Snook Inn Claims Marco Division Regular Season Title

The regular season of the Marco Island Senior Softball League concluded with the Snook Inn clinching the Marco Division championship by defeating Joey’s Pizza. Verdi’s had already been declared the regular season champ in the Island Division. Oyster Society also claimed the title last week in the Gulf Coast Division.

Now it’s on to the double elimination tournament with all 16 teams competing. For the complete, up-to-date results and standings, visit the league website at marcoseniorsoftballleague.com.

ISLAND DIVISION

Tuesday March 10, 2026

Dolphin Tiki 17                                                                        Salty Dog 3

Dolphin Tiki led from the outset, stretching the margin throughout the contest while chilling the red-hot bats of Salty Dog to take the victory.

Tiki opened the game with a three-run first, courtesy of run-scoring base hits by manager Ricky Cuevas (four hits, two RBIs), Eric Jeanotte, and Lou Marinaccio (three hits, two RBIs). Three innings later, Tiki went to work again. Marinaccio and Brian Craig (three hits) singled to get the inning started. John Kelly lined a base hit to center to score one, John Nicholas followed suit for another run, Joe Rocco (three hits, three RBIs) hit a sacrifice fly, Dave Mayo (three hits, three RBIs) laced an RBI single, and after a fifth run scored on an error, Tiki was sitting on an 8-1 lead. Tiki added seven more runs in the ninth, with the big blows being a two-run double by Rocco and a two-run single by Mayo to make it a 17-2 ballgame.

Sal Tidona also chipped in with three hits for Tiki. Pitcher Nicholas and the Tiki defense were superb holding Salty Dog to ten hits and no walks in the contest.

Verdi’s 12                                                                                 DaVinci’s 9

Regular season champ Verdi’s was able to come back from early deficits using a combination of clutch hitting and air-tight defense to subdue DaVinci’s.

Verdi’s, trailing 9-7 in the sixth inning, was able to take the lead for good. After singles by Jim O’Toole, Mike Shone, and Mike Faria loaded the bases, Dan Harrar plated one run on an infield grounder, Nick Jacullo singled in another, and Lou Marinaccio, subbing for Verdi’s also singled home a run to give them a 10-9 advantage. Verdi’s added two insurance runs in the eighth on a fielder’s choice and an RBI base hit by Dan Gulick, another sub.

Jacullo and Jon Thomas paced Verdi’s offense with four hits apiece, and Thomas, Marinaccio, and Tad Fabian each drove in a pair of runs.

Paul Kramer finished the game with three hits and three RBIs to lead DaVinci’s. Carl Parker and Mike Gerace both contributed two RBIs in the well-played contest in which no errors were committed by either team.

Thursday March 12, 2026

Salty Dog 19                                                                               Verdi’s 11

Engaged in a back-and-forth struggle for most of the game, Salty Dog scored ten unanswered runs to ultimately pull away from and defeat Verdi’s.

After a number of lead changes had Verdi’s clinging to a 10-9 lead in the middle of the sixth frame, Salty Dog rallied. Back-to-back doubles by Brian Alexander (three hits) and Tom Polston tied the game at ten. Two batters later, Bill Krausmann (four RBIs) singled home a run, Ron Lukasevicz doubled home another, Dan Gulick singled in yet another, and a Ron Goralski sacrifice fly capped the five-run inning. The following inning, the Dog scored five more on a two-run double by Chip Mathers (three RBIs), a two-run single by Bob Ferreira, and another RBI base knock by Krausmann, which gave the Dog a comfortable 19-10 cushion.

Other key contributors for the Dog included Dave Koch and manager Mike Schwab (each with a triple among three hits), Jeff Robinson (three hits), and Brian Ward (triple and two RBIs). Schwab also drove in a pair of runs for the winners.

Jim O’Toole finished with three hits and two RBIs for Verdi’s. Mike Faria also slashed three hits, and Mike Shone and Nick Jacullo both knocked in a pair of runs in the contest.

Dolphin Tiki 19                                                              Nacho Mama’s 18

Dolphin Tiki’s Ron Baden singled home the game winner capping a three-run ninth inning rally enabling Tiki to claim the comeback victory over Nacho Mama’s.

Trailing by two entering the bottom of the ninth, Tiki base hits by Dave Mayo and manager Ricky Cuevas put runners on the corners. Lou Marinaccio singled home one run, and Eric Jeanotte followed with another RBI base hit to tie the game, setting up Baden’s walk-off game winner.

The ninth inning rally capped a big day for Jeanotte who also hammered a pair of two-run triples and hit a sacrifice fly to finish the game with six RBIs. He got plenty of help from Sal Tidona (four hits, two RBIs), Cuevas (three hits) including a triple and three RBIs), Joe Rocco (three hits including a solo home run), Mayo, Marinaccio, and John Kelly (all with three hits), and Baden and Terry Downs (two RBIs apiece). With the win, Tiki earned the two seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming tournament.

Dave O’Brien and Paul Nussbaum led Nacho’s with three RBIs each, and Matt Evangelista, Chuck Stathopoulos, manager Todd Rogers, and Bill Coyle all knocked in two.

DaVinci’s 12                                                                         Speakeasy 11

DaVinci’s used a late rally to emerge from a nip-and-tuck affair to prevail over Speakeasy.

DaVinci’s, entering the eighth inning trailing by a narrow 8-7 margin, erupted for five runs. After Bruce Denlinger and Dick Nemmers singled to get things started, Dave Koch delivered a sacrifice fly to pull even at eight. Later that same inning, Carl Parker doubled home a run, manager Ed Seery doubled home two more, and Paul Kramer capped the uprising with an RBI single to give DaVinci’s a 12-8 advantage.

The hitting heroes for DaVinci’s included Kramer (three hits, three RBIs), Seery and Chris Flynn (both with three hits and two RBIs), Parker and Nemmers (three hits apiece), and Mike Gerace, who blasted a solo home run and drove in a pair of runs.

Speakeasy wasted a big hitting performance by Mike Galloway. The speedy outfielder tripled in a pair of runs in the first, then added an RBI double, a single, and a sacrifice fly for a four-RBI afternoon. Terry Downs and Laz Ferro also punched out three hits, Brett Bartholomaus hammered a triple, and Scott Golan and Mark Whealy knocked in a pair of runs each in the loss.

MARCO DIVISION

Monday March 9, 2026

Snook Inn 10                                                                       Joey’s Pizza 5

Clinging to a 7-5 lead after five innings, Snook Inn scored three times in the sixth inning to ensure its 15th win of the season while also clinching the Marco Division regular season championship and number one seed in the upcoming post-season tournament.

Snook started its winning sixth inning rally with three straight singles, the final one by Gary Menzies, scoring one run, good for an 8-5 Snook lead. Joey’s appeared to be on the verge of limiting further damage by getting two outs on infield grounders while also holding the Snook baserunners at second and third. But Jim Willert changed that with one swing. He smartly drove an outside pitch to right field for a single, scoring two runs, with Willert ending up on third base, courtesy of a Joey’s fielding error. Up to 10-5, Snook then sealed the win in the seventh inning, but not without some tension.

Joey’s loaded the bases with two outs, courtesy of three straight singles, bringing rookie slugger Todd Stigall to the plate. Snook pitcher Neal Newhouse (who had two strikeouts on the day) induced Stigall to bounce into a game-ending fielder’s choice ground out at second base, igniting a Snook infield celebration of high-fives, handshakes, and hugs as it celebrated clinching first place in the Marco Division for the 2026 season. Among the spoils of finishing first for Snook is getting to sit out the tournament’s opening round as well as always being matched up against the lowest-seeded teams as the double elimination tournament unfolds.

Pitcher Jerry Engel was Joey’s top hitter with three hits, among them a fourth-inning single that helped Joey’s rally from an early deficit.

Stonewalls 13                                                                            Brewery 8

Using its winning formula of timely hitting and consistent defense, Stonewalls won its fifth game in a row as it pulled away from Brewery.

The timely hitting for Stonewalls started early in the game. With two outs in the first inning and one run already in, rookie Will Smith (two RBIs) smashed a single to left field for an early 2-0 Stonewalls lead. It was more of the same for Stonewalls in the second inning. This time, it was Bobby Williams’ (three hits and two RBIs on the day) turn to finish a Stonewalls two-out rally. He ripped a single to leftfield, good for one run as Stonewalls upped its lead to 5-0 after two at bats. Despite its early deficit, Brewery battled back to make a game of it, thanks in large part to the hitting of Glenn Ahlquist.

With his team down 11-5 and the bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth inning, Ahlquist (three hits and three RBIs) hammered a single to center field, clearing the bases and pulling Brewery to within 11-8. Brewery’s bid to add more runs, though, was snuffed out by one of several fine defensive plays that Stonewalls outfielders made in the game. This time it was Steve Friend who robbed Brewery’s Mitch Eil of a hit when he made a running catch of his looping drive in short right center field. Williams then helped Stonewalls get some needed insurance runs in the seventh inning. He perfectly placed a single into right center for one run as the Men in Black got its final run of the day on a fielder’s choice. In addition to its strong outfield play, Stonewalls capped its strong defensive day (one error as a team) with a game ending double play. Offensively, rookie Brian Wegener contributed to Stonewalls 19-hit attack with two RBIs.

Sami’s 18                                                                                Sand Bar 14

Nursing a 12-11 lead as it came to bat in its half of the sixth inning, Sami’s scored five runs to finally put away Sand Bar.

With one out, Kent Clarkson (who ripped an RBI triple in the fourth inning) singled to center to start Sami’s clinching rally. Several batters and one out later, Sami’s scored its first run of the inning on a single, setting the table for Jim Fairbanks (three hits), who smacked an RBI single for a 14-11 Sami’s lead. Another single made it 15-11 Sami’s. Two batters later, John Gross capped his perfect day of hitting (three hits and three RBIs) with a beautifully placed single to right field, scoring two more runs, capping a five-run uprising and giving Sami’s a 17-11 lead that it would not yield. Sami’s other spotlight hitter was Dave Schott (four hits and three RBIs), among them an opposite-field double to left field that scored two runs and helped Sami’s whittle away at Sand Bar’s early lead. Ed Kingsbury and manager Dick Eddy chipped in with two RBIs each for Sami’s.

The good news for Sand Bar? It had a banner day hitting, smacking 20 hits as a team and scoring 14 runs. The bad news? They could not sustain their early spurt to the lead.

The Sand Men scored 10 runs in their first two at bats with their star hitters of the day leading the way. With the game tied at 5-5 as it batted in the bottom of the second inning, Sand Bar’s Steve Levesque (two RBIs) started their next rally when he plated one run with a single. Kevin Smith (three hits and two RBIs) followed with another RBI single for a 7-5 Sand Bar lead. Dave Korte (three hits and three RBIs) followed suit with a ground single to center, good for two more runs and a 9-5 Sand Bar lead. And Bill Thompson (three hits and three RBIs) finished the five-run uprising with a single to score Korte, giving Sand Bar a 10-5 cushion at the time. Jack Martin also contributed to Sand Bar’s offense with two RBIs.

Wednesday March 11, 2026

Brewery 17                                                                               Sand Bar 5

Brewery’s Rick DiStasio had the dagger hit for the Crew, smacking a grand slam home run as the Green and Black ended the regular season with a win.

Leading 11-5 as it came to bat in the top of the fifth inning, Brewery went to work to put the game on ice. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for DiStasio. The slick fielding shortstop turned on an inside pitch and drilled a liner down the left field line that rolled for a bases clearing home run, his second of the season, part of a three hit and four RBI day for him. While DiStasio had the signature swing for Brewery, he had plenty of help from his teammates.

Ray Capella and Don Palmer chipped in with three hits and two RBIs apiece, while Chuck McAlpine had three hits in the game. Mitch Eil and Jon Krebs contributed two RBIs each as Brewery had 24 hits as a team. The Crew finished the regular season with a 7-13 record and will face Sami’s in the opening game of the post-season tournament.

Sand Bar, which struggled to find consistency on offense all season, was again bedeviled by its lack of hitting, generating only 12 hits and five runs on the day. The Sand Men will hope for a new beginning in the post-season tournament when they face Joey’s Pizza in the opening round.

Sami’s 11                                                                           Joey’s Pizza 10

Sami’s Jim Fairbanks (two RBIs) looped a game winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning as the White and Red won a back-and-forth battle.

With the game tied at 10 and Joey’s outfield shifted more toward left field on the right-handed hitting Fairbanks, he skied an opposite field blooper to right field that landed fair, scoring sub-Brian Wegener who started the winning rally with a double, part of a three-hit day for the rookie from Iowa. It was a fitting end for Sami’s as it withstood two Joey’s rallies in the game.

In the third inning, the Pizza Men’s Todd Stigall (three RBIs) had the big swing, bashing a three-run home run to deep left center field, part of a five-run Joey’s outburst, good for a 5-1 lead. But Sami’s answered in its half of the fourth inning.

Fairbanks started the rally with a solo home run. An RBI single scored another run and brought up pitcher Ed Kingsbury (two RBIs) with runners on second and third. He ripped a single to left field, plating two to tie the game 5-5. Manager Dick Eddy (two RBIs) then finished the rally when he smacked an RBI single for a 6-5 Sami’s lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, it was the Pizza Men’s turn to rally and retake the lead. Down 9-6 and with the bases loaded, Robert Stried (three RBIs) walloped a triple to left field, clearing the bases and tying the game at 9. An RBI single plated Joey’s 10th and final run of the day.

The win by Sami’s enabled it to end the season with a three-game winning streak and a break-even record of 10-10 on the season. Joey’s, meanwhile, losers in four of its final five games in the regular season, resulting in a third-place finish at 13-7, will look to rebound in the post-season tournament opening round versus Sand Bar.

Stonewalls 20                                                                       Snook Inn 10

Stonewalls flexed its offensive muscle, smacking seven extra base hits (four of them being home runs) as the Men in Black rolled to their sixth straight win to close the regular season and earn a first-round bye in the post-season tournament as the number two seed.

The Stonewalls power swings started in the second inning as they took control of the game. Trailing 3-2 and with one out, Randy Morrison (two RBIs on a triple in the fourth inning) started the rally when he legged out a double. That brought up Geoff Bentley (two RBIs). The retired dentist ripped a drive to center field that rolled beyond the Snook defense, good for a two-run home run and 4-3 Stonewalls lead. Up stepped pitcher Steve Chasin, who boomed the first pitch for a solo home run to left field for a 5-3 Stonewalls advantage. Next batter, Dan Dumbauld, then poked a triple to left field setting the table for Tom Breslin (three hits and three RBIs). The Chicago native skyed a two-run home run to left center, the Men in Black’s third round tripper of the inning as well as his third of the season. But that did not end Stonewalls power display.

In the sixth inning, Paul Sullivan (three RBIs) blasted a two-run bomb to left field, his first HR of the season, as Stonewalls continued to pile on insurance runs. Other spotlight hitters for Stonewalls included manager George Lancaster (three hits) and rookie Will Smith, who had three RBIs. All told, the Men in Black pounded out 26 hits as a team.

Snook, the Marco Division’s regular season champions, was led by Gary Menzies (two RBIs), who ripped a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Pitcher Neal Newhouse had three hits while outfielder Doug Stang drove in three runs.

GULF COAST DIVISION

Monday March 9, 2026

Crazy Flamingo 12                                                                    Doreen’s 5

Home runs by John Sherwin and Brian Bergman powered Crazy Flamingo to the victory over Doreen’s.

After a scoreless first inning, Crazy Flamingo put up five runs in the second inning, three on a booming home run by Sherwin, followed by an RBI base hit by Greg Graycarek and an RBI groundout. One inning later, Crazy’s loaded the bases on a walk, a Nick Lordi single, and another walk. Bergman stepped in and hammered the first pitch to center field, clearing the bases for a grand slam that made the score 9-0, which proved to be sufficient for the win.

Manager Mick Keller contributed three hits and two RBIs for the Crazy Birds. Bobby Smith slashed a two-run triple and John Robichaud finished with three hits for Doreen’s.

Wednesday March 11, 2026

American Legion 17                                                      Oyster Society 12

Jeff Taylor’s four RBIs on three hits powered the American Legion to the victory over the regular-season champ Oyster Society.

The Legion, trailing 6-4 in the middle of the third inning, turned the game around when they pushed across five runs in the bottom half. After a pair of walks started the inning, RBI singles by Nick Brooks, Taylor, and Tom Obermeier (three RBIs), followed by a two-run triple by Jim Lencioni erased the deficit and gave the Legion a 9-6 advantage. Then after the Oyster Society cut the Legion’s lead to 12-10 on run-scoring hits by Fred Kramer and Alan Schneider, the Legion put five more runs on the board in the sixth to salt the game away. The key hits during this rally were RBI singles by John Barrett and Brooks again, followed by a two-run double by Taylor.

The other key hits for the Legion were a solo home run by Andy Pressler and a run-scoring triple by Taylor.

For the Oyster Society, it was rookie slugger Mike Roman leading the way again with three hits, including a two-run triple in the first that gave them a 3-0 lead at the time. He had support from Schneider and Barry Neale, both with three hits, Ed Kopecky with a triple, and Kramer and Steve Risch with a pair of RBIs each.

Friday March 13, 2026

Oyster Society 14                                                                     Doreen’s 4

After spotting Doreen’s three first inning runs, Oyster Society went on a 14-1 tear to decisively defeat Doreen’s.

The Oyster Men took the lead for good when they pushed across four runs in the bottom of the second. Three consecutive singles by John DeRosa, Barry Neale, and Fred Kramer loaded the bases for Alan Schneider, who plated a pair of runs on a line drive base hit to right field. Two more runs crossed the plate on a Doreen’s miscue to give Oyster Society a 5-3 lead. They added eight runs over the next two innings to extend the lead to 13-4, with the big blow being a two-run base knock by Jim Williams that scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning.

Mike Roman blasted a solo home run to right field and finished with two RBIs for the Oyster Men. Dave Chroust was also responsible for a pair of runs for the winners. Doreen’s managed just 14 hits in the contest, three by Paul Glynn, as Oyster Society played strong defense and turned two double plays in the contest.

Crazy Flamingo 11                                                     American Legion 10

Don Schwartz smacked a walk-off, game winning RBI single to cap a three-run seventh inning rally that enabled Crazy Flamingo to secure the comeback win against American Legion.

Crazy Flamingo started their comeback two innings earlier, when trailing 10-5, they scored three times, two on a Brian Bergman triple to left field and one on an RBI single by Huck McPhee to close the gap to 10-8. Then in the seventh with the score the same, Nick Lordi singled with one out. Jim Cuevas then lofted a fly ball to center field that eluded the outfielders and resulted in a game-tying two-run home run. After singles by Bergman and McPhee put runners at first and second, Schwartz drove a single into left field to score the game winner.

Bergman finished a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBIs for the Crazy Birds. Other hitting stars included Schwartz (three hits, two RBIs), McPhee (three hits), Cuevas (three RBIs), and Rich Klein (two RBIs).

Nick Brooks, Jim Adair, and Jim Battye led the Legion with three hits each, Jim Lencioni drove in three runs, and Brooks two.