Congratulations to SDK on winning the 2006 Verrazano Narrows Softball League Fall Championship. SDK beat the defending champion Veterans in two games by scores of 6-5 and 6-2. Billy earned the victory in game 1 as SDK rallied from a three run deficit in the bottom of the seventh. The comeback was highlighted by Kevin’s three run triple and ended with a bases loaded walk. In game 2, a balanced offensive attack and a strong pitching performance from Joey allowed SDK to finish off the sweep and claim the championship.

The finale was scoreless for three innings as Sonny Oh and Eddie Montanez faced off in a pitcher?s duel. The Borrachos cracked the scoreboard first as Lewin led off the fourth inning with a double and John Foley drove in his second run of the day with a single. Showing true championship grit, however, the Veterans mounted yet another late game rally, tying the game in the sixth and edging ahead in the seventh. Down 2-1, the Borrachos were able to get the lead off man on, but Eddie held tough, striking out the final batter to record the win and clinch the championship for the Veterans.

After over 10 years in the league, the Borrachos advanced to their first championship game. Their opponent will be the Veterans, who made the finals in their inaugural season.

John Foley led the Borrachos over Mayhem in their second consecutive playoff series victory as he went 3-5 with 4 RBIs and a run scored. Greg San Filippo added 4 runs scored, while going 5-10 in the series. The Borrachos cruised to victory in the first game as Jimmy Lawlor went seven strong innings and added an RBI during the 6-3 win. Eric Peckerman answered with a fine effort to silence the Borracho bats and tie the series at one game, setting up a final duel between Peckerman and Sonny Oh. The Borrachos got on the board first on Foley's 2-run single and added 5 more runs over the first 3 innings to take a 7-0 lead.  Oh, who tripled in 2 runs and scored twice during the onslaught, held on over the final 5 innings for a 9-5 victory and a playoff series win.

The Veterans earned their finals appearance by knocking off the number one seeded Cobras. In game 1, the Cobras exploded for 10 runs and cruised to a 10-4 victory. Undaunted by the first game defeat, the Veterans scored 2 runs in the first and Eddie Montanez dominated from the mound. With the Veterans leading 2-1 in the seventh, Rob Miller led of with a triple, but Eddie was equal to the task, escaping the jam with a strikeout and groundball to third base. In the finale, the Veterans once again took an early 2-0 lead behind Eddie’s excellent pitching.  This time, the Veterans added 2 more runs in the seventh before a last minute Cobra rally fell apart in the bottom of the inning. The 4-1 victory capped off a spectacular day of pitching for Eddie and launched the Veterans into the finals.

The Cobras advanced to the semifinals after taking two games from the Outlaws by scores of 10-0 and 13-3. Joey Attard pitched the first game shutout, while Mike Levine followed up with a strong game two performance. Mayhem also cruised to the next round thanks to a 9-0 and 12-2 sweep of the Browns. Franklin Pena pitched two gems giving up only 1 run in 12 innings.  On offense, Dave Disla had 5 hits, while Elie Zeitlin, Ray Villafane, Sean Rich and Howie Fleischman all chipped in with 4 hits apiece. The Borrachos advanced to face Mayhem thanks to a two game sweep over the Rebels. TJ DaSilva was 3-3 with a homer, triple, 4 runs scored and 4 RBIs to lead the Borrachos, while Young Lee added a triple, 3 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Jim Lawlor went 6 innings to win the first game 14-4 and Sonny Oh picked up the game two victory by an 8-5 outcome. Oh also added a triple and 2 RBIs. The closet battle of the first round featured a three game set between the Veterans and Assault. In game 1, the Veterans rallied from an early deficit to squeak by Assault 6-5. John Rosenmiller pitched Assault even in the second game as the offensive erupted in a 10-4 victory. In the rubber game, Greg D’Avola kept Assault off the board until the Veterans rallied to take the lead. The Veterans then held onto a 5-2 victory to advance to a semifinal showdown with the Cobras.

The final week of the regular season featured several key match-ups, including a showdown for the final playoff spot. At the top of the division, Mayhem bested Assault 6-1 to clinch the second seed. Assault later went on to beat the Borrachos 11-3, in spite of a big 3-run homerun by Jim Lawlor early in the game. The loss didn’t hurt the Borrachos, however, as a forfeit win over Arsenal followed by an 11-5 win over the Browns were enough to secure the 5th seed. In the victory over the Browns, Jimmy pitched 7 strong innings to complement his offensive outburst, but it was in helping out to fix the fields that he really saved the day. Other Borrachos’ contributors included George Leung (3-3 with 2 RBIs), Ken Ly (2-3 with an RBI) and TJ De Silva (3-4 with 2 runs scored). Meanwhile, the Rebels wrapped up the 4th seed by besting the Veterans. The Rebels took an early lead by scoring 5 runs in the 1st, but the Veterans came right back with 4 runs of their own in the bottom half. A 4-run 3rd inning returned the momentum to the Rebels side as they held on for the 11-9 win. T. Esposito went 2-4 and drove in 4 runs to lead the offense as Joe Bove was able to hold off the Veterans long enough to get the win. The real action in the final week was at the bottom of the division as three teams vied for the final two playoff spots. The Outlaws started the day by dropping a game to Mayhem, but bounced back to beat the Veterans 8-2, thereby keeping their playoff hopes alive. The Browns also split their first two games to buoy their cause. Before losing to the Borrachos, the Browns rallied from 4-0 down in the 6th to stage a dramatic 7-6 come from behind victory over the Cobras. The comeback set the stage for a final showdown with Arsenal, who despite enduring a forfeit loss and a 16-1 beating by the Cobras was still alive for the final seed. With a myriad of triple tiebreaker combinations looming in the balance with an Arsenal victory, the teams engaged in a seesaw battle to the end. The Browns squandered an early 2-0 lead and entered the final frame down 4-3. Undaunted, the Browns rallied for 3 runs and then turned the game over to Al, who pitched through a sticky bottom of the 7th before earning his second save of the day. The win catapulted the Browns to the 7th seed and allowed the Outlaws to claim the 8th spot.

With first place at stake, the Cobras and Assault matched up in the rubber game of their three-game season series. After a pair of scoreless innings, the Cobras broke through in the 3rd, scoring 4 runs highlighted by a bases loaded single by Rob Miller that plated two runs. In the top of the 5th, the Cobras scored an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Rick Valentin. Assault inched closer in the 6th thanks to a two run rally keyed by a run scoring single by Theron Grant. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the 7th, Assault once again mounted a rally. With two runs in and the tying run on second, Joey Attard got the dangerous Theron to pop out to end the game. The 5-4 victory clinched first place for the Cobras, the team’s first ever division championship after seven years of near misses. Undaunted by defeat, Assault bounced back to take their second game against the Outlaws. The game was a hotly contested 1-1affair heading into the 6th frame, when Jeff Coplan used his legs to score the winning run. Jeff led off the inning with a single, tagged up on a flyball and then sprinted home from second on a two out infield single off the bat of Steve Patnode. John Rosenmiller made the run stand up as Assault held on to win 2-1. The Cobras, meanwhile, lost their second game of the day to the Rebels in a 3-1 rain shortened affair. Joe Bove pitched well to earn the victory as the rains halted play in the top of the 5th. Earlier in the day, the Rebels further secured their hold on the fourth seed by besting the Outlaws in an epic 17-14 battle. Mayhem was able to move into a tie for second place by beating the Browns 6-4 as Eric Peckerman won his 4th game in a row, while Greg Lublin, Ray Villafane and Jason Troman each had 2 hits. In a losing cause, Tommy and Brian L. put on a hitting display, combining to go 6 for 6 with 2 triples, 2 RBIs and 2 runs. Finally, the Veterans won a pair from Arsenal before the rains washed away their third contest.

The GHSBL entered the dog days of July with a packed schedule. The Browns laid claim to the honor of playing the first quadruple header in league history as they took on both the Cobras and Mayhem. In the first game against the Cobras, the Browns jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run blast by Armando Lugo. The lead was short lived, however, as the Cobras responded with 4 runs in the 2^nd and 5 runs in the 3^rd enroot to a 9-3 victory. Brian Herkey and Nick Vasquez lead the Cobra offense with three hits a piece, while Joey Attard turned in a fine performance to earn the win. In game 2, the Cobras scored early and often and cruised to a 14-1 victory. Santo Ciraolo knocked in three runs in the outburst, while Brian continued his good day by scoring three. Mike Levine was the beneficiary of the support and with the victory remained undefeated. After facing the Cobras, the Browns took on Mayhem. In game 1, Elie Zeitlin and Mike Feichter both homered for Mayhem, while Franklin Pena once again pitched well to pick up the 7-3 victory. In the nightcap, Howie Fleischman went 4-4 with 3 runs scored and Jason Troman homered in support of Ray Villafane, who picked up the “W” in the 13-5 triumph. Arsenal and the Outlaws also took part in a mini-marathon of their own, playing three games all decided by one run. Pitching ruled the first two games as Arsenal won the pair by scores of 2-1 and 3-2. The bats finally awoke in the third game as the Outlaws jumped out to an early lead. Arsenal rallied to tie the game at 8-8 and then took an 11-8 lead in the top of the seventh. The Outlaws attempted a valiant comeback in the bottom of the inning, but just fell short at 11-10. Los Borrachos ended their five game losing streak with two victories over the Veterans. In game 1, George Leung was 3-3 with 2 RBIs, including the game winner with 2 outs, while Sonny Oh added a run scored and an RBI while going 2-2. Oh also saved Jimmy Lawlor's second win of the year as he came in to get a double play with the bases loaded to seal the 7-6 victory. In game 2, Oh then pitched his second shutout of the season, getting all the offense he would need from Gary Lewin, who was 3-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Young Lee scored twice and Sung Lee added two RBIs. The last match-up of the long day featured the Rebels and Assault. In game 1, the Rebels scored two runs late to take the opener 4-2. Joe Bove pitched another strong game and Anthony Esposito knocked in the game winning run.  In the finale, Pete White drove in two runs with a bases loaded single, which provided the margin for victory as Dennis Gregg pitched well in the 3-1 victory. Steve Patnode chipped in on offense by going 3 for 5 on the day, while Wop helped out on the pitching side by earning a save.

Fourth of July weekend had plenty of fireworks as the four top teams in the GHSBL squared off before the holiday. In the series between the Cobras and Assault, first place was on the line. In game 1, the Cobras took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and eventually carried a 4-2 advantage into the final frame. Assault refused to go down quietly, however. With one out in the inning, Assault loaded the bases before Jeff Coplan, who was 3-4 on the day, singled to tie the game at 4-4. Anthony Mungen then followed with a walk off game winning single to give Assault a 5-4 victory and sole possession of first. Dennis Gregg was the winning pitcher, while Rob Miller pitched well in defeat. In game 2, the Cobras broke through a scoreless deadlock with two runs in the 4th inning thanks to an RBI single by Rick Valentin and a sacrifice fly by Rob. Two runs would be all the Cobras would need to regain first place as Mike Levine pitched a gem to give the Cobras a 2-0 victory and series split. Al Blyer pitched well in defeat. Mayhem and Veterans also jockeyed for position atop the standings as they faced off in a doubleheader. In game 1, Franklin Pena continued his impressive run of mound dominance by limiting the Veterans to 1 run. Gregg D’Avola also pitched a strong game, but a clutch home run from Luis Carreno and triple from Jason Troman were enough to plate two runs and secure a 2-1 victory for Mayhem. In game 2, Eric Peckerman made his Mayhem mound debut and pitched well enroot to a 6-2 win. Dave Disla led the offense with a 3-run homerun, while John Hassett also went yard. The sweep gave Mayhem a strong hold on third place and strengthened their chance of claiming the top spot. In the final match-up of the week, the Outlaws and Rebels split a pair.  In game 1, the Outlaws were able to keep the Rebels bats quiet with great pitching and defense on their way to a 5-0 victory. In the second game, the Rebels once again fell behind early, but woke up with 7 runs in the 6th and 4 runs in the 7th to win the game 12-4. Jerome Blackman got the win and also homered in the 7th.

On the first truly warm day of the summer campaign, the GHSBL season really started to heat up. The Veterans solidified their place in the pennant drive by taking two games from the Outlaws. In game 1, the Veterans cruised to an 8-2 victory behind the strong pitching of Greg D’Avola. In the nightcap, both teams remained in a scoreless deadlock until the Veterans were able to push across the winning run in the seventh on a controversial missed fielder’s choice at second. The run made a winner of Eddie Montanez, who went the distance in the shutout. The Browns also strengthened their chances of making the playoffs by taking two from Arsenal. In the opener, the Browns jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, but Arsenal attempted a valiant comeback. Sal Tammaro came on in the sixth to snuff out a burgeoning rally and then slammed the door in the final frame as the Browns held on to win 8-6. The offensive standouts in the game were Pinto and Chris Lee (5-5; 2 RBI; 2 Runs). In Game 2, it was Arsenal that went ahead, taking a 5-1 lead in the 4th inning. The Browns slowly crept back into the game, however, and only trailed 5-4 entering the seventh inning. Only three outs from defeat, the Browns launched a furious offensive outburst that culminated in 9 runs and a 14-5 lead. Sal once again came through, this time earning a win by shutting down Arsenal's offense over the final three innings. Armando Lugo went 3 for 4, including a triple and 2 RBIs, while Pinto chipped in with another 2 RBIs. Mayhem was able to hold onto third place by taking 2 of 3 from the Rebels. In game 1, Mike Feichter and Eric Peckerman both homered in a 10-3 victory that featured another fine outing from Franklin Pena. In the second game, the two teams engaged in an extra inning seesaw battle. After falling behind early, Mayhem rallied to the tie game late and then overtook the Rebels with four runs in the eighth inning. Luis Carreno led the way on offense by knocking in 3 runs, while Ray Villafane and Sean Rich both plated two runs a piece. In the finale, the Rebels drew blood, winning 6-3 behind the strong pitching of Joe Bove. Assault crept closer to first place, taking two nail biters from the Borrachos, both by scores of 7-6. In the first game, the teams traded the lead throughout, but it was Assault that finished on top as Theron Grant and Jeff Coplan both belted homeruns before Shane Bennett finished off the game with a run scoring single.  In game 2, the Borrachos exploded out of the gate with five runs, but Assault gamely battled back. Javon Johnson helped pace the comeback with two hits, while Theron and Jeff put on an encore performance by belting their second round trippers of the morning. It was Jeff’s speed, however, that eventually decided the game as the first baseman not known for his speed tagged up all the way from second base on a deep fly ball to plate the winning the run. After two tough defeats, the Borrachos had to then face the Cobras in a single game. After scoring 6 runs in the first, the Cobras added 9 in the fourth enroot to a 15-1 victory. Brian Herkey, Santo Ciraolo and Will Juliano each tallied two hits, while Rick Valentin and James Haviland both belted homeruns to lead the Cobras’ attack.

After a three week hiatus, the GHSBL returned to action in week 6. The Veterans swept a pair from the Browns in two well played games. In game 1, the Browns had three triples (one each by Eric, Jon and Mark), but could still only manage two runs against Greg D’Avola, who pitched well enroot to a 6-2 victory. In game 2, the Veterans once again took a 6-2 lead into the final frame, this time behind the pitching of Edwin Montanez. The Browns refused to give up, however, and staged a late rally as Jon, Brian L. and Kavin all recorded RBI hits. The comeback feel just short as the game ended on a line drive double play, giving the Veterans a 6-5 victory and a series sweep. Strong pitching was on display in the match-up between the Borrachos and Mayhem. In game 1, Jimmy Lawlor of the Borrachos (who the night before had done yeoman work getting the fields ready for the game) and Franklin of Mayhem engaged in an extra inning pitcher’s duel. With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 8^th, Mayhem finally broke through for three runs and then held on to win 4-1. Mike had two hits and an RBI in support of Franklin’s fine effort. In the nightcap, Lou pitched a complete game shutout as Mayhem cruised to a 4-0 win. Ray had 3 hits, including a 2-run homerun to lead the offense. After playing their respective doubleheaders, the Veterans and Mayhem met in a makeup of a previously postponed contest. The Veterans made it three wins on the day by edging past Mayhem 4-2. In the afternoon, the Cobras and Rebels engaged in two spirited contests. In the opener, the Rebels jumped out to an early lead thanks to clutch hitting up and down the lineup. With seven runs in the bank, Joe Bove quieted the Cobra bats by carrying a shutout into the seventh. The Cobras did manage to score two late runs, but finally went down to defeat for the first time on the year. In the finale, the Cobras took a short lived 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Rebels quickly responded in the bottom of the frame when Anthony Esposito belted a grand slam that sailed well over the left field fence. The blast was one of the longest balls to clear the fence in GHSBL history. Undaunted by the mighty blow, the Cobras rallied to tie the game in the third inning and then exploded for 10 runs in the fourth. The outburst set the Cobras up for a 16-6 victory and secured a split in the series. Brian Herkey and Rick Valentin paced the Cobras offense with three hits and 2 RBIs a piece, while Anthony Esposito belted a second homer in the game to give him 5 RBIs in the finale. Finally, the GHSBL suffered its first forfeit in four years as Arsenal was forced to concede a pair to Assault.

The Cobras remained undefeated thanks to two victories over the Outlaws. In game 1, the Cobras scored early and often in support of Joey Attard, who pitched another strong game. Omar Cedeno went 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, while John Bonomolo added 3 RBIs to lead the offense as the Cobras cruised to a 10-3 victory. In game 2, Jimmy Bailin and Nick Vasquez both knocked in a pair of runs and Mike Levine made the early runs stand up as the Cobras took the nightcap 5-1. Assault also picked up two victories by taking a pair from the Browns. The first game was a close battle that stood tied at 3-3 heading into the 6^th inning. Mark broke the tie with a two run single that gave Assault a 5-3 lead. Strong pitching by Al and solid defense by Anthony Mungen, who also went 2-2, also helped seal the victory. In the finale, Javon Johnson broke open a 3-1 game by blasting a bases loaded two run double as part of a 4 run 4^th inning. Wap picked up the win in his Assault debut and also helped himself by going 3-4 at the plate. The offensive standouts were Javon, who went 2-4 with 2RBIs and 1 run scored, and Pete White, who went 2-4 with an RBI triple and 2 runs scored. Keeping with the theme of the day, the Borrachos also swept a pair from Arsenal by scores of 6-1 and 10-2. The week 5 schedule had one casualty to the week’s heavy rains as the anticipated showdown between the Veterans and Mayhem was postponed due to unplayable field conditions.

Assault dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten after splitting a pair with Mayhem. In the first game, Franklin turned in another strong outing on the mound and Mayhem cruised to a 5-1 victory. One of the top performances of the day, however, came from the right arm of John Rosenmiller, who spun a shutout to give Assault a 3-0 victory in the nightcap. Mark Doty, 2-3 with 2 RBIs, and Juan Fortuno, also 2-3, led the offense in support of Rosy. With two mercy victories over Arsenal (11-1 and 11-0), the Cobras remained undefeated. Mike Levine and Joey Attard each turned in strong mound performances, while several bats contributed to the offensive explosion. Ian Beaton (2RBIs), John Bonomolo (2 RBIs) and Will Juliano (2 doubles and 3 RBIs) each notched 4 hits a piece, while Rick Valentin knocked in 4 runs. The Veterans earned their first two victories of the season behind strong pitching and timely hitting in a sweep of the Rebels. The Borrachos wrapped up the week with a sweep of their own over the Outlaws. In game 1, John Foley and Greg San Filippo each went 3-3 and scored 2 runs to give Jim Lawlor enough support for his first win of the year. Tony Son made an acrobatic catch in right center field and Lawlor avoided trouble the rest of the day enroot to the 8-5 win. Jim Johnson was dominant in the nightcap as he struck out one batter and gave up two hits. Sung Lee's 3 run double in the second inning broke the game open and Son added 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored as the Borrochos took the finale 12-0.

The brooms were out in full force as Week 2 featured a little bit of spring cleaning in the GHSBL. The first game between the Cobras and Veterans was a close knit affair as both teams traded early runs and took turns holding the lead. Entering the last frame, the Cobras had built a 4-3 lead, but the Veterans rallied to tie the score. In the bottom of the seventh, however, a game winning RBI single by Omar gave the Cobras the victory. Joey earned the victory with seven strong innings on the mound, while Greg pitched well in defeat. In the second game, the Cobras once again staked themselves to an early lead, but this time Mike Levine shut down the Veterans offense enroot to a 5-1 decision. Defense was a key factor in the sweep, as the Cobras turned 6 double plays and Rob Miller made a Greg Nettles-esque diving grab at third. Arsenal made its season debut, but dropped both games to Mayhem. In the opener, Franklin dazzled on the mound by throwing a shutout, while Eric, John H. and Ray each drove in two runs a piece, the later via a home run, as Mayhem won 8-0. In game 2, Mayhem built a 4-0 advantage thanks to a 3-3 day from Ellie as well as 2 RBIs from Greg. Arsenal tried to mount a late came comeback, but Lou closed out a strong performance by holding on to the 4-2 victory. The Outlaws notched their first victories in the GHSBL by sweeping a pair from the Browns in convincing fashion. In the afternoon, the Borrachos and Rebels engaged in two tightly contested battles. The Rebels won the first game 6-3 behind the pitching of Joe B. and a 5 run third inning. In the second game, the Borrachos squandered a 5-0 lead and left the bases loaded five times in the game. The Rebels eventually tied the game at 6-6 in seventh, and then both teams scored 3 runs in the 8th inning. Finally, the Rebels were able to score the winning run on a base hit by A.Rivera in the bottom of the 11th. J.Miscione, M.Santiago and N.DeLaCruz all drove in 2 runs in the dramatic 10-9 Rebels victory, while Jim Johnson was the hard luck loser despite giving up only 4 earned runs.

Assault and the Veterans kicked of the 2006 campaign with two thrilling contests. In game 1, the Veterans jumped out to an early 4-2 lead, but Assault jumped ahead in the fifth thanks to a three run, opposite field home run by Javon Johnson. The Veterans bounced back to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame, but another three run homer off the bat of Stephen Patnode staked Assault to an 8-5 lead. In the seventh inning, Javon’s second homer of the game was followed by another solo blast off the bat of Jeff Coplan. The Veterans rallied in their last at bat, but Assault held on for a 10-7 victory behind the pitching of Dennis Gregg. In game 2, Assault once again found themselves down by a 4-2 score. In the bottom of the seventh, a dramatic two run homer by Seth tied the game, but the Veterans responded by taking a 5-4 lead in the eighth. Down but not out, Assault rallied yet again to win 6-5 as a walk off double by Theron Grant plated two. Across the complex, Mayhem earned an impressive 13-3 victory over the Outlaws. Benny was the winning pitcher, while Greg reached base all four times, scored three runs and made a number of defensive gems at second base. The second game was much closer as both teams battled to a 2-2 tie in regulation. In the top of the eighth, Mayhem scored two runs on a bases loaded single by Dave and then held off an Outlaws rally to win 4-3. Franklin was the winning pitcher and Eric Peckerman started the offense with an early homerun. In the afternoon, the Cobras took a pair from the Borrachos. In the opener, Joey Attard and Sunny Oh engaged in a pitcher’s duel, but a timely hit by Rick Valentin and savvy base running by Ian Beaton staked the Cobras to a lead. Superb pitching by Joey Attard and outstanding defense at short by Jimmy Bailin preserved the Cobras’ 3-0 victory. In game 2, the Cobra bats exploded for five first inning runs in a rally that was capped off by a three run homer by Santo Ciraolo. Ian also homered in the game and drove in three runs as the Cobras cruised to a 12-3 victory behind the strong pitching of Mike Levine. In the final match-up of the day, the Browns and Rebels split their doubleheader. In game 1, the Browns jumped out early and then held on to win 9-5 behind the pitching of Dave and Kavin. The Browns’ offense was led by John Connolly and Chris Kline, who each gathered four RBIs. In the second game, the Rebels bats came alive in the third inning during a six run rally. J. Miscione belted a homerun to cap off an outstanding day (6-7 with 2RBI) and Joe Bove pitched five strong innings and struck out three as the Rebels coasted to an 11-1 victory.