Monticello Men’s Softball League

Lewis Auto Parts make short work of Schmidt’s Wholesale

Bojo’s RBI single ends game in five innings

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY —When a heavy beam fell on the thumb of Lewis Auto Parts’ legendary hurler Tim “Chopper” Ackermann, the veteran probably feared the worst: the inability to pitch. But there he was on June 15, suited up and ready to give it a try.

“I’ll see how it feels,” said Ackermann who turned the ball over to Brian “Mooner” Buday for the game against Schmidt’s Wholesale.

Mooner has years of experience and having two pitchers of such caliber on the same team gives Lewis an edge over most teams in the Monticello Men’s Softball League. Chopper sat out the first game but started the second game versus Rockbar. He pitched well in the first inning, but ended up leaving in the second as his thumb continued to swell and give him pain.

Mooner’s mix of varied speeds had Schmidt’s batters off balance from the get go. Leadoff batter Billy Wagner got fooled on his first at-bat when Mooner threw him an off-speed pitch on a three-and-two count.

“I expected the fast ball,” said Wagner who grounded out. “We’re just not getting good swings,” Wagner said in the third inning after reaching first by virtue of being hit by a pitch. The team’s lone run came via an RBI single by Jay Hook in the second inning that scored Kyle Brasington, who got on by smacking an opposite-field single. That at-bat was a preview of coming attractions. With their fine fielding, which included Joe Meyer’s stellar play at third, Schmidt’s was limited to four hits over the course of the shortened game.

Lewis put the game out of reach in the first inning, scoring nine runs and sending 13 batters to the plate. With Schmidt’s pitcher Dave Serrano having difficulty finding the strike zone, Lewis drew three walks in the first inning. RBI doubles by Brian Kitson and E.T. Toledo piled up runs, as did Stu Parson’s two-run shot, which turned into an E-8. Chris Reichmann had a sac fly. A run scored when Schmidt’s first baseman Lonnie Nielsen ran out of bounds after catching Reichmann’s pop up. The rest of the mayhem was wrought by Cody Bojo’s RBI single and two more runs that were plated when Joe Meyer’s shot to the outfield was dropped.

Bojo had an RBI double to add a run in the third inning and drove in the game-winning 11th run in the fifth, driving in Bob Glassell.

Lewis Auto Parts improved to 6-1, while Schmidt’s Wholesale fell to 4-6.

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