Monticello Men’s Softball Culligan Division Finals

Lewis can’t stop Fitness Factory juggernaut

Undefeated Factory rides Salazar extra-inning blast to sweep Lewis Auto Parts in playoffs

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY — It just seemed as if like was their year.

Face it, if Lewis Auto Parts, the Monticello Softball League’s collection of heavy hitters and bearer of the league’s best pitcher, couldn’t stop Fitness Factory (17-0), who could? Fitness Factory completed its season-long hex of Lewis Auto Parts, with an 8-5 extra inning victory over the men in black on August 18.

Alex Salazar’s monstrous eighth-inning, three-run homer over the head of center fielder Chris Hubert broke a 5-5 tie that resulted from a three-run, seventh-inning Lewis rally. The win completed a two-game sweep of Lewis Auto Parts, the league’s statistical batting leaders. It propelled Fitness Factory, the 2005 Culligan Division title holders, into the Monticello Men’s Softball championship series against Bickham Division playoff survivors Ma & Pa’s. The game was scheduled to begin on August 22.

It could be argued that Lewis might have been able to break Fitness Factory’s unbeaten streak if they had fielded their full complement of players. But with Matt Buddenhagen off coaching Cornwall’s football team, Kurt Buddenhagen and Chris Reichmann similarly occupied with Sullivan West’s gridders, Billy Smith away at fast-pitch nationals and John Fanning sidelined with a broken ankle, Lewis’ chances of upsetting the fabulous Fitness Factory were marginalized.

In what has become typical of the games between the league’s two best teams, Fitness Factory—armed with great talent, speed and moxie—found a way to prevent Lewis from winning in the bottom of the seventh with great defense. Then they came back to win it late, this time with the long ball.

Despite Lewis’ incomplete roster, the pitching match-up looked to favor Lewis, as Fitness ace JoJo Vankeuren was missing in action again. Vankeueren, an ardent bowler, is committed to phasing out bowling pins, not batters on Thursday evenings. Shane Conner, the game-one winner, took the mound in his stead.

Once again, Lewis hit the ball with all of their might. Unfortunately for them, Fitness is the league’s best defensive team. Jay Legenos had Lewis’ heads shaking, after running down a Craig Smith liner to center. Legenos, who had an off night in game one, came back with a gold glove in game two, catching anything remotely near him.

In the infield, Mike Weiner, Edwin Rodriguez and Desmond Gonzalez showed their leather with feisty fielding. As a result, though Lewis nearly tore the cover off the ball with their hitting, much of it never got through to the open green.

Fitness was in good shape early with a two-run lead in the top of the first. With two outs and Dan Gallo on first, Aaron Dinkle hit a towering home run. Conner blanked Lewis for the first two innings, but the men in black came up with a run in the bottom of the third, on an RBI single by Frank Exner. Chris Hubert was tagged out at home, trying to score on a double by Craig Smith.

Meanwhile, Lewis’ Tim ‘Chopper’ Ackermann was burning catcher E.T. Toledo’s hand with his blazing fastball. Factory got no runs for three innings, as the veteran hurler fired some of his best stuff. Fitness squeaked out a run in the fifth, sixth and seventh, courtesy of a sac fly by Keith Shaddock, a skyrocket homerun by Jay Legenos and a sac fly from captain Edwin Rodriquez.

Lewis roared back in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases and getting a sac fly from Exner to make the score 5-4. Brian Kitson tied the game with an RBI double.

After an intentional walk to Bob Glassel, Conner induced a ground out from E.T. Toledo to end the rally and the teams headed into the eighth.

With one swing Legenos was at third with no one out. Wayne Keiser walked and then Alex Salazar hit a monstrous homerun over centerfielder Chris Hubert’s head. When the dust cleared and the cheering died down, Fitness Factory led 8-5, while Lewis players shook their heads in disbelief. Lewis went quietly in the eighth and their long season finally came to an end.

With Ma & Pa’s sweep of ABC Title in the Bickham Divisional playoffs, the mantle of trying to defeat this year’s juggernaut now falls solely on their shoulders in the league finals, scheduled to begin on August 22.

Fitness might look like the favorite going into the finals, but there are no guarantees. Anything can happen, and if this writer’s hunch is correct, the finals are apt to be a real page-turner.