Wednesday August 26, 2026 (Week 18)

A&R 17 - McHoul's 9

Behind a great defensive game from shortstop Mike Healey, A&R beat Mchoul's by a score of 17-9. Stats for A&R. Eddie Smilkstein 4-4 (3rs2rbi), Joe Paolini 4-4 (2rs2rbi), Pat Rose 4-4 (2rs3rbi), Mike Cring 3-4 (3rs4rbi HR, Winning Pitcher), Mike Healey 3-4 (2rbi), Jim Guarnaccia 2-4 (2rs), Steve McGee 2-4, Frank McHugh 2-4 (2rs3rbi), Frank Navarra 2-3 (1rs) Stan Smilkstein 2-3 (2rs1rbi).

At Whitesell, a combination of some mental and physical miscues, lack of timely hitting and close calls that did not go our way, all combined for the final season game loss. Rodney Deloatch, Bill Hanchett, and Steve Savod were able to get 2 hits apiece while Bob Diggelmann had a solid home run along with a walk. The best anyone else could do was to combine one hit with a walk accomplished by Joe Hatch and Jim Flood. We expect to be ready for the playoffs next week.

Miller's 17 - TaxBrakes 16

At Digilio Field Miller's had a comeback win by beating TaxBrakes 17-16. Miller's was down 10-0. Miller's chipped away in every inning after the 1st inning. In the bottom of the 2nd Miller's came back with a 5 spot with Miller's stopping the accountants. In 4 and 5th innings Miller's kept climbing back and were down by 1 in the 6th. TaxBrakes came back and scored 3 in the 7th. With Miller's not in the grave yet, they came back with 6 straight hits with Chris Thomas clearing the bases with a double. and took a 1 run lead. In the 8th, the accountants had 1st and 2nd with 1 out and the accountants had a sure base hit to the right side, but Gold Glove 1st baseman Spider DeRito made a great one hop snatch going to his right and got the force out at second. With first and third and two outs TaxBrakes tied it up with a hit but Miller's ended TaxBrakes rally, going into the bottom of the 8th with the score tied. With one out Dan Sopchack hit a drive over Donnie Black's head for a triple. TaxBrakes made a decision to intentionally walk the next two batters so with the bases were loaded with one out, and Joe Kupiec came up big and hit a line drive in to center field for the Winning RBI. Miller's had made many good plays on defense as Donnie Black hit a shot over Jeff Noe, but Jeff caught up to it and hit the relay to Joe Yanarella who fired from about 150 feet out a one hopper to gold Glover Spider DeRito who was covering the plate. Dave Anduze played a great middle as he turned a double play, and Joe Yanarella also turned a double play. Those plays stopped TaxBrakes from having big innings and instead only scored 1 run in 3 innings. It was the bottom of the order of DeRito. Kupiec, and Dewey Bogardus, bringing home the bacon with 8 RBI ‘s combined. Joe Kupiec who got the winning RBI went 4/4, Joe Yanarella went 3/4, Dave Anduze 3/4 with a double and a triple, Chris Thomas 3/4 with a double and Rich Hill was 3/3 with 3 cheap hits. Jeff Noe 2/4, Angelo Sblendorio (winning Pitcher) 2/4. Phil Chontos 2/4 with a double, Dan Sopchack 2/4 with a big triple for the winning run, Spider DeRito 1/2 with 3 RBI ‘s, Rich (the hit man) Sicardo 2/3 and Dewey Bogardus 1-3 with 2 big RBI ‘s. With the win Miller's clinched 2nd place.

Today shorthanded but feisty TaxBrakes once again fought to the end against a very good Miller’s bunch. TaxBrakes with the help of Joe Flash Prisco on the mound built a nice lead on good defense and clutch hitting but fell short in the end 17-16. Notable offensive contributors: Joe Wassweiler 3-4, Pete Longobardi 3-4 2RBI, Roger Merritt and Mike Spinelli (1) 3-4, Gary DiMaggio 3-4, Larry Stewart 2-4 2RBI, Emil Viola 2-4 HR 4RBI, Mike Spinelli (2), Don Black, Joe Flash Prisco 2hits and Jim Thorne 2hits 2RBI.

J&N 13 - Pizza Time 6

J&N over Pizza Time 13-6 at Sports Park Junior. But first a song that Dolly Parton would have written if only she had been me and had way less talent:

Tumble out of bed and I limp into the kitchen

Pour myself a cup of ambition 

Moan and stretch and try to find my cup

Jump into the shower so I won’t be a stinky

Out on the field, player complains ‘bout his pinky

With guys like me on the field from 1 to 8

Playin' 1 to 8 tryin' not to make an error

Barely gettin’ by so they hide me in rightfieldin’

They use your legs and they coach from being silly

Soon games ‘ll start 9:30 so we won’t be chilly 

1 to 8 for the team and self respection 

You’d think by now a catch wouldn’t be a celebration

Want to move ahead but my skills won’t seem to let me

I hope to learn them fast cause Father Time is out to get me. Mm.

I know, the applause is deafening. But anyway, speaking of our potent Double Double D offense, Dan Diesing boom, he hit the lined up bats of the players on the Sports Park Senior Field. And Dan Doyle crack, he hit it over the left field fence twice. Oh yeah!! So anyway, the game started off and it looked like no one would score. First inning Pizza Time up, 2 outs Reggie Dolson hits a ball pretty close to the speed of light because I only heard it hit Starting, Closing and Winning Pitcher Tom Giordano’s glove. Then we didn’t score. Then they came up and with 2 out, uh oh a ball was hit that only our right fielder could possibly catch. He looked, he ran. Oh my gosh!! He caught it! Then J&N scored 2. Then Pizza Time hit into their first of 3 double plays. Then the balls started flying out of the park and J&N’s defense was locked in and locked down and it was like poetry in motion. As a matter of fact, you should have seen the play that John Warman made on the grounder from deep deep short, throwing out the runner at first!! It was awesome. Hopefully we can do this in the playoffs and surprise a few people. 

Hitting stats for J&N, I know that I have 14 RBI’s for 13 runs but we are very lucky to have Nancy Pagan keep score for us so if Senior Softball Encyclopedia doesn’t care, I’m not too concerned. Again, hitting stats for J&N: Russ Gilmore 3/3 with 2 RS and an RBI, Dan Diesing 3/3 with 1 Double over the fence 2 RS and 4 RBIS, Von Ahouse 2/2 a Double, a RS and an RBI, Frank Goberish 2/2 with an RBI, Stan Silverman 2/3 with 2 RS, John Warman 2/3 with 2RS and an RBI, Tom Milholm 2/3, Dan Doyle 2/3 with 2 over the fence Doubles, a RS and 3 RBIS, Also getting RBI’s Jaime Pagan, Winning Pitcher Tom Giordano and Jim Kirzoncic.

Arlington Grill 18 - Mountain View Ranch 16

Arlington Bar and Grill defeats Mountain View Ranch View 18-16 in a hotly contested game, which went right to the wire. Bert Keating and John McGowan shared the pitching for the win. The whole team played well! The leading hitters: Mark Joao with 4 hits, Danny Curtis, Mike Brooks, and Drew D’Angelo all had 3 hits.