By Frank Rizzo
MONGAUP VALLEY — August 24, 2001 – In what can be called “The Battle of the Restaurants,” Roark’s Tavern made short work of Mr. Willy’s in the Sullivan County Women’s Softball league “B” Division championship series.
Following a 21-6 win at Somerville Field in Monticello on Monday, Roark’s won 20-6 on Tuesday at Eddie Collins Park in Mongaup Valley.
It marked a clean sweep of the two playoff rounds for Roark’s.
Kathy-Jo Hoyt pitched all four games.
In Monday’s opening round game between the two Monticello eateries, Roark’s won via the 15-run mercy rule.
Brenda Avery led the offense by going 4-for-4 with a double, a triple, four runs scored and five RBI. Tini Kaiser also went 4/4 with four runs scored.
Liz Appman, Amy Bruderman, and Theresa Nietzel all batted 3/4 while Hoyt helped herself by going 2/3.
In Tuesday’s clincher Roark’s wasted no time against Mr. Willy’s hurler Chrissy Schiff.
Taking advantage of three errors, including a three-base miscue, Roark’s jumped out in front 3-0 after one.
Mr. Willy’s closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the first thanks to RBI hits by Diane Meyer and Schiff.
A clutch of errors and fielding misjudgements magnified the three Roark’s hits in the third as the visiting team pushed six runs across to take a 9-2 lead and put the game away.
A three-run homer by Nietzel highlighted the fourth. Consecutive RBI singles by Appman, Bruderman, Shannon Holland, Jenna Pantel and Tracey Gaughan ballooned the lead to 17-3.
With two outs in the fifth Avery reached on a three-base error that scored two runs, and then crossed the plate herself on a single by Appman to up the advantage to 20-4.
Mr. Willy’s avoided the 15-run rule in its half of the fifth. A two-run homer by Lisa Dowling scored Tina Johnstone, who had singled, and finalized the score at 20-6.
Appman went 4/4 to lead Roark’s, and was joined in the hitting parade by Nietzel, Avery and Kaiser (all 3/5) and Holland (3/4). Hoyt and Pantel went 2/4.