Monticello Men’s Softball League Championship

A perfect fit

Fitness Factory sweeps All Ways Taxi for title three-peat to complete first undefeated season

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY - For an immensely talented, up-and-coming team like All Ways Taxi, the future looks bright. Some observers believe they may be the team to finally end the Fitness Factory dynasty. Mike Greco, league commissioner and manager of the Sullivan Sports Bulldogs, had hoped it would be his team that would end the juggernaut.

But not this year.

Fitness Factory’s’ stranglehold on the Monticello Men’s Softball League was extended on August 20 as the reigning champs defeated All Ways Taxi by winning game two 13-7, following its 7-5 win in game one on August 17.

This year’s championship gave the team a title three-peat following championship wins over Lewis Auto Parts in 2005 and Sullivan Sports in 2006. This year’s crown punctuated the team’s best season, which goes in the books with an unblemished mark of 23-0.

Fitness Factory had readily disposed of Styles Barber Shop in the semifinal round before ousting All Ways Taxi, which had beaten Sullivan Sports the round before. All Ways Taxi completed its season with a mark of 19-7.

Both teams had their share of all-stars on the field. All Ways Taxi pitcher Todd Vankeuren, third baseman Corey Vankeuren, shortstop Ashton Richards and right fielder Dave Soderblom were chosen as Coney Division All Stars. Fitness Factory’s Keith Shaddock won the Bickham Division All-Star nod at catcher, along with Dan Gallo at second base, Aaron Dinkel in left field, Jay Falasca in center field and JoJo Vankeuren at the mound.

Shaddock, Gallo, Dinkel, Soderblom, Todd and Corey Vankeuren were chosen as first team, all-league all-stars. Others selected to the league’s first team all-stars included Sullivan Sports’ Julian Dawson at first base and Dez Williams at second base, and Jim Moloney from Ideal Snacks in center field.

Game two of the championship series was played in a steady drizzle under overcast skies. Fitness Factory was anxious to dispose of its Liberty-based rivals in one game to complete the sweep, and avoid a third game, which would have been played in the foul weather.

Fitness Factory scored a run in the top of the first on a RBI double by Gallo. Vankeuren induced two fly outs to end the inning and limit the damage. Feisty All Ways Taxi got good swings on Tim “Chopper” Ackermann in their half of the first, getting RBI from Mike Mann, Corey Vankeuren and Casey Pazzalia to take the early 3-1 lead.

That lead proved to be short-lived, as fiery Fitness Factory mounted a nine-run assault in the second inning that would give them a lead they would never relinquish. Alex Salazar drew a leadoff walk and a single to Denny Rivera. A walk to Des Gonzalez loaded the bases with no outs. A single by Mike Weiner drove in two runs. Shaddock followed that with a three-run homer. With two more runners aboard, Falasca launched a rocket to deep center for another three-run blast. That gave him a series-leading total of seven RBI and three home runs. A double by Salazar made it 10-3.

Chopper worked around an E-6 to retire the side in the second inning. As the innings progressed, the veteran hurler got stronger and craftier, mixing in change ups with his heater and knuckler. By game’s end, he had struck out four batters and walked none.

In return, his team staked him to a 13-3 lead in the top of the third, as Falasca hit another thunderous three-run homer. All Ways Taxi’s Richards made a great play at short on a ball hit by Mike Weiner at the start of the inning.

Both teams went scoreless for the rest of the game until All Ways Taxi picked up a run on a leadoff sonic blast home run by Corey Pazzalia in the bottom of the seventh. Four of the other runs scored by All Ways Taxi during the night were driven in by Corey’s brother Casey, a former Liberty High School baseball all star who now plays for Sullivan County Community College.

With the final out, Fitness Factory and its group of fans rushed the mound and were bathed in a shower of sparkling stuff diligently dispersed by JoJo Vankeuren. All Ways Taxi posed at home plate with the second-place trophy before Fitness Factory assumed the limelight with theirs.

Visit riverreportersports.com for albums of pictures from both championship series games.