SDK jumped out to an early lead in game 1, scoring 4 runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run triple by pitcher Woody Held. Trailing 5-1 going into the 4^th inning, the Marlins slowly chipped away at the lead, cutting the deficit to one heading into the final frame. After a leadoff double in the bottom of the 7th, Will blasted a triple to tie the game. SDK loaded the bases, and then after a fielder’s choice at home plate, John Cantone, who also pitched a strong ballgame enroot to a win, drew a walk to plate the game winning run. In game 2, the Marlins’ bats exploded. Behind 5 shutout innings from Kenny, the Marlins built a 10-0 lead that remained intact heading into the bottom of the 7^th.  Will the help of a few walks, SDK rallied in the frame, plating 6 runs before John was summoned to close the game out. Another hit made the score 10-8, but with the tying run in the batter’s box, the final out was recorded on a fly out to left. The victory over SDK gave the Marlins their first championship in the GHSBL.

The Marlins advanced to the championship series thanks to outstanding pitching by the entire staff. After blanking Trash 3-0 to finish off their first round series, Marlins’ pitchers remained stingy, blanking Kettle Black 8-0 and 14-0. The semifinal sweep propelled the Marlins into a championship match versus defending champ SDK, who bested Corozal in two tightly contested games. In game 1, Ray and Luis engaged in a classic pitcher’s duel that left the game tied 0-0 entering the final frame. Finally, in the bottom of the 7^th,  John B. broke the deadlock by lining a walk-off, bases loaded single to give SDK the victory. In game 2, SDK jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Corozal rallied to tie the game in the 4^th inning. The game remained knotted into the 8^th until SDK pushed across two runs. Not ready to go home, Corozal responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame, creating another tie that lasted until the 10^th inning. Once again, SDK rallied for two runs, but this time Corozal was unable to comeback. The victory punched SDK’s ticket to the finals for the second straight season.

(7) Kettle Black over (2) Veterans - 2 games to 1
(3) SDK over (6) Rams - 2 games to 0
(5) Corozal over (4) Long Shots - 2 games to 1
(1) Marlins lead (8) Trash 1 game to 0

The Brooklyn Bums swept a pair from the Bums to advance to the championship game. In the opener, the Brooklyn Bums broke open a close game in the 4^th inning and then cruised to a 14-4 victory. In game 2, the Bums held onto an early 5-2 lead, but the Brooklynites eventually tied the score and went ahead for good on a clutch two out single by Sabu  in the top of the 7th. Joey won both games after starting the opener and relieving in the finale. SDK also punched their ticket to the finals with a sweep over Assault. In game 1, Rob Miller kept the Assault bats quiet enroot to a 3-0 shutout. The finale was a hotly contested 2-2 affair into extra innings before John B. knocked home the winning run.

Mayhem and the Veterans claimed the 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively, by splitting a pair, while the Marlins capped off an excellent season by sweeping the Brooklyn Bums to go 21-5. The Bums clinched the final playoff spot by besting the Brooklyn Knights 2-1 in 10 innings before dropping a decision to Assault, which claimed the 6^th seed by adding another victory over the Predators. Rounding out the action, SDK forfeited two games to the Browns and Outlaws while the LongShots blanked the Browns 6-0.

The Marlins clinched first place by taking two games from Mayhem. Meanwhile, the Veterans swept the Brooklyn Bums to take over third place heading into the final week of the regular season. In the lower half of the division, the Brooklyn Knights solidified their hold on the 5^th seed by besting the LongShots and SDK, the latter as a result of a forfeit. Earlier, SDK also lost its game with Assault, which came away with two wins on the day thanks to a victory over the LongShots. In a battle for the final playoff spot, the Bums scored a resounding victory over the Browns. Both teams went on to win their second games of the day, besting the Predators and Outlaws, respectively.

With only one week left in the regular season, the standings still remain very fluid, as only the Marlins are locked into their first place ranking.

The Marlins took a pair from the Browns to take over a share of first place along side Mayhem, who rallied to earn a split with SDK. The Brooklyn Bums also split their double header with Assault to remain one game behind. Keeping with the theme, the Veterans split with the Bums to hold on to the 4^th seed at the cutoff. The split also helped the Bums open up a small lead on the Browns for the final play off spot. The Brooklyn Knights assured their entry in the playoffs by taking two from the Outlaws, while the Predators dropped two to the LongShots, eliminating them from contention.

With the first portion of the GHSBL schedule now completed, the league has been split into two groupings. The Marlins, Mayhem, Brooklyn Bums and Veterans combine the top-4, while the rest of the league rounds out the bottom-8. The next two weeks will feature random intra-group play to determine final playoff seedings.

In the first ever showdown of Yankees fans versus Mets fans, the boys from Flushing triumphed over the Bronx Bummers in the 2007 GHSBL All Star Game. The Mets took an early lead on a Sac Fly by Rick Valentin of the Brooklyn Bums, who also doubled in two runs in the 3^rd to extend the lead to 3-0. Meanwhile, All Star Game MVP John Cantone kept the Yankees’ bats quiet, allowing only two hits over five shutout innings. Strong relief from Dennis Gregg of Assault and Andy O’Campo of the Browns, along with a home run by the Marlins’ Mike McDermot and a 3-hit day from Assault’s Javon Johnson sealed the Yankees fate. John Sciarrino of the Veterans turned in several fine defensive plays for the Yanks and also tripled in a run, while teammate Eddie Montanez contributed 2 hits. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Mets fans easily cruised to the 8-2 All Star Game victory.

In the homerun hitting contest, Cheech Amaya of the Brooklyn Knights (9 HRs) and the Mayhem trio of Tony Vargas (9HRs), Ray Villafane (11HRs) and Eric Peckerman (15HRs) advanced from a field of 13 participants to reach the final round. After Tony was shutout in round 2, Cheech set the bar with 4 round trippers. Ray and Eric then fell short in their pursuit, belting 3 and 2 homers, respectively, giving Cheech the GHSBL Homerun Crown for 2007.

Congratulations to John and Cheech as well as all the All Stars who participated in the festivities. For photos of the day's events, click on the following link: ASG Photos.

The Brooklyn Knights took two from the Bums. Game 1 was a seesaw battle, but in the top of the 6^th, Tommy Esposito hit a go ahead RBI double to give the Knights the run they needed to win the game 6-5.  In game 2, Cheech turned in a strong pitching performance that was backed up by an offensive explosion. In the first inning, Scott Santonas hit a grand slam to get the ball rolling as the Knights cruised to 9-2 victory. In a showdown for first place, Mayhem and the Marlins engaged in two spirited battles.  Game 1 started off as a pitcher’s duel between Ray V. and Kenny.  With the score tied 1-1 midway through the game, Eric Peckerman belted a go ahead homerun and then Mayhem tacked on 3 more runs. The Marlins rallied in the 7^th, but the comeback fell short at 5-4. In game 2, John Cantone got the Marlins even by pitching very well in a 4-1 victory. The Veterans and Predators also split their double header.

In the afternoon, Assault won two games over the Browns in a pair of shutouts, while the Brooklyn Bums won two over the LongShots.

The Brooklyn Bums and Veterans split a pair of lopsided scores. In the first game, the Brooklyn Bums came out on top 12-3 behind the fine pitching of Joey. In game 2, Eddie M. silenced the opposition, while the Veteran bats made all the noise in a 13-4 victory. The Marlins swept a pair from Assault, 6-0 and 8-1, thanks to the stellar pitching of John C. and Kenny. The two victories vaulted the Marlins into second place. The Bums halted their skid by sweeping a pair from the Predators by 12-7 and 4-3 scores.

In the afternoon, the Browns doubled up on the LongShots, winning 7-4 and 10-2. In game 1, Andre earned the victory thanks to the offensive support of Mark (2 hits and 4 RBIs) and Christian (2 hits and 2 RBIs). In game 2, Mike L. kept the LongShots at bay until the Browns rallied with 9 late game runs. SDK and the Brooklyn Knights also split their twin bill, while Mayhem took a pair from the Outlaws to maintain their first place advantage. 

SDK swept a pair from the Brooklyn Bums by 6-0 and 10-6 scores behind the double duty effort of Billy, who earned the victory in both games. In a bad week for vagrants, the Marlins also took two from the Bums, winning 4-1 and 10-7. The Outlaws and Assault bucked the morning trend, splitting their double header. In game 1, the strong pitching of Carmine kept the Outlaws in the game until clutch hits by Massimo and Messiah in the 7^th saved the day and led the team to a 4-3 victory. In game 2, Assault rebounded to win 5-2.

In the afternoon, the Browns and Brooklyn Knights engaged in two classic pitchers’ duels, with each team claiming a 1-0 victory. In game 1, Andre kept the Knights off the board for 8 innings, allowing the Browns to win the game on Jon’s walk off home run. In game 2, Mike L. and Cheech, who threw both ends of the double header, took turns putting up zeroes, but this time it was the Knights who squeaked by with the 1-0 victory. The Veterans completed the afternoon with two victories over the LongShots. Mayhem also claimed two wins over the Predators via a double-forfeit. The Predators had several players scheduled to take an exam and couldn’t field a team.

In a match-up played in the gutter, the Brooklyn Bums took two from the Bums. In game 1, the Bums overcame an early deficit to take 6-4 lead, but the Brooklyn Bums eventually tied the game and then surged ahead in the seventh, scoring three runs, including the go-ahead tally on a single by Rick Valentin. In game 2, the Brooklyn Bums scored early and often enroot to a 15-0 victory. The sweep by the Brooklyn Bums allowed the team to vault into first place over Mayhem, which dropped a pair to the Brooklyn Knights. In game 1, the Knights cruised to a 7-1 victory, but the nightcap was a nail biter. Trailing in the 7^th, the Knights rallied to tie the score at 5-5, sending the game into extra innings. The teams remained deadlocked until the 12^th inning, at which Point Mayhem scratched a run to take a 6-5 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the frame, however, the Knights rallied for two runs and won the game on a walk off. Rounding out the morning, the Veterans continued their resurgence by taking two from the Outlaws.

In the afternoon, SDK took a pair from the Browns. In game 1, Andre and Wood battled in a pitchers’ duel, with the latter coming out on top 2-1. In game 2, SDK overcame a 5-4 deficit in the final frame, rallying for five runs before holding on for a 9-6 victory. In the losing effort, Brick tripled, Danny had two doubles and John belted a double and triple to go along with 2 RBIs. Assault and the Predators posted the only split on the afternoon as Assault won 4-1 in the opener and the Predators won 9-2 in the nightcap.

The Marlins earned two victories over the LongShots in the final Week 7 match-up, which was previously played over the Memorial Day weekend.

SDK and the Assault split their pair. In game 1, SDK overcame an early deficit to cruise to a 5-1 win behind the strong pitching of Billy. In game 2, Assault played comeback, scoring 5 late runs to post a 7-5 victory. The LongShots and Brooklyn Knights also split a pair. After busting out with a 13-2 victory in the opener, the Knights were dominant in game 2, thanks to the fine mound performance by Sal Salerno, who pitched a 2-hit shutout. The LongShots scored the only runs of the game in the top of the 4th inning when Mike Ruda had an RBI single and Hector Cruz added a SAC fly RBI. The Veterans and Marlins rounded out the morning action with two closely contested games. The Veterans came out on top in both, winning by 7-6 and 7-5 scores.

In the afternoon, it was sweeps across the board. Mayhem bested the Bums 4-1 in their opener, but then needed 10 innings to pull off an 8-4 victory. The Outlaws took two from the Browns. In game 1, the Outlaws won 11-1 behind the strong of Jamie W, Greg W and Davor, as well as the solid pitching of Bobby L. In game 2, the team battled for a 7-6 victory thanks to scoreless relief by Carmine Blasi. Top performers for the Browns included Chris Lee (3-3 with 3 RBIs), Christian (2-3) and Brick (2-4 with 1 run scored). In the final set of games, played mostly amid the falling rain, the Brooklyn Bums took two high scoring affairs from the Predators, winning 12-6 and 15-10. Rick Valentin belted two homers for the Brooklyn Bums, while John Miranda answered with two round trippers of his own for the Predators.

The Marlins handed the Brooklyn Bums their first loss on the season as John Cantone worked out of several jams to preserve a 4-0 victory. In game 2, the Marlins jumped out to a commanding 7-0 lead, but a bout of wildness coupled with some clutch hits allowed the Brooklyn Bums to narrow the gap to 7-6. After yielding a run in the top of the 6^th inning, the Brooklyn Bums rallied once again and eventually took the lead 9-8 on a two run single by Ian Beaton. The Brooklyn Bums tacked on a few more runs to go up 11-8, but the Marlins responded with three runs of their own in the top of the 7^th to send the game to extra innings. In the top of the 8^th, the Marlins plated the go ahead run, and stood one out from victory until Rick Valentin slammed a walk-off two run homer to give the Brooklyn Bums a 13-12 victory. The Outlaws and LongShots also played an exciting series. In game 1, the Outlaws took an early lead, but a 2-run double by Miguel gave the LongShots a 2-1 advantage. The Outlaws tied the game in the 6^th and threatened to win the game in the 7^th, but were thwarted by the LongShots’ defense, which turned a crucial double play in the final frame that sent the game to extra innings. In the bottom of the 8^th, the Outlaws finally broke through with a run to make the strong pitching of Jimmy Lawlor stand up. In game two, Bobby L. turned in another strong mound performance, thanks in part to some great defense. Although trailing 1-0 into the 5^th inning, the Outlaws rallied for four runs and then cruised to a 4-1 victory. In the final morning match-up, the Veterans took two from Assault, by scores of 5-1 and 7-2.

In the afternoon, Mayhem continued its hot play, taking two from the Browns to remain undefeated. In the doubleheader, both Mike I. and Ray pitched well to earn victories, while Mayhem scored 10 runs in the first inning of game 1 and 27 runs on the day. The heavy lumber was led by Sean (4 hits and 4 RBIs), Ray (4 hits, 3 RBIs), Elie (4 hits, 2 RBIs) and Tony (3 hits, 4 RBIs). The Bums also swept a pair by taking two close games from SDK. In game 1, John Foley's one out, 7th inning sacrifice fly drove in Young Lee and gave John Angello a one-hit shutout victory. Tim Carney was 2-3 and played good defense at third, while Brian Keenan turned a double play in each game. In the nightcap, Sonny Oh struggled early with his control, but he was able to make Sean Surkes three run homer stand up. Oh loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but benefited from at triple play that started with Tony Son's shoe top catch. Eventually, Oh settled down and pitched the Bums to the 3-2 sweep. In the final series of the week, the Predators and Brooklyn Knights split. The Predators took the first game 9-7, and the Knights won the finale 14-4.

Behind the strong pitching of Andy and Joey, the Brooklyn Bums upped their record to 4-0 after taking two games from the Outlaws by identical 9-1 scores. Mayhem held onto to its early share of the league lead, talking two from the Veterans. Mike I. won both ends of the doubleheader, improving his and the team’s record to 4-0. Elie and Ray both homered in the first game. Eric homered and doubled in game 2 and was helped out by John H. with 2 RBIs. The brooms were out in force during the morning as the Marlins also won two games over the Predators. The difference, however, was that the Marlins needed 12 innings in the second game to do it. The league’s second marathon game involving the Predators ended in similar fashion, with the Marlins scoring three late runs to win 7-4.

Keeping with the morning theme, the Browns scored two victories over the Bums. In game 1, Andre pitched six strong innings before relenting to Mike Levine, who earned the save in the 7-4 triumph. On offense, Eric went 2 for 3 with two singles and a run scored; John maintained his hot bat, driving in two RBIs in the first inning; and Christian stroked a huge run scoring triple in the 4th inning. For the Bums, John Angello was a hard luck loser thanks to some poor defense, but did help his own cause by knocking in two runs. Gary Lewin also shined in defeat, stroking three hits and scoring a run. In game 2, the Bums took an early lead and held it into the 5^th inning, but Brick stroked a two run double to turn the game around. Christian and Kavin each pitched in with two hits and an RBI, while Mike added to his save by picking up his first win of the season. SDK did a little Spring cleaning of its own, snatching two games from the LongShots, but not without a fight. Game 1 featured a pitcher’s duel that wasn’t decided until SDK scored four funs in the top of the 8^th inning to win 6-2. In game 2, SDK took a 9-0 lead into the top of the 7th inning when the LongShots scored 8 runs. The impressive rally was highlighted by a 2 RBI pinch hit single by John Torres. With the tying run at the plate, the games last batter was caught looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the game. If only two be different, the Brooklyn Knights and Assault eschewed the theme of the sweep and split their pair, each winning a game by the same 4-1 score.