Washington Township Senators 35+

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The ancient ones still have not tasted Over 40 defeat, as they sit atop the A Division alone at 4-0. This sets up battle with the tough Tigers next week at Indian Mills.
Rose:
Gave up a four-spot in the first -- all unearned. Got two quick outs, then gave up a single. A SS error started the trouble, and he and Frese combined for a lovely bases-clearing double error on a 3-1, 1-2 miscue. But the Yanks bounced back with five in the bottom of the inning and held on. Rose went five to pick up his fourth win in a row.
Grounded to 2b, flew to RF, flew to LF. Hitting a lusty .125.
Frese:
Reached on E-4 to keep first inning rally cooking, grounded 4-3 with second and third and two-out in middle innings, got broken-bat single to CF to keep 3-game hitting streak alive. Drops to .571.

And so they finally DO taste defeat -- and it tastes rotten! Now it's a three-way tie at the top of the A Divison, with the Yanks, Tigers and Reds all sitting at 4-1.
Rose:
Works a solid five innings allowing just a single earned run -- batter reached base on 0-2 HBP and scored on consecutive singles. Threw the ball VERY well, and departed after a 1-2-3, four-pitch 5th. Continued his struggles at the plate, but walked and scored to tied the game in the 7th after some baserunning adventures.
Flew to right, grounded to short, walked. The Mendoza line would look GOOD right about now!
Frese:
A pathetically weak 1-for-4 batting in the #4 hole. Struck out, tapped to 2b (while SHATTERING a composite bat; already down two pieces of lumber on season), ground single to CF (stole second), struck out dismally to end game with 1st & 2nd. The cascade continues, at .454 now.

Rose remains unbeated in the Over 40, but the Yankee bats are silenced by ace Gabe Masterangelo, and they drop to 4-2. Yanks rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th, but couldn't push another one across.
Rose:
Frank hurls six solid frames and gives up just a single run -- courtesy of our old friend Jeff Behrend, who singled, stole second and third, and scored on a single in the first. But the Mendoza line is now so far up there that Rose needs binoculars to see it:
Struck out looking on a pitch that looked way low and in, popped out on a hump-back liner to third, struck out swinging, tapped out to third. Added insult to injury by getting picked off first (as a pinch runner) to end the game in the bottom of the 11th. Oy vay. Batting (prepare yourself) .059 (1-for-17).
Frese:
Walked on a 3-2 pitch, popped out miserably to second on a sloppy curveball with two on and none out -- and then delivered the UN-clutch single with two out and none on in the 7th. Promptly thrown out trying to steal second to boot. Ug-lee. Batting .461 (6-for-13)

Yanks hang on to win a tight one. Angels had tying run on third in last inning, but Ernie Ley induced a grounder to Rose at 3b to end the suspense.
Rose:
Rose, working without his best stuff, guts his way through four and keeps the Yanks in the game, allowing three runs to the pesky Angels.
Singled to right, grounded sharply to 2b, Popped to right, fanned on a high fastball. Inching upward at .095 (2-for-21).
Frese:
Reached on SS error (sharply hit) and stole 2b; smoked RBI single to CF, stole base; walked, stole base; major league pop out to 1b trying to dial 9. Batting .437 (7-for-16)

Yanks too strong for the Marlins, who have yet to visit the win column. Rose and Frese play seven positions between them in the contest (Rose, P, RF, 2B, 3B; Frese, 1B, 2B, RF). Game ends as Yanks escape a bases-loaded jam. Rose fields grounder at 3B, stomps on the back and fires to Frese at first, who digs the low throw out to seal the deal.
Rose:
Rose pitched six solid shutout innings and was in complete command. Not a single hard-hit ball, though he allowed four or five bloop singles. Took another 0-for-4 (grounded to mound, grounded sharply to short, popped to first, reach on E-4. But swung with authority and looks ready for a breakout. Batting .120 (3-for-25).
Frese:
Walked, struckout looking on curve ball a foot outside, RBI single dumped into CF, Singled sharply up box for 2 more RBI. Batting .473 (9-for-19)

Chuck Roney's assortment of junk holds the Yanks at bay as they drop their third of the year. Rose's throw in the first pulled Frese off the bag and Frese later made a weak throw to the plate to allow a run to score. It was ugly.
Rose:
Rose did not start for the first time, but entered in the sixth inning . Again swung the bat half decent, but came up empty. Grounded sharply to second, popped to short, grounded to second. Batting .107 (3-for-28).
Frese:
Tapped weakly to third, tapped weakly back to mound, struckout on inside fastball. Batting .409 (9-for-22)

The Yanks pull one out late. Trailing 1-0 in the 7th, Ernie Ley's two-out bases loaded single puts them in the "w" column.
Rose:
Rose again works out of the pen, entering in the 7th and pitching three solid shutout frames to pick up his first save. Threw just 25 pitches in the three inings of work in his usual "minimize" mode. At the plate, more frustration but some mental steps in the right direction. Struck out, walked, and walked. Struggling to stay above the Double Mendoza Line, batting .103 (3-for-29).
Frese:
Now wearing an 0-for-6 collar. Struck out looking with two on and two out in first AB on a 3-2 backdoor curve, flew to medium left, flew to deep center. Looked better in last two ABs. Average taking the major dispsy doodle at .360 (9-for-25).

The Yankees used strong pitching and solid defense to stymie the tough Reds. Yanks put up a four-spot in the first and coasted until the 9th when they added three more for insurance.
Rose:
Rose takes the mound in relief of Ernie Ley with a 4-0 led in the 6th and just shuts the door, allowing only a harmless single in his four innings of work. But the frustrations at the plate continue, as he takes another 0-fer, fanning, lining back to the mound, and flying to center. And he takes the deadly drop below the DOUBLE Mendoza line (though the last two ABs were encouraging. Give this fella a hit, Lord, batting .093 (3-for-32).
Frese:
Frese continues to look pathetic for three ABs, fanning dismally with a man on third and one out on a curveball away, fanning even MORE dismally on a curveball WAY away, tapped meekly to third, and finally, rapping a solid ground RBI single up the box in the ninth to break an 0-for-9 slide. Stole two bases as well. Still sliding, but still repectable at .310. (9-for-29).

Yanks continue to get classy pitching as they easily handle the Angles. Yank pitching has now collected 26 consecutive shutout innings.
Rose:
Rose continues to be unhittable, tossing six shutout innings to pick up the win. And lo and behold, the bat finally comes alive. Sharp single to left, RBI double to RCF, fielder's choice groundout to short. Back over the double Mendoza line at .143, and looking ready for a charge. (5-for-35).
Frese:
Frese had a goofy day, walking three times and grounding to SS hole on a nice play by the shortstop. Also stole two bases and played the entire game in OF. Holding steady at .300, but must have a hell of an OBP! (9-for-30).

The Yanks have their first total stinker of the year, and it was miserable in all aspects of the game. Bad defense, bad baserunning, missed signs, shaky pitching, etc. All that and they still managed to ALMOST (but for a horrendous umpire's call on the bases) get the tieing run to the plate in the 9th. Best forgotten.
Rose:
Got hit a bit hard for the first time all year, but deserved a better fate on the mound because of some horrible defense. Allowed six runs in four innings of work, and gave up a booming homer to LCF by Gabe Masterangelo. At the plate, flew to center, reached on E-3, walked. Still looks hitter-ish, and we are waiting for the numbers to follow. Close to breaking out, but still buried at .135. (5-for-37).
Frese:
Again, seemed to have a black mark in front of his name all day. Thrown out stealing, thrown out on the bases, missed a cutoff throw that went straight in the dugout, what next? Well how 'bout this: grounded to second, singled sharply to LCF, HIT INTO TRIPLE PLAY with bases loaded on hump-backed liner to 2B, and walked. And then was forced at 2B for the final out of the game when the umpire flat-out missed a call. Had he been safe, the tying run would have come to the plate. Looking a bit better and still at .303, but not hitting in clutch and getting mental about it. (10-for-33).

Well, Frese took a vacation from baseball on Sunday, so we'll let Mr. Rose tell the tale in his own words: I was 1 for 3 with a walk. I singled my first at bat, grounded to 2nd and was called out on a third strike (3-2 pitch) that almost hit me in the shoulder. The pitch was so high and inside we couldn't believe the ump call it a strike. But I guess since it was the bottom of the eighth, five minutes to 12:00 and the score was 9-3, the ump was trying to move the game along. Still, I hate getting jobbed like that. Defensively I had a good game. I made a few plays while on the mound, then went to right field. I had two great throws in the last few innings. The first one came with men on first and second. The batter singled slightly to right center. I didn't have a great shot at the guy at the plate since I was moving to my right and would have had to throw across my body towards home, but I made a perfect one hop throw to third to nail the guy. Unfortunately, the ump called him safe. Lafferty went nuts! The ump actually apolgized twice for blowing the call. The next inning, they had first and second again and the hitter singled right over the first base bag. I barehanded the ball and gunned another one hop throw to the plate to get the guy by two steps. AAAHHH, shades of the past coming back. It was almost like the DOA play back in the Manor days.
Rose:
Singled, 4-3 groundout, struck out looking. Inches up to .150 (6-for-40).
Frese:
Did not play. Still at .303, and anxious to get a roll started. (10-for-33).

The gritty veteran Frank Rose got the starting nod, and he was handicapped by the fact that there were only seven Yankees behind him, with the three Ley brothers at their league championship softball game.

But no matter. Rose squeezed every ounce of sweat out of himself and held the Tigers off the board as the Yanks built a 2-0 lead. Rose made it stand through seven innings of sweaty baseball.

The cavalry finally arrived in the bottom of the seventh, in the form of Ken, Kurt and Ernie Ley. But manager Thornton elected to let Rose go out and start the eight, as Ernie Ley was not loose -- and in fact had relieved Greg Jiampetti in center.

But a tiring Rose gave up two uncharacteristic walks, and Rich Horan's one-out bloop single tied the match, and extra innings loomed -- something NOBODY was looking forward to in the sweltering heat of Tabernacle AA Field.

The Yanks forged ahead in the bottom of the eighth as Rose worked a walk, moved up to second on a Dave Lafferty bunt, and then scored on Kurt Ley's double to rightcenter.

The Tigers would not, quit though. They loaded the bases on three single in the top of the 9th, and then with one out executed a perfect suicide squeeze to break the Yanks hearts yet again, tieing the game 3-3. The Yanks managed to hold the tie, but seemed to be on their last legs -- and looking at the Tiger top of the order in the 10th.

But it never got there. Jiampetti started the bottom of the ninth with an infield single and a pulled groin (Ernie Ley pinch ran). Dave Thorton fanned, but Ley moved to second on a wild pitch. Dave Bernato grounded to second as Ley reached third. The Tigers then choose to intentially walk Nick Frese to get to Higbee, who was miserable all night with three strikeouts and two errors.

But the Gods of Baseball work in mysterious ways. Higbee's tapper to third slipped under the third sackers glove as the winning run scored. Oh baby!
Rose:
Singled, popped to first, grounded to first, walked. More progress, now at .163 (7-for-43).
Frese:
A non-eventful evening, grounded sharply to third tapped to third, walked three times, and finally dips below the .300 mark at .286 (10-for-35).