If the first two nights of the season are an indication of things to come, St. Marys Men’s League softball should have an exciting 2020 season at the Robin Road Extension Softball Complex.
The first four games of the season were decided by five runs or less, including a one-run and a two-run game on opening night.
In the first game of the season, a rematch between defending league champion St. Marys Insurance and Allegheny Coatings, SMI came back from a ten-run deficit to beat the Goats 12-11.
The Goats grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Dillon Kline and an RBI ground out by Justin Quiggle.
The Goats extended the lead to 10-0 in the second inning behind RBI singles from Jake Geer, Joe Jacob, Ricky Pearsall and a two-run homerun from Kline.
SMI battled back, scoring a run in the second and then exploding for six more in the fourth, mainly off the bat of Ben Cortina, who hit a grand slam to cut the lead to 10-7.
Ben Cortina is congratulated by his teammates after hitting a grandslam.
The big hit for SMI came in bottom of the sixth came in the form of a three run dinger by Kyle Garner to put SMI ahead for good 12-11.
Garner and Cortina each had two hits each for SMI (1-0) and collected four RBI’s.
Kline led the Goats (0-1), going 3 for 4 with a pair of dingers and 4 RBI’s. Dalton Kline and Derek Meyer each added three hits each and Rich Quiggle doubled in the losing effort.
In the nightcap Monday night, the Buttonwood/East End Beverage Honkey Spuds turned back a late rally by Tyler Landscape to escape with an 11-9 win.
The Spuds scored a pair of runs in the first inning but put up a six spot in the third to give them an 8-0 lead. Nate Ball, Zip McKimm, Matt Kriner, Garrett Hornung, Ryan Breslin and Bobby Jack all singled in the inning.
Tyler (0-1) finally got on the board in the fourth when a single by Bucky Benson scored Andy Eck and Josh Pollino to cut the lead to 8-2.
Kriner added a two-run homerun to make it 11-3, setting up Tyler’s furious comeback attempt.
Matt Kriner hits a two run homerun Monday night against Tyler Landscape.
The Landscapers sent fourteen batters to the plate in the seventh, scoring six runs, but came up just short, losing 11-9. Dalton Bauer tripled in during the rally, Brock Lewis doubled and Jude Salvaggio, Eric Bush, Jordan Weinzierl, Andy Eck and Pollino all singled.
Tuesday saw all three of the new teams in action, with one, Carlson Technologies, coming away a winner, 10-5 over N & S Contractors. Deprators Beverage fell to Eckert Technical Services 6-3.
ETS scored a run in the first, three in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth to secure their win. In their three-run fourth, Kyler Lenox tripled, and Colby Lenox doubled.
Ryan Heary hit a two-run triple and later scored in the top seventh of the seventh to account for all Deprators scoring.
For ETS (1-0), Jared Groll added a triple and Josh Zelinski had a pair of hits.
Heary (2 RBI’s) and Bryce O’Leary led Deprators (0-1) offensively, both collecting a pair of hits. Ryan Newton’s RBI single accounted for the Deprator run.
Carlson’s (1-0) scored everything they would need in the first, plating eight runs enroute to their 10-5 win over N & S Contractors (0-1). Eric Herzing and Travis Menteer both doubled and Eric Herzing, Mike Miraglia, Mick Vogt, Brandon Tyger, Ben Thompson, Alex Dattoli, Mark Schaberl and Nick Dattoli all singled.
Miraglia added a two-run homer in the fourth to put the finishing touches on the victory.
Miraglia led the team offensively, going 2-3 with the homerun. Eric Herzing finished 3 for 3, Brett Herzing, Vogt, Tyger and Thompson all added a pair of hits each.