Sweepers

Roche's Garage Takes the Win

By Frank Rizzo
MONGAUP VALLEY — August 18, 2000 – The 19th annual Edward Collins Jr. Memorial Softball Tournament saw Roche’s Garage of Callicoon sweep through its opponents en route to defending its title.
It also placed Roche’s in the favorites’ role for this weekend’s Turfler Softball Tournament.
Now considered the premier modified-pitch tourney in the tri-county area, the Turfler has been dominated by Roche’s. The team has won 10 of the 20 “Turflers” played.
The Collins tournament is named after the 1970 Eldred graduate, one of the finest all-around athletes the school produced. The veteran of numerous softball teams died on April 9, 1981 of viral pneumonia. He was 29.
Roche’s took the minimum of five games to win the Collins. The scores:
Roches’s 13 • McGillicuddy’s (New Paltz League) 1. Tim Martin copped the win.
Roche’s 10 • Middletown Honda 2. Martin again was the winning pitcher.
Roche’s 6 • Lewis Auto Parts (Monticello League) 2. Scott Mosher was the winning pitcher.
Roche’s 10 • Copperfield’s/Grand Slam (Montgomery League) 2. Mosher again was the winning pitcher in the championship game of the winner’s bracket.
Roche’s then beat Copperfield’s/
Grand Slam again in the championship game, 5-2, with Martin picking up the win.
Copperfield’s had beaten Lewis 7-3 in the losers’ bracket final.
Mike Mancuso, a second-year player on Roche’s, picked up the Most Valuable Player’s trophy by going 11-for-17 (.647) at the plate.
Mike Yager added three homers for Roche’s.
Dennis Dietrich of Smallwood, a member of Roche’s, friend of Ed Collins Jr., and tournament director, said the only rain delay was on Saturday from about 1:30 to 6 p.m.
The tourney was able to get back on track thanks to the help of the Swan Lake Fire Department, which allowed the use of their softball field.
Proceeds from the tournament go to upkeep the park, which received renovations this summer.
Tony Mancuso of Chester, a veteran baseball coach, took over the manager’s role for the Roche’s softball team this season.
“They’re not professional athletes, but they’re very professional the way they go about playing,” said Mancuso.
Mancuso predicted that Copperfield's “would be tough in the Turfler.”
Roche’s was also engaged in the Monticello Men’s League playoffs this week. It was tied with Lewis Auto Parts 1-1 in a best-of-three series to determine the “A” division champ.
The deciding game is set for August 30 at Collins Park.
See Tuesday’s paper for Monticello Men’s Softball League results.
“The Collins and the playoffs have been a great tune-up for the Turfler,” said Mancuso. “We had been playing sloppy, going through the motions.”