By Rob Potter
MONTICELLO August 5, 2003 For a while, Wednesday nights Monticello Mens Modified Softball League game between Ma & Pas and Trotters Bar looked more like a home run derby.
The teams combined for six home runs in the third and fourth innings of the game played at Kenneth H. Somerville Memorial Field in Monticello.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Trotters rallied from a 4-2 deficit. After Dennis Rundle walked, Steve Rogg ripped a homer to center field to knot the score at 4-4. Irv Rundle followed with a single and the next batter, John Bell, smashed a home run to left field to give Trotters a 6-4 advantage.
While each squad slugged three round trippers in those third and fourth frames, Ma & Pas was able to add several singles and doubles as well. Ma & Pas sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 14 runs in the bottom of the fourth. That outburst allowed Ma & Pas to turn a 6-4 deficit into a commanding 18-4 lead.
The first three batters in the bottom of the fourth Suave Jimenez, Alex Rodriguez and John Corrie each singled, which brought Ma & Pas to within one run. Brian Kowal then hit a three-run home run to right field to give Ma & Pas an 8-6 lead. A two-run homer off the bat of Jason Corwin, an RBI double by Wayne Kozloski and RBI singles by Chuck Worthington, Vinny Radesca and Rodriguez helped Ma & Pas build a 16-6 lead before the first out was recorded in the inning.
Despite being down 19-7 in the top of the seventh, Trotters Bar did not go quietly in its final at-bat. With one out, Lou Valesco singled. After another out was recorded, Dennis Rundle singled to put two runners on base. Rogg then singled to center field to bring both Valesco and Rundle in to score the final runs of the contest.
While the teams combined to hit four home runs in the fourth inning, they combined for a pair of round trippers in the third. In the top of the frame, Rob Sze hit a solo shot with two outs to give Trotters Bar a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Billy Schutz hit a two-run homer to put Ma & Pas up by a 3-2 score.
With the victory, Ma & Pas improved to 8-2 on the season. Trotters Bar fell to 1-8.