In the very competitive Lucas division the Stadium Club has rebounded nicely from last year and is enjoying a great season. Newcomers Javier Colon (.559) and Greg Carter (.563) have given coach Paul Gurley more than he has asked for at the plate and in the field. Pitchers John Gregorio, Sam Acevedo, and Joey Burke have contributed nicely to the cause with each possessing a winning record. Also in the division is the first year club, El Presidente (4-8-1), who has found the competition tough so far. Coach Cliff Ansara has a great group of proven winners who will be a force to reckon with in the playoffs. Pitcher Joe Venuti, Pedro Subervi, and Alberto Perez are each enjoying successful campaigns in their first season of play. The defending champions Sidewalk Café are struggling this season as they deal with the sudden loss of several players to retirement. The team went through this before and recovered quickly so one doesn’t want to count them out of the running just yet.

Over in the Buckey Feeney division, Il Giardino had a great opportunity to close the gap between them and the Beer Garden but fell hard, 13-4. Coach Marc Cerone says that this one was a stinker from the first inning as his team struggled against the veteran ball club. Well, they will have another shot against the Beer Garden on July 10th to see if they can narrow the lead. Andy Breda (.714), Kevin Cronin (.552), John Gallagher (.516), and Pat Gallagher (21 RBI) are pacing the Il Giardino attack while Nick Kleimola and Dave Riberio lead from the mound. Just below Il Giardino are Full Tilt, Tweeter, and the Brewers who are all vying for the last two playoff spots in the division. One of them will not qualify by season’s end so the next three weeks should provide a lot of excitement for these three teams. Jeremy Covino (.658), Eric Ayers (.593), and John Gulino (20 RBI) lead the offense attack for Full Tilt while steady John Pathe has collected all of his team’s wins on the mound. Although they are the most improved team on the mound (Eric Malerba and Steve Mills), Tweeter has not enjoyed the success they imagined. That could all change in the next three weeks as the new pieces finally find their comfort zone. Steve Stalcup (.568) and Joe Cavaleri (.529) have both been great additions to coach Dave Conti’s team. At 6-8 and looking from the outside in, the Brewers cannot afford to let any games slip away from them. Winning a game in the bottom of the seventh inning on a 2-run homerun by Dan Brown (.633) is exactly what this team needed heading down the stretch. Mike Hourihan (.479) and Robin Blatt-Eisengart (.478) are hot at the plate and will look to continue their ways. Injured teammate Fran Coffey (shoulder) is hoping they qualify so he can make a return to the lineup.

In the Moran division, it’s the L Street Tavern who is sneaking up on the division leader. Winning three straight games against the Dorset Club has L Street in a great position to qualify for the playoffs. Key games against the Isotopes and Murphy’s Law remain on the schedule but coach Joe Pillar will have his team ready. Aron Jacobson (.667), Pillar (.543), and Trevor Donelan (.529) have paced the hitting attack thus far. Trailing slightly behind is Murphy’s Law who can catch the leaders as they still have games remaining against both teams they are chasing. Leo Greeley (.577), Christian Lynch (.714), Tim Malley (.603), and John Young (.543) are all enjoying their finest season at M Street. The season has been especially rewarding to Greeley, who has jumped around from team to team trying to find a place where he can prove himself. Batting .577 and leading his team with 24 RBI and 6 homeruns – I think he found a home! With only four defeats, the Isotopes can make a move to the top before all is said and done. Coach Chris Evans and his team of gritty ball players are looking forward to the playoffs in their first year of play. Mike Clark (.632), Chris Fatzinger (.571), Mike O’Donnell (.765), Mike Fatzinger (.690), Chris Socha (.647), Mike Sullivan (.576), and Brian Tiedge (.760), have made the Isotopes a very tough team to pitch against.

In closing, there have been a few injuries that have occurred on the field this season making this writer think twice about the safety of our playing field. Fran Coffey was injured earlier in the season when he fell and landed on his shoulder. Last week, an Isotopes player suffered a serious injury to his ankle and leg when he tried to slide into third base. It is a known fact that the dirt on our field has fossilized over the years and is now feeling more like concrete. Is it acceptable for a player to come away with several cuts on his leg after sliding into a base? I have played on many softball fields across the state and folks this isn’t the case. On these fields, the dirt is soft and forgiving. At the end of the season, I will again ask the city’s Parks Department to consider M Street Park as a field that is in need of restoration. We were turned down this year as the city chose six other fields to repair. Hopefully, they hear our concerns this time around and take care of the field and put a stop to the injuries.

M Street Softball is played Monday through Friday with games starting at 6pm, 7:30, and 9pm. The players look forward to seeing you in our stands at an upcoming game.