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Purple Haze wins the spring league playoffs

Posted by Tim DiMasi at Jul 1, 2016 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

In the first semifinal game against the Red Diehards, Purple Haze came to bat in the open inning ninth down 10-6. Manager Dave Hunt told his team, “everyone hits.” Having only scored one run on the previous six innings, it was mostly wish. But this is senior softball.

After opening walks to Rob and Dave, the next eight hitters got hits, most solid, some error aided. Purple had batted around and score seven runs to take the lead! But they were not done. The next seven batters all got hits their second time up in the ninth to make it 16 on base in a row. Purple had scored seven more and was now up by ten runs, 20-10. Red managed a couple runs in their half of the ninth but the final score was 20-12.

In the 2nd semifinal game it was Royal Blue vs X-Men. It was a close game for the first half but then Royal Blue kept scoring while the X-Men stopped hitting. Final score was 22-11 and for the second season in a row the top two season finishers did not win a playoff game.

The championship game thus pitted Royal Blue vs Purple Haze. A coin flip determined home team which was won by Purple.

It was a close, but low scoring game throughout, 5-2 Purple after two, 5-3 after four, and 7-5 Purple after six. Purple added two more in the 7th and then the Dodgers put across three in the 8th. Purple then scored three of their own to take a 12-8 lead into the ninth. And that would be the final score.

Congratulations to playoff champions Purple Haze!

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The XMen win the Spring regular season

Posted by Tim DiMasi at Jul 1, 2016 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Strong all year, the XMen put away Purple Haze in the next-to-last game of the season to take first place with one week to go.   Purple was only a 1/2 game back.  But the X took care of business, winning their final game to clinch first place for the season with a 10-3-1 record.   The XMen had a fantastic run differential of 57, giving up only 198 runs all season. image

40 Dana players and their families came out to share fun, food, and most of all softball for two games on Memorial Day.

In the 9:30 game, manager Rich Tapia stacked his team with both his son and Norm Young’s three sons. They easily dispatched Pat Canney’s team, despite the solid center field defense from Brian Lamb’s daughter Teagan. Dave Hunt and Dax Young each had two home runs for the winning team.

In the second game, a more methodical choice of teams resulted in a close game with Dave Tessmer’s team down only two runs in the final innings. Rich Tapia, who snuck into the second game, was the last batter and he came through, driving in the winning run to send Randy Gage’s team to a one run defeat. For the most part, the women in these two games, Angela Tessmer-Wagner, Megan Church, Krista Rask, and Jillian Robinson, out-played the men.

Subsequently, Rules Commissioner Norm Young was besieged with requests to lower the legal age for women wanting to play at Dana to 19. We all eagerly await his answer.

Photos of many of the family members who played with us today are on the web site under Photos – MemorialDay2016.

The league will consider having another set of family games on Monday July 4.

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The winless Navy Blue team was missing their number two and three draft choices (and Pepe) so things did not look good for them.  No pressure for Chuck - he merely was on base all five at bats with four walks and a solid single.  And pitched a stellar game, including catching an infield pop up.   Final score - Navy Blue 19, Green 17.  Way to go Chuck!

                At various points in the season, both the Diehards and Squirrels occupied last place in the standings.  A contoversial mid-season assignment of Randy Gage gave the Red team new life and they surged to a 3 way tie for first place by season's end.  Meanwhile, the Squirrels finally installed Joe Juhasz at shortstop and he helped anchor a late season comeback as the Squirrels finished 5th.

 In week 1 of the playoffs,  the Squirrels beat Navy Blue 13-11 and then walloped the Grey Ghosts 17-9 to advance to the 2nd week of playoffs.  The X-Men, winners of the first playoff game in Week 1, fell to the Diehards 14-5 who then also advanced to the final week.

Game 1 of the semifinals pitted the Diehards against the Greenhuts.   Green got out to a quick 5-0 lead but lost their early momentum while Red came to life.  Final score Red 18 Green 8.   In the other semifinal game, the Squirrels scored 10 in their first two at bats.  Purple answered with just 2, but then held the Squirrels scoreless in the next two innings.  Alas, Purple could only peck away and found themsleves still down by six in the bottom of the 8th.  They went scoreless again, the Squirrels added two more and it was just too much.  Final score 19-13 as the Squirrels won their 3rd playoff game in a row.  Could they make it four?

In the championship game, the Squirrels won the toin coss and elected to be home team.  It would be a fateful choice as for the third game in a row, the visiting team would prevail.  The game was close for a while but then the Diehards pulled away while the Squirrels seemed to go into a late winter hibernation.   Final score, Red Diehards 27, Squirrels 16.

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