By Frank Rizzo
LIBERTY — August 31, 2007 — The most dominant team of the decade in the Liberty Slo-Pitch men’s Softball League continued its inexorable tide of victory on Tuesday night.
Cobbler’s Restaurant downed C. Edwards Realty (CER) 20-14 to complete a three-game sweep of the “A” championship series Tuesday night.
It was the team’s fourth straight title and completes a 23-0 season.
CER did not go down meekly, and made a game of it through 41⁄2 innings.
In the top of the first CER jumped out to a 3-0 lead, answered by a solo homer to deep center by John Rusin in the bottom of the frame .
Cobbler’s went up with five in the second, highlighted by two-run singles by Shane Conner and John Brewer.
CER fought back in the third, as Tim Mills led off with a long blast to center. Greg Lewis, Scott Edwards and Rich Lewis added RBI singles to give the “visitors” a 7-6 lead before a 6-4-3 double play ended the frame.
Cobbler’s lost no time in responding in its next at bat. A two-run single by Mark Logan scored Will Smith and Steve Vlaovich to regain the lead. Logan came around to score on a ground-rule double by Conner and give Cobbler’s a 9-7 edge.
CER followed with its best inning, scoring four in the fourth to take an 11-9 lead. Mitch Peck, Evan Irwin and Greg Lewis poked RBI singles.
A sac fly by Rusin in the fourth brought Cobblers within 11-10.
CER had defensive breakdowns in the fifth, allowing Cobbler’s to take control of the game with seven runs.
Dan Gallo led off with a ground-rule double and quickly scored on Vlaovich’s single to knot the score. Vlaovich alertly advanced on the throw to the plate. Logan flied out to right and Vlaovich tagged up. The throw went over third baseman Greg Lewis’ head and Vlaovich was waved home with the go-ahead run.
Mike Stoddard then reached second on an error and Conner’s fly out moved him to third, where he scored on Brewer’s single.
William Merchant’s single scored Brewer on a throwing error and eventually put him on third base.
Another single by Keith Shaddock scored Merchant and Jay Falasca capped the inning with a two-run homer.
Cobbler’s added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
A pair of RBI doubles by Ryan Edwards and Peck were CER’s last gasp in its last at bat.
As he savored the win, manager Dan Gallo thanked Mike Stoddard and Cobbler’s for its sponsorship as well as James Ratner and Rob Sze for their running of the league.