Jonathan Green
Saturday, November 11, 2017 – A veterans’ salute and three tournament softball games made for a great day at SaddleBrooke Stadium for hundreds of fans, players and volunteers.
The SaddleBrooke Senior Softball Association (SSSA) event, sponsored by Andy’s Irrigation and Kristy McInnes, Tierra Antigua Realty, replaced SSSA’s usual Thanksgiving tournament since Veterans Day fell on a Saturday this year. As always, SSSA thanks Doug Wagers and his crew from The Window Wizard for rustlin’ up the grub.
The highlight of the event was a musical salute to all veterans, players and fans alike, as they stood and waved to each veteran’s military branch theme. And then the crowd spontaneously sang loudly to a military band’s instrumental version of our National Anthem. It was inspiring!
The games went like this:
Game One – Recreation League: Dale Norgard’s Vantage West Credit Union in blue led off the first inning with three to Dennis Purcell’s W&W Physical Therapy’s two and did not ever lose the lead. Final score Vantage 13 – W&W 5. Hitting stars were Mike Hoedel (4/4) and Norgard (2/2 plus walk) for the blue and white’s Paul Jarzembinski (2/2 plus walk) had a triple to lead off the last inning but was left stranded on third at the end.
Game Two – Community League: Jack Graef’s Window Wizard team in blue defeated Jerry Cowart’s Waste Management 22 to 14.
Game Three – Competitive League: Harold Weinenger’s Wanda Fudge, Long Realty blue team scored big, fast and consecutive innings to lead 15 to 9 after three. But then they cooled off. Meanwhile, slow and steady, Tim Ward’s Twin Lakes Air in white had pulled it to an 18 to 18 tie going into the seventh. Blue pulled away with four in the top, but with two outs and down by one, Chuck Kill singled in two for a walk-off 23 to 22 win. It was the only time Twin Lakes had been ahead in whole the game. Mark Hojnacki and Tom Ottaway went 5/5 and Ottaway homered in the fourth for Twin Lakes. For the Wanda team Len Gann hit four doubles and a triple (5/5) and Bob Chiarello went 4/4 with singles.