Each of the four teams advanced to the semis last week by winning a quarter final playoff series. The Lynx proved that they remain the league's elite by knocking off the very talented Beer Garden team in two straight games. In both games, the Beer Garden kept pace through five innings but then ran into trouble in each before eventually losing, 9-5 and 21-7. The Lynx's Kevin O'Hara had a series high, 6 hits and 8 RBI. Coach Danny Ekasala says that he and his troops have played over 60 games this season to prepare for moments like these.

Meanwhile, the Stadium warmed up their offense against Seapoint as they hammered their foe, 12-2 and 13-3. Robbie Rogers (3 HR, 9 RBI) paced the Stadium attack and got great support from Tom Patella and Steven Couturier. While Rogers was dominating on one side of the plate, pitcher John Gregorio was just as sharp in staying out of big innings and getting key outs.

The third quarter final series matched the Moran (B) division's top team, Il Giardino Café, against the third place Feeney (A) finisher, Sidewalk Café. Game one was tied through four innings of play but then the Sidewalk offense came to life in the fifth scoring four runs. Sidewalk held onto the lead and snagged the (8-4) win then ended the series with a 24-10 game two victory. Although Il Giardino fell in the series this writer believes that they will rebound and contend with the best in the very near future.

The fourth quarter final measured up to expectations as Murphy's Law and the Spartans needed three games to decide a winner. Murphy's dominated the first game of the series winning 10-3 and was up big (9-3) in the second game when the Spartans sprung to life and stole the game in the bottom of the sixth with a nine run inning.

In the game three rubber match it was all defense and pitching as both teams played their best softball of the year. Pitchers, Eric Malerba (Murphy's Law) and Nick French (Spartans) matched fastball for fastball and got great defensive support inning after inning. The game remained 2-2 through five and it was looking like the two teams would need several extra innings to determine a series winner.

However, the Spartans threatened to take the lead in the sixth when they put runners on the corners with nobody out. After an infield ground out that couldn't plate the runner home Malerba took a line drive off the pitching arm. Amazingly, he quickly recovered and held the runner at third then fired a strike to first for the second out. A routine fly ball later and Murphy's had escaped a jam and had the momentum going into the bottom of the sixth.

Murphy's fed off that play and didn't waste any time when Mike Quirk put his team ahead smashing the first pitch he saw for a homerun to deep right center field. Nick Herz followed Quirk with another laser shot almost to the same place. Within two pitches Murphy's had suddenly opened up the game and led 4-2. Murphy's added another run making it 5-2 but it wasn't easy as the hard throwing lefty French stayed tough getting two strikeouts in the inning to keep the game within reach.

Malerba went back to work in the seventh and quickly got the first two batters he faced. However, his counterpart Nick French then kept the Spartans hopes alive when he singled to right. Andrew Shirkoff then followed with a long double to left center that scored French making it 5-3. Suddenly, the Spartans had the tying run at the plate in the likes of rookie Vin Milano. On a 0-1 count Milano kept the rally going with a single to right. With the game quickly slipping away from Murphy's, Malerba got the next batter to hit a pop fly that was fittingly caught by Malerba himself ending the well played game and series.

The thrilling win put Murphy's Law on a collision course with the top seeded Lynx in a best of five semi-finals that began on Monday. Surprisingly, Murphy's played the Lynx very tough this year with each regular season game being decided by four runs or less. If Murphy's continues the trend then this could be a long and memorable series.

The other semi-final matches the Sidewalk Café and the Stadium Sports Bar in what should turn out to be another classic M Street series. The two teams split the season series with none of the game scores (15-8, 10-4, 17-7, and 18-8) being close. However, with a trip to the finals on the line the games in this series could all be decided in the last at bat. Members of both teams have been looking forward to this series since the beginning of April. It should be a great one.

Both best of five series were about to start at press time so there is no telling where each will be when this article hits the newsstands on Thursday. It is possible that the series could be continuing tonight so you may want to drop by the park. If you missed the semi's this week then make sure you catch a game or two next week as the finals get underway. Game times are 6:30 and 8pm. You can always check our website for schedule changes and additional league news at: www.sbsports.com

In closing, the league would like to congratulate the members of the Stadium Sports Bar who played in and won the A.S.A. Metro Boston tournament this weekend. The tournament was held in Revere and the winners received an open bid to compete in the A.S.A. Championships held in York, Pennsylvania. M Streeter's Charlie Connors, Rob Rogers, Jack Rogers (winning pitcher in all 4 games), Leo Greeley, Paul Gurley, and John Martin have their tickets punched for a Labor Day weekend spent on the softball diamonds. The Stadium joins the Lynx as the second M Street Softball team to be invited to the A.S.A.'s season ending championships. Good luck and do us proud boys!

Front row left to right - Jack Rogers, Charlie Connors, Rob Rogers, Steven Couturier, Leo Greeley, and Paul Gurley.
Back row - TBD1, TBD2, TBD3, TBD4, John Martin, and Martinez.