Monticello men's softball

Fitness Factory is first and foremost

Solid metal and supple leather lead to championship over Ma & Pa’s

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY — In the end the same things that carried Fitness Factory through its unblemished regular season propelled them to two consecutive 10-run victories over Ma & Pa’s. Fitness Factory garnered the 2005 championship of the Monticello Men’s Softball league after winning game three on August 23.

Stung by previous night’s opening 10-6 defeat to Ma & Pa’s, Fitness Factory (19-1) regained its poise and used timely hitting and superb fielding to send a strong message in the evening’s second game with a thunderous 21-4 victory.

Entering the third and deciding game, Fitness rode that renewed sense of confidence by quickly securing a one-to-one tie after the first inning. Never trailing again, they got great pitching from JoJo Vankeuren, gold-glove fielding from third baseman Dennis Rivera and a game-ending two-run single from Derwin Rivera that fueled their 18-8 victory over Ma & Pa’s (14-6).

Fitness Factory, which enjoys avid support from its cadre of loyal fans, reveled in its final game victory that umpires nearly ended in the fifth inning. The confrontation occurred after a Ma & Pa’s player argued over a Desmond Gonzalez line drive over third that was ruled fair, extending Fitness Factory’s lead at the time to 11-7.

After the player was ejected, he shoved the umpire who then declared the game to be forfeited. Fitness players did not want to win that way and captains, umpires and league head Mike Greco worked it out. The teams, who have great respect for each other, played amicably and embraced each other following Fitness Factory’s victory.

Ma & Pa’s took a one to zip lead in the top of the first on a towering lead off home run from slugger Brian Kowal. Dan Gallo’s RBI single brought in Fitness Factory’s Edwin Rodriguez to tie the score in the bottom of the inning. After Fitness Factory’s JoJo Vankeuren blanked M&P in the top of the second, his teammates came back with four runs in the bottom of the inning taking advantage of a Wayne Keiser single, a terrific bunt by Shane Conner, an RBI double from Desmond Gonzalez and a two run single from Edwin Rodriguez. Both teams scored a trio of runs in third. Ma & Pa’s got theirs from a two run double from Billy Shutz and an RBI single from Wayne Kozlowski. Fitness answered with RBI from Keiser, Conner and Alex Salazar. Vankeuren was helped through the fourth inning by a crisp 6-4-3 double play turned by Conner, Rodriguez and Gonzalez. The men in blue then added to their lead with a two-run fourth courtesy of a single from Aaron Dinkle. Ma & Pa’s sensed the urgency in the top of the fifth. “We’re playing for our season here,” urged John Corrie as he exhorted his teammates to get hits. Shutz and Kozlowski answered his call and Ma & Pa’s pulled within three at 10-7. In the bottom of the fifth things got out of control after Gonzalez hit a liner over third that Ma & Pa’s players thought was foul. An argument ensued, words flew and then came the push from a frustrated Kozlowski that caused his ejection and nearly ended the game. Umpire Dan Baldo called for a Ma & Pa’s forfeit but reversed his decision after players from both teams and league organizer Mike Greco met on the infield. Dennis Rivera followed with a two-run single that took the remaining starch out of Ma & Pa’s. The men in black scored one in the top of the sixth but Fitness Factory exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth capped off by a game-ending two run single from pinch hitter Derwin Rivera that ended the game. A three run triple earlier in the evening set the stage for the win by the ten run rule. The 18-8 victory was followed by trophy presentations by Monticello Village Trustee/ ABC Title player Brian Vandermark to the following recipients: Joseph Greco accepting the trophy for his dad Mike for ABC Title’s Bickham Division championship, Edwin Rodriguez for Fitness Factory’s Culligan Division title, Vinny Radesca for Ma & Pa’s as tournament runner up and the entire Fitness Factory team and their fans for the league championship trophy.

Fitness Factory 21, Ma & Pa’s 4 (5 innings)

The Sound and the fury: Furious Fitness roars back in game two laugher

Keith Shaddock used the ten minutes between games to try to calm his teammates down from their first loss of the season characterized by Ma & Pa’s great hitting, Fitness Factory’s flat performance and an abundance of energy wasted on umpires’ calls that could not be changed. “Hey, this is our season here. I want a game tomorrow,” said the All-Star catcher. Like a beehive that had been stirred up Fitness Factory came out with a vengeance against pitcher Mike Shultz. With a pair of two run homers off the bats of Edwin Rodriguez and Aaron Dinkle coupled with RBI from Shane Conner, Desmond Gonzalez and Dennis Rivera, Fitness led 7-0 by the middle of the first. M & P got two runs back in the bottom of the frame with runs from Shutz and Shultz but Factory wasn’t into playing small ball. As the chilly night wore on they piled on the runs with two in the second, five in the fourth and another seven in the fifth. By that time they had extended their lead to 21-4 and won by virtue of the ten run rule after five innings. The game lacked much character and featured poor defense by Ma & Pa’s who seemed to have caught a case of frustration that Fitness Factory relinquished after their game one loss. JoJo Vankeuren got the win. With the series tied, the teams shook hands and awaited the third and deciding game on August 23.

Ma & Pa’s 10, Fitness Factory 6

Fire and Ice: Sizzling Ma &Pa’s stuns chilly Fitness Factory in finals opener

Maybe undefeated Fitness Factory team took Ma & Pa’s too lightly in the series opener but before the first inning was over, that possibility no longer existed. From Brian Kowal’s opening triple and a three-bagger by Billy Shutz two batters later, it was clear that the hard-hitting Ma & Pa’s team was not flustered by the fast pitching of Fitness Factory’s JoJo Vankeuren. If anything, coming off a weekend of fast pitching at the Turfler’s tournament at Collins Park, Vankeuren was tame compared to the heat that the M&P boys had just taken.

Mike Schultz and Jason McCann added RBI doubles to give M&P a 3-0 lead before Fitness took its first swing. Meanwhile slow pitching Jay Corman had the Fitness batters off balance. They too had just come from the fast pitch tourney and last week they got their bat speed up to Tim ‘Chopper’ Ackermann’s tempo in their sweep of Lewis Auto Parts. With an increasing sense of frustration at themselves and at the umpires over two key calls, Fitness fumed. Scoreless through the first three innings, the normally down and hard hitters popped up flies for easy outs. The game stayed close as M&P got one in the top of the fourth from an RBI single off the bat of Vinny Radesca. In the bottom of the inning, Fitness got only their fourth base runner of the game as Aaron Dinkle reached on an E-5. Jay Legenos then brought him home with a home run over the soccer goal that was situated in dead center to make it 4-2. Wayne Keiser singled but was stranded as the inning ended.

Said goal was soon to become an iconic object in this game that witnessed short tempers on both sides not aimed at the opposing team but more at themselves and at the officials. The soccer goals are part of the landscape now at Somerville Field and before the game the decision was made that anything hit directly over the nearest net (about 250 feet) was a homer. Anything to either side was all you could get. As the game progressed the nearby net was moved and it was during that movement that Jay Legenos hit the longest ball of his career. With Dan Gallo on first base after drawing a walk, Legenos’ shot which would have brought his team close at 5-4 was waved off as the umpires claimed they had called time before the swing as the net was being moved. Legenos was furious as was Gallo and their verbal agitation soon got them tossed from the game. “I hit a home run and they throw me out of the game,” is the sanitized and abbreviated version of the star centerfielder’s diatribe. Legenos eventually cooled down but Fitness Factory knew that despite that call and a disputed one at second wherein Mike DeGroat was ruled safe as he slid into the bag had the Orange and Blue turning red.

Fitness did get one run in the sixth and trailed 5-3 heading into the last frame. Any hopes of one of their miraculous comebacks vanished quickly as Radesca’s lead off single opened the floodgates to a six run rally marked by terrible fielding, hit batsman and M & P’s hard hitting. Fitness came back with three in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of RBI from Dinkle and one from Keiser but it was too little and too late. Ma & Pa’s had just spoiled the Factory’s perfect season with a 10-6 win and instead of celebrating being on the verge of a championship, Fitness Factory found itself staring down the barrel of playoff elimination.