Game of April 22

Parfrey 9, Hewes 8

Zach Nilva (3-for-5, HR) hit a walkoff sac fly, as Parfrey's team overcame two Brian Hernandez home runs. Marvin Cohen graciuosly played first base for both teams despite injuring his thumb in batting practice.

Awards and Results of Winter Meeting

Awards

Gold Gloves:
Pitcher-- Ian Parfrey
Catcher-- Josh Balsam
First Base-- Sal Cipriano
Second Base-- Ben Indek
Third Base-- Freddy Melendez
Shortstop-- (tie) Ian Parfrey and Phil Ciccone
Outfield-- Zach Nilva, Alex Rivera, Eric Schulman, Brian Hernandez

Best Pitcher-- Freddy Melendez
Rookie of the Year-- Sam Melendez
MVP-- Alex Rivera


Rule Changes:

1. When there are 22 players at a game, it is closed to
non-duespayers. Dues payers have a right to play no matter how large
the teams are. This rule takes effect when we move to Heckscher.
Non-duespayers cannot be displaced from a game they are already in,
and have the option of paying on the spot.

2. Due to the rising cost of permits, the league has raised annual dues to $40.

3. The league has banned alcoholic beverages at the games. Any
player drinking during a game will be subject to immediate ejection
and possible additional penalties.

4. The league has decided that outfielders will be required to play a
certain distance (to be determined) behind the infield basepaths.
This distance will be marked with a small orange cone on each foul
line. This is to discourage (but not eliminate) throws to first from
the outfield, and will eliminate the possibility of turning a double
play through the centerfielder.

5. A grievance committee has been elected for one year. Members are
Josh Balsam, Zach Nilva, and Alex Rivera.

6. Selection of pitchers-- Havelock, or whoever is making teams in
his rare absences, cannot tell a manager who to pitch. Regular
pitchers should not act as managers, unless no one else present is
willing to. It is hoped that this will result in an equitable
distribution of pitching innings.

There are two other items which will soon be presented to the league
for voting, as there was not a 2/3 majority at the meeting.

Thanks to Anne Atkinson and Gil Schmerler for hosting.

Games of 9/25

Nilva 7, Melendez 6
Zach Nilva picked up his 10th win, and Paul Geoghan's opposite field single in the 5th inning plated the go-ahead run. Sam Melendez (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and Matt Mishkin (3-for-4, 3 runs) led Zach's team. Ray Hernandez hit a 3-run HR for Freddie's squad.

Appell 10, Parfrey 8
In another slugfest, the bats of Appell's team prevailed. Brian Hernandez was 4-for-4 with 3 RBI, Chris Hall drove in 3 including the go-ahead run, and Zach Nilva was 3-for-4. For Parfrey's team, Alex Rivera was 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored, and Dave Sommers homered and drove in 3.

Games of July 31

1. Melendez 9, O'Connor 7
Freddie Melendez won his 8th game, backed by the bats of Eric Schulman (4-for-4, 2 RBI) and Chris Hall (4-for-4, 2B, RBI). O'Connor's side was led by Gil Schmerler (3-for-4, RBI) and Brian Hernandez-Sandercock's 3-run HR.

2. Parfrey 2, Hewes 0 (5 innings)
Ian Parfrey threw his second straight shutout, allowing only one hit and one epic umpire-baiting meltdown. The batting hero of "the weasel game" was Andy Atkinson, who clubbed a 2-run HR to deep left in the 4th for the game's only runs. It was his first career SFL homer.

Games of 7/24

Appell 5, Hewes 2
Jeff Appell (7-4) scattered 10 hits, and went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Brian Hernandez-Sandercock was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI.

Parfrey 3, Nilva 0
Ian Parfrey (5-4) threw a 4-hit shutout, retiring the last 9 batters, and allowing only one runner to reach third base. The only runs Zach Nilva gave up were in the bottom of the 1st-- Mike Sulyman led off with a single, Derek Martinez (3-for-3) doubled, and both scored on a comedy of throwing errors. Dave Sommers (3-for-3) then tripled to deep left, and scored on a Solomon Sarway sac fly.

Game of July 10

Hewes 6, Nilva 5 (14 innings)

Zach Nilva's 14th inning curse is alive and well. Zach lost for the 3rd time in the 14th inning since October 2010. Mike Sulyman (3-for-6, 2 RBI) hit a 2-out single in the top of the 7th to plate Brian Hernandez (5-for-5, 3B). The game was tied at 5 and stayed that way until Cid Rivera controversially scored from first on a single in the top of the 14th. Plate umpire Freddie Melendez called him safe, claiming that Rivera's foot touched the plate before catcher Dave Rosengard tagged him. This touched off a lengthy argument and provided one of SFL's most exciting finishes. Havelock Hewes (12-5) retired the middle of the order 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 14th. Hewes allowed 3 earned runs on 16 hits; Nilva allowed 4 earned runs on 20 hits. Here is the scoring breakdown:

Bot 1:
P.Ciccone singled to shortstop, Z.Nilva scored. On M.Sulyman's throwing error, B.Indek scored, P.Ciccone to second.
I.Parfrey reached on a throwing error by M.Sulyman, P.Ciccone scored.
Nilva 3, Hewes 0

Top 2:
M.Cohen singled to left, F.Lang scored.
B.McLaughlin grounded to short, M.Cohen out at second, J.Balsam scored.
Nilva 3, Hewes 2

Top 3:
E.Schulman singled to right-center, B.Hernandez scored.
Nilva 3, Hewes 3

Bot 4:
D.Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to center, P.Ciccone scored.
Nilva 4, Hewes 3

Top 5:
M.Sulyman singled to left-center, B.Hernandez scored.
Nilva 4, Hewes 4

Bot 6:
P.Ciccone grounded to shortstop, S.Melendez out at second, Z.Nilva scored.
Nilva 5, Hewes 4

Top 7:
M.Sulyman singled to center, B.Hernandez scored.
Nilva 5, Hewes 5

Top 14:
B.McLaughlin singled to center, A.Rivera to third, B.McLaughlin to second on the throw. A.Rivera scored, B.McLaughlin to third on the throw.
Hewes 6, Nilva 5

Games of 6/12

Hewes 15, Appell 1
Havelock Hewes (11-4) cruised to a blowout win behind the hitting of Phil Ciccone (4-for-5, 5 RBI) and Brian Hernandez (4-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI).

Parfrey 11, O'Connor 8
Parfrey's team scored 11 times in the bottom of the 1st, and barely held on for the win. Brian Hernandez (2-for-2, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) and Solomon Sarway (4-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) led the way. Alex Rivera was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI for O'Connor's side.

GAMES OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

1. Hewes 2, Melendez 1

Ian Parfrey's walkoff double to right scored Mike Sulyman in the bottom of the 7th. Havelock Hewes scattered 8 hits for the win, and Freddie Melendez was almost equally magnificent, allowing only 2 runs on 4 hits.

2. Appell 5, Nilva 3 (14 innings)

Despite throwing 11 straight scoreless innings, Zach Nilva was once again beaten in the 14th inning. Mike Sulyman led off with a bunt, and came all the way around to score on a pair of throwing errors. Chris Hall's sac fly provided the insurance run. Brian Hernandez hit a 2-run HR for Appell's team earlier in the game. Appell allowed 3 runs on 16 hits; Nilva allowed 5 runs, 3 earned, on 10 hits. Brian Hernandez threw the winning run out at the plate in the bottom of the 13th.

3. Hewes 4, Connor 2

Havelock Hewes (10-3) continued his winning streak, allowing 7 hits. The winning runs scored on an error and a Zach Nilva single in the top of the 7th.

4. Melendez 8, Nilva 4

Finally the bats came alive to back Freddie Melendez (5-5). Freddie and Nel Yomtov each went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Chris Hall added 3 hits and a triple. Freddie allowed only 6 hits.

Opening Day Heckscher

We had a strong turnout of 25 players to celebrate the Central Park opener this morning, and played two nailbiters. Freddie Melendez (3-3) won the opener despite suffering an ankle injury on the bases in the second inning, and his team came back from a 6-1 deficit to win 7-6 on Eric Schulman's 2-run single in the bottom of the 6th. Schulman drove in 3, and Derek Martinez and Brian Hernandez homered for the losing team. In game 2, Ian Parfrey (2-2) beat Havelock Hewes 4-2. Hewes gave up 4 in the bottom of the 1st, and Parfrey made it stand up, scattering 9 hits, and inducing Freddie Melendez to ground to first with the bases loaded to end the game.

Games of 3/20

Hewes 17, O'Connor 8

Alex "Cid" Rivera continued his hot hitting-- he was 3 for 4 with 4 runs scored, a HR, and 5 RBI. Freddie and Sam Melendez each added 3 RBI. Ken Walker homered and drove in 4 for O'Connor's squad.

Nilva 9, Mishkin 8 (8 innings)

Brian Hernandez hit a walkoff 2-run single to left to give Zach Nilva's team a stunning comeback win. Down to their last out and facing a 6-3 deficit, they got a 2-run double from Nel Yomtov, who then came around to score the tying run when Marvin Cohen dropped a throw at first. Ian Parfrey clubbed a 2-run HR in the top of the 8th, but Nilva's team had another comeback in them. Hernandez homered and drove in 3, while Parfrey was 4-for-4 (enroute to a 10-for-10 day) with 2 doubles, a HR, and 4 RBI.

Melendez 16, Parfrey 4 (5 innings)

Ken Walker homered twice and drove in 6, and Derek Martinez added a grand slam, as Melendez's team took advantage of some shoddy fielding, but also clubbed Parfrey and reliever Havelock Hewes for 16 hits. Parfrey was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI in a losing effort.

Games and Notes of 8/15

Notes:
Pitcher Derek Martinez got the win as Lee's Tavern won the Staten Island Co-ed League championship. Derek says: I finished the year 11-1 as a pitcher and last Sunday won the championship 21-13. Crazy first inning where I gave up 10 runs but settled down to win by 8. A brief recap is at http://www.silive.com/recsports/index.ssf/2010/08/staten_island_softball_roundup_1.html

Games:
Melendez 8, Hewes 6
This contest featured prodigious slugging from Brian Hernandez and Jaime Orochena. Hernandez homered twice, including a first-inning grand slam, and drove in 6, while Orochena tallied 5 RBI with a sac fly, a 2-run homer, and a 2-run double. Havelock Hewes's first-inning woes continued, as his team fell into a 5-0 hole, mostly courtesy of Hernandez's blast to left-center. However, Freddy Melendez (9-5) had to work for his win, fending off several comebacks, and stranding the tying runs in scoring position. The winners also got contributions from Ian Lebowitz (3-for-4, 2 doubles) and Ian Parfrey (3-for-4, 3 runs). Zach Nilva was 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored for Havelock's team.

Parfrey 7, Stoeth 5
Ian Parfrey (10-5) became SFLOI's first 10-game winner in a sloppy 6-inning comedy of walks and bad defense. Bob Holzwasser's 3rd inning single broke a 2-2 tie, and two further runs scored on errors in the inning to give Parfrey a lead that he tried to give back but ultimately "failed" to. This game featured balanced offensive attacks from either side, with no outstanding offensive performances, although Alex Rivera did follow up last year's bunt triple with a fielder's choice "triple" on a grounder to shortstop.

THE INDEPENDENCE DAY MARATHON

Thanks to everyone who braved the insane heat and made this weekend a success. By game 5, there was a cloud of flies circling me, which I took to mean it was probably time for a shower (or an embalming). Here are the recaps.

1. Melendez 6, Rosengard 4
Melendez's team took an early 4-2 lead, but it took RF Ian Parfrey throwing out Dave Sommers at first on an apparent bases-loaded single to keep the game from being tied in the 4th, and in the 6th inning, Bill McLaughlin did score the tying run on a botched rundown attempt on trail runner Derek Martinez. In the bottom of the inning, Fred Lang came up with the bases loaded and no outs, and lined the go-ahead single to center.

2. Martinez 7, Parfrey 6
Parfrey took a 4-2 lead into the 5th, but allowed 5 runs to score, keyed by Glen Lawrence's 2-run single. Furious comebacks in the 6th and 7th innings fell just short, as Martinez (3-5) struck out Fred Lang with two on in the 6th, turned an acrobatic 1-8-3 DP on Marvin Cohen's chopper down the first base line in the 7th, and then retired Zach Nilva with 2 on to end the inning. Brian Hernandez hit a monster HR into the trees in left for Martinez's team. Ben Indek had 3 hits in a losing cause.

3. Melendez 11, Hewes 0
Bill McLaughlin (3-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI) led the offensive attack against Havelock Hewes. Freddy Melendez backed his 5-inning shutout with 3 hits including a double and a triple. Ian Parfrey and a walk-on named Edward in a vintage Pirate jersey also had 3 hits each.

4. Parfrey 10, Hewes 7 (8 innings)
The action shifted to the Great Lawn on Monday, courtesy of Joe Gerber. Parfrey's "Paisans" battled back from a 5-2 deficit to score twice in the 6th on RBI doubles by Joe Gerber and Joe Geller, and once in the 7th as Bill McLaughlin tripled to lead off the inning and subsequently scored on an error. In the top of the 8th, Parfrey's team scored 5 times. McLaughlin drove in a run with a double, then Parfrey (4-for-5, 3 RBI) hit a 2-run single to right-center. Ross Barkan (3-for-5, 3 RBI) singled in another run, and then Parfrey "stole" home on an erroneous flip back to the pitcher. Hewes's team (aka Connor's Compadres) loaded the bases with one out, and did get 2 runs back on a groundout and a Chris Hall single, but Hewes grounded out as the tying run. For the winning team, Mike Palma added 3 hits, and Glen Lawrence (playing first base!) had a key assist, recovering an overthrow and gunning out a runner at third to snuff out a 6th inning rally. Hewes's team was paced by Rob Anapol (3-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI), and Zach Nilva and Bill Vernick (in his first at bats of 2010) also had 3 hits.

5. Melendez 3, Nilva 2
Freddy Melendez (7-4) won his 3rd game of the weekend against SFLOI's unluckiest pitcher. Nilva pitched well, but Freddy singled in 2 runs in the 3rd inning for an insurmountable margin. Nilva's team scored twice in the 4th but Freddy retired Zach and Alex with the bases loaded to escape further damage, and then retired Josh Balsam with two men on in the 5th inning of a game shortened by darkness and extreme heat.

GAMES AND NOTES OF 5/23

1. Celebrate Memorial Day with a softball marathon! Sunday May 30 is business as usual, 8:30am at Heckscher. Monday May 31 we're on the Great Lawn in the late afternoon-- courtesy of Joe Gerber-- time and field will be posted here soon.

2. Games of May 23:
Hewes 7, O'Connor 3
A shaky defense and the clutch hitting of Nate Sillman (3-for-3, 3 RBI) prevented Jim O'Connor from becoming SFLOI's first 6-game winner. Zach Nilva also had 3 hits. O'Connor's team stranded 13 runners. Jaime Orochena was 4-for-4, and Laura Stoeth had 3 hits.

Parfrey 9, Connor 2
Parfrey's team exploded for 6 runs in the 3rd to break a scoreless tie, and he improved to 5-2 while only allowing 4 hits. Connor's team got a 2-run bomb from Brian Hernandez, but little else in the way of offense.

3. Let's Play 2 played a Thursday doubleheader, beating the MMC Outlaws 5-1 in game one, and playing Weintraub & Haber to a 2-2 8-inning tie in the 2nd game. The Appell / Parfrey pitching duo combined to allow 3 runs in 15 innings. LP2 is currently in first place with a 5-0 record.

I Bang, You Bang: Lp2 is 4-0

Let's Play 2 won another nailbiter, 4-3 over the Master Batters Thursday evening on the Great Lawn. Brian Hernandez's RBI single tied the game in the 6th, and Jason Yudoff's single in the top of the 7th won it. Ian Parfrey pitched 4 scoreless innings of relief for the win, as the Parfrey/ Appell two-headed pitching monster continued to leave batters scratching their heads on their way back to the dugout. This game featured some truly bizarre plays. First, Parfrey hit an RBI single into a double play with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Paul Brill was thrown out on the old phantom-tag play at home, and then Parfrey was thrown out trying for 2nd. Oops! The Master Batters matched us with a fuckup of their own on an attempted 2-run single. The first runner scored safely, and then hung around the plate to get the bat out of the way for the trail runner. However, the throw hit him and bounced away from catcher Chris Hall, and the second runner was called out for the first runner's interference. Much whining and bitching followed. In the top of the 6th, the Master Batters had men on first and second with no outs. The next batter hit a rocket up the middle, striking the lead runner, who was the go-ahead run at the time. Parfrey pitched out of it, and LP2 improved to 4-0, even though their Pythagorean W/L isn't much to speak of.

OPENING DAY!!

In what is hopefully a sign of things to come, the Heckscher grounds crew were efficient and unobtrusive, and we were on the field before 8:30. Despite a serious overload of players (33 in Game 2), both games were enjoyable and closely fought contests.

In game 1, Hewes defeated Appell 6-5. Hewes's team was led by Brian Hernandez (2-for-2, 2B, RBI). Don Weiss added 2 hits, and Russell Rivera drove in the go-ahead run with a 5th-inning single. Appell backed his own pitching with 2 hits, and Ian Parfrey homered and drove in three. Appell's team mounted a furious comeback in the 7th, but left the tying run on first base.

In game 2, Melendez beat Parfrey 7-5 in 6 innings. Gabe Hernandez's 3-run homer in the 3rd inning was the decisive blow. Gabe, Robert Rodriguez Sr., and Chris Hall all had 2 hits. Again, the tying run was stranded on base in the last inning.