By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — The Thunder Country All-Stars battled Charlie’s Angels on Friday night in the third annual Alzheimer’s Softball Challenge at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.
It was a one-sided battle, however, as Charlie’s Angels posted a 26-6 victory.
Charlie’s Angels is a team that plays in the Sullivan County Women’s Softball League. The Thunder Country All-Stars is a team of on-air personalities from radio station WDNB Thunder 102, people from local organizations and community members.
Just before the game began, the Charlie’s Angels players gathered at home plate to watch 86-year-old Mae Krom throw out the first pitch. Mae is the mother of Lisa Krom, who plays for Charlie’s Angels.
“She is all excited,” Lisa Krom said of her mother throwing the first pitch.
Lisa Krom noted that the game had special meaning for her because her father, Sanford Krom, passed away from Alzheimer’s disease.
The Thunder Country All-Stars took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The team scored those runs on Mardette Wilcox’s RBI triple to left field, Dr. Richard Stein’s RBI single and an error.
Charlie’s Angels answered with two runs in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Tonya Martin and Shannon Dietrich.
Following a scoreless second inning, Charlie’s Angels took the lead for good in the bottom of the third. The team scored 10 runs to grab a 13-3 advantage. Key hits in the inning included a three-run, inside-the-park home run by Liz Stubits, a two-run double by Martin and RBI doubles by Jo Walls and Leanne Mangabang.
Mangabang smacked a two-run triple to left field in the bottom of the fourth to highlight an eight-run inning for Charlie’s Angels, which gave them a 21-3 lead.
Charlie’s Angels scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Lisa Krom belted a two-run double and Terri Ward and Christine Decker each hit an RBI single.
The Thunder Country All-Stars scored three runs in the top of the sixth. With one out, Wilcox and Steve Peteani hit consecutive singles. They both scored when Kevin Bernitt reached base on an error.
Bernitt scored the final run of the game for the Thunder Country All-Stars when he crossed home plate on a groundout by Jason Parks.
Mangabang scored the final run of the evening for Charlie’s Angels on a single by Analey Dietrich.
“They were lucky,” Paul Ciliberto, host of Ciliberto and Friends weekday mornings on Thunder 102, said of Charlie’s Angels. “We had them right where we wanted them.
“In all seriousness, they are great ladies,” he added. “They are a great team and great athletes. The members of Charlie’s Angels are great people. They started this challenge to play us and raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.”
“It was a lot of fun,” Charlie’s Angels Player/Coach Jo Walls said. “We can’t wait until next year’s challenge.”
Marcia Fink and Sheila Lashinsky, who are the Co-Chairs of the Sullivan County Committee for the Alzheimer’s Association, noted that the event raised more than $1,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association. They said that $790 of that total was collected by the Charlie’s Angels players when they went out in the weeks leading up to the game and got donation pledges from community members. The rest of the money was raised from a 50/50 raffle and silent auction at the game. The silent auction prize, which was donated by M&M Auto Group, Inc. of Liberty, was a three-day, two-night trip for two people to a city of the winner’s choice as well as two tickets to a professional sports game in that city.
Members of the Thunder Country All-Stars included: Kevin Bernitt, Villa Roma Resort; Jim Boxberger, Monticello Farm, Home and Garden; Gary Budnik, Wurtsboro Harley Owners Group (HOG); John Carabetta, Wurtsboro HOG; Paul Ciliberto, Thunder 102; Tom Corn, T&T Kitchens and Baths; Ted DeGraw, Woodbourne Fire Dept.; Lydia Horton, Starlight Marina; Ken Kavanagh, Wurtsboro HOG; Tony “King Thunderhead” Leone, Highland Lake Fire Dept.; Barbara Matwijec, Wurtsboro HOG; Patrick Matwijec, Wurtsboro HOG; Carol Montana, Big Sky Productions; Lou Monteleone, Thunder 102; Craig Mosher, Woodbourne Fire Dept.; Jason Parks, Wurtsboro HOG; Nancy Peteani, Wurtsboro HOG; Steve Peteani, Wurtsboro HOG; Sue Sakell, Thunder 102; Dr. Richard Stein, Pet Care Animal Hospital; Dr. Stuart Tashman, Wurtsboro Medical Associates; Sherri Turi, Silpada Designs and Mardette Wilcox, Villa Roma Resort.
In addition, Michell Semerano of Thunder 102 served as the public address announcer for the game.
Members of Charlie’s Angels included: Deb Ackerley, Jessica Bradley, Analey Dietrich, Shannon Dietrich, Cindy Ellmauer, Lisa Krom, Leanne Mangabang, Tonya Martin, Barb Merton, Liz Stubits, Jo Walls and Terri Ward.