By Rob Potter
NEVERSINK — June 25, 2010 — For a game that looked like it might have to be postponed or concluded on another evening, Tuesday night’s Eastern Sullivan Firefighters Softball League game between the visiting Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Fire Department (SMVFD) and Neversink Fire Department had a very exciting conclusion.
Neversink FD recorded a dramatic 13-11 victory when Ben Monell belted a two-out, three-run home run over the center field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning. The homer capped a comeback in which Neversink FD rallied from an 11-8 deficit.
After the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh hit fly balls which were caught by SMVFD outfielder Jeremy Ernst, Andy Hollenbeck singled to keep the inning alive for Neversink FD. Mike Garigliano pinch ran for Hollenbeck and scored when the next batter, Bo Murphy, tripled to right center field. When the throw from the outfield to home plate was errant, Murphy scored to bring Neversink FD (6-2) within a run at 11-10.
Ryan Barkley reached on an error and Shane Cunningham singled to left field to put two runners on base. Monell then stepped into the batter’s box and hit his game-winning homer.
SMVFD (4-2) trailed 8-5 heading into the top of the seventh. But the first three batters of the frame reached base.
Paul Turi and Jerry Donohue then hit consecutive RBI singles to make it an 8-7 game. Des Gonzalez scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Tim Martin.
Joe Bonnaci then blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence to give SMVFD an 11-8 advantage.
SMVFD took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Martin had an RBI double, Tim Morey hit an RBI single and George Roosevelt had an RBI triple.
During a rain delay after the first inning, captains for both teams discussed stopping the game and playing it on another night. But after a few moments, they decided to continue playing even though the rain was falling at a steady pace.
Neversink FD got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when Russ Turner crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Joe Noren.
After SMVFD took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth on Bonnaci’s RBI single, Neversink FD evened the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth.
Turner hit a two-run double and scored the tying run when Paul Lepke doubled to left field.
An RBI double by Patrick Bonnaci in the top of the fourth gave SMVFD a 5-4 advantage.
The score remained 5-4 until the bottom of the sixth when Neversink FD scored four runs to take an 8-5 lead. Hollenbeck scored the tying run when Cunningham walked with the bases loaded. Neversink FD scored its three other runs in the inning on two errors and an RBI single by Jesse Noren.