By Rob Potter
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — July 13, 2010 — The visiting Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Fire Department team broke a 7-7 tie with a six-run fourth inning and went on to record a 19-10 victory over the White Sulphur Springs FD team on Wednesday night in an Eastern Sullivan Firefighters Softball League game at Gary A. Bradley Field at the White Sulphur Springs Firemen’s Park.
With the win, SMVFD improved its record to 7-2 and remained in first place in the league standings.
The score was even at 7-7 after three innings, but SMVFD took the lead for good in the top of the fourth. Robbie Bonnaci led off with a single and scored the go-ahead run moments later when Pete Rossiter singled to left field.
SMVFD extended its lead to 11-7 when Joe Bonnaci hit a two-run triple and scored when the throw from the outfield to third base was errant. SMVFD added two more runs in the inning on an RBI single by Paul Turi and a fielder’s choice by Shannon Dietrich to take a 13-7 advantage.
WSSFD (6-3) responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Carl Yaun tripled to right-center field and scored when the throw to third base sailed into foul territory.
SMVFD made it a 14-8 game in the top of the fifth as Tim Morey crossed home plate on Rossiter’s double.
In the top of the sixth, SMVFD scored four runs to take an 18-8 lead. Turi ripped a two-run triple to right-center field and Dietrich and Tim Martin added RBI singles.
SMVFD scored its final run of the night in the top of the seventh. Joe Bonnaci tagged up and scored from third base when his brother, Patrick Bonnaci, hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
Facing an 11-run deficit, WSSFD attempted to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Mike Black hit a triple to center field and scored when the next batter, Joe Decker, tripled to right-center. Decker then scored on a groundout by Ryan Barber.
Nick Scheibe walked and Ryan Calkin singled to put two runners on base with only one out. But SMVFD pitcher Rossiter struck out the next two batters to end the game.
SMVFD took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Martin tripled and scored as Joe Bonnaci reached base on an error.
WSSFD evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Yaun crossed the plate on a double by Matt DeWitt.
In the top of the second, SMVFD took a 4-1 advantage thanks to an RBI single by Morey, a fielder’s choice by Robbie Bonnaci and an error.
The team pushed its lead to 7-1 in the top of the third. Joe Bonnaci led off with a solo home run over the left field fence. Moments later, Jeremy Ernst scored on a single by Dietrich and Turi scored when Morey reached base because of an error.
WSSFD answered with six runs in the bottom of the third to knot the score at 7-7. DeWitt, Josh Schwartz, Devin Day and Calkin each had an RBI single and Decker earned an RBI when he grounded out to second base and DeWitt scored on the play.
“Everybody did well,” SMVFD Player/Coach Joe Bonnaci said. “We had a few errors, but everybody hit the ball well. Everybody hit the ball on a line and we only had a few pop outs.”
WSSFD Player/Coach Mike Black noted that “it was too hot.
“It was a good game,” he said. “We had some errors and we were missing our vacuum cleaner first baseman Tim Pellam. But we had fun.”