Verdi’s and American Legion are Tourney Champs

Verdi’s capped off an impressive season, winning both the regular season and tournament championship in the Island Division after defeating Nacho Mama’s in the tournament finals. Nacho’s made a strong showing in the tourney, coming in as the fifth seed and reaching the championship round. In the Gulf Coast Division, the American Legion, entering as the third seed, captured the tournament crown after knocking off the top-seed Oyster Society in the championship game. Snook Inn and Stonewall’s will meet in the championship round of the Marco Division tournament on Monday after securing victories this week.

For the complete, up-to-date results and standings, visit the league website at marcoseniorsoftballleague.com.

ISLAND DIVISION

Tuesday March 24, 2026

Verdi’s 10                                                                                 Salty Dog 3

Verdi’s air-tight defense continued to be a key factor as they shut down the potent Salty Dog offense leading the Red and Black to the win.

Verdi’s got out of the gate quickly with four first inning runs. Singles by Rob Barstow and Jim O’Toole put runners on the corners for Jon Thomas. The power-hitting lefty stroked a line drive double to center field, scoring one. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Jim Sperzel foiled the strategy by stroking a single up the middle, scoring a pair of runs. Matt Minik knocked in the fourth run on a sacrifice fly.

The Dog answered in the second when Ron Lukasevich blasted a fly ball to deep left, good for a two-run home run to pull within 4-2. But Verdi’s continued tacking on runs on an RBI single by Barstow in the second, an RBI double by Minik in the third, and an RBI single by Dan Harrar in the sixth for a 7-3 lead. Then Verdi’s extended their advantage to 10-3 when Minik again came through with a run-scoring single in the eighth, with two more runs scoring on the play as a result of a Salty Dog overthrow, the only error by the Dog in this well-played game by both teams.

Barstow, Minik, and Michael Shone all finished with three hits for Verdi’s. Brian Alexander punched out three hits for Salty Dog.

With the win, Verdi’s advances to the championship round while Salty Dog awaits the winner of the Speakeasy vs Nacho Mama’s game in the loser’s bracket.

Nacho Mama’s 17                                                                Speakeasy 10

Nacho Mama’s crammed all their scoring into four middle innings, but it proved to be more than enough to prevail over Speakeasy.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Nacho’s bats came to life. With two outs and no one on, Wayne Bombaci hammered a triple to center field. Randy Sheridan scored Bombaci with a single, and after a walk, consecutive RBI singles by Paul Nussbaum and Matt Evangelista gave Nacho’s a 3-1 lead. An inning later, four more runs crossed the plate, two on run-scoring base hits by Ed Adrian and Frank Tedesco, and two on Speakeasy miscues.

Nacho’s continued their uprising the following inning when they pushed across five more runs, thanks to run scoring hits by Evangelista, Bob Masulis, Eric Phillips, and manager Todd Rogers to give them a comfortable 12-1 margin.

Speakeasy attempted to mount a late comeback when they scored nine times over two innings, highlighted by a two-run single by Terry Downs and a pair of run-scoring doubles by Mike Galloway (three hits, three RBIs). But the rally was offset by another five-run inning by Nacho Mama’s, with Evangelista and Sheridan again coming through with run-scoring base hits.

Nacho Mama’s will now face Salty Dog for an opportunity to play in the championship round, while Speakeasy saw its season come to an end.

Thursday March 26, 2026

Nacho Mama’s 13                                                                    Salty Dog 9

In a game that featured many highlight-reel defensive plays by both teams, Nacho Mama’s rode a pair of late home runs to the victory over Salty Dog, eliminating the Dog from the tournament.

With Salty Dog leading 8-5 going into the seventh inning, Nacho’s pulled to within one on a sacrifice fly by Bob Masulis. Then, following singles by Eric Phillips, Chuck Stathopoulos, and manager Todd Rogers, Bill Coyle delivered the big blow, blasting a line drive to deep left for a grand slam to allow Nacho’s to regain the lead at 10-8. Two innings later, after a leadoff triple by Paul Nussbaum (two RBIs), Matt Evangelista also played long ball, hammering a two-run round-tripper to extend Nacho’s advantage to 13-8.

Earlier, Nacho’s struck first with a five-run third inning, keyed by RBI base hits by Wayne Bombaci and Chris Brenner, a two-run single by Nussbaum, and a sacrifice fly by Masulis. Salty Dog fought back, eventually taking the lead on a pair of two-run base hits by Brian Alexander and Dave Koch, and an RBI single by Ron Lukasevich which gave them an 8-5 advantage in the sixth inning, setting up Coyle’s heroics in the seventh.

Ed Adrian also contributed three hits to the Nacho Mama’s cause, who advanced to the championship round to play top-seeded Verdi’s.

Friday March 27, 2026

Verdi’s 14                                                                         Nacho Mama’s 3

Verdi’s ended Nacho Mama’s Cinderella run through the tournament using their season-long recipe of strong defense and timely hitting to capture the Island Division Tournament Championship.

Verdi’s again wasted no time getting on the board with a pair of first inning runs. After Jon Thomas stroked a double, Tad Fabian reached on an error scoring Thomas, and Jim Sperzel doubled home Fabian. Verdi’s continued tacking on runs extending the lead to 5-0 going into the sixth inning. It was then that they put it out of reach, pushing across five more runs. A Matt Minik double scored the first run, followed by a run scoring on an error, and then consecutive RBI base hits by Mike Faria, Dan Harrar, and Bob Greve to up the score to a 10-0 margin.

Nacho’s attempted a late comeback when Matt Evangelista drilled an RBI triple to left field, followed by an RBI single by Bob Masulis, with a third run scoring on an error to cut the deficit to 10-3. But Verdi’s quickly responded, scoring four more runs, capped by a two-run double by Sperzel.

Faria topped the Verdi’s hitters with three base knocks and two RBIs. In addition to Sperzel’s three RBIs, Jim O’Toole and Michael Shone each were responsible for a pair of runs in the contest.

Verdi’s capped an impressive season, highlighted by spectacular defense that saw them commit only 41 errors and turn 43 double plays (almost 2 per game) as they gave up nearly 100 less runs than the other teams. In the tournament, this was especially on display as they surrendered only seven runs in three tournament games.

MARCO DIVISION

Monday March 23, 2026

Sand Bar 17                                                                             Brewery 15

Trailing 12-6 with three innings to play, Sand Bar exploded for 11 runs in its final three at-bats, stunning Brewery and advancing to the next round of the post-season tournament.

Sand Bar’s five-run fifth inning started innocuously. A Brewery error and single put two runners on for leadoff batter Kevin Smith (two RBIs on the day). Smith drilled a single for one run. One batter later, Jack Martin (four hits and two RBIs) dropped a double into right center field, plating another run and trimming Sand Bar’s deficit to 12-8. Another error by Brewey resulted in Sand Bar’s third run of the inning, setting the table for Steve Levesque (two RBIs). The man from Maine then looped a single to center field, pulling the Sand Men to within two, at 12-10. Pete Kane (three hits and two RBIs) finished the rally by ripping a single to left, giving Sand Bar new life, down by only one run, with two innings to play. And the Sand Men got right back to hitting and scoring in their half of the sixth inning.

Three hits and a lineout gave pitcher Jim Stewart (two RBIs) an RBI opportunity. He promptly smacked a single to center, plating two runs and giving Sand Bar a 13-12 lead. With Sand Bar up 14-12 following another RBI single, Smith again delivered, this time dropping an RBI single into short right center, good for a 15-12 Sand Bar lead. A sacrifice fly by Dave Korte (two RBIs) completed Sand Bar’s second five-run uprising, putting it in prime position for the upset win. For the day, Sand Bar had 22 hits as a team.

Brewery’s offense was led by Rick DiStasio, who had a four-hit day. Glenn Ahlquist (three hits, among them an RBI triple) and Ray Capella (three RBIs, two of which came on a two-run home run) contributed to the Crews’ 24 hit attack. Bob Armstrong chipped in with two RBIs as Brewery saw its 2026 season come to an end.

Stonewalls 13                                                                             Sami’s 12

Stonewalls used its power swings (among them three home runs) to subdue Sami’s.

With Sami’s up 7-2 following a five-run outburst in its half of the second inning, Stonewalls leftfielder Tom Gazzillo gave the Men in Black a needed offensive jolt. He drilled a liner to center field, good for a solo home run, his fourth of the season. In the third inning, it was manager George Lancaster’s turn. With two runs already in thanks to a double by Jim Dorey (his other RBI came courtesy of a triple), Lancaster (two RBIs) laced a drive into the left center field gap that rolled between the Sami’s outfielders. And the third-term skipper turned on the after burners to beat the relay throw, good for a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, tying the game at 7-7. In the Stonewalls fourth inning, pitcher Steve Chasin (two RBIs) added his name to the round tripper club. He smoked a line drive up the middle that rolled for a two-run home run, number four on the year, upping Stonewalls lead to 11-7. While the extra base muscle drove Stonewalls offense most of the game, it was an RBI single in its half of the sixth inning that provided the winning margin. Geoff Bentley (two RBIs) scorched an RBI single to left, giving Stonewalls a 13-9 lead and a seemingly comfortable cushion. But Sami’s made one last charge at overcoming its deficit in the seventh inning.

With one run already in, Jim Fairbanks (three hits) plated his second and final RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly, pulling Sami’s to within two runs at 13-11. That brought up Tim Rose. The league veteran smacked his fourth hit while driving in his fourth run of the day, cutting Sami’s deficit to 13-12. A pair of singles, including one by Dave Schott (three hits and two RBIs), loaded the bases, raising the tension levels for both teams and their fans. But Chasin buckled down, getting a strikeout and fielder’s choice to halt the Sami’s rally and earn a game ball for his hitting and pitching prowess.

The W keeps Stonewalls hopes of reaching the championship round alive, needing two more wins to do so. Meanwhile, Sami’s season ends without a win in the post-season tournament.

Wednesday March 25, 2026

Snook Inn 15                                                                     Joey’s Pizza 14

Thanks to three scoring blitzes in the first five innings that resulted in an 11-run lead, Snook Inn remained unbeaten in the post-season tournament, holding off a late surge by Joey’s Pizza to get the W.

John Cavanagh and Jim Willert were the primary stars of Snook’s rallies. In the first inning, Cavanagh (three hits and two RBIs) batting fifth, smacked a line single to left center, scoring two runs and giving Snook an early lead. That brought up Willert, the number six hitter, who had two hits and four RBIs on the day. He blistered a line drive to left that eluded Joey’s infield and rolled into left center field gap, resulting in a double and scoring two runs, giving Snook a quick 5-1 lead after one at bat. Willert added an RBI sacrifice fly to his credits in the third inning. But in the fifth inning, he and Cavanagh were the lead performers in Snook’s next five-run rally.

With one out, Cavanagh followed a single with a single of his own, putting two runners aboard for his co-star Willert. The versatile infielder drove an outside pitch to center field, scoring one run and upping Snook’s lead to 11-4. Following a sacrifice fly for another run, Rob York (two RBIs) joined the RBI cast when he belted a double to center field, plating two runs, the last of which proved to be the winning run.

Trailing 15-4 in its half of the sixth inning, Joey’s got busy, led by Glenn Davis (three hits and five RBIs) on the day. The author boomed his seventh HR of the season to deep left center, for a two-run home run, the kick start of an eventual five-run Pizza Men rally that helped slice its deficit to six, at 15-9. But Davis wasn’t done.

In the seventh inning, with two runs already in and runners at the corners, Davis tattooed a drive to deep right center for another home run (three-run), cutting Joey’s deficit to one run at 15-14. A double by George Giacobbi, capping a four-for-four day and intentional walk, further raised the hopes of Joey’s players and fans of a winning comeback. However, Snook induced a strikeout and fielder’s choice groundout to stop the rally and secure its spot in the championship round. Joey’s other contributors included Jerry Engel (three RBIs) and Hal Jurgensen (two RBIs).

Stonewalls 16 Sand Bar 1 After a stunning upset win to stay alive in the post-season tournament, Sand Bar ran into a Stonewalls buzzsaw as the Men in Black blew out the Sand Men in a game shortened due to the league’s 15-run mercy rule.

On offense, Stonewalls hitting was led by leadoff batter Bob Williams and rookie Brian Wegener. Williams had a three hit and three RBI day with a two-run triple in the fourth inning being his highlight swing. Wegener also had a three hit, three RBI day. His two-run double in the first inning was the signature swing of Stonewalls five-run first inning scoring blitz. Manager George Lancaster’s box score featured two RBIs, both which came on a two-run home run, also in the fourth inning, number six on the season for him. And outfielder Tom Gazzillo joined the Men in Black hit parade with three hits and two RBIs.

It was a tough way for the Sand Men to end their season, particularly after their shocking second-round upset win of Brewery, a game in which Sand Bar scored 17 runs and overcame a six-run deficit to win the game. Against Stonewalls, Sand Bar had just six hits as a team. The Sand Men were also done in by Stonewalls steady defense (one error as a team). The Men in Black killed a developing Sand Bar threat in the first inning with a double play. And they snared a handful of other hard-hit balls that could have been hits had they not been right at the Stonewalls defense.

Stonewalls will now face Joey’s Pizza in its next game of the tournament, with the winner of the game advancing to face Snook Inn in the Marco Division championship round. With the loss, Sand Bar was eliminated from the post-season tournament.

Friday March 27, 2026

Stonewalls 7                                                                        Joey’s Pizza 6

Stonewalls rookie Will Smith (two RBIs) boomed a drive to deep left center field and raced around the bases for a solo, game winning home run, as the Men in Black edged Joey’s Pizza and moved into the Marco Division championship round against Snook Inn.

As has been the case in the bulk of the Stonewalls-Joey’s game in the regular season and the post-season tournament in 2026, this game swung back and forth and was tension filled for the teams and their fans.

Joey’s Todd Stigall (two RBI’s) opened the scoring in the first inning when he smoked a double to left field, plating two runs, giving Joey’s the early lead. Stigall was not at second very long as his teammate Robert Stried boomed a triple to left centerfield, scoring Stigall and upping Joey’s lead to 3-0. In the third inning, it was George Giacobbi’s (two RBIs) turn. With a runner on, he blasted a no-doubt, two-run home run to deep left, upping Joey’s advantage to 5-0. And has been the case throughout the season, Stonewalls battled back to make a game of it with their bats and their gloves.

In its half of the third, the Men in Black scored four runs, combining a Joey’s error, a sacrifice fly and two RBI singles to cut their deficit to one run at 5-4. In the fourth inning, Stonewalls, led by manager George Lancaster’s solid fielding, turned an inning ending fielder’s choice double play, with force outs at third and home, killing a Joey’s scoring opportunity. And Lancaster was at the center of the next rally killing double play in the fifth inning, fielding a hot smash for a force out at third and a putout at first.

Stonewalls broke through to take its first lead in its half of the sixth inning. With a runner on first, Steve Friend bashed a triple to center, tying the game at 5-5. A Joey’s fielding miscue scored Friend, good for a 6-5 Stonewalls lead, needing just three seventh inning outs for a W. But Joey’s Tom Rensch wouldn’t have it.

With one out, Rensch completed a three-for-three day by booming an opposite field home run against Stonewalls over shifted outfield, tying the game at 6-6. But Stonewalls answered again, thanks to Smith’s two-out, walk off, game winning bomb, his fifth HR of the season.

GULF COAST DIVISION

Monday March 23, 2026

Oyster Society 14                                                                     Doreen’s 6

The Oyster Society bats came to life in the latter innings to emerge from a deadlocked game and prevail over Doreen’s, which sent them packing for the season.

Doreen’s had their way early in this game, scoring twice in the first on RBI base hits by Paul Glynn and Dick Folsom to make it 2-0. Two innings later, Doreen’s extended the lead to 6-3, with two runs coming in courtesy of a John Robichaud home run to center field, along with another RBI base hit by Folsom.

After that, it was all Oyster Society as they scored the final 13 runs of the game. With the Oyster Society leading 7-6 in the fifth, they pushed across five runs, thanks to a two-run double by Alan Schneider, a two-run single by Steve Risch, and an RBI base knock by Dave Chroust. An inning later, the Oyster Men added a couple of insurance runs on an RBI base hit by Jim Williams and a Doreen’s miscue, resulting in the final 14-6 margin.

Risch finished the contest with three RBIs, and Chroust and Schneider added a pair of RBIs each for the Oyster Men, who now have a date with the American Legion in the Championship round.

Wednesday March 25, 2026

American Legion 13                                                      Oyster Society 12

American Legion and Oyster Society battled toe-to-toe for most of the contest before American Legion scored four times in the sixth inning and then squashed a late rally to edge the Oyster Society and claim the Gulf Coast Division Championship.

The Oyster Men took an early 7-4 lead in the third inning on the strength of two home runs, a solo shot by Ed Kopecky in the first and a three-run bomb by Mike Roman in the third. The Legion then played long ball also as Jerry Lenhoff hit a two-run round-tripper to cut the lead to 7-6. Later that inning, three more runs crossed the plate on RBI singles by John Sherwin and John Barrett along with a fielder’s choice RBI to give Legion a 9-7 advantage.

Oyster’s John DeRosa joined the home run club with a solo blast to trim the lead in half – 9-8. The Legion again had an answer as Don Mandetta hammered a line drive to center field good for the three-run home run capping a four-run sixth to extend the Legion lead to 13-8. The Oyster Society’s final rally fell one run short as they left the bases loaded in the seventh.

Jim Battye, with three hits and two RBIs, and Barrett also with three hits, led the Legion offense. Paul Glynn, who was subbing, also contributed two RBIs for the champs. Roman punched out three hits, and DeRosa and Steve Risch each knocked in a pair of runs for the Oyster Men in the heartbreaking defeat.