25th Annual Eddie Collins Memorial Softball Tournament

Gremlins prevail in weekend of stellar softball

National champions excel in twelve-team field as great games abound

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONGAUP VALLEY, NY - It’s a rare treat to see softball played at the level on display at the 25th Annual Eddie Collins Memorial Tournament held at the park that bears his name.

On hand this year were the Gremlins, sponsored by Champion Construction. The men in green and white are the 2005 ASA Major Men’s Modified national champions for 2004 and 2005, and the reigning Collins Tournament champions. The Gremlins defeated the Maryland Shockers 13-0 in last year’s national championship behind the pitching of Jared Martin.

This time around, the Gremlins lived up to their reputation, emerging as the 2006 Collins Memorial champs with an 11-5 victory over Globe, the team that finished as runner up to the Gremlins a year ago.

Last year, the championship game was cancelled due to torrential rains and the Gremlins won the title by virtue of being undefeated up to that point in the tournament. This year, the tournament’s two top teams went at it in a late game on August 13.

The Gremlins, who had already downed Zubi’s Lawn Care of Middletown 9-1, got by ADCO Tool Shed of Staten Island by the margin of 1-0. The game, which proved to be the best one of the tournament, featured a pitching duel between Gremlin’s starter Steve Price and ADCO’s Jim Shojk. The Gremlins got their sole run in the first inning on a double by Price that sailed over first base. Shojk pitched a fabulous game but Price was even better.

The Gremlins won the tourney title by soundly beating Globe 11-5, using a six-run first inning outburst, fueled by RBI from Mo Kandous, Steve Price, a three-run double from John Heinsch, and an RBI single from Frankie Tiburcio. Gremlins’ starting pitcher Steve Mikos held Globe to one run through the first three innings, an RBI triple from Mark Lindsey. The reigning champs piled on four more runs in the third on a pair of two-run homers from Jordan Taveras and Dustin McConnell.

Gremlins young hurler Nicoli Vasquez came on to pitch in the fifth inning. Throwing some heat that Globe onlookers estimated to be close to 90 miles per hour, Vasquez was impressive but did give up a double to Jimmy Pescatore that scored two runs. After allowing Juan Goris to reach on an error in the top of the seventh, Vasquez retired the next three batters in order to save the win for Mikos.

Tournament MVP John Rozich added a thunderous homer to left center in the fourth inning. It was his fourth home run of the tournament, during which he drove in 11 runs.

Globe had legendary pitching icon Marcelino Solano on the mound but the 50-plus year-old ace, who had fared well during the tourney, was hit hard by the nation’s best modified men’s team. Globe pitcher Damian Stewart, who had pitched Globe through most of their late tournament success, was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.

Globe, who was playing their fourth game of the day, fought back with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. They got one more in the seventh. Globe had previously lost to ADCO Tool Shed 5-2 to get thrust into the losers’ bracket but went on to beat LP Tree/Armory Inn 9-7, Zubi’s by the score of 8-0 and ADCO 9-6, before succumbing to the Gremlins.

In other earlier action on Sunday, LP Tree/Armory Inn outlasted Devries Concrete 23-14. That lengthy game severely backed up the day’s schedule. Deerpark Oil defeated local standouts D-Tech that usually go by the name of Fitness Factory. Deerpark Oil was defeated by Zubi’s.

Great softball action marks opening night and Saturday

The tournament got underway on Friday, August 11 with a quartet of games.

In opening night action, Zubi’s rode the stellar pitching of Steve Platt to down local standouts D-Tech by the score of 8-0. Kestlers defeated Deerpark Oil 7-4, ADCO Tool Shed upended Devries Concrete 15-4 and All Pro held off a late comeback from LP Tree/Armory Inn by the score of 8-7.

On Saturday, action heated up as Zubi’s defeated Fort Apache 10-6 after a slow start. A towering homer from Platt topped the trees in left. ADCO went through their lineup once before blasting Ma ‘n’ Pa’s 12-0.

Defending national titleholder and former Collins tournament winners Champion Construction Gremlins overcame early problems with their gloves to down Kestler’s Well Drilling 11-3. After spotting Kestlers an early 3-1 lead, the Gremlins’ bats heated up with a pair of towering homers from John Rozich, one of which topped the Budweiser sign in center field. The Gremlins got great pitching from Rodney DeGroat and awesome relief from Vasquez to shut Kestler’s down.

A hard-fought contest between Deerpark Oil and All-Pro’s livened the late afternoon action. Deerpark Oil broke out to a 7-0 first inning lead, but All-Pros battled back by getting six in the bottom of the fourth to close within one run trailing 9-8. Deerpark Oil pitcher Timmy Martin worked his way through some control problems as his team staked him to five runs over the final three innings, which allowed Deerpark to hold on to a 14-11 win. Martin recorded two strikeouts in the seventh to ice the win.

On Saturday night, the much-anticipated winner’s bracket semi final between Zubi’s and Champion Construction/Gremlins got underway. Right-handed pitcher Steve Mikos on the mound for Champion Construction proved to be too much heat for Zubi’s. Lefty super-hurler Steve Price came on in relief to close the door in the sixth. The Gremlins won by the eight-run rule on a game winning single by Tiburcio.

While Platt held Champion Construction to one run over the first two innings, the Gremlins’ bats started to smoke as long balls flew out of the park courtesy of Mo Kandous and Rozich. Booming triples from George McConnell and Frank Tiburcio added fuel to the fire as Champion Construction/Gremlins started to zone Platt pitches. The final score was 9-1.

ADCO defeated Globe 5-2 in the other winner’s bracket semifinal.

Kudos to tournament organizer Dennis Dietrich for bringing such a great event to Sullivan County.

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