Monticello Men’s Softball Championship Game One

Fitness Factory rides ‘Jay day’ and true grit in game one

Talented All Ways Taxi gives champs all they can handle in clash of league’s best

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY - During the Brooklyn Dodgers’ painful World Series losses to the New York Yankees that saw Brooklyn’s best fall to the Dodgers four times from 1947 to 1953, the headlines in the Brooklyn Eagle would always read, “Wait Till Next Year.”

That year finally arrived in 1955 when the Dodgers overcame the Yankees’ mystique to win its only championship in the Borough of Brooklyn, giving their adoring and loyal fans something they will always remember.

In the Monticello Men’s Softball league, for those teams trying to unseat two-time champion Fitness Factory, the same mantra has been in force: “Wait till next year.” Whether it was Lewis Auto Parts or Sullivan Sports trying to better the league elite, the results have always been the same. Play tough, maybe even win a game like Sullivan Sports did last year, but in the end watch the sea of orange and blue rush the mound and celebrate again.

This year’s anticipated rematch of Sullivan Sports and Fitness Factory, the two teams with the best records, never even came to pass because All Way Taxi showed its superiority over Greco’s Bulldogs and claimed its right to be this year’s gladiator heading into the lion’s den. The Bulldogs had squeaked by All Ways Taxi in game one of the semi finals by dint of good fortune, but were buried by All Ways Taxi in games two and three.

One look at the way All Ways Taxi came out against Fitness Factory and it was easy to see why. All Ways Taxi is a talented team comprised of many former Liberty High School All-Star baseball players. Todd Vankeuren is their pitcher, and they have a remarkable infield that snared some of the fiery liners that flew off the bats of Fitness Factory’s experienced hitters.

The game featured a clash of opposites that made for great drama. Todd Vankeuren faced off against his brother JoJo, who pitches for Fitness Factory in the opener on August 17 in a series that features a cross-county battle between players from Liberty and Monticello.

In the end, it would come down to Fitness Factory’s old-school class, experience and grit, versus All Ways Taxi’s new-school swagger, fire, speed, leather and hard hitting.

The problem for All Ways Taxi is that all of their fine assets are also held by the defending champs. All Ways Taxi’s Corey Vankeuren made some great snares of liners at third but Fitness Factory’s Jay Falasca’s highlight running and tumbling catches in center field were legendary.

But Fitness Factory possesses an ace up its sleeve: experience. Press them, as All Ways Taxi did by getting out to an early lead, and it’s like swatting a beehive with a bat. The joy of seeing the hive knocked down is soon replaced by the reality of being stung by the bees you’ve unsettled.

All Ways came out firing, with Ashton Richards’ lead off liner and Mike Mann’s single that set the table for Corey Vankeuren’s two-run double. Casey Pazzalia’s rope off JoJo plated another run, and the new kids on the block were pumped and stoked.

“Now it’s our turn,” yelled the Factory as they returned to the dugout, but it wasn’t their quite their turn yet. A leadoff single by Keith Shaddock never materialized into anything, following a fly out and a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of slugger Aaron “Red” Dinkel.

Intent on piling on runs, All Ways Taxi suddenly found Fitness Factory’s defense a daunting obstacle. Despite an E-1 that put runners on first and second, Fitness Factory’s infield held fast to escape unscathed in the second. In their half of the inning, they put up a deuce, starting with a lead-off homer by Falasca, the opening act of “Jay Day.” His two stunning hit-robbing, rally-busting, heart-breaking catches in center would be acts two and three. A dicey leadoff bunt that started a big rally would be an addendum.

Edwin “Flaco” Rodriguez showed Fitness Factory’s own brand of hustle. stretching a single into a double. He came around to score the inning’s second run on a passed ball, following a great play in the field where the ball hit hard by Wayne Keiser veered off All Ways’ third baseman’s glove into the glove of the shortstop and on to first for the out.

JoJo’s pitches were flying off of All Way’s bats with authority, but his fielders were backing him up in championship style. Shane Conner made a great grab at short on a seed hit by Corey Vankeuren, and the Taxi stalled again in the third.

In the bottom of the third, Fitness Factory took the lead. Mike Weiner roped a double to deep left, and Shaddock’s liner up the middle got by the centerfielder for a RBI triple. Conner’s sac fly made it 4-3 and Fitness Factory would lead for the rest of the game.

All Ways Taxi continued to get really good swings on JoJo’ pitches, but the team’s fielding was superb. Falasca’s two great catches came in the fourth and fifth innings, as he robbed Scott Hamlin and Mike Salvia respectively.

In the fourth inning, Fitness Factory’s bats came alive as they scored four runs to make it 7-3.

Falasca’s prior long ball had All Ways’ fielders back on their heels, the perfect time for the vet to lay down a leadoff bunt. Rodriguez lined a double to bring him in, and an E-5 allowed Kaiser to reach safely. All Ways got two fly outs and looked like they might escape additional damage. But Desmond Gonzalez, another tried and true Fitness warrior, came through with a single, after the runner had moved up on a passed ball. But that would be it for Fitness Factory’s scoring, a paltry seven runs that they would try to make stand up over the latter innings.

All Ways Taxi finally broke out of their four-inning drought as they made a serious challenge in the sixth. Putting together hits by Casey Pazzalia and RBI-producing hits by Matt Stoddard and Adam Lake, All Ways was threatening with only one out. Two fine infield grabs and put outs extinguished the fire.

In their last at bat, All Ways got the tying run to the plate, following an uncharacteristic E-3 that saw what should have been the game-ending put-out hit by Dave Soderblom bounce to short. But the throw from short popped out of Des Gonzalez’s glove. “Send me another,” he challenged next batter Mike Mann.

Mann chose an even worse target for the game’s final at-bat: Falasca.

Game over. Fitness Factory remained undefeated this season, recording its 22nd consecutive win and finding itself one game shy of the title three-peat. Its play in the fast pitch Middletown League this season, and its entry in highly competitive tournaments, have made its play in the Monticello league that much more daunting. If they continue to win games even when they don’t play well like they did in game one, we may be reading “Wait Till Next Year” to our grandchildren.

Fitness Factory gathered around Rodriguez, who noted, “That’s how we play. We stick together as a team.” The group sat briefly, prior to making the trip to Middletown for a 9:30 p.m. game against Styles Barber Shop in the Turfler Tournament.

Fitness Factory and All Ways Taxi concluded their series on August 20 (see “A Perfect Fit,” page 28). Visit riverreportersports.com for more photos.