UCSSL 2024 PLAYOFF RESULTS
50’s Divisions
	Playoff Rounds for Week Ending August 4, 2024
	Douglas VW 20, Angry Joe’s/Tad Pools 9
	On a windy night for game #1 of the 50s A Division best of three semi-finals, the Douglas boys got behind early but then put the pedal down for a 20-9 victory.  Leading the way on offense was Lou Rivera who was a perfect 4 for 4 on the night, plus Al Genova racked up 3 hits including 2 inside the park HR’s.  Other big nights were had by Luke Nacca, Frank Padovano, Steve Steransak, Justin Doyle and Farlan Alusik, all who had 3 hits on the evening.  Rich Gaul picked up the win on the hill.  At the plate for Angry Joe’s/Tad Pools, Kevin Robinson and Anderson Monzon had 3 hits apiece while Tom Korzenski and Rudie Mattijis added a pair of hits each.
	Deegan Roofing 21, Phenomenal Boyz 11
	Deegan used a potent and consistent offense to score in every inning and pulled away from the Phenomenal Boyz late to grab a 21-11 win in game 1 of their 50s A division best of three semi-finals. 10 players had multiple hits for Deegan, with Donnie Perkins, Billy Aumenta and Ron Patterson leading the charge with 3 hits each. Charlie Collins, Damon Roth and Scott Mugele each launched long home runs. John Deitch picked up the win on the mound and was aided by several outstanding defensive plays from Collins, Patterson and Mike Juchnik.
	Echo Tap & Grille 30, K-Squad 15
	On a night when their spiritual and emotional leader was marooned on an island, Echo Tap & Grille jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed in the opener of this 50s C Division semifinal 3 game series. K Squad closed to 6-5 but the barmen answered with another 6 and never looked back. Echo Tap & Grille had a balanced attack with everyone contributing 2 hits. It was a night for the big fly, as Lloyd Haymes, Bobby Pells, Chris Paternostro, Steve Halper and Cruz Moctezuma all had a long ball.
	Terawulf 22, Thirsty Turtle 19
	Terawulf held on for a 22-19 victory over Thirsty Turtle in game 1 of the playoffs at Tremley Field. Leading the 29-hit attack for the T-wulves was Sammy Morland (4 for 4, 2 HR, 8 RBIs) while Diego Elliott, Ray Mora, Sean Dolan, Sammi Bori and Benny Elliott all added 3 hits apiece. Alfonso Colon added 2 clutch hits and 2 RBIs in the breakout innings along with Luis Palanco’s home run. TERAWULF battled back from a 13-10 deficit with 6-run 5th and 7th innings to take a 22-14 lead and withstand a Thirsty Turtle comeback, getting the final out with the tying run at the plate.
	AJ Jersey 23, Rocky’s Bar & Grill 19
	The first game of this series proved to be a challenging game for both sides with plenty of hits, busy defenses and a tight score for most of the game.  But AJ Jersey prevailed with the 23-19 victory. AJ Jersey was led by Ray Luciano and Alan Dente, 5 for 5, Vinny Cordaro 4 for 5, Al Moeller 3 for 5 with HR, while Miguel Ramos and Craig Weinstein each went 3 for 5. For Rocky’s, Tom DiGregorio (5 for 5, 3 RBI’s), Bob Howlett (4 for 5), Lou Mastropasqua (3 for 3), Rick Knierim (3 for 4, 3RBI’s), Dave Martorano (3 for 5, 3 RBI’s, 2-2b), while Larry Pacifico, Laquan “Fu” Gray, Craig Michaud and Ellan Ben-Hayon added 2 hits apiece.
	Suspenders 14, Car Revolution 12
	Game 1 of the Playoffs started with a tightly contested match as the 4th seeded Car Revolution gave 1st seeded Suspenders a scare.  Car Revolution went up 10-4 heading to the bottom of the 4th when Suspenders finally perked up and mounted a comeback.  Inserting Carl Herman on the mound helped to cool the Car Revolution offense as Homeruns by Rick Gregorio and Matt Greenblatt led the offensive comeback.  Kenny Kerdock was a perfect 4 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Nick Meltzer 3 for 4 with 1 RBI, Carl Herman, Angelo Puerari, Greg Herzfeld and Joe Michael added 2 hits apiece. Suspenders ended the game by turning a triple play with the tying runs on base.
	Echo Tap & Grille 25, K-Squad 9
	Echo Tap & Grille moved on to the C Division Finals with a methodical 25 - 9 victory over K-Squad in game 2 of their C Division best of three semifinals. After being held scoreless in the 1st inning, the barmen scored 6, 6, 4, 6, and 3 runs to provide the final margin. Dave P Hamdleman pitched masterfully and went 2 for 2, and Cruz Moctezuma led the way with a 2B and 3B on his 4 for 4 night. Chipping in with 4 hits each were Lloyd Haymes and Bobby Pells while 3 hit games were had by Dr Rob Wallace, Joe Sheridan and Chris Paternostro while John Dudek and Chad Eisenberger had 2 for 3 nights.
	Terawulf 18, Thirsty Turtle 11
	Terawulf completed a sweep of its first-round playoff series with an 18-11 victory over B Division rival Thirsty Turtle and moved onto the Championship Series. Sammy Morland once again led the way going 3 for 3 with a triple and 2 RBIs, while Diego Elliott, Ray Mora and Ivan Rosa added 3 hits apiece. Dave Strochak was 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored and Jaime Reyes added 2 hits and a huge home run.
	Suspenders 11, Car Revolution 7
	Suspenders punched their ticket into the finals against a very tough Car Revolution team.  For the 2nd straight game, Suspenders trailed going into the 6th inning and had to come back for the win. Suspenders scored 6 runs in the 6th inning with 2 outs to take the lead and hold onto to the win. Brad Steele hit a bases loaded 2b to clear the bases and drive in the first 3 runs, and the team strung together 4 more hits to finish the big inning.  Brad finished 3 for 4 with 5RBIs, Greg Herzfeld went 4 for 4 with 3RBIs and solid play at SS while Joe Michael and Carl Herman also had 3 hits apiece.  Carl Herman pitched in relief and held Car Revolution scoreless over the final 3 innings to secure the victory.
	Deegan Roofing 19, Phenomenal Boyz 10
	After a slow start to the game which saw a scoreless tie after two innings, both teams battled in a tight game over the next four innings. Finally, in the top of the 7th, the Roofers were able to open a sizeable lead when they scored 8 runs (including 6 with two outs) and complete the sweep of their A division semi-final series.  Walt Patrylo and Donnie Perkins triggered the offense as they each reached base safely 4 times and each delivered critical two out rbi hits. Charlie Collins, John Deitch, Kevin Spellman and Billy Aumenta each delivered multiple rbi hits. The Deegan defense was once again very strong as they turned three double plays and made several highlight reel plays.
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill 21, AJ Jersey 15
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill evened up their B Division best of three semifinal series by taking game 2 and forcing a final game 3 next week. AJ Jersey jumped ahead quickly with a 6 run first inning but Rocky’s responded with their own 6 spot and kept the pressure on with offense and defense. The barmen were led by Gary Roman (4 for 5), Tom Di Gregorio and Greg Solomon (3 for 4), Larry Pacifico, Bob Howlett and Laquan “Fu” Gray (3 for 5), Rick Knierim and Lou Mastropasqua had 2 hits apiece while Ellan Ben-Hayon had a 3-run HR for the win. AJ Jersey was led by Don Sheey with 4 hits followed by Alan Dente, Ray Luciano and Jesus Santiago with 3 hits apiece.
	Douglas VW 20, Angry Joe’s/Tad Pools 7
	Game #2 of the semi-finals saw the Douglas crew jump out to an early 13-0 lead and then ultimately won by a score of 20-7.  The offense was once again led by Lou Rivera who reached base 5 times in the evening, plus Dan Righetti and Bill Buteau collected 4 hits each.  Carmelo Garcia, Steve Steransak, Frank Padovano and Farlan Alusik all contributed 3 hits as well.  Rich Gaul picked up his 2nd win of the playoffs on the mound. At the plate for Angry Joe’s/Tad Pools Tim Mulhall had three hits while Tom Korzeneski, Steve D'Amato, Rudie Matthijs, Steve Bertono, Keith Karyczak and Dave Dudas added two hits apiece.
	Playoff Rounds for Week Ending August 11, 2024
	ALL GAMES RAINED OUT
	Playoff Rounds for Week Ending August 18, 2024
	Deegan Roofing 16, Douglas VW 12
	In game one of the 50s A division best of three championship series, Deegan Roofing and Douglas VW played a highly competitive game that ultimately saw the Roofers come out on top 16-12. Scott Mugele and Damon Roth each went 3 for 3 with 3 extra base hits, while John Deitch, Billy Aumenta and Kevin Spellman each added 2 hits. Deitch pitched a strong game and made several outstanding defensive plays on the mound to help limit the Douglas attack. In the loss for Douglas VW, Lou Rivera led the offense going 4 for 4, including a triple and 2 doubles. Chris Yee and Justin Doyle each had 3 hits.
	Douglas VW 31, Deegan Roofing 10
	Finding themselves down 1-0 in the best of three 50s A division championship series, Douglas VW had a must win game in front of them. The Douglas crew came out slow, scoring one run over the first two innings, but then the hit parade started. The offense was led by Chris Yee and Al Genova, both who went 6 for 6. Yee's hits included 2 doubles and a monstrous HR to left, while Genova registered 3 doubles. Justin Doyle (HR), Carmelo Garcia and the Billy Buteau/Rich Gaul flip flop all smashed 5 hits.  Lou Rivera and Steve Steransak also contributed with 4 hits apiece. Over the final 2 innings, the team plated 18 runs to pull away for the victory.  On the mound, Rich Gaul picked up the win. For Deegan, Charlie Collins (HR), Billy Aumenta and Mike Juchnik all had 3 hits each, while Kevin Spellman and John Deitch added 2 hits each.
	Douglas VW 20, Deegan Roofing 11
	In the rubber game of this 50s A division best of three championship series, both teams came out strong by playing excellent defense and shutting down the middle.  Deegan held a slim, one-run lead heading into bottom of the fourth when the Douglas offense ignited, scoring 15 runs over the next three innings to pull away. The final crushing blow was provided by Steve Steransak's inning-ending 3 run home run in the bottom of the 6th.  Steransak led the Douglas offense with 4 hits, while Chris Yee, Al Genova, Dan Righetti all registered 3 hits.  Carmelo Garcia, Hector Munoz and Billy Buteau all added 2 timely hits each.  On the defensive side, Lou Rivera played lights out, as he did all year long.  On the hill, Rich Gaul kept the Deegan hitters in check to pick up the W. For the Roofers, Kevin Spellman (3-3) and Charlie Collins (3-4) led the offense, while Ron Patterson (HR) and Damon Roth contributed 2 hits each. Congratulations Douglas Volkswagen 2024 Union County Senior Softball Champions 50’s A Division regular season and Playoff Champions!
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill 16, AJ Jersey 13
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill relied on an entire team’s effort to take game 3 of this 50s B division best of three semifinal series to move on to the division finals. Each player contributed with a hit and run scored led by Matt Walsh (4-4, HR, 4 RBI’s, 3 RS), Laquan “Fu” Gray (3-4, 3 RBI’s), Dave Grandmaison (3-4), along with Greg Solomon, Craig Michaud, and Rick Knierim with 2 hits apiece. AJ Jersey was led by Ray Luciano and Alan Dente who both were 4 for 4 on the night, while Mario Fastiggi contributed with 3 hits. Al Moeller and Jeremy Rothfleish had one home run each in the loss.
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill 11, Terawulf 9
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill opened the first game of the best of three 50s B division finals with a hard-earned victory over a tough Terawulf team. The Barmen’s offense was sparked by Matt Walsh (4-4, 3RBI’s, 2 RS), Larry Pacifico (3-3, HR, 4 RBI’s, 2RS), Greg Solomon (3-4, 4RS), Bob Howlett (3-4, 2RS) and Laquan “Fu” Gray 2-3.
	Echo Tap & Grille 18, Suspenders 15
	On a beautiful night in the opener of the best of three 50s C Division finals, the rivals did not disappoint with another exciting game. Echo Tap & Grille jumped out to a 14-2 lead after 3 and a half innings, but Suspenders battled back to tie the score at 15 after 6 innings. Echo Tap & Grille was able to win the final frame 3-0 to gain the 18-15 victory. Leading the way for the Grill Meisters were Bobby Pells 3-4, Joe Sheridan 3-4 (3B, 2B), Chris Paternostro 3-4, John Dudek 3-4, Deuce Brown 2-3 and Dave P Handleman who pitched a superb game and went 2-4. The Suspenders offense was led by Brad Steele 4-6 (2-2B, 2 RS, 2 RBI’s), Nick Meltzer 4-5 (2RS, 2RBI’s), Carl Herman 3-6 (HR, 2 2B, 4 RS, 4 RBIs), while Gregg Herzfeld and Darren Muller added 3 hits apiece to lead the Suspenders attack.
	Suspenders 21,  Echo Tap & Grille 17
	Suspenders forced a game 3 in this best of three 50s C division championship series as their bats came alive in this do or die game. Suspenders jumped out to a 9-2 lead after 3 as the Echo Tap & Grill rally continued only to come up short. Rick Gregorio was the star of the game going 4 for 4 including a 3-run dinger, a grand slam, a double and 10 RBIs.  Nick Meltzer, Pat Peterpaul, David Reid, and Emil Cocca each added 4 hits to an offense where every player had at least one hit and 1 run scored.  Darren Muller also went 2 for 5 with a home run. Leading the way for Echo Tap & Grille were John Dudek 3-4 with a 3-run HR, Chris Paternostro 4-4 with three doubles and a triple. Bobby Pells, Joe Sheridan and Dave P Handleman were also 3-4. The two long-time rivals will meet for one final game to claim the C Division Championship.
	Playoff Rounds for Week Ending August 25, 2024
	Rocky’s Bar & Grill 22, Terawulf 9
	The 50’s B Division Playoff Championship concluded with Rocky’s Bar & Grill rising in game 2 to sweep the series and capture the 50s B Division Playoff Championship. Rocky’s was also the first seed as the first place finisher in the 50s B Division.  The offense and defense came out early in the game to play hard against a solid Terawulf team. Larry Pacifico got the win on the mound for the Barmen as well playing a solid middle on defense along with Ellan Ben-Hayon’s spectacular plays in right field. The offensive attack did not disappoint as all 13 players in the lineup once again had a hit as well as a run scored for a total team effort. Ellan Ben-Hayon (4-4, 3 RS, 6 RBI’s), Larry Pacifico (4-4, 3 RS, 4 RBI’s) led the way while Gary Roman and Dennis Maluchnik each were 3-4 on the night. Bob Howlett, Laquan “Fu” Gray, Dave Grandmaison, Rick Knierim and Lou Mastropasqua all had 2 hits on the night. Congratulations Rocky’s Bar & Grill!
	Suspenders 15, Echo Tap & Grille 6
	On a perfect night for softball, it would take a solid performance in all phases of the game for Suspenders to outlast Echo Tap & Grille 15-6 in this final battle of the UCSSL 50s C Division best of three championship series. Suspenders Pitcher Carl Herman set the tone early by retiring the side in the 1st inning and holding Echo scoreless as Suspenders led 4-0 after 2 innings. Led by a monster 3-run HR by Chris Paternostro, the Echo bats came alive in the 3rd inning scoring 5 runs to take a 5-4 lead. Suspenders would take the momentum back for good in the bottom of the 4th inning when Matt Greenblatt hit a 2-out Grand Slam over the fence in deep left center to cap a 6-run inning. Nick Meltzer and Pat Peterpaul led the Suspender offense with 3 hits apiece as every player on the team scored at least 1 run using a well-balanced attack. Leading the offense for Echo Tap & Grille were Chris Paternostro, 2-3 with a long HR, and Chad Eisenberger 3-3. Chipping in with 2 hits apiece were Lloyd Haymes and Joe Sheridan. Congratulations Suspenders, 50’s C Division Champions and Playoff Champions!
	Playoffs Completed