After a tumultuous regular season filled with ups and downs for everyone, it was playoff time in softball, and here’s how it turned out.
ROUND 1:
(3) BENTLEY 9 (6) AUDI 0
Bentley struck early and often in a convincing rout of Audi reminiscent of their days in first place for most of the regular season. The hitting was on point, defense immaculate and pitching superb. Capping things off was Toby Dahab, who’s three run bomb put the ballgame away and essentially sent his team to the semifinals.
(2) MASERATI 4 (7) CORVETTE 0
On a shaded field, Maserati’s stellar fielding and timely hitting proved overwhelming for the upstart Corvette to handle. Despite a strong finish to the regular season, their mighty bats were handcuffed by CY Young candidate David Tawil, whose precision along with conviction kept hitters guessing, off balance and out of answers.
(4) ROLLS ROYCE 3 (5) FERRARI 0
Entering the final week of the regular season atop the league standings, a collapse saw Ferrari slip to the five seed, and a matchup with Rolls Royce was in order. The two teams were deadlocked in a pitchers duel with runs coming at a premium, but Rolls were opportunistic and scratched across enough baserunners, turning them into runs and a tidy 3-0 victory. At least Ferrari will always have the game saving catch from Eli Halabi to look back on though!
SEMIFINALS:
(2) MASERATI 9 (3) BENTLEY 4
In a much anticipated semifinal, Maserati scored six unanswered runs and pulled away with a resounding victory. Abe Haddad tied it with a blast, and contributed to the offensive onslaught in what was a powerful display from the bats of Mikey Cohen, Mark Saadia, Victor Gundi and even David TAWIL got in on the fun with big hits as well.
(4) ROLLS ROYCE 1 (1) TESLA 0
It was a stunner of epic proportions, as one of the league's most potent lineups and President trophy winners were held scoreless, and beaten on a late RBI walk that was the difference in sending Rolls Royce to the World Series.
In the World Series, Rolls Royce battled Maserati in an exhilarating contest. Maserati had swept the season series between the two teams and entered as the favorites being the higher seed. However, Rolls Royce had other plans led by MVP Jack Shrem, and coach Nehoriai Avikasis.
Rolls Royce struck early with two runs on a groundout by Jack Shrem for a quick 2-0 lead. After Maserati were turned aside in the first, controversy emerged in the top of the second. With a runner on first and one out, a fly ball was hit in between first and second, as the Maserati fielder camped under it, the Rolls Royce runner unintentionally made contact with him and the ball dropped between them. What was ruled at the time was that it was in the runners right to run because well he was in his straight baseline. The play continued and ultimately Rolls had men on second and third with 0 outs, before eventually scoring on a groundout later on in the inning to make it 3-0. After the game I conferred with MLB and I’ll say it right now, yep I messed up there. What I was told was “The baserunner should make an attempt to get out of the way on the play and go around the fielder.” “A runner who is adjudged to have hindered a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball is out whether it was intentional or not.” “As a result, the batter and runner shall both be called out. The hitter for the pop up and the baserunner for interference.” Well that didn’t happen and that one’s on me. I made a mistake, I made the wrong call and here I am owning up to that.
However, regardless yes it wasn’t the right call, but neutrally i think that wouldn’t have necessarily affected the games outcome. As it progressed, Maserati pounced on an abundance of walks from Rolls pitching and clawed two runs closer in the bottom half of the second, but left the bases loaded and Royce remained on top 3-2.
In the fifth, Maserati capitalized on Rolls Royce defense and tied it on a fielder's choice play. But in the top of the sixth, Royce regained the lead scoring with the bases loaded, before Shrem showed off his cannon arm by robbing Mikey Cohen of a single with a strong throw from on a ball in the hole at short. Maserati did fill the bases once more via a hit and two more walks in the eighth, but for the second time couldn’t cash in sending the game to the ninth at 4-3. Akin to earlier, there was yet another runner's interference play on a ground ball to first, where this time the runner was indeed called out, and it stayed a one run game entering the last licks for Maserati. Moshe’s boys would have the tying run at second, but sharp defense by Rolls Royce in their most imperative inning of the season, sealed a euphoric World Series victory for Nehorai Avikasis and CO.
Not to take anything away from the winners, I understand the game would’ve continued to extras if the correct call was made earlier. That being said, Rolls Royce became the first team at JDSA to win a World Series game despite issuing 13 walks, including three straight twice. Either way you slice it, Maserati wasn’t able to record the big knock they needed to become champions. But Rolls Royce deserved this one. When the time called for it, they were opportunistic and rose to the occasion in the semifinals against the top seeded Tesla winning 1-0, and then Wednesday against the two seeded Maserati taking the cake 4-3. The strength of their team saw them thrive on the defensive side of the ball which speaks to the phrase “Defense wins championships.”
CHAMPS
JACK SHREM
EDMOND YEDID
ALLEN ISRAELMARK SROUR
MURAD FAHAM
EZRA KASSAB
ALLAN ESSES
VICTOR ANTEBI
DAVID HIMY
ISAAC HALIMI
JOSEPH CHEIKA
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