Washington Township Senators 35+

The Washingtown Township Senators finally got the bats back out, banging 16 hits and outlasting the always tough Tabernacle Tigers by a field goal, 10-7. John DiPietro hung in there for 154 pitches and a complete game. Jim McAllister had three hits and two RBI. Mark Alessandrini had three hits and scored two runs. Chris Lawrence reached base four times with two walks and two hits and scored three runs. Ken Bevenour delivered three big RBI. And Bobby Wood led the bottom of the order with two hits (although he hit ropes all four times up there). The Nats also played their usual brand of excellent defense, with several solid plays by Lawrence at third, Rose at second, and two runners attempting to steal gunned out at second by Miles Reader. Oh baby! Dale Amos gets the baseball tomorrow at Washington Township High School as the Senators try to end this thing in two games. And it ain't gonna be an easy task against a team as deep and talented as these Tigers. We need to bring our "A" game every time against these guys or we will be looking up. The tentative lineup for tomorrow: 1. Alessandrini-CF
2. Lawrence-3B
3. D. Amos-P
4. Bevenour-LF/EH
6. Reader-RF/EH
7. Frese-1B
8. Kulikowski-EH/RF/LF
9. Rose-EH/2B
10. R. Amos-C
11. Trotman-2B/EH Let's git 'er done!

The Washington Township Senators threw a 7-run first inning at the Moorestown Marlins and Steve Guanay, and cruised into the finals for the second consecutive season, delivering a crushing 13-5 win. John DiPietro went the distance for the Nats, scattering 10 hits and fanning nine. Frank Izzi pounded three hits, and Ken Bevenour, Rich Kulikowski and Frank Rose each had a pair to help the cause. Eight different Senators collected RBIs on the morning. The Marlins killed themselves with a dropped pop-up in the first, and that mistake made a bad inning worse, as the miscue was followed by three walks, two hit batsmen, and three hits. It was all downhill from there. And so, the Senators travel to distant but purty Patty Bowker Field on Saturday, September 9 to face their old pals the Tigers/Giants/Tigants in the first of a best-of-three championship series. Game #2 will be the following day, Sunday, Sept. 10, most likely at Washington Township High School (if the field can be made ready). There is a chance we could move this game to Deptford High School, too, if things don't work out at home. Lineups and pitching match-ups will be announced as we get closer to the date, but John DiPietro will surely have the starting nod for the opener. Frank Izzi will be away for that entire weekend. Anyone else who will NOT be there on either day needs to let me know ASAP so that I can plan for it. Let's roll!!!

The defending champs came out and played like just that on Sunday morning, taking full advantage of five Marlin errors and taking an 8-4 decision and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three semi-final series. Dale Amos was solid again on the hill, tossing a complete game and keeping the Marlin bats off balance all morning. And the Senators offense was again opportunistic and effective, harkening back to last year's stirring pennant run. Game Two will be at Washington Township High School next Saturday, with John DiPietro expected to be on the hill for the Nats. Yes, we WILL hit on Thursday night and do some field repairs as well. Here is the tentative lineup, and this assumes no Chris Lawrence (in NC), Dale Amos (coaching), nor Bobby Wood (back). Should any of those three become available, there will be changes. 1. Alessandrini-CF
2. Frese-EH
3. Izzi-1B
4. Bevenour-3B/EH
5. McAllister-SS
6. Reader-LF/3B/C
7. Toth-EH
8. Kulikowski-LF
9. Rose-EH/3B
10. R. Amos-C
11. Trotman-2B P-John DiPietro

The Senators delivered a three-run first-inning, and John DiPietro went all nine to send the Nats to a 9-3 win over the Sewell Sharks and a semi-final berth against the Moorestown Marlins at Rider College. Jim Toth came through in a big way, with three clutch, two-out hits which delivered four RBI. Dale Amos was 3-for-4 with two RBI, Miles Reader had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI, and Rich Kulikowski went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. And all this without Mark Alessandrini, Ken Bevenour, and Chris Lawrence. Tomorrow we travel to Rider College for the first of a best-of-three against the Moorestown Marlins. Dale Amos gets the baseball. Lineups will be decided and announced at the game.

Despite a Herculean effort by Dale Amos, the Sewell Sharks topped the Senators 3-2 on Sunday, taking advantage of a few key mistakes to send this series to a key Game #3 at Washington Township High School next Saturday. Amos pitched his heart out, allowing just five hits, fanning eight and walking just one. All three runs he allowed were of the unearned variety -- oh, and he hit a two-run homer for the Senators only runs of the morning. And the Sharks made the Senators pay dearly for each and every mistake. The Senators offense struggled mightily all day against the mystifying Ed Brown, and they could not manage to get a key hit throughout most of the contest. Next Saturday, the Money Game will be at Washington Township High School, a 9:00 AM start. Senator ace John DiPietro will be asked to carry the day on the hill. The lineup (subject to change): 1. Amos-CF 2. Frese-EH 3. Izzi-1B 4. McAllister-SS 5. Reader-C 6. Toth-EH 7. Rose-3B 8. DiPietro-P 9. Kulikowski-LR 10. Trotman-2B 11. Wood-RF P-DiPietro We will hit on Thursday night, and I would like some help in trying to get some water on the field that night as well. The field is in very, very poor condition, unfortunately.