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Once upon a time, the M Street Softball League would draw hundreds of spectators to their games on a nightly basis. The action on the field was great and the camaraderie in the stands was just as fulfilling. A resident would walk to the park; catch a game or two while socializing with their neighbors. In the middle of all of this activity would be a concession stand, a mobile truck with the words "Apple Dumplings" painted in red on the side. The owner's name was Joe and he would be parked on the corner of M Street and East Second every night serving up hotdogs, pretzels, cold drinks, and whatever else the fans and players desired.
Well, the years have passed and the crowds have thinned. However, while the city's skyline transforms itself and surrounding communities change with it, the softball league at M Street Park continues to be a neighborhood league. The players and team names have changed but they are still here competing and playing with just as much passion as their founding fathers played with before them. As times change, so does the vending process at M Street Park. Recently, several neighborhood kids (Erin Connolly and friends) saw an opportunity within the league and began selling bottles of water and lemonade at the very same spot once occupied by the Apple Dumplings truck. It's not the fancy truck but here's hoping our players set a good example for these kids to follow and of course buy plenty of water and lemonade. Now let's turn to a recap of last week's games: On Monday, the 6 House were looking to rebound from their opening losses but were stopped by the Gorilla Fingers (19-14) then were out slugged 23-20 against the L Street Tavern. My, where has the pitching gone? Monday's nightcap saw the Gorilla pick up their second win of the night when they outlasted the Tavern, 26-12. Tuesday's first game matched the Dorset Club and Full Tilt. The early start for the first game is tough on everyone but was especially tough on Dorset tonight. After scrambling to field nine players the game began with the Full Tilt plating six runs in their first at bat. Dorset never recovered in this one as they lost 18-5. Riding high from their impressive victory, Full Tilt took the field in the middle game against the Brewers and was looking for the sweep. However, the Brewers reversed the tables and cruised to the 15-3 win. The Brewers then took on the struggling Dorset club in the nightcap. The Dorset players were better prepared for this one but didn't get the desired results, losing 27-13. Wednesday's action saw the A division teams take the field for three games. In the first game, Murphy's Law played flawlessly for five innings and was beating the undefeated Lynx, 6-1. But good teams usually find a way to win and that is exactly what the Lynx did tonight. Their offense exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning which resulted in a 10-6 win. The middle game saw the Sidewalk Café looking to revenge and earlier defeat to the Lynx. Like Murphy's did the game before, Sidewalk jumped out to an early lead and was cruising into the fourth inning when trouble began. The Lynx took advantage of a couple of miscues then batted around the order to take an 11-8 lead into the last inning. Sidewalk put runners on but couldn't get any closer and fell, 13-8 to the still undefeated Lynx. In the late game, Murphy's Law was hoping to regain their A-game against the Stadium Sports Bar. However, the Stadium played great softball and made it very difficult to get anything positive going as they hammered Murphy's, 16-1. Thursday's action turned out to be the most exciting games of the week. In the first game, it was a battle of undefeated B division teams with the Seapoint Restaurant taking on the Boston Beer Garden. This game went back and forth before Seapoint took the lead in the seventh then hung on for the 14-12 win. Il Giardino then took on their rivals (Beer Garden) in the middle game and was looking to keep their undefeated record in tact. Coming off a disappointing season, the Giardino boys proved that they should be taken seriously as they crushed the Beer Garden, 17-9. The nightcap featured the two remaining undefeated B division teams - Seapoint and Il Giardino. This game was plated with playoff intensity as both teams clearly wanted to stay on top of the standings. In the end, it was the Il Giardino's Mike Kenny who smacked the game winner to right field edging out Seapoint, 15-14. No surprise here as the heavy rain that fell on Friday washed away the games. The league is already at its maximum make up allowance. There simply isn't any more room to accommodate makeup games so we are hoping for blue skies the rest of the way. M Street Softball is played Monday through Friday with games starting at 6pm, 7:30, and 9pm. Due to the upcoming holiday, the teams will play tonight but then be off until Wednesday, July 5th. Have a save and happy Fourth of July holiday and we hope to see you at the park! |