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Comeback In The Cold

11/27/2017, 1:30pm EST
By Rob Gray

10th & Willow nearly sent this one to an extra game, but a late surge clinches another championship for Louise & Jerry's.

        Last Monday night was the conclusion of the Fall Coed Softball season in Hoboken, as 10th & Willow took on Louise & Jerry’s for the Pudge Rodriguez Divisional crown. 

          It was certainly a cold one.  Teams would not only have to overcome a daunting opponent, but the elements as well.  It was a battle of will and determination, and we’d stay until one team came out on top.

            The two teams faced off twice in the regular season. Louise & Jerry’s won both matchups, but they were certainly not out of hand.  Both were 3-run losses, so 10th & Willow had to know that they could hang with their opponent.  Plus, weather can always prove to be an equalizer.  10th & Willow were also coming off a thrilling victory over McSwiggans Pub to eliminate them from playoff contention, so they had to be coming in with confidence.  In the double elimination playoff format, Louise & Jerry’s was still undefeated.  This meant that 10th & Willow, with a win, would extend the night to a winner take all finale.  Since their opponent already had 1 loss, Louise & Jerry’s had the chance to end the night early and avoid facing elimination.

            The start of the game was all 10th & Willow.  They scored 5 runs in the first three innings, all while shutting out the potent Louise & Jerry’s offense.  The scoring was sparked by a Justin Dobies RBI single in the first to score Ryan Arcadia.  Arcadia would later smack a 2-run homerun in the second after a Mike Gogliormella RBI single, and Brandon Marucci tacked on a solo blast in the third. 

          However, after that point, the always dangerous Louise & Jerry’s offense started to settle in and heat up.  They would cut the lead to 5-1 with a solo homerun off the bat of Jude Bracken in the 4th, then break out with 6 more runs in the fifth.  After a leadoff out, Louise & Jerry’s strung together 4 straight hits in the inning, capped off by a 2 RBI double from Chris “Cutty” Lyons, followed by a productive RBI groundout from Erika Lesher.  With two down, Bracken launched his second long ball of the night, plating two more runs for his team.  Rob Delfino then wanted to join the party and sent one deep into the night for back-to-back homeruns.  Just like that, 10th & Willow saw a 5-1 lead turn into a 7-5 deficit. 

          There was no quit in this team though.  They’d begin clawing their way back with a solo shot from Justin Dobies in the 6th.  They followed with a defensive hold, then tie the game up in the top of the 7th when Chris Dunne blasted his two out, game-tying homerun.  Louise & Jerry’s let their first lead of the night slip away.  However, in the bottom of that seventh, they began to break this one open.  The defending champs would answer right back and plate 4 in the inning, capped off by a Ted Serro 2 RBI double.  Just for good measure, they’d duplicate the 4 run output in the 8th.  John Scafidi led the inning off with a triple, then Sybil Lynch started the scoring with her RBI ground out.  Mike Martinez followed this up with a solo homerun, and scoring was capped off by yet another Jude Bracken long ball, this one of the 2 run variety.  The defense stepped up, and Louise & Jerry’s would shut their opponent out over the final two frames, clinching the championship by a final score of 15-7.

            10th & Willow hung tough through most of the game and proved they belonged there.  The loss came despite the efforts of Justin Dobies, who finished the game 3 for 4 with a homerun and 2 RBI’s.  For Louise & Jerry’s, Jude Bracken and Rob Delfino were men on a mission.  The 3-4 batters refused to let this one go to a second game.  Delfino reached base in all 5 of his plate appearances, going 3 for 3 at the plate, including his solo homerun.  He’d score 2 runs and added 2 walks and 2 RBI’s to his statline.  The pitcher certainly helped his own cause.  Bracken, on the other hand, went 3 for 5 with all three of his hits leaving the park.  He accounted for game highs with 5 RBI’s and 4 runs scored.

            It was a tough season for 10th & Willow, but they gave themselves a shot at the title and made it to the last game of the season.  Congratulations to them for their hard fought season.  Louise & Jerry’s put together another dominant season, finishing 8-1 with a +49 run differential, the best mark in the league.  I’m not sure which was the more motivating factor, clinching their third straight league championship or not having to stay out in the cold any longer.  Either way, congratulations to the Pudge Rodriguez Divisional Champs Louise & Jerry’s for the 3-peat!  We look forward to seeing you both compete again next season.


Congratulations to the 2017 Fall Pudge Rodriguez Division Champs Louise & Jerry's!!!

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