WESTFIELD – The 11 teams that make up the Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Friday Adult Softball leagues began the 2015 postseason at Whitney Park, aided by lots of runs, some drama and a pair of big statements made by some surprising teams.
After the two leagues were combined to form one standings table, the top six teams went to the ‘A’ bracket, while the bottom five teams qualified for the ‘B’ bracket. Micro Abrasives won their play-in game and then took down one of the two league champions to earn their two wins in the A bracket, while Savage Arms earned half of their season win total in one night, pulling off a pair of upsets to reach the semifinals of the B bracket.
Micro Abrasives v. Balls Deep (14-6)/Berkshire Industries-Firtion Adams (13-1)
The No. 6 seed finished the year percentage points behind No. 3 Balls Deep, but the M/W club took control of the first matchup between the two leagues early and often. Micro scored in five of the seven innings and held Balls Deep to single runs in four innings to win the play-in game of the A bracket. Micro used a 16-hit attack, highlighted by a two-run home run by Eric Searles and a three-run shot by Joe Jachym.
The momentum continued into the next game, where Micro’s offense once again combined with a more convincing defensive effort to run-rule co-champion BI/FA in six innings. Paul St. Pierre scattered eight hits and was gifted with a pair of double plays in the first two innings and Colby Blasencek hit a three-run laser to left field, striking a car headlight on the fly. Searles hit his second home run of the night–another three-run shot during Micro’s five-run fifth inning.
Savage Arms v. Shortstop Bar and Grill (16-11)/Elm Pizza (8-7)
The No. 5 seed in the B bracket had a tough summer competing in the same league as the four teams with 20 or more wins on Mondays and Wednesdays, but they left Whitney Monday night with a two-game winning streak. Savage upset their M/W rivals in the opening game of the night, using a nine-run fifth inning to take the upperhand of what was a back-and-forth slugfest early in the game. Tommy Davis belted a grand slam to highlight the 28-hit outburst and six of the following seven batters recorded hits to give the visitors a lead which they did not relinquish, saving their best defense for the final two innings.
Savage needed a little late drama to upset Elm Pizza in the second game, falling behind 7-6 after six innings thanks to back-to-back home runs from Andrew Carmel and Norman Torres. Cris Acevedo and Chris Randautte helped the Savage rally, driving in Mark Davis and Greg Quinones to retake the lead. Elm Pizza placed their leadoff man on base on a slow-rolling double up the middle, but Savage recorded a key double play after the runner from second overran third base.
Maple Leaf: 15, Tavern: 11
Savage Arms will face No. 2 Maple Leaf in the winner’s bracket for a chance to reach the championship after the No. 2 seed used a nine-run inning to take their first lead and hold off No. 3 Tavern. After falling behind 4-0 after one inning, Maple Leaf recorded 10 hits from the first 12 batters the second time through their lineup. Eight batters drove in at least one run, highlighted by Justin LaBarre’s two-run triple to take the lead. Tavern eventually tied the score at 11 in the fifth inning, but a Brian Cummings inside-the-park home run gave Leaf the lead in the bottom of the frame and three RBI singles in the sixth inning gave the home team enough insurance.
Hangar: 21, Dog Pound: 6 (4)
The second co-champion during the M/W league fell via a mercy rule one game after Berkshire lost in the same fashion. The No. 5 seed finished the regular season half a game behind the two champions and their offense exploded in the second inning, tallying eight runs, and followed that up with a seven-run third inning to pull off the upset. Josh Kopeski belted two home runs to lead the 19-hit parade. The Hangar will face Micro Abrasives in the semifinals for a spot in the championship of the A bracket.
