The biggest games of the season – possibly the biggest games since the first week of the Spring – are now scheduled and ready to take place. The playoffs of the 2012 Fall season are bracketed up. These are the matchups that will decide what two teams will face each other for the final championship of this exciting stickball year:
#8 (2 – 12) Yonkers Pistols at #1 (12 – 2) Raging Bulls
This Fall was pretty shaky for the Pistols squad, but they got through it with key players qualified. Greg MacKoul was able to finish his season strong, posting a .292 average and 2.74 ERA. Mike Walsh had a team leading 6 homeruns while gaining all of their victories on the mound. They will anchor the group’s pitching and offense as they travel to Murray Avenue Middle School Saturday morning to meet the top seed, the Raging Bulls. As usual, the Bulls put up the numbers on both pitching and hitting that make them the marked team to take home another championship. Led by Jim Wendling (.378 14HR 28RBIs), Artie Von Wiegand (.357 8HR 23RBIs), Anthony Pogioreale (.313 10HR 23RBIs), Dave Luongo (.286 4HR), and Joe Annoscia (.286 7HR 20RBIs), their pure hitting can take on any pitching staff. To counteract a hot thrower however, Jim Wendling and Joe Annoscia had 9 combined wins and ERAs of 1.13 and 1.47. They will be a hard nut to crack, but the Pistols might have some firepower left that could pull off a major bracket collapse. A semi-finalist will be decided and would have earned that position in this first game.
#7 (3 – 11) Tornadoes at #2 (10 – 4) Pelham Blacktop Ballers
After a difficult season, the Tornadoes still managed some strong offensive numbers after an explosive finish. Their three man line up is set, starting with Steve Tomasik (.333 4HR 31RBIs), Joe LaMicela (.275 5HR 22RBIs), and Steve Dachtera. With that kind of hitting, they can make their ride to Electric Playground Saturday morning rather tough for their quarter final opponent. The second spot in the bracket was owned by the Ballers the entire second half of the season. Steve Chodan had another superstar season (.350 9HR 36RBIs, 5 wins 91Ks). Matched with AJ Romano (.438 4HR), Pedro Maldonado (.346 4HR 23RBIs), and Joe Battaglia (6 HR 16RBIs), this team is fit to make quite the run. They should watch out for the Tornadoes’ swatters but the Ballers did not come this far for nothing.
#6 (5 – 9) Stick’M Up at #3 (10 – 4) Frozen Ropes
These two squads closed out their Falls against one another and now stand to face each other again for a shot at the semis. Gabriel Viteri led his team with a .267 average, but Fabrizio Peralta came back manning the top of the homerun list for his squad by hitting 7. Right after him was Andres Andrade with 6 while Gustavo Martinez hit 4 homeruns in a large home field. Matching that kind of hitting with Gabriel Viteri’s 3 wins and Gustavo Martinez’s 2, and the Stick’M Up are raring to meet some old nemeses they had seen in such big games before. Facing the two time defending champs is a tall order, especially since they have a one-two punch of Steve and Tim Yurchak at the box. Tim finished at .345 with 9 homeruns and 22 runs plated while Steve had a .340 average with 9 homeruns and 27 runs driven in. Rocco Justice put up a .276 hitting clip while bashing 4 homeruns, and Anthony Yurchak and Kyle Lucas had 5 homeruns apiece. On the mound, Steve Yurchak was the king with 5 wins and a 2.93 ERA. Right behind him, Anthony Yurchak had 3 wins and a 3.33 ERA. Their innings has kept Tim Yurchak waiting in the wings, making the Ropes look good for a third title in a row. They will have to fight and battle against a strong Stick’M Up squad if they wish to get the ball rolling. Down on Oceania Avenue, this game will be decided.
#5 6 – 8 Mamaroneck Gas House Gang at #4 (8 – 6) Shadyville Sluggers
There was a lot of offense for the Gang this season as Chris Schneer led his group in all major offensive categories: Hitting .287 with 10 homeruns and 24 runs plated. Ross Fomerand was teetering close at 9 homeruns along with 22 RBIs and Sean O’Malley and Carmine DeStefano finished similarly, as Sean hit .268 with 5 homeruns and Carmine finished at .266 with 5. Scott Almazan won 2 big games for them on the rectangle, giving them a good chance at taking over a higher seed. However, they have been here before: Albert Leonard against the Shadyville Sluggers. Their previous visit there against this group brought two losses. Jason Nestrosio was money for his team, topping them off with a .354 average, 5 homeruns, and 23 runs batted in. Marvin Rosario returned to hit .250 and mash 4 long balls while Robert DeBella had 5 dingers in his return and David Marinez as 2 as he came back. Of course, Marvin and Miguel turned up some big innings as they both had 4 wins with Marvin’s ERA standing at 3.21 with his amazing 115 strike outs. It wasn’t too long before that these squads saw one another. In a one and done, anything is probably to occur for this quarter final match.
#8 (2 – 12) Yonkers Pistols at #1 (12 – 2) Raging Bulls
This Fall was pretty shaky for the Pistols squad, but they got through it with key players qualified. Greg MacKoul was able to finish his season strong, posting a .292 average and 2.74 ERA. Mike Walsh had a team leading 6 homeruns while gaining all of their victories on the mound. They will anchor the group’s pitching and offense as they travel to Murray Avenue Middle School Saturday morning to meet the top seed, the Raging Bulls. As usual, the Bulls put up the numbers on both pitching and hitting that make them the marked team to take home another championship. Led by Jim Wendling (.378 14HR 28RBIs), Artie Von Wiegand (.357 8HR 23RBIs), Anthony Pogioreale (.313 10HR 23RBIs), Dave Luongo (.286 4HR), and Joe Annoscia (.286 7HR 20RBIs), their pure hitting can take on any pitching staff. To counteract a hot thrower however, Jim Wendling and Joe Annoscia had 9 combined wins and ERAs of 1.13 and 1.47. They will be a hard nut to crack, but the Pistols might have some firepower left that could pull off a major bracket collapse. A semi-finalist will be decided and would have earned that position in this first game.
#7 (3 – 11) Tornadoes at #2 (10 – 4) Pelham Blacktop Ballers
After a difficult season, the Tornadoes still managed some strong offensive numbers after an explosive finish. Their three man line up is set, starting with Steve Tomasik (.333 4HR 31RBIs), Joe LaMicela (.275 5HR 22RBIs), and Steve Dachtera. With that kind of hitting, they can make their ride to Electric Playground Saturday morning rather tough for their quarter final opponent. The second spot in the bracket was owned by the Ballers the entire second half of the season. Steve Chodan had another superstar season (.350 9HR 36RBIs, 5 wins 91Ks). Matched with AJ Romano (.438 4HR), Pedro Maldonado (.346 4HR 23RBIs), and Joe Battaglia (6 HR 16RBIs), this team is fit to make quite the run. They should watch out for the Tornadoes’ swatters but the Ballers did not come this far for nothing.
#6 (5 – 9) Stick’M Up at #3 (10 – 4) Frozen Ropes
These two squads closed out their Falls against one another and now stand to face each other again for a shot at the semis. Gabriel Viteri led his team with a .267 average, but Fabrizio Peralta came back manning the top of the homerun list for his squad by hitting 7. Right after him was Andres Andrade with 6 while Gustavo Martinez hit 4 homeruns in a large home field. Matching that kind of hitting with Gabriel Viteri’s 3 wins and Gustavo Martinez’s 2, and the Stick’M Up are raring to meet some old nemeses they had seen in such big games before. Facing the two time defending champs is a tall order, especially since they have a one-two punch of Steve and Tim Yurchak at the box. Tim finished at .345 with 9 homeruns and 22 runs plated while Steve had a .340 average with 9 homeruns and 27 runs driven in. Rocco Justice put up a .276 hitting clip while bashing 4 homeruns, and Anthony Yurchak and Kyle Lucas had 5 homeruns apiece. On the mound, Steve Yurchak was the king with 5 wins and a 2.93 ERA. Right behind him, Anthony Yurchak had 3 wins and a 3.33 ERA. Their innings has kept Tim Yurchak waiting in the wings, making the Ropes look good for a third title in a row. They will have to fight and battle against a strong Stick’M Up squad if they wish to get the ball rolling. Down on Oceania Avenue, this game will be decided.
#5 6 – 8 Mamaroneck Gas House Gang at #4 (8 – 6) Shadyville Sluggers
There was a lot of offense for the Gang this season as Chris Schneer led his group in all major offensive categories: Hitting .287 with 10 homeruns and 24 runs plated. Ross Fomerand was teetering close at 9 homeruns along with 22 RBIs and Sean O’Malley and Carmine DeStefano finished similarly, as Sean hit .268 with 5 homeruns and Carmine finished at .266 with 5. Scott Almazan won 2 big games for them on the rectangle, giving them a good chance at taking over a higher seed. However, they have been here before: Albert Leonard against the Shadyville Sluggers. Their previous visit there against this group brought two losses. Jason Nestrosio was money for his team, topping them off with a .354 average, 5 homeruns, and 23 runs batted in. Marvin Rosario returned to hit .250 and mash 4 long balls while Robert DeBella had 5 dingers in his return and David Marinez as 2 as he came back. Of course, Marvin and Miguel turned up some big innings as they both had 4 wins with Marvin’s ERA standing at 3.21 with his amazing 115 strike outs. It wasn’t too long before that these squads saw one another. In a one and done, anything is probably to occur for this quarter final match.