Masonry for a 12-9 win. Tony Roncone was strong on the mound with defensive help from Sam Cullis at shortstop and an awesome running catch complete with snow-cone by John Cimperman. Cullis added 3 runs-batted-in. Joe Shanahan had 3 hits and scored 3 runs while Frank Bartolomeo kicked in with 3 RBIs. The Birds were led by Tom Tighe with several good running catches in the outfield and 3 base hits. John Wichman was strong defensively while adding 2 hits as did Jerry Krawczyk, John Grabon, John Roedel and Mark Brinkel with a double

The Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds rebounded from 2 straight loses and won big over the defending Champion Bishop Burke Knights 9-2 in Glory Days Softball League play. In the other game of the evening the Northeast Collision Americans got in the win column as they defeated EA Wireless 7-2.

The Surfin Birds shuffled their defensive alignment and the result was the story of the victory. Mark Brinkel was outstanding at shortstop and added 3 singles. John Hulslander made his first start on the hill and allowed just 7 singles, struck out a Knights hitter and also smacked a triple. Joe Tighe made a rare start at 2^nd base and was rock solid. Jerry Krawczyk, Ed Engels, Rick Folck and John Roedel each pounded 2 hits pacing the Birds offense. Bob Bierk had 3 hits including a double. Both Tom Tighe and Folck made several diving catches in the outfield ending Knights rallies.

Mike Hallinan threw a strong game for the Knights but some costly errors with men on base let the game slip away. Jim OBrien made several running catches in left-center field and Al Malke was strong in left field for the defending Champs.

The Americans got on the left-side of the standings as they got off to a quick start and beat the Connection of EA Wireless 7-2. Ken Struck, Boris Kuvshinoff and Tom Spulecki all had big hits as the Americans jumped off to a quick 3-0 lead. Tony Rusinek was a bit wild but got the mound win with support from Dave Corbelli and John Furey in the field.

EA Wireless scored in the 3^rd as Ed Conboy singled, Fred Marshall smacked a hit to right center and Joe Levesque doubled in two runs. Mike Waddy took the pitching loss despite the tremendous play of Lance Over at shortstop and the debut of Ken Lorentz at 3^rd base for the Connection.

The Buffalo Athletic Club Grillers won a tight 8-7 thriller against the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds in Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League play. Wallenweins broke into the win column with an exciting 11 inning win over the Canes as all 8 teams in the League stepped to the plate at J.P. Nicely Park in beautiful West Falls.

The BAC moved their record to 2-0 with solid defense and timely hitting. Winning pitcher Tom Riggs helped himself with 2 hits and 4 big RBIs as the Grillers rallied from a 7-5 hole in the 6^th to win. Roger Scott played a nearly flawless game at shortstop and kicked in with 2 singles and 2 runs-batted-in for the BAC. Steve Stick Brady scored 3 runs while contributing 2 hits for the winners. For the Birds, Tom and Joe Tighe each had 2 hits as did John Grabon, Mark Brinkel and Larry Allen. Rick Folck mad several nice running catches in left field and Ken Mamon was strong at 3^rd base for the Lehner Masonry team.

Wallenweins scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7^th inning to tie their game against the Canes at 9-9. The next 3 frames were scoreless as Tony Roncone for Wallys and Bob Richter for the Canes pitched brilliantly. Joe Shanahan, with the desperate urging of his coach Rick Ohler to end the game, came to bat with the bases clear and smacked a line drive HR to right-center field in the bottom of the 11^th to give the Dudas the thrilling10-9 victory. Shanahan also tripled and after a running catch in left field made a perfect throw to Doug Hayes at 1^st base to double-up a Canes runner straying off the base. The Dudas defense was led by Tony DiFillipo at 3^rd base and rookie Sam Cullis at shortstop. Greg Hunt, Wilson Bad Bat Curry, Ken Horton and Frank Bartolomeo each had 2 hits as Wallenweins slugged a total of 19 hits in the game. The game tied for the 2^nd longest in League history matching a Birds win over Wallys on 6-17-10 also in 11 innings.

The Bishop Burke Knights of Orchard Park won their 1^st game of the season with an impressive 9-4 win over the Northeast Collision Americans. Al Malke made several excellent plays in left field and also added 2 hits and scored 3 runs for the winners. Mike Hallinan got the hill win with hitting support from veteran Pete Rich who went 2 for 3 and rounded the bases 2 times. Kevin Larson went 2 for 3 with 4 RBIs and raw rookie Kevin OBrien had 2 singles and scored a run. The Americans were led by Ken Struck, Dave Corbelli and Ken Struck who each poked 2 hits.

The Sparkle Cleaners Sparks won their 3^rd straight beating EA Wireless 8-3. Denny Collins won from the mound and added an RBI single. Phil Teibel went 2 for 4, Tim Bajdas had a 3 for 4 evening with a triple while Dave Carlson and Denny McMullen each had 2 hits and knocked in a run. Darryl Szarpa was at the top of his game with several great catches in left field and also going 3 for 3 at the dish with a double and 2 RBIs. Paul Young at 2^nd base and Greg Bajdas at 1^st base played great defensive games for the Sparks. Manager Fred Marshall socked a 7^th inning four-bagger while Dom Patterson was strong in the outfield for the Connection. Ken Lorentz made his rookie debut with 2 hits and several great catches in leftfield, fellow rookie Bob Barry stroked 2 hits and Lance Over was solid at shortstop for the quickly improving EA Wireless team.

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Just as the winds change at J.P. Nicely Park in West Falls so do the fates of teams in the Glory Days 50+ Wood Bat Softball League. The Canes, who finished with a 1-11 record last season, defeated the defending Champion Knights 4-2 to start the upset parade. Sparkle Cleaners jumped in as they won going away 12-4 over the 10 Champs Surfin Birds who went 11-1 last year. The newest entry in the League, the Buffalo Athletic Club, defeated Wallenweins 6-3 in their first wood bat softball game.

The Canes and Bishop Burke Knights played a tight defensive game and also ended two current League records in the process. With the 4-2 victory the Canes ended the longest team losing streak in League history at 7 games. The Knights loss stopped their record 9 game winning streak in Glory Days play which is shared by the Surfin Birds and Americans.

With the score 2-1 Knights in the bottom of the 4^th inning the Canes struck for the win. After 2 outs a combination of errors and a walk set the stage for a towering double to left field by John Backus for the 4-2 lead. Winning pitcher Bob Richter did a marvelous job holding the powerful Knights in check for the balance of the contest with great support from shortstop Greg Voytovich and the entire Canes defense.

Sparkle Cleaners, with four rookie players, defeated the usually dominating Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds 12-4 behind the steady mound work of Denny Collins. Mike Hawco drove in 4 runs, Denny McMullen went 3 for 4 adding 3 RBIs, Dave DiPietro doubled and scored 3 runs while Paul Young was strong at 2^nd base and also contributed 3 hits. The Sparks turned a sharp 6-4-3 double-play and Hawco had an unassisted DP at third base. For the Birds, John Grabon went 2 for 4 with a double, John Wichman and Jerry Krawczyk each added 2 hits and Rick Folck made a wonderful diving catch in leftfield to shut-off another Sparks threat.

The Buffalo Athletic Club made their debut in the League with a nice 6-3 win over Wallenweins. The team, Managed by Don Weiss, fit right in with solid defensive play, timely hitting and great grill cooking following the game! Johnny Mac had 2 hits and scored a run, Bobby Sixpack broke open a 3-3 tie in the 6^th inning with a 2 RBI triple and Mike Gerace got the hill win as he shut down the Wallys sticks in the final 3 frames. Len Mazurkiewicz and Jim Kane each had 2 hits for the Dudas.

The crack of wood bats returned to J.P. Nicely Memorial Park in West Falls last week, as the Glory Days 50-and-over mens wood bat softball league kicked off its 2012 season with six of the leagues eight teams in action.

In a great defensive battle, the Lehner Masonry Surfin Birds plated runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Canes, 2-0. Lehners runs were scored on a single by Ed Engels and a double by Bob Bierk. Rookie Rick Folck had two hits, as did coach John Grabon and John Wichman.

The Birds turned three double plays, as Mark Brinkel earned just the seventh shutout in league history the fourth by a Lehner squad.

The Canes were led by the steady play of Tom Reichert and two hits by Tony Kempa.

Sparkle Cleaners formerly known as Lunettas jumped out to a 6-1 lead after three innings and went on to defeat the Northeast Collision Americans, 7-2. Denny Collins was sharp on the hill and added two singles, while leadoff hitter Phil Teibel went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Greg Bajdas poked a double, Bob Hanlon scored two runs, and Tim Bajdas and Dave Carlson each had six putouts.

Rookie Paul Bauchle threw out an American runner trying to stretch a single into a double from right field, while fellow newcomer Paul Young was solid at second base and added two hits and two RBIs at the plate. Mike Hawco made his league debut with a key RBI single.

Dan Ozimek punched out two hits, rookie Duane Carr had a single and John Furey scored both runs for the Americans.

An improved EA Wireless squad got off to a good start with a solid 10-5 win over the Wallenweins Dudas. Ray Orr pitched a strong game while adding two hits at the plate, while Lance Over knocked in two runs with a double. Barry Guido had three hits and two RBIs, while John Marshall contributed three hits, including a double. Larry Draper made his league debut, while fellow rookie Mike Waddy had a perfect 3-for-3 day at bat.

The Dudas were paced by Joe Shanahan, who tripled and scored two runs, while Terry Belz had two singles. Frank Bartolomeo drove in two runs with two hits, while rookie Sam Cullis was sharp defensively in support of losing pitcher Wilson Curry.

SENIOR WOOD BAT SOFTBALL

2012 RESULTS / STANDINGS

Glory Days softball opens 12 season