December 29-31

Tuesday night at McCaskey for the tournament finales, in the consolation game York defeated West York 65-53. The championship game was decided early on, Lower Merion raced out to a 24-6 lead after one quarter and were never headed in a convincing 70-50 win. Kobe Gantz led JPM with 12 points, reserve guard Jathan Gonzalez was the only other Red Tornado in double figures with 10. We trailed by as much as thirty-one in the third quarter so the guys deserve credit for keeping the score somewhat respectable against one of the best programs in the state. Kobe and Randolph Speller were named to the tournament's all-star team, had we won the game either man may have been named MVP. The club's record stands at 8-2 (both losses in non-league play), the team is back in action on January 5th when we host Manheim Township. Had lunch with Jenny and her mother in Quarryville on Wednesday morning, an errand run on Thursday was the extent of that day's activities. The Royals closed out 2015 on Thursday with the final game of a four-game road trip. In December the club played thirteen games, eleven of them away from home. They earned fourteen of twenty-two possible standings points on the road by going 5-2-4 which is more than acceptable even though it's technically below .500. In January the club plays nine of its fourteen games on home ice, it all starts with a visit from the brand-new Adirondack Thunder for a double-dip on the 2nd and 3rd. Glens Falls, New York has a long history in the AHL (including hosting the Flyers' affiliate from 2009 to 2015), the ECHL franchise came to New York State as part of the AHL's western migration. The Royals have a history against the franchise itself, the (at that time) Stockton Thunder was our opponent when we won the Kelly Cup in 2013. Thanks for reading, everybody, See you in 2016.

December 28

A chilly and windy Monday morning got the new week started, in the evening we were at McCaskey for the opening night of our annual holiday tournament. The first game featured York High (two-time defending District 3 champions) and Lower Merion (perennial District 1 contender from suburban Philadelphia perhaps best known as the alma mater of pro basketball star Kobe Bryant). Lower Merion emerged victorious 58-55, in the nightcap JPM met West York and much like the opener it was a battle all the way. We were up by nine at the quarter and seven at halftime, entering the fourth quarter the lead was at ten. We knew little about West York coming in except that they had just about everybody back from a team that was 18-8 in '14-15, they showed their grit by coming back to tie it in the closing minutes. The Red Tornado was able to pull out the victory 78-73, Kobe Gantz had the big night with 32 points (including 13-of-19 at the line). Randolph Speller had 16, Ricky Cruz 15, Greg Nunez 9, Izaiah Baratta 4 and Skyler Davis 2 to round out the scoring. The win is the club's eighth against one loss and sets up the championship game against Lower Merion which should certainly be a stern test. The consolation game is interesting in itself, it features two teams from neighboring school districts who play in the same league but since they are not division-mates they rarely meet. When I came out after the game there was a light rain falling, with temperatures in the lower 40s I was more than happy to get into the house and warm up. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 23-27

The Tuesday night rain was still with us on Wednesday morning, had lunch with Jenny and her mother in Quarryville. I had asked Jenny if she wanted to open her gift for the "holiday" on this day or wait until Saturday and she chose this day. She didn't ask for anything specific but she liked what she got, she's a women with modest tastes. I have virtually no regard at all for this time of year (my feelings were ruined years ago and it's never come back), if Jenny wasn't a part of my life it wouldn't matter AT ALL. I honestly couldn't care less if I tried (and I have no plans to try) but she cares about it so I make sure she isn't disappointed. In the evening we were back at McCaskey, the boys hosted Penn Manor. The JV squad won 63-46 to stay unbeaten in league play, the varsity followed suit with a 91-62 victory. This game started in a familiar fashion, we were down by two at the quarter and by six at the half. I went back to the locker room at halftime, I wasn't there more than thirty seconds before the meeting broke up and the team returned to the floor. I don't know what was said in the brief time they were in the room but whatever it was got the point across. In the second half the game did a total about-face, we outscored PM 59-24 and won it going away. Ricky Cruz and Greg Nunez tied for game-high honors with 18 points apiece, Randolph Speller had 17 and Kobe Gantz rounded out the double-figures group with 10. The club has won seven straight after an opening loss but the road has had its share of bumps and potholes and the further you go the rougher it gets. The next order of business is our annual holiday tournament on Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th. York, West York and Lower Merion are the entrants and that's about as good a lineup as you could ask for, it should be an excellent test no matter who we draw. The rest of the week and the weekend was uneventful except for another visit with Jenny on Saturday. It was all just as well because the weather here lately has been crazy. We've had off-and-on rain just about every day, on Friday temperatures reached in the 70s. There is more seasonable weather forecast as we approach the new year. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 21-22

Monday morning lunch at the mall, in the afternoon we met up at McCaskey for the bus trip north to Lititz. Over the years Warwick has been one of those PITA programs to play against and a game on their floor is never a picnic, although there is nothing unusual about the gym itself one just never feels quite comfortable there. The JV game was a dogfight in itself, it took two overtime periods for JPM to prevail 47-42. In the varsity game we led by one at the quarter and were tied at halftime, in the third quarter the club asserted itself and took a six-point advantage into the fourth. Down the stretch we were able to pull away for the harder-than-it-looks 68-53 win. Coach Powell used only six players, the four who scored all hit double figures: Kobe Gantz led with 29 (including 14 in that decisive third quarter), Ricky Cruz had 15, Randolph Speller 14 and Greg Nunez added 10. The team's record stays perfect in league play and improves to 6-1 overall, we host Penn Manor on Wednesday in the last league game before the holiday recess. On Tuesday morning my mother had another eye doctor appointment at the health campus, Jenny was in town on business and we got together for lunch at the plaza. Rain moved into the area in the evening, Wednesday is expected to be a dreary day. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 18-20

Friday night hockey in downtown Reading, the Royals at home for the first time in nineteen days. The Elmira Jackals were the opposition in the opener of a weekend doubleheader. The Royals entered the night with a somewhat depleted roster, between injuries and AHL recalls the club had only sixteen healthy skaters (although it's a viable excuse you can't really use it because such things are a fact of life in the ECHL). A standard lineup usually features ten forwards and six defensemen, on this night the Royals had eight of each. As a result both Adam Comrie and Jordan Heywood (defensemen by trade) were taking shifts on the forward line. In the Friday opener the Royals scored first on a goal by rookie Pavel Padakin (on assignment from the Phantoms) but the Jackals netted the next four and carried that lead into the final minutes. Adam Comrie got the Royals within two but an Elmira empty-netter finished it at 5-2, Connor Knapp took the loss in relief of starting goaltender Martin Ouellette. Saw on the Internet where McCaskey won big over Cedar Crest 84-55. I have to admit to being concerned about that game because recent history against CC hasn't been kind to us, it's good to see the guys took care of business head-on and decisively. On Saturday Jenny and her mother missed their first hockey game of the season, the apartment complex had a holiday party and they attended. Jenny wasn't happy to miss the game but they give gifts to children and senior citizens at the party and Helen had to be present or not receive hers (it's usually a gift certificate to the local supermarket which is certainly worthwhile). Since the tickets were available my mother and her friend Norma used them, the first time they have been to a game since October of 2014. This night was the annual Teddy Bear Toss game, I put Jenny's contributions into the collection box when we arrived. Ian Watters scored the "teddy bear" goal six minutes in to give the Royals a 1-0 lead, that one score stood up into the final minute of regulation play. The Jackals pulled the goalie for an extra attacker but Robbie Czarnik found the empty net dead-center with twelve seconds left to clinch the tough 2-0 Royals win. Adam Morrison started in goal and posted his second shutout of the season and the team's fourth overall. The club's mark stands at 13-11-3 (8-5-1 at the Arena), the next home game is on the second day of the New Year. The Royals played nine home games in November but just these two in December, January's schedule features another nine home dates. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 16-17

Had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday morning, in the evening we were at McCaskey for another league crossover game. The Red Tornado hosted Ephrata, in the JV game JPM won easily 74-40. In the varsity contest we led by twelve at the quarter but by halftime the advantage was down to six. In the locker room the coaches reinforced the point of the postgame talk from Monday, in the second half it was just about all McCaskey. JPM led by fifteen at the end of the third quarter and took it home from there, the final was 75-53. Ricky Cruz had a career-high 22 points, Randolph Speller had 16 and Greg Nunez cracked double figures with 10. The win keeps the club spotless in the league at 3-0 and 4-1 overall. The boys are at home on Friday to open divisional play against Cedar Crest and one needs only to review recent history to understand how important that game should be. What follows is not bravado, it is simply the truth: every basketball program we face within our league bases their success against ours. Any time we lose a game to a league opponent that team considers that win a benchmark moment. They could finish the season 1-21 but if that one win was against McCaskey it's a moment that lives forever. This is not a new phenomenon, it has been that way since the league started in 1972. The rest of the league always views McCaskey as the team to beat, even in years when we were not the favorite. The reason is simple: we are the only "city" school district in the county, all the others are suburban/rural-oriented and we are viewed differently for that reason (and that reason alone). At any rate, I am absent on Friday because the Royals are returning home (finally) from a seven-game road trip, a Wednesday night win in Norfolk brought the club's record on the trip to 3-2-2. Thursday was a dark, rainy and depressing day, between my mother's eye appointment in the morning and her knee therapy in the afternoon there was little else happening. I took the books to basketball practice so they will have them in my absence on Friday. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 14-15

Monday afternoon at McCaskey for the fourteen-mile bus ride east to Garden Spot HS in New Holland. The JV squad made its road debut a good one with a 64-51 win, the varsity was victorious as well but it wasn't easy. We played lethargically in the first half and trailed by four at the break, a third-quarter surge put us up by seven heading into the fourth. To their credit Garden Spot never folded their tent, they trailed by two in the closing seconds with a chance to tie the game with two shots at the foul line. Their shooter missed the first attempt, on the purposely-missed second shot one of their men was called for a rebounding foul. Randolph Speller went to the line and made one of two, a desperation GS full-court toss at the buzzer fell short as we escaped (that is the proper word) with a 71-68 decision. JPM had three players in double figures: Kobe Gantz led with 23, Ricky Cruz added 15 and Ran had 11. The team improves to 2-0 in the league and 3-1 overall but in the locker room after the game other topics were discussed. What was said will not be elaborated upon here because the locker room is private but the basic theme was to reinforce the idea that no game or opponent can be taken lightly. The boys are at home on Wednesday to finish the first round of crossover games when they host Ephrata. On Tuesday my mother had an eye appointment at the health campus, it was one of those for which she needed a driver. They changed one of her prescriptions and told her she needs to come back on Thursday morning for a followup. She already has an appointment in the afternoon for therapy on the knee she banged up so it's shaping up to be a full day. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 12-13

Saturday morning lunch with Jenny in Quarryville, in the evening we were back at JPM. Coach Powell is a 1968 graduate of Chester High School, when he became head coach at McCaskey in 1993 his alma mater became a regular non-league opponent thanks to his connections in that community. Chester is a perennially powerful program, over the years our victories against them can be counted on one hand but that's the point of playing a tough non-league schedule. We have Harrisburg and Reading High on the slate in January plus our holiday tournament features York, West York and Lower Merion (not an easy touch to be seen). Some teams play a bunch of nobodies and get six easy wins, at JPM the philosophy is different. This night began with an excellent JV game, the Red Tornado battled to the end but lost 66-61. The varsity game was playoff-caliber and one to remember as JPM scored a huge 74-70 victory. Chester led by four at the quarter but at halftime we held a five-point advantage. That margin grew to nine after the third quarter but Chester showed their quality by forging a tie in the final minute. Kobe Gantz hit the winning bucket with 20 seconds left, two Randolph Speller free throws in the final two seconds sealed the deal. Emotions ran high down the stretch, at one point the game was delayed because Chester claimed objects were being thrown at their bench (building security got it under control quickly). Kobe finished with 27, Ran had 17. Ricky Cruz, Greg Nunez, John Burnside and Skyler Davis each contributed a lucky seven and Izaiah Baratta's two points rounded out the scoring. The club improves to 2-1 overall, the league schedule resumes on Monday with a game at Garden Spot in New Holland. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 11

Friday night hoops at JPM as the league portion of the schedule opened against Elizabethtown, this was the first of six crossover games with opponents from Section II. During the off-season it was announced that the league is realigning for the 2016-17 season. There will be three divisions instead of four with eight teams in each, as a result the crossover format will be abandoned. The league is actually returning to a system that existed from 1975 to 2004, we'll play our seven division-mates twice each (fourteen games) and gain two extra non-league games to round out the season schedule. On this night the JPM JV squad made its season debut with a 64-37 win, in the main event the Red Tornado prevailed 72-59. It was a much better game than many may have anticipated, E-town led by two at the quarter but at halftime we were up seven. In the third quarter JPM widened the margin and brought home the win, in many ways it was reminiscent of the Archbishop Wood game except that this time we came out on the good side. Two players hit double figures, Kobe Gantz had a huge night with 30 points and Randolph Speller added 13. Eight other players broke into the scoring column with single digits as Coach Powell got the entire roster into the game. Before the game began we honored Kobe for scoring his 1000th career point (it happened in March but this was our first home game since). It was Cancer Awareness Night league-wide, the teams wore light green t-shirts in the pregame warmup. A moment of silence was observed for cancer victims, we utilized it to honor Anthony Hunter's memory as well. The club is right back on the floor on Saturday night as they host Chester (never an easy assignment). Take care, thanks for reading.

December 8-10

Tuesday morning: my mother had her car at the service center, while there she tripped on a low step and fell. At first she felt OK but by Wednesday her left knee was throbbing. She made a doctor appointment for Thursday morning, they ordered an x-ray which came back negative. They believe the fall may have triggered her arthritis accounting for the pain, it's just a matter of allowing the jolt to wear off. My mother is 81 years old and she gets around remarkably well but 81 is still 81 no matter where it is. On Tuesday evening I was at McCaskey, the girls basketball team hosted Reading High in their home opener. The girls have only nine home games on the schedule, the other eight are league dates coinciding with the boys. The JV squad lost by five points, the varsity won their game by twenty-seven. The boys basketball program received some terrible news on Sunday, former player Anthony "Dudie" Hunter (class of 2007) lost his life over the weekend at the age of 26. Dudie was a three-year varsity starter at point guard, the program won the league championship all three seasons. On Tuesday the boys had practice before the girls game, Coach Powell was still there when I arrived. He told me that Randolph Speller and Ricky Cruz had agreed to trade uniform numbers. Ran (as a senior and a relative of the Hunter family) wished to wear Dudie's old #11 in his honor for the rest of the season, Ricky had been #11 but surrendered it in exchange for Ran's former #1. The boys are back in action for a weekend double-dip at home, on Friday in the league opener against Elizabethtown and on Saturday when Chester visits. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 5-7

Saturday afternoon at McCaskey as we boarded the bus for the season opener and the start of my 28th year with the program. I was involved during my junior and senior years and for three more seasons after that but I was absent from 1977 to 1988, when I returned in '88 it was literally like coming back home again. On this day the destination was Holy Family University in northeast Philadelphia, we went north on 222 (a familiar road to be sure) to the PA Turnpike, then east for about 65 miles to the next-to-last exit before New Jersey(!!!) and then about two miles south into the Philadelphia city limits. There were three games scheduled beginning at 2:30, we were the middle game at 4:15. Our opponent was Archbishop Wood from suburban Warminster, they are a member of the Philadelphia Catholic League. Wood is a perennially strong program, typical of the non-league opposition we normally face early in the season. JPM trailed by two at the quarter and five at the half but in the third Wood outscored us 27-16 and made that margin stand up for a 75-59 win. Coach Powell used ten players and nine of them scored: Kobe Gantz led with 14, Randolph Speller had 11, Ricky Cruz 8, Izaiah Baratta 7, Juanya Gonzalez 6, William Joseph 5 and Greg Nunez 3 (all except Kobe and Ran were members of the '14-15 JV squad). Newcomers Darin Terrell (3) and Omar Baskerville (2) rounded out the scoring, from what I'm told Omar will play both JV and varsity. The club has off until Friday the 11th when LL league plays at home against Elizabethtown. Not much happening on Sunday or Monday which gave me a chance to get over the stiffness and soreness from the Saturday bus ride (school buses were not built with people my age or size in mind). Take care, thanks for reading.

December 1-4

The rain continued overnight into Tuesday and into Wednesday as well, it didn't clear out for good until late Wednesday evening. It's a good thing we got that game played on Monday, otherwise my prediction of being down until Thursday would have come true. On Tuesday evening the basketball team had a scrimmage at Wilson HS in suburban Reading, I rode along on the bus just for the hell of it. We dropped the junior varsity team at one of Wilson's middle schools for their part of the scrimmage and proceeded to the high school proper, we got started shortly after 6:00 and played until close to 8:00. Right now it looks like Coach Powell is going to carry fourteen players on the varsity roster. We have two returning starters (Kobe Gantz and Randolph Speller), two others with notable varsity experience, five players who played on the JV squad in '14-15, two players returning from a season's absence and three more who are completely new to the program. The club has some nice talent and potential, it's all a matter of how quickly it comes together. On Thursday Jenny's mother Helen had an appointment in town, I took her home and we had our midweek lunch a day later than usual. The Royals began a seven-game road swing on Friday, the club returns home for a double-dip with Elmira on the 18th and 19th. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 29-30

Up and at it early on Sunday for the 4:00 faceoff at the Arena. Our first two Sunday home games were at 5:00 due to early afternoon college games but 4:00 is the standard Sunday game time from here on out. The Wheeling Nailers were the opponent for the second of their five regular-season visits. The teams had met in Wheeling on Wednesday with the Nailers toughing out a 1-0 win, on this day the Royals avenged that loss with a 3-2 regulation-time decision. Mike Pereira, Yannick Tifu and Matt Hatch were the goal-scorers, Connor Knapp (back from the Phantoms) picked up the win in net. The Royals arrive at the quarter-pole of the schedule with a mark of 9-8-1, in twelve home dates the club is 7-4-1. The boys had nine home games in November but in December they play eleven of thirteen on the road, the only two home games are back-to-back with Elmira on the 18th and 19th. On Monday we finished the month with the final game of the street hockey season at Reservoir Park, the Killbots and H&F Tire met in the fifth and deciding game of the West finals. There was rain in the forecast for later in the evening, at game time there were a few drops here and there but it was nothing of consequence. I told the teams if we didn't play on this night it probably wouldn't happen until Thursday because the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday was not encouraging. We started playing on that rink in 1979, over the years we've had many memorable games and this one will certainly be long remembered. The Killbots carried a 2-0 lead into the third period but H&F rallied to tie it and force a winner-take-all overtime. A regulation dek hockey game is three ten-minute periods, the teams battled through four additional periods still tied. As the rain began in fall in earnest the marathon finally ended in the 72nd minute of play (and two hours and fifteen minutes after it had started) when a shot from the point found the net to give H&F Tire the sudden-death championship. The fall season began on September 22 and ends seventy days later (and not a moment too soon). Take care, thanks for reading.

November 27-28

Friday night at the Arena for the start of a busy weekend. This was the first of our four sets of three-in-three at home, we have two more in January and the last one in March. The Greenville Swamp Rabbits were the opponent for their final two visits of the season, the last time they were in town they were swept by the Royals in two straight but this time around it was different. On Friday the Royals lost in lackluster fashion 6-3. Mike Pereira, Brandon Alderson and Justin Crandall scored the goals, newcomer Adam Morrison (one-time Flyers draft selection) was the goaltender of record. The Royals added Morrison earlier in the week with the recall of both Connor Knapp and Martin Ouellette to the AHL Phantoms. On Saturday the Swamp Rabbits completed the sweep with a 4-3 shootout victory. The Royals took two separate one-goal leads thanks to Joe Rehkamp and Robbie Czarnik but found themselves trailing 3-2 in the third. Mike Pereira knotted the game in the final moments of regulation and set the stage for overtime. Over the summer the NHL adopted 3-on-3 overtime, the AHL and ECHL followed suit and reaction to the "helter-skelter" nature of the format has been largely positive. Nothing was resolved in the five-minute 3-on-3, in the shootout Greenville outscored the Royals one goal to none to claim the win. Adam Morrison was once again the goalie of record. The Royals have a quick turnaround (as do we all) for Sunday afternoon, the Wheeling Nailers visit for a 4:00 start. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 23-26

Had an appointment with the heart doctor on Tuesday morning, it had been a year since the last time. He said everything looks and sounds great, unless I have any recurrences of any kind he won't need to see me again for another year. Street hockey finals resumed on Monday with both series tied 1-1, the East series ended on Tuesday with the UniLords victorious over the Steamers. The West series stands tied at 2-2, the deciding game was set for Monday the 30th (since Wednesday was Thanksgiving eve and nobody wanted to play on that night). Had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday morning, the rest of that day and Thanksgiving as well was uneventful (Thursday actually felt like a Sunday with three football games on TV and little else going on). It provided a perfect opportunity to rest up for a busy weekend ahead, the Royals play a three-in-three at the Arena hosting Greenville on Friday and Saturday with Wheeling coming to town on Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 20-22

At the Arena on Friday evening for the first of eight Friday home dates in '15-16. The Royals' home schedule features twelve stand-alone dates (this was one of them), six sets of back-to-back dates and four sets of back-to-back-to-back. The Elmira Jackals were in town for the third of their six visits (and the opener of the weekend home-and-home). The teams combined for five goals in the first period, Maxim Lamarche scored thirty seconds in but the Jackals replied quickly. Riley Armstrong gave the Royals a 2-1 lead midway through but the next two belonged to Elmira, it was 3-2 Jackals after one. In the second period Adam Comrie hit the net to tie the score but the Jackals forged ahead 5-3 entering the third period. Robbie Czarnik brought the Royals to within one in the closing minutes but Elmira held on for the 5-4 win, Connor Knapp took the loss in net for the Royals. The remainder of the weekend was quiet except for Saturday lunch with Jenny, on Saturday night the Royals played the back end of the home-and-home in Elmira and lost by the vaguely familiar score of 5-4. The club's record stands at 8-6 (6-3 at the Arena), the boys play in Wheeling on Wednesday the 25th before returning home for a three-in-three on the weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 16-19

Monday marked the first day of high school winter sports practice, after supper I went over to McCaskey. The boys basketball team was on the floor from 5:30 to 7:30 since it was the girls team's week for early practices. Coach Powell is still recovering from his throat surgery in September of 2014, the ability to speak is coming along but it's obviously a slow process. When I greeted him and we shook hands he responded with a smile and a nod of the head. There were close to sixty players in the gym, since the varsity and JV squads combined will probably carry less than thirty it's safe to say that half of them won't be around by the end of the week. The season starts on December 5, we play in a showcase event at Holy Family College (which is apparently somewhere around Philadelphia but I have no idea exactly where). On Tuesday night we started the street hockey finals at Reservoir Park, the second games were played on Wednesday. One game on each night went into overtime, on Wednesday the game that didn't may as well have for the amount of time it took to play. Being a referee is a rough job under the best of circumstances, when the teams grouse incessantly over every call that goes against them it becomes virtually impossible. One penalized player commented to me that the game was a mockery, I told him that I agreed 100% and the reason it was a mockery was because some people just don't know how to play the game and shut the BLEEP up (if he was expecting sympathy from me it was not forthcoming). When the smoke cleared both series were tied 1-1, we had planned to play the third games on Thursday but it didn't happen. An expected all-day rain moved in overnight, the games were effectively postponed by noontime but we waited until late afternoon to make it official. The series continue on Monday the 23rd and Tuesday the 24th, if we're lucky they can both be over before Thanksgiving weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 13-15

A blustery and very chilly Friday started the weekend, for me it was a perfect day to stay in and warm. There were various high school football playoff games around the area but since neither JPM or LCHS qualified for the postseason I was singularly unconcerned (I'm very provincial that way: once my team has played its last game the season is OVER). On Saturday we had lunch in Quarryville, in the afternoon it was on to Reading for evening hockey at the Arena. Norfolk, Virginia has a rich hockey history dating back to the early '70s when the Virginia Red Wings were in the AHL. In 1999 the region received an ECHL franchise known as the "Hampton Roads" Admirals, from 2000 to 2015 the "Norfolk" Admirals played in the AHL. That franchise fell victim to the AHL's western migration during the off-season which allowed the ECHL to reenter the market. On this night the Ads were making their first of five appearances at the Arena. There was no score until the midpoint of the second period, Norfolk struck first but Mike Pereira countered quickly to tie the score at 1-1. The Admirals took a 2-1 advantage into the third period, that lead held until Justin Crandall found the net to knot matters at 2-2. In the final minutes the Royals were awarded a 5-on-3 power play chance, an apparent go-ahead goal was disallowed when it was ruled to have been kicked into the net. The Royals responded by scoring one that counted, Adam Comrie's slap shot from the blue line gave the club the lead. From there Connor Knapp closed the door as the Royals picked up the tough 3-2 win. On Sunday the teams met again in the back end of the doubleheader, the first period alone featured more penalty minutes than the entire Saturday game. The scoring pattern was eerily similar to Saturday night as well, once again the Ads scored first but the Royals equaled it thanks to Matt Hatch. Norfolk went up 2-1 in the second but Adam Comrie replied to make it 2-2. Early in the third period Robbie Czarnik lit the lamp to give the Royals the lead, in the closing moments Matt Hatch scored into the empty net to cement the weekend sweep at 4-2. Martin Ouellette was the Royals goalie of record. The club's record stands at 8-4-0, the next game at home is on Friday the 20th against Elmira. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 9-12

The morning visit for lunch at the mall was about all that happened on Monday, overnight into Tuesday rain moved into the area and stayed through the evening hours. Playoffs were set to start at the rink but the weather removed all controversy especially when a downpour hit right around the time the first game would have started. On Wednesday we had our usual midweek lunch in Quarryville, in the evening we were back at the Arena on Penn Street in Reading. The Wheeling Nailers were the opponent for the first of five regular-season visits. When the ECHL began in 1988 one of the league's original teams was based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 1992 the franchise was moved to Wheeling where it has played continuously ever since. On this night the Royals prevailed by a final count of 2-1, Mike Pereira and Robbie Czarnik were the goal-scorers in support of winning goalie Martin Ouellette. The Royals' third straight home-ice victory improves the club's record to 6-3, the Norfolk Admirals come to town on the weekend for a Saturday/Sunday double-dip. Street hockey playoffs started on Wednesday night in my absence and continued on Thursday in my presence, all four semifinals were played in a 2-of-3 format and all ended in two-game sweeps. In the East the UniLords and Steamers advanced to the finals, in the West the Killbots and H&F Tire meet for the championship. Each series is a best-of-five, they begin on Tuesday the 17th. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 7-8

Up and at it early on Saturday, we were in downtown Reading at the Arena in the afternoon for the start of a busy weekend. It was the annual Military Appreciation date on the Royals schedule, the first order of business was the Army-Navy game at 1:30. The club teams from West Point and Annapolis met at the Arena in 2014 with the Cadets victorious, on this day the Midshipmen avenged that loss with a 4-1 win. At 7:00 the Royals took the ice for the first game of a back-to-back against the newly-minted Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Greenville, South Carolina was in the ECHL from 1998 to 2006 as the Grrrowl (spelling is correct), from 2010 through 2015 as the Road Warriors and now as the Swamp Rabbits (a mammal apparently indigenous to the southeastern part of the country). Nicknames notwithstanding this night was all Royals as they took it 5-1. Justin Crandall lit the lamp in the first period, in the second Mike Pereira and Adam Comrie extended the lead to 3-0. The Rabbits got on the board before the period ended but goals from Matt Hatch and Robbie Czarnik put the game away for winning goalie Connor Knapp. On Sunday the Royals completed the sweep, goals by Crandall and Yannick Tifu gave the club a 2-0 first-period lead. The second period was scoreless, in the third stanza the Royals put it away on scores by Hatch, rookie Joe Rehkamp (from St. Cloud State University) and Maxim Lamarche. Connor Knapp got the start in goal for the second straight day and posted his first shutout of the season (and the club's second, Martin Ouellette had one on the road in October). The club's record stands at 5-3, the Wheeling Nailers come to town on Wednesday the 11th. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 4-6

Finished the regular season at the rink on Wednesday and Thursday, as it happened the results of the first two games on Wednesday cemented all positioning and first-round playoff matchups. As a result the last two games and all three on Thursday were rendered essentially meaningless. Just for the record: on Wednesday in the East the Steamers beat the Oil Riggers, in the West H&F Tire won over the Riot, the Killbots defeated the Pub Dawgs and the Hammmerheads beat the Kings. In the lame-duck Thursday games the Oil Riggers prevailed over the Blues, the UniLords beat the Steamers and the Riot defeated the Misfits. Playoff semifinals in both divisions start on Tuesday the 10th, each series is a best 2-of-3 with the winners meeting in the best-of-five finals. On Friday evening we were at Rossmere Stadium as high school football's regular season ended, the LCHS Crusaders finished their year with a 35-7 loss to Cocalico. The Crusaders scored first on an Andrew Bertz 65-yard catch-and-run from Brian Downey but it would the only LCHS tally as the club finished with an overall mark of 3-7. In 2016 the LL League realigns by enrollment, after a four-year absence LCHS returns to Section III (where the program enjoyed its greatest successes in the latter part of the last decade). The program spent 2012 and '13 in Section I and the last two years in II but given the size of the school and the numbers on the football roster it's fair to say at this point that III is probably where the program really belongs, time will tell. The really big news was at McCaskey where head coach Rob Monzon announced his resignation after six years at the helm to spend more time with his family. JPM sent him out with a win at Conestoga Valley on Friday, the Red Tornado finishes their year at 4-6. High school basketball preseason starts on the 16th, the first game for JPM is on December 5 (it will be here before you know it). Take care, thanks for reading.

November 1-3

The new month started with a typically quiet Sunday, on Monday evening we were at Reservoir Park for a four-game makeup night. These were the games rescheduled from October 28 and pulled all teams even in the standings with twelve games played and two to go. The Blues beat the Oil Riggers in the lone East game, in the West H&F Tire downed the Misfits, the Riot beat the Kings via shootout and the Hammerheads defeated the Pub Dawgs. On Tuesday we were back on the regular schedule, the UniLords beat the Blues in the East game while in the West it was H&F Tire over the Pub Dawgs, the Kings over the Misfits and the Killbots over the Hammerheads. Wednesday and Thursday's games wrap up the regular season and there are no weather issues forecast, it's actually supposed to be uncommonly warm and mild over the rest of the week. We shall see. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 31

Had lunch in Quarryville in the morning, in late afternoon we finished up the month with a game at the Arena. The Royals hosted the Orlando Solar Bears for their lone regular-season visit and their first game in Reading since April of 2014. The Royals roster was bolstered earlier in the week with the return of popular former team captain Yannick Tifu. Yannick played with the Royals from 2011 to 2014 and captained the club to the Kelly Cup in '13, he spent the '14-15 season playing in France and returned to North America during the summer. The fans came to the Arena on this night expecting a treat for Halloween but it turned out to be a disappointing trick as the Bears left town with a 5-2 win. Orlando carried a 3-0 lead into the third period, an early score from Ian Watters and another midway through by Cam Reid brought the Royals to within one. The rally ended there as the Bears added two more (one into the empty net) to salt away the victory. Martin Ouellette made his home debut in goal for the Royals and suffered the loss. The club's record drops to 3-3 (1-2 at home), the boys stay home for a doubleheader on November 7 and 8 against the newly-minted Greenville Swamp Rabbits (AKA the franchise formerly known as the Road Warriors). Take care, thanks for reading.

October 29-30

The rain was long gone by Thursday morning, I went to the rink after lunch to survey the damage. I was there for about two hours, during that time I emptied the bag on the Billy-Goat five times and refilled the gas tank four times. Clearing leaves from the rink surface is a rite of passage at this time of year but this occasion was something way above the norm. It was an unbeLEAFable battle but one man with one machine beat Nature, the evening's games went on as scheduled. It was somewhat appropriate that the night's activities were unusual as well, we had three games and all of them were decided via shootout. The UniLords beat the Oil Riggers, the Blues knocked off the Steamers and the Killbots defeated the Riot. Wednesday's postponements were reset for November 2 giving week #7 an early start. On Friday we were at McCaskey for the final home football game, the Red Tornado hosted Manheim Township. JPM went 1-4 in the first half of the schedule, they won two straight on the road to start the second half but lost at home in week #8. On this night we did the usual Senior Night recognitions for the team, the cheerleaders and the band, much like Homecoming they were the high point of the evening. MT led 20-0 at the quarter, in the second period quarterback Michael Davis found Greg Nunez for a 25-yard score to put McCaskey on the board. That would be the lone marker for the home team as Township extended the lead to 48-6 at the half. The second half was played entirely under the mercy rule, the final score was 62-6. JPM finishes the season on the road on November 6, I am at Rossmere that night for Lancaster Catholic's season-ender. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 28

The rain arrived overnight, by the time I left the house it was coming down in earnest. I stopped by the rink to see what it looked like, the winds out of the southeast had already turned it into a shipwreck. We had our usual lunch with Jenny and her mother in Quarryville, in the afternoon we headed north on 222 for the evening's hockey game at the Arena. I called Ron to advise him on the conditions at the rink, since the rain had continued all day postponing the games was the proverbial no-brainer. At the Arena the Elmira Jackals were the opponent for the second of their six regular-season appearances. The Royals rebounded nicely from the Saturday night loss with a five-goal victory of their own, the final score was 8-3. The club got two goals each from Adam Comrie and Mike Pereira, single tallies came off the sticks of Maxim Lamarche, Geoff Walker, Ian Watters and rookie Justin Crandall (from Minnesota-Duluth). Connor Knapp picked up the win to improve the Royals' record to 3-2, the club stays home to host the Orlando Solar Bears on Halloween night. The drive home was equal parts crazy and mundane, we drove through three downpours and other areas where we didn't see a drop. It's all supposed to be gone for Thursday so we should be good to go at the rink, it's all a matter of getting the rink cleaned up (and I'm not looking forward to it in the least). Take care, thanks for reading.

October 24-27

Saturday night hockey in downtown Reading as Year XV of Royals hockey began officially on home ice. The club started with three road games, on Friday they won in Elmira 5-1. The Royals hosted the Jackals on this night in the back end of the home-and-home weekend and the outcome was the polar opposite of Friday. Elmira took an early 1-0 lead but newcomer Robbie Czarnik (five-year pro from Detroit, Michigan) replied quickly to even the score. From there it was just about all Jackals, four straight scores opened up a 5-1 Elmira advantage. Late in the second period Riley Armstrong (twelve-year vet who played in Europe in '14-15) notched the Royals' second goal  but two Elmira scores in the third put the lid on a 7-2 Jackals win. Connor Knapp started in net and suffered the loss. The Royals' record levels at 2-2 in the early going, the boys host Elmira again on Wednesday the 28th. Little going on Sunday or Monday, on Tuesday we started week #6 of street hockey at the rink. All of the crossover game are in the rear-view mirror, on this night there was one East and three West games. The UniLords defeated the Steamers, H&F Tire beat the Hammerheads, the Kings won over the Pub Dawgs and the Killbots vanquished the Misfits. Four games are scheduled for Wednesday (in my absence) but the forecast is not encouraging. There was a major storm over the weekend that passed through Mexico and the Caribbean region, it is moving up the coast towards our area. Major rainfall and strong winds are expected so Wednesday could end up being an adventure in more ways than one. Stay tuned. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 23

The telephone rang at 11:30 on Thursday night, it was Jenny. She was having discomfort in her shoulder and upper chest area and asked me if that was what ailed me when I had my heart scare in 2014. When I confirmed it she said she was thinking of calling an ambulance and coming to the hospital in town. Around 2:15 she called from the hospital, they had checked her out and were discharging her. I told her she would have to stay there until morning, there was no way I could have been functional behind the wheel of a car at that hour and I wasn't going to risk an accident. The morning sun awakened me shortly before 8:00, I went to the hospital and took her home. I know there are times when it seems like I go out of my way for her but that is because I care about her and there are few others she can call on. I took the opportunity to nap briefly at her house and again at home in the afternoon but I still felt sluggish most of the day (probably because I didn't sleep well overnight out of concern). In the evening it was a football night at McCaskey, after three straight road games the Red Tornado was back home for Homecoming against Cedar Crest. The halftime activities were easily the highlight of the evening as JPM fell 25-7. The lone Red Tornado score came courtesy of a John Burnside 59-yard TD run in the second quarter. JPM's record drops to 3-5, the home season ends on the 30th against Manheim Township. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 19-22

Tuesday night at Reservoir Park as week #5 got underway. In the East the Blues beat the Oil Riggers, in the West game the Pub Dawgs beat the Misfits via shootout. The final two crossover games came off the calendar as well, the UniLords defeated the Killbots and the Steamers won over the Kings. The East Division clubs won twenty-three of the twenty-eight crossovers (which is not entirely surprising), although it is not especially popular it is a schedule format we must use given the size of the league. On Wednesday Jenny was in town for a medical appointment, from there we had our usual morning lunch date in Quarryville. At the rink in the evening there was one East game and three Westies, in the East the Unilords knocked off the Blues. In the West H&F Tire defeated the Riot, the Kings won over the Hammerheads and the Killbots beat the Pub Dawgs. The week wrapped up on Thursday with three games: the Steamers defeated the Oil Riggers, H&F Tire won over the Hammerheads and the Riot beat the Misfits. "Phase I" of the schedule is now completed, each team has played ten games and faced all opponents one time each. Over the final two weeks all the remaining games are rematches of earlier meetings. We set the schedule this way deliberately, as the teams head down the home stretch and battle for playoff positions we want play to be strictly within divisions. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 16-18

Friday night at Rossmere Stadium, the LCHS Crusaders were at home for a second consecutive week. Lebanon was the opponent for the Crusaders' Homecoming, two young ladies from the LCHS class of 2016 handled the halftime ceremonies over the PA. Quincy Clark's touchdown in the first quarter gave the Crusaders a 6-0 lead, a Lebanon TD and a successful PAT made it 7-6 for the visitors. Brian Downey ran for a score to put LCHS back ahead, Nick Corrigan's extra point brought the count to 13-7 at the quarter. Lebanon outscored the Crusaders 13-0 in the second quarter, at halftime it was 20-13. In the third quarter the Crusaders came alive, Downey and Clark each found the end zone for the second time to put LCHS up by seven. On the next Lebanon possession defensive lineman Peyton Snopek intercepted a pass and returned it for another TD to give the Crusaders a 34-20 advantage. Lebanon battled back in the fourth quarter but Clark's third TD on the evening salted away the Crusaders victory, the final score was 41-27. LCHS improves to 3-4 with three games to go, the one remaining home game is on November 6. The Royals began the ECHL regular season with a pair of weekend road games, they lost on Saturday and won on Sunday. The boys play a divisional game in Elmira on the 23rd, they host the Jackals in the home opener on the 24th.Take care, thanks for reading.

October 14-15

Wednesday morning lunch in Quarryville, in the afternoon we made our way north to downtown Reading. Several years ago the Royals instituted an annual preseason "meet and greet" event at the Arena, it's an opportunity for season ticket holders to get autographs and photos with their favorite players. The guys were deployed two to a table on the arena concourse, all twenty-three men on the current roster were present. The doors opened at 5:00, between the walk-around and the free concessions provided by a prominent sponsor we were there until close to 7:00. We attend every year because Jenny and her mother enjoy meeting the players, otherwise I probably wouldn't worry too much about it on a personal level. After I got them home safely I went to the rink, I arrived during the second period of the night's third game and stayed for the duration. On Thursday we had just three games on the docket, one of each variety. The Kings beat the Oil Riggers, the Steamers vanquished the Blues and the Killbots took down the Riot. Four weeks are now in the books and we're right where we should be: all postponements have been made up and every team has played eight games. Week #5 starts on Tuesday the 20th with four games including the final two crossovers, most of the league is happier once those are out of the way. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 12-13

Had the car at the service center on Monday morning, it was due for a lube job and oil change. In the evening we started week #4 of street hockey at the rink. Three games on this night as we played the schedule postponed on October 1. In the West game the Kings beat the Killbots, in the crossovers the Blues defeated the Misfits and the Steamers downed the Riot. On Tuesday we had four regularly-scheduled games, two Wests and two crossovers. The Kings beat the Pub Dawgs and the Hammerheads won over the Misfits, the UniLords defeated H&F Tire and the Steamers prevailed over the Killbots. The week continues with four games on Wednesday but I am absent, the Royals are holding the annual "meet and greet" at the Arena. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 10-11

It is entirely possible that I may one day look back on the events of October 10 and laugh about it but right now is not that time. We did our usual Saturday lunch in Quarryville, later in the afternoon Jenny, her mother and I made our way north to downtown Reading. The Royals' 15th anniversary ECHL season kicked off with an exhibition game at Santander Arena against the Norfolk Admirals, one of the league's newest franchises. When we arrived at the arena I tested the PA mic in the penalty box, I thought I could hear something but it was very faint. At on-air time the mic was completely dead, they brought me a wireless mic and it didn't work either. We tried changing the battery but the only available spares were marked "best if used by March 2011" (I can see where that might be a problem). When the referee came on ice at game time I informed him that we would have no PA, he told the teams to line up as normal for the anthem and we played a recorded version. I was angry at first because I went there as a professional to do my job and I couldn't but once the game started I got over being angry, I merely stayed at my post and did everything else I normally do (everything, that is, except TALK). It ended up being a much easier night's work than I expected, at least it happened at a practice game that few will ever remember. In the contest itself the Royals defeated Norfolk 5-4. Newcomer Mike Pereira (from UMass-Amherst) scored two goals, the club got single tallies from local product Tyler Gjurich (from Hatfield, PA), returning veteran Ian Watters and veteran newcomer Geoff Walker (he appeared in the ECHL All-Star Game when we hosted it in 2009). Connor Knapp was the winning goalie, he and Watters are among thirteen returnees from the '14-15 season. The landscape of pro hockey at the minor league level changed greatly in the offseason, as a result of the AHL's western migration the ECHL gained several new eastern-based franchises. Manchester, New Hampshire and Glens Falls, New York have joined Norfolk as former AHL markets now in the ECHL. All three of those clubs are in our division so we will see them frequently at the Arena. The regular season begins on the 17th, the Royals play their first three on the road before opening at home on the 24th. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 7-9

Wednesday morning lunch in Quarryville, in the evening we were back at the rink as week #3 continued. There were two crossovers and two West games on this night, in the crossovers the Oil Riggers beat the Hammerheads and the Blues defeated the Pub Dawgs. In the West the Killbots prevailed over the Misfits and the Riot beat the Kings. Thursday night featured three games, one of each variety. In the crossover the Killbots won over the Oil Riggers, H&F Tire beat the Pub Dawgs in the West game and in the first head-to-head East matchup of the season the UniLords defeated the Steamers. Week #4 is another four-night week, it starts with makeup games on Monday the 12th. On Friday there were late afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast, they rolled through during the 4:00 hour. In the evening I was at Rossmere Stadium for the LCHS Crusaders game with Manheim Central. MC is another of the league's more celebrated football programs, they are to their division what Wilson is to theirs. The scheduled 7:00 kickoff was delayed to 7:30 due to the thunderstorms, once we got started the fans were treated to an entertaining game. LCHS trailed 14-0 in the second quarter before Jordan Scott's halfback-option pass to wideout Zakke Sailsman got the Crusaders on the board, Nick Corrigan's extra point made it 14-7. On Central's next possession Sailsman (in as a defensive back) picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown, the conversion attempt failed. Central would extend the lead to 20-13 in the fourth quarter, in the closing minutes the Crusaders mounted a furious rally but could not reach the end zone. The loss drops LCHS to 1-2 in the division, 2-4 overall. I'm back at Rossmere on the 16th, the Crusaders host Lebanon. Saw on the 'net where McCaskey won their game over Penn Manor in Millersville 28-0, that is JPM's first victory by shutout since 2010. Their mark improves to 1-2 and 2-4 respectively, they return home on the 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 1-6

The expected heavy rain from the south moved into the area overnight into Thursday, the night's three-game schedule at Reservoir Park was postponed. We rescheduled them for Monday the 12th, that gives us two straight Mondays of makeup games. Friday's weather was more of the same, after an afternoon haircut appointment I elected to stay in for the duration. Several of the evening's high school football games were affected by the weather, some were moved to Saturday or Monday while others had starting times changed to late-afternoon instead of the usual 7:00 kickoff. McCaskey was playing in Landisville against Hempfield, had the weather not been so unpleasant I would have gone but at my age the idea of standing on the sideline in the rain for three-plus hours isn't all that appealing anymore. There was a time when I would have tolerated it but those days are few and far between at this point. I was seeing Internet updates on the games all night long, JPM lost 39-29. They were trailing 33-7 in the third quarter but rallied to make the final score somewhat more respectable. There was little else going on the weekend outside of lunch with Jenny and her mother on Saturday. That storm system in the Caribbean they were watching ended up moving out to sea, areas in the southern part of the nation were hit hard but the northeast was spared the brunt of it. Stopped by the rink on Monday morning, the rink was surprisingly clean from the weekend (all of the wind was from the north and northeast which makes a difference). In the evening we played the makeup games from September 29, one west game and three crossovers. In the West the Killbots beat the Hammerheads, the crossovers saw H&F Tire over the Blues via shootout, the Oil Riggers over the Misfits and the UniLords over the Pub Dawgs. On Tuesday the format was the same, in the West game the Riot beat the Hammerheads. In the crossovers the Steamers won over H&F Tire, the UniLords downed the Misfits and the Blues defeated the Kings. Take care, thanks for reading

September 25-30

Friday night football at McCaskey as L-L league play got underway, the Red Tornado hosted perennial powerhouse Wilson. Before the game a friend from Wilson told me they were a bit banged up so maybe we were catching them at the right time. They had lost a non-league game at home the week before but even so I knew better than to put much stock in that theory especially since Wilson has not lost a league contest since 2007 and the last time JPM beat them was in 2003. Both streaks continued on this night as Wilson took an early 10-0 lead and never trailed, the final was 38-7. The lone score for JPM came in the second quarter on a Kobe Gantz TD catch from Jathan Gonzalez. The club plays its next three on the road, the next home game is on the 23rd of October against Cedar Crest. The Barnstormers saw their quest to repeat as ALPB champions come to an end on Saturday night in Waldorf, Maryland. They split the first two games of their playoff series with Southern Maryland at home on Wednesday and Thursday, the Crabs took two straight on their grounds to win the series. SM meets Somerset for the title and I would like to see the Blue Crabs win it strictly on principle (no disgrace in losing to the eventual champion). The rest of the weekend plus Monday was largely quiet, on Tuesday we were set for week #2 of street hockey but the weather had other ideas. I went to the rink after lunch to check things out after the long weekend, although rain was forecast for the evening hours I did the cleanup work just in case (besides, it had to be done and it wasn't happening by itself). Around 4:30 or so the rain arrived and stayed for the rest of the night, the games were postponed and rescheduled for October 5. On Wednesday we did our usual midweek lunch in Quarryville, in the evening we had four games at the rink. In the crossover games the Oil Riggers beat the Riot via shootout, the Unilords defeated the Hammerheads and the Steamers won over the Pub Dawgs. In the lone West game H&F Tire Service beat the Kings. There are three games on the schedule for Thursday but the forecast is not encouraging. There is a major storm system moving up from the south and another in the Caribbean region that may impact us heavily over the weekend, the next few days have the potential to be an adventure. Take care, thanks for reading

September 21-24

Monday morning lunch at the mall, after that I was at Reservoir Park to do some prelim work for the start of the new season. We have eleven teams total, one of the teams from the spring season had struggled with manpower and decided not to return for the fall so the West Division has seven clubs instead of eight. Everybody plays fourteen games including one each against the teams from the opposite division with the remaining games against divisional opponents. On Tuesday night the season started with two crossover games and two West games, in the crossovers the Steamers beat the Hammerheads and the Blues defeated the Riot. In the West the Killbots won over H&F Tire Service via shootout and the Misfits prevailed over the Kings. On Wednesday the three teams that had not played on Tuesday made their season debuts. In the West the Hammerheads beat the Pub Dawgs via shootout, in crossover play H&F Tire won over the Oil Riggers, the Killbots knocked off the Blues and the UniLords beat the Kings. The week wrapped up on Thursday with three games all of crossover variety, the Oil Riggers defeated the Pub Dawgs, the UniLords beat the Riot and the Steamers won over the Misfits. Of the seventy-seven total games on the schedule twenty-eight of them are crossovers, the bulk of those are within the first three weeks of the season (all the better to get them over with). The season continues with another 4-4-3 week beginning on Tuesday the 29th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 19-20

Saturday lunch in Quarryville with Jenny and Helen, in the evening we were back at the ballpark. The Barnstormers had eleven scheduled home Saturdays, Jenny and her mother made it to nine (one was ruined by rain and the other because Jenny wasn't feeling well). Their personal tour of the Atlantic League was completed on this night, Long Island was the only opponent they had yet to see. This game started poorly for the Stormers as the Ducks scored three runs in the top of the first. Kevin Rivers' solo home run in the second got the Stormers on the board but by the seventh inning Long Island held a 5-1 lead. At that point it was getting late and Jenny was getting tired so we headed for the exits. When you get about five miles south of the city the radio broadcast signal fades out so I had no idea what was happening at the ballpark until I was back within range on the way home. The Barnstormers rallied for four runs in the ninth to tie the game, in the tenth the Ducks went back ahead 7-5. Refusing to be outdone the Stormers struck for three of their own in the bottom half and pulled out a wacky 8-7 win. With it all the game wasn't over until almost 11:00, four hours after it had started. On Sunday afternoon the regular season ended with a 1:00 game, with cool temperatures and low humidity in the forecast I elected to make an exceedingly rare daytime appearance. In the eleven-year history of the franchise this was just the fourth time I can remember being there for anything that started prior to 6:00, I'm just not crazy about afternoon heat and humidity. Before the game Pete Andrelczyk was presented with the club's community service award, fellow reliever Scott Gracey was named via fan vote the team's player of the year. Manager Butch Hobson was also honored for recently becoming the ALPB's all-time victories leader. The game itself was all Home Team from the word Go. Lance Zawadzki's first-inning home run put the Stormers ahead 1-0, in the fourth Brian Cavazos-Galvez doubled and scored on a wild pitch. A six-run fifth put the matter to bed, a Zawadzki RBI double was followed by a two run home run from Yusuke Kajimoto. Two more runners reached for Luke Hughes who went yard to make it 8-0. A two-run double by Kevin Rivers in the sixth and a Tyler Bortnick RBI double in the seventh closed out the scoring, Shunsuke Watanabe started and worked six innings for the 11-0 win. The club's final mark checks in at 75-65, the first round of playoffs starts on Wednesday the 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 17-18

Had lunch with Jenny and her mother on Thursday, Helen turned 78 on the 15th. The annual Solanco Fair opened earlier in the week, after lunch we went to the fairgrounds and walked around. A lot of the merchants offer small giveaway items, I always take the opportunity to stock up on pens (for the street hockey rink) and pencils (for basketball season at McCaskey). On Thursday evening the Barnstormers continued their homestand, the Long Island Ducks (fresh from a series in York) were the opponent. This final regular-season series is virtually meaningless since the Atlantic League playoffs are set, the Ducks meet Somerset in the semifinals while the Stormers match up with Southern Maryland. On this night the Barnstormers trailed 1-0 in the third, an RBI double by Zach Collier tied the score. Run-scoring hit by Lance Zawadzki and Anderson Feliz put the Stormers up 3-1 but Long Island rallied back in the sixth to tie the game. In the seventh Kent Matthes delivered a solo home run to put the Barnstormers back ahead 4-3, that would prove to be the final score. Starting pitcher Edwin Carl (recently added from the American Association) worked seven innings for the win in his Stormers debut, Scott Gracey and Scott Patterson (save) pitched an inning each. On Friday I was absent from the ballgame because that night at this time of year means high school football. McCaskey was playing at Reading High and of course anytime I'm in Reading for anything other than hockey I invariably run into people I know. It's often been said that in football you can't win if you can't score and you can't score if you don't have the ball. That was it in a nutshell for JPM, through the forty-eight minutes of play McCaskey had offensive possession for only fifteen. In the third quarter Jathan Gonzalez found Kobe Gantz in the end zone for a touchdown but it was the lone score for JPM in a 26-7 loss. The club's record drops to 1-2, league play begins at home on the 25th against Wilson (never a easy assignment under the best of circumstances). Take care, thanks for reading.

September 16

Wednesday night baseball in Lancaster as the Barnstormers hosted the Blue Crabs in the series finale. The Crabs won the first-half division title but have fallen back somewhat in the second half, for the Stormers it has been quite the opposite. A win (or a York loss) on this night would clinch the second-half title, a Stormers playoff berth and a postseason rematch with Southern Maryland in the first round. SM put two on the board in the first but Lance Zawadzki's sac fly RBI in the bottom half made it 2-1. The Crabs went back up by two in the third, a Mike McDade sacrifice fly brought the Stormers back to within 3-2 after three. Single runs for the Crabs in the fifth and seventh made it 5-2, a solo home run by Juan Apodaca brought the Stormers within striking distance at 5-3 as the game moved into the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth the Barnstormers put together an incredible four-run rally. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Kevin Rivers, his base hit scored one run to make it 5-4. Anderson Feliz followed with a two-run single to give the Stormers the lead, Apodaca's fielders choice groundout scored the final run. The 9-7 lead was preserved by Marcus Walden who worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the save for winning pitcher Pete Andrelczyk, Nate Reed had started and pitched the first six innings. The victory puts the Barnstormers in the postseason for a second straight year and the fourth time in five seasons under manager Butch Hobson, the win was also Butch's 1800th as a manager in professional baseball. His managerial career began back in 1987 in the New York Mets organization, from 1992 to 1994 he was in the big leagues as skipper of the Boston Red Sox. The Barnstormers open a now-meaningless series against Long Island on Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 14-15

Monday morning lunch at the mall, in the evening the Barnstormers returned home for the final seven days of the regular season. Coming into play on Monday the Stormers' magic number to clinch a playoff spot stood at four, any combination of Lancaster wins and York Revolution losses totaling that number would eliminate the Revs from playoff contention. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (the first-round opponent for the Stormers/Revs survivor) were in town for a three-game set. In the Monday opener the Barnstormers took a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI hits by Brian Cavazos-Galvez and Luke Hughes, a Kevin Rivers home run in the seventh made it 3-0. The Crabs broke the shutout with a run in the ninth but the Barnstormers held on for the 3-1 win, Pete Andrelczyk won it in relief of starter Daniel Moskos with Marcus Walden recording the save. Meanwhile in York the Revolution defeated the Long Island Ducks, at game time on Tuesday the Stormers' magic number stood at 3. On this night the Blue Crabs went up 2-0 in the top of the first, the Barnstormers replied emphatically in the bottom half. Jerry Owens singled and scored on a triple by Zach Collier, Kent Matthes' RBI hit scored Collier to tie the game. RBI singles Lance Zawadzki and Charlie Cutler gave the Stormers the lead, a fifth run scored on a Yusuke Kajimoto infield groundout. Owens capped the uprising with a two-run double to make the score 7-2. The teams traded single runs in the fourth, the Stormers' coming on an Owens triple and a Tyler Bortnick RBI single. Another hit from Bortnick (who started the season in Lancaster and recently returned from a stint in the Seattle Mariners system) in the fifth gave the Barnstormers a 9-3 lead. Starting pitcher Joe Gardner was touched for two runs in the eighth but from there Scott Patterson and Al Yevoli combined to close the door on a 9-5 Barnstormer win. In York the Revolution lost to Long Island, that result clinched a playoff spot for the Ducks and knocked the Stormers' magic number down to 1. The Stormers-Crabs series concludes on Wednesday with a possible clinching scenario in place. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 11-13

Jenny was in town on Friday, we had lunch at the local sub shop. In the evening it was football night at McCaskey, the Red Tornado hosted York in high school football's version of the War Of The Roses. I graduated from McCaskey way back in the stone-age era of 1974, in 1988 I came back to do the PA for football and I'm now into my 28th year on the mic at the stadium. JPM won in York in 2014, I was absent because that was the week I had my heart issues (incidentally, there have been no no recurrences since). On this night in Lancaster the Red Tornado led early and won going away 31-12. It was 14-0 after one quarter thanks to TD runs by QB Jathan Gonzalez and halfback R.J. Godwin, York got on the board just before halftime to make it 14-6. Fullback Carlos Lugo rushed for a score in the third quarter, Randolph Speller's TD run in the final quarter put the game out of reach. Placekicker Nick Allen added a late field goal, he was also 4-for-4 on extra-point attempts. The win brings the record to 1-1, the boys travel to Berks County for the final non-league game at Reading High on the 18th. The rest of the weekend had little going except lunch with Jenny on a chilly, rainy Saturday. Talked to Don on Sunday, we start street hockey season on September 22. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 6-10

The warm weather was still out in force on Sunday, I went to Jenny's place for a lunch visit since we missed out on Saturday. On Monday evening the Barnstormers played the final game of the weekend "wraparound" series against Camden. There was precious little offense from either side on this night, the teams combined for a total of seven base hits. A Barnstormer error contributed to a Camden run in the second, that lead held until the fifth when Anderson Feliz tripled and scored on a Juan Apodaca two-run homer. Those runs were all the Stormers would need as they held on for the 2-1 win and a four-game series sweep. Starting pitcher Madison Boer (recent addition from the Minnesota Twins organization) worked six innings for the victory, Marcus Walden saved it. The ballclub hits the road for six days, they return home on Monday the 14th. The middle of the week was uneventful save for Wednesday lunch with Jenny, on Thursday we had some solid rain for the first time in weeks. The weekend is expected to be much cooler with a chance of more rain on Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 5

It was very warm at Rossmere Stadium on Friday evening but that was a mere prelude to Saturday afternoon at McCaskey. The Red Tornado hosted Harrisburg in a 1:00 kickoff, the first Saturday afternoon game at JPM since 2010. The popular reason given for this game not being on Friday was apparently the visitors being unwilling to play a night game (why that would be is anybody's guess especially considering the weather). It was close to ninety degrees at game time and the press box was a sauna bath, I don't know how any of the players could have been comfortable in uniform on the field. It was not a good day at all for JPM, Harrisburg scored first and built a 20-0 halftime lead. In the third quarter another H-burg score extended the lead before the Red Tornado broke through on an 18-yard touchdown from quarterback Jathan Gonzalez (a member of the '14-15 junior varsity basketball squad). Harrisburg added two more TDs in the final period and rolled to a 40-6 decision, their second win in two seasons over JPM. The Red Tornado stays at home for week #2 against York on the 11th. The game ended around 4:45, I went home and took a shower because there was absolutely no other choice. At 5:45 I went over to the ballpark, the Barnstormers hosted the Camden Riversharks in game #2 of a four-game series. The Stormers won the opener on Friday, on this night they made it two in a row. An RBI double from Zach Collier and and a Kent Matthes base hit gave the home team a first-inning 2-0 advantage but the Sharks came back to tie in the second. Another RBI double by Collier in the bottom of the inning made it 3-2 Stormers, Camden scored single runs in the third and fourth to go ahead 4-3. That score held up until the bottom of the eighth inning, back-to-back home runs from Lance Zawadzki and Luke Hughes put the Barnstormers ahead 5-4. In the ninth Scott Patterson retired the side in order to save the win for fellow reliever Al Yevoli (recently added from the Chicago Cubs organization). Jenny and her mother were supposed to come into town for the football/baseball doubledip but it did not happen, Jenny had called on Friday night and said she planned on sleeping in because she wasn't feeling well. I can't say I blame her, between football and baseball it would have been a long day in the heat. I'd rather she be healthy than ill any day. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 4

The opening week of high school football season always coincides with the Labor Day holiday weekend, on Friday night I was at Rossmere Stadium for the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders home opener. Dallastown (from York County, about ten miles south of York proper) was the opponent as I began my twentieth year on the PA for LCHS. I took on the Crusaders in 1996, at that time we had no lights at McCaskey Stadium so there were never any conflicts (LCHS played Friday nights, JPM played Saturday afternoons). That changed in '99 when JPM joined the Friday Night Club but the good folks at LCHS have always understood and are glad to have me there when I am available. I arrived at the stadium at 5:30 and learned that the game was in a lightning delay. The rules on that are very explicit: when there is lightning in  the area the teams are not allowed on the field even to warm up much less play the game. The game finally got started at 7:45 and didn't wind down until almost 10:30. Dallastown scored first but missed the extra point to lead 6-0, the Crusaders responded quickly on their next possession. Quarterback Brian Downey found wideout Andrew Bertz over the middle for a 76-yard catch-and-run TD, kicker Connor Rathsam added the PAT for a 7-6 Crusader lead at halftime. In the third quarter Dallastown scored twenty unanswered points, in the closing moments Downey hit Christian Sweigart in the end zone for a cosmetic score to bring the final to 26-14 in the visitors' favor. LCHS is at home again on the 11th but I am absent for the game at McCaskey, my next time at Rossmere is on October 9.Take care, thanks for reading.

September 2-3

Jenny was in town for a Wednesday morning appointment, it was a followup to the sleep test she had in July. I took her home and we did our usual midweek lunch. In the evening the Barnstormers opened their homestand with that makeup doubleheader against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Crabs were in town for a series in early May, this was their first time back since then. In the Atlantic League doubleheader games are seven innings as opposed to the regulation nine, that is the case throughout the affiliated minor leagues as well. The night got underway at 6:00, the Stormers scored in the first inning on a Kent Matthes sac fly RBI. The Crabs tied it in the third but a Charlie Cutler sac fly in the fourth broke the deadlock, Jerry Owens' RBI single made it 3-1 Barnstormers. SM got one back in the fifth but that would be all as the Stormers took the opener 4-2, Daniel Moskos won it with Marcus Walden picking up the save. Despite the shorter game in terms of innings it still took until 8:30 for the opener to be completed. The nightcap got started at 9:10, I watched the first two innings and called it a night. Saw on the Internet where the Barnstormers completed the sweep, they trailed 4-0 in the fourth but rallied back to win 5-4. The second game ended five hours and fifteen minutes after the opener had started, I know how that feels because I once lived that life. The series ended with a single game on Thursday night but I was not there, we had our fall season street hockey meeting at the rink. There were about nine teams represented but there are always those who never attend but get in anyway. We would like to start the week of September 14, we'll see how it pans out. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 1

The final one-third of 2015 is upon us, it's hard to believe it's already September (although it felt more like July with daytime temperatures in the low 90s). The Barnstormers were scheduled for a home game on this evening but it was postponed under unusual circumstances. The ballpark hosted professional soccer games on Saturday and Monday, over the weekend it was announced that the Tuesday ballgame would be postponed to allow proper time for converting the field back to baseball configuration. With no game in Lancaster I elected to spend the evening on the other side of the river, the Revolution returned home to open a series against the Camden Riversharks. The Atlantic League season ends on the 20th and the second-half division races are far from decided. The Revs are currently second in their division with the Barnstormers holding the top spot. The Stormers could qualify for the postseason either as the second-half champion or as a wild-card, for the Revs it's largely division title or bust. On this night at Santander Stadium the Revolution suffered a critical loss as the visiting Riversharks took an early lead and held on for the 4-2 win. It was 3-0 Camden in the fourth when Brandon Boggs went yard with a man on to cut the deficit to one but an insurance Shark run in the seventh ended the scoring, Rommie Lewis started for the Revolution and took the loss. The series continues through Thursday before the Sharks come to Lancaster for the weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 27-31

Saw on the Internet where the Wednesday night ballgame went fourteen innings, it was almost midnight when it finally ended. The Revs scored six runs in the fourteenth on just two hits and won 10-4, three Barnstormer errors in the inning aided the cause. The season series ends 15-13 in the Stormers favor, what matters now is the final push for a playoff spot. Both teams qualified in 2014 (the Revs as the first-half division winner and the Stormers as a wild card) but the likelihood of both teams making it in again is minimal. Jenny called around 9:45 on Thursday morning, Helen was being discharged. I picked them up at the hospital and took them home, we had our usual lunch date (we were going to have it on this day anyway because of my mother's eye appointment, funny how stuff like that works out). Helen said the doctors have no idea what caused her chest pains (???) but she has had similar episodes before and it was usually acid reflux or a bad reaction to a medication. She has a pacemaker and given that plus her age it's always a cause for concern. On Thursday evening I was at McCaskey for a football scrimmage, the Red Tornado hosted Lancaster Catholic. It's always strange for me when these teams face each other since I do the PA for both schools. A new PA system was recently installed at the stadium, we took the opportunity to test it before the scrimmage started by explaining to the fans what they would see. The JV squads took the field first, each team ran ten plays. That was followed by the varsities running twenty plays each. The night finished with two twelve-minute running-time periods played under game conditions (down-and-distance, penalty calls, etc). The season begins the weekend of September 4, I'm at LCHS on Friday at 7:00 and JPM on Saturday at 1:00 (a rare doubleheader). The rest of the weekend was quiet except for Saturday lunch with Jenny, no baseball anywhere until the first day of September. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 26

Wednesday began with a morning trip to the health campus, my mother had an eye doctor appointment. Her cataract surgery was in May of 2014 but there are still the periodic followups involving eye drops and pupil dilation for which she needs a driver. In the evening we were back at the Clip for the final game of the Revolution/Barnstormers series, as the night went on my mind ended up being more concerned with other matters. Just before game time Jenny called, her mother was having chest pains and an ambulance was bringing her into town  Jenny was riding in with her and was planning to stay until she was discharged. Under the circumstances there was little I could do, I just asked her to keep me apprised as the night went on. In the game itself the Revs scored in the first on an Eric Patterson RBI groundout, in the bottom half Mike McDade's RBI groundout and a Brian Cavazos-Galvez base hit gave the Stormers a 2-1 lead. A Jerry Owens fielders choice in the fourth scored another to make the score 3-1 but in the Revs fifth a Mikey Reynolds RBI single and a two-run double by Salvador Paniagua gave the vistors a 4-3 lead. By the time the seventh inning rolled around it was almost 10:00, I called curfew and headed home. Jenny and I had been talking via text message all evening, shortly after I arrived home she called to say Helen was being admitted for overnight observation. I checked the progress of the ballgame online and saw where the Barnstormers tied it in the ninth on a Kevin Rivers home run, they were headed to extra innings dead even at 4-4. I guess we'll find out how everything works out on Thursday morning. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 25

Back at the ballpark on Tuesday night for game #2 of the Revs/Stormers series. This was not a night for the respective starting pitchers, both were out of the game by the fourth inning. The Revolution came out strong in the first inning, Bryan Pounds' bases-loaded double chased home three runs and Mikey Reynolds' RBI hit scored Pounds to make it 4-0. Mike McDade's run-scoring single in the bottom half put the Barnstormers on the board, a two-run double by Kent Matthes in the third closed the deficit to 4-3. The Revs replied quickly with three in the fourth, an RBI hit from Eric Patterson and a two-run single by Pounds gave the visitors a 7-3 lead. In the bottom of the fourth the Stormers replied just as swiftly, RBI singles by Matthes and Jerry Owens plus a two-run base hit by McDade squared the score at 7-7. The Barnstormers took their first lead of the night in the fifth, one run scoring on a Charlie Cutler single and another on a passed ball to give the home team a 9-7 advantage. Brandon Boggs' RBI hit in the sixth brought the Revs back to within one, in the seventh the lead changed hands for the last time on a Salvador Paniagua two-run home run. Stephen Penney was the winning pitcher in the Revs' 10-9 win with Mike DeMark recording the save, Blake Hassebrock took the loss for the Barnstormers. The clubs meet for the twenty-eighth (and final) time on Wednesday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 24

Monday night baseball at The Clip as the Revs and Barnstormers met for the twenty-sixth time in 2015. The ALPB used to play a balanced schedule (twenty games against each of the other seven clubs) but in recent years the league has favored geographic rivalry. Many feel that twenty-eight games against a single opponent (in a 140-game season) is way too much, in the major leagues the maximum number against another club is nineteen out of 162. On this night on North Prince Street the visiting Revs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on an Andres Perez solo home run and a James Simmons RBI double. Lance Zawadzki's two-base hit in the bottom half got the Stormers on the board, in the fifth they plated four more. Kent Matthes' two run double gave the Barnstormers the lead, Luke Hughes picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded walk and another run scored on a Rev fielding error. Brian Pounds went yard in the sixth to bring the Revs within 5-3 but in the late innings the Stormers iced it away. Zawadzki's RBI double in the seventh made it 6-3, in the eighth another four crossed the plate on a Zawadzki sac fly and RBI hits from Hughes, Mike McDade and Brian Cavazos-Galvez. The starting pitchers in the 10-3 Barnstormers victory were involved in the decision, Nate Reed won it while Logan Williamson suffered the loss. Since the rivalry began with the advent of the Revolution in 2007 each club had won the Community Cup four times, this victory clinched the 2015 Cup for the Barnstormers. The competition for the cup may be decided but the division race has a long way to go, both teams are very much in the hunt for the postseason. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 17-23

Every once in a while there comes a period of time where absolutely nothing of any note takes place, the last several days are a prime example. I had my car at the garage on Monday for the annual state inspection and had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday and Saturday, other than that it was largely a colossal bore. The Barnstormers were on the road the entire week but on Friday the Revolution returned to York for a weekend series against Somerset. The Patriots won the first two games scoring twenty-nine runs in the process, I took in the Sunday game (the ever-popular 5:00 start). The Revs took a 1-0 lead in the fifth on an RBI double by ex-San Francisco Giant property James Simmons but Somerset replied in kind in the sixth to tie the game. That 1-1 tie extended long into the evening, in the fourteenth inning the Patriots broke through and took a one-run lead. In the bottom half the Revs mounted a comeback of their own. Former Houston Astro farmhand Telvin Nash started it with a double and scored on a base hit by Simmons, Jose Constanza's RBI single scored Simmons with the winner as the Revolution gutted out the 3-2 win. Both teams went deep into the bullpen, Beau Vaughan (the last of seven Revs relievers) was the pitcher of decision. The Revolution heads back out onto the road, the first stop is in Lancaster on Monday for a three-game series. The Barnstormers lead the season series over the Revs 14-11 with three games to go, one more win for the Stormers would bring the Community Cup east for the first time since 2012. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 14-16

Friday night on North Prince Street for game #2 with the Skeeters, on this night it was just about all in Sugar Land's favor. A four-run fifth and one more in the seventh were enough for a 5-3 Skeeters win. Offensive highlights were few for the Barnstormers, all of their runs scored on a three-run Anderson Feliz home run in the bottom of the seventh. Nate Reed started for the Barnstormers and suffered the loss. There was a special attraction booked for in-between innings and the postgame, that plus a fireworks show drew a crowd announced as the sixth-largest in franchise history. On Saturday Jenny and her mother were in town for the ballgame, the Stormers got back into the win column with a come-from-behind 10-6 decision. It didn't start well as the Skeeters scored three runs in the first, in the second inning a sacrifice fly from Yusuke Kajimoto and an Anderson Feliz RBI hit brought the Barnstormers within one. A six-run uprising in the fourth turned the game completely around. An RBI double by newcomer Derrick Pyles tied the score at 3-3, that was followed in quick order by a Kajimoto two-run single, a two-run Feliz home run and a solo shot off the bat of Kent Matthes. In the fifth Feliz delivered again, his two-RBI double extended the advantage to 10-3. Sugar Land got three back in the seventh but starting pitcher Chad Beck survived the early turbulence and picked up the win. On Sunday the series wrapped up in ninety-degree afternoon heat, I marked the occasion by staying inside in the air conditioning. August 16 is Jenny's birthday and since we didn't see each other on Sunday I had given her gift on Saturday. Jenny has modest tastes and she didn't ask for anything specific but she was happy with what she got (it was something she had hinted at back in the spring and probably thought I forgot about but I did not). Jenny and I have been together since the latter part of 2001 and she means the world to me, I can't imagine being without her. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 13

Saw on the Internet where the Barnstormers won the game in York on Wednesday night, it took extra innings to decide it. Between that and the rain delay the game wasn't over until almost 11:30, by that time I was home, showered and camped out watching the late MLB game on TV. The franchise in York began in '07, this was the first time I can recall attending every game of a series there but it all came together at the right time (important games, not far to travel, little else on the schedule, etc.). The fact that they run a good operation and I like it there doesn't hurt, either. On Thursday night the Barnstormers returned home to host the Sugar Land Skeeters in the opener of a weekend set. The Skeeters visited for a weeknight series during street hockey season back in May, this was my first look at them in Lancaster (I saw a game they played in York in June). This series was a rematch of the 2014 Atlantic League Championship Series and no fan of either team has forgotten how that ended. On this night the game stayed 0-0 through four innings, all the scoring took place in the next two. Sugar Land went up 1-0 in the fifth but the Stormers replied quickly with four in the bottom half, one run scoring on a fielding error and three more on a Mike McDade home run. The Skeeters closed to within 4-3 in the sixth, a Luke Hughes RBI double and a Zach Collier sac fly restored the three-run advantage. From there the bullpen shut it down as the Stormers took it 6-3, Joe Gardner was the winning pitcher with support from ex-Oakland property Blake Hassebrock, former Pittsburgh Pirate Daniel Moskos and original Barnstormer Scott Patterson. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 11-12

Returned to Santander Stadium on Tuesday for game #3, before it started I took a walk out to the right-centerfield area and said hello to Cannonball Charlie. "Charlie" (his real first name is Jason) is a popular part of the game-night experience in York, whenever the Revs hit a home run the entire neighborhood knows about it. After the crazy back-and-forth affair on Monday the Barnstormers won on this night in comparatively mundane fashion. Mike McDade's first-inning single gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, that was increased to four in the fifth on an Anderson Feliz RBI hit and a two-run single by Kent Matthes. The Revolution scored its lone run in the eighth on a Brandon Boggs base hit but it was of little importance as the Stormers won it 4-1. Bryan Morgado was the winning pitcher, Rommie Lewis the loser. Had the usual Wednesday morning lunch visit with Jenny, in the evening the series in York was scheduled to wrap up but Mother Nature threw the proverbial monkey-wrench into the plan. The game started on time at 6:30, as the evening progressed the skies grew very dark to the west. Mike McDade homered in the second to give the Stormers the lead, Eric Patterson's solo shot in the third tied the score 1-1. The Barnstormers reclaimed the lead on a run-scoring wild pitch in the fifth but Andres Perez's RBI hit in the sixth knotted the score once again. The real fun started in the seventh when the rain finally arrived, as it picked up in intensity the umpires stopped play and called for the tarp. By then it was past 9:00 and with the half-hour drive home figured in I decided to bag it and head east. The clubs meet again in Lancaster for the final three games of the season series on August 24, 25 and 26. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 10

Monday morning lunch at the mall, in the late afternoon we made the return trip west for game #2 of the Stormers/Revs series. If you enjoy up-and-down roller-coaster rides this game was for you. Eric Patterson's RBI double in the first gave York a 1-0 lead, in the second the lead grew to three on a Luis De La Cruz sac fly and a Mikey Reynolds RBI hit. The Barnstormers got on the board in the third on a Zach Collier double and a Kent Matthes groundout to close within 3-2. In the fifth Anderson Feliz's RBI hit tied the game, he would score the go-ahead run on a Matthes sac fly. Charlie Cutler singled with a man on third to extend the Stormer lead to 5-3 but the Revs got one back in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk. York took a 6-5 lead in the sixth on a two-run single by Wilson Valdez, in the visitors half of the seventh Matthes went yard over the Arch Nemesis to knot the game at 6-6. The Barnstormers regained the lead in the eighth on Brian Cavazos-Galvez's RBI hit but the Revs (as the home team) had the last at-bat and they made it count. In the bottom of the ninth a bases-loaded single by Yeicok Calderon tied the score, Reynolds followed with the game-winning hit as the Revs rallied for the wacky 8-7 win. Both clubs went deep into the bullpen, Edward Paredes (on the plus side) and Marcus Walden (on the minus side) were the pitchers of decision. The series is squared at a game apiece, one wonders what may be in store in the form of an encore on Tuesday and Wednesday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 7-9

The early part of the weekend was quiet, on Saturday Jenny and I had our usual lunch date. On Sunday the Barnstormers arrived in York for the opener of a huge four-game series with the homestanding Revolution. Both teams finished out of the running in the first-half standings, in the second half they are in the thick of the race. The Stormers entered the series having won three-of-four in Brideport, the Revs were coming in fresh from a four-game sweep of Southern Maryland. On this late afternoon/early evening at Santander Stadium it was all Barnstormers from the word go. Zach Collier singled and scored on a Mike McDade groundout in the first, in the fourth McDade doubled and came home on a Lance Zawadzki fielder's choice grounder to make it 2-0. In the fifth a Luke Hughes solo homer, a run-scoring hit by Yusuke Kajimoto and a Kent Matthes RBI groundout upped the advantage to five. In the sixth Zawadzki's solo shot ended the scoring as the Barnstormers won it 6-0, starters Nate Reed (Stormers) and Logan Williamson (Revs) were the pitchers of decision. The series continues through Wednesday, if all goes well I plan to be at all three. I don't usually make a point of seeing more than one game per series in York but this is a big series, it's happening at a time where my weeknights are largely free and although it's a thirty-mile drive from Lancaster it's not an unpleasant trip (highway just about all the way). We'll see how the week plays out. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 4-6

Not much going on Tuesday or Wednesday save for a lunch visit with Jenny. On Thursday I met Marty at his place in Salunga and we made the drive west to York for the evening's ballgame, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs were the opponent. I had planned to going to the Friday game but switched because Marty had something else going that night. I have only seen the Crabs twice in Lancaster and once in York thus far, all of those games were back in May so I wanted to see at least one game of this series and which night it was made little difference to me. The Revolution had won the opener in walkoff fashion on Wednesday, on this night the Revs made it two straight with a 9-1 victory. Andres Perez's two-run double in the first broke the ice, in the second the Crabs scored their lone run. In the bottom half RBI singles by Eric Patterson and Wilson Valdez plus a run-scoring wild pitch extended the lead to 5-1, in the fourth a Brandon Boggs solo home run and another wild pitch plated two more. A seventh-inning RBI hit from former Atlanta Brave Jose Constanza and an eighth-inning RBI double by Perez salted the game away, Rommie Lewis pitched seven innings for the win with relief support from Beau Vaughan and Edward Paredes. It was overcast with a slight chance of rain, some light precipitation fell during the middle innings but it was of no real concern. The series continues through Saturday, on Sunday the 9th the Barnstormers come into York for a four-game series that is shaping up to be very important. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 1-3

The new month began on a Saturday and for Jenny and Helen it was another baseball night in Lancaster. I must admit I miss the old 6:00 starts on Sundays (that used to be the night Jenny and her mother would attend) but I doubt the Barnstormers bring the Sunday nights back anytime soon, for me a 5:00 Sunday in York is the next best thing. On this night the Somerset Patriots scored twice in the first but the Barnstormers evened it in the bottom half on a Kevin Rivers RBI triple and a Kent Matthes sac fly. The next five scores belonged to Somerset, by the seventh inning it was 7-2 Patriots. A Mike McDade solo home run and an Anderson Feliz RBI hit drew the Stormers within three, in the eighth a Luke Hughes two-run double made it 7-6. In the ninth the Barnstormers had the tying run on third but couldn't push it home as the Patriots held on for the 7-6 win. Ray Hanson started for the home team and took the loss. There was the usual Saturday night fireworks show after the game but the ladies and I made the usual Saturday night exit when the game ended. The teams continued the series on Sunday afternoon in brilliant sunlight and high-80s temperatures, I continued my practice of staying in and staying cool. The Barnstormers won to take a 2-1 series advantage, on Monday night in the wraparound game they played their own particular version of Home Run Derby. The Pats took a first-inning 1-0 lead but a Zach Collier solo shot in the bottom half knotted the score. In the second inning Lance Zawadzki went yard with a man on but Somerset rebounded with two in the third and one in the fourth to go ahead 4-3. Luke Hughes homered in the sixth to tie the game once again but Somerset scored twice in the seventh to go up 6-4. A Mike McDade RBI groundout in the bottom in the inning drew the Stormers within one, in the ninth Collier's second home run of the night squared the game at 6-6. Anderson Feliz followed by reaching on a Somerset error, Kent Matthes' double to right-center scored Feliz with the winning run in an improbable 7-6 victory. Marcus Walden (the last of six Barnstormer pitchers used) picked up the win, Nate Reed started and worked five innings. The ballclub plays its next eight on the road including a four-game set in York from the 9th to the 12th, the next home game is Thursday the 13th against Sugar Land. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 30-31

Thursday night at the ballpark for the final game of the series with Bridgeport, the Barnstormers completed the three-game sweep with a 4-3 victory. Kent Matthes gave the ballclub a 1-0 lead with a first-inning single, a Lance Zawadzki home run in the fourth extended the lead to two. The Bluefish picked up a run in the fifth, in the bottom half Kevin Rivers singled and scored on an error to restore the two-run lead. Bridgeport battled back with runs in the sixth and ninth to tie the game, in the bottom of the ninth Zach Collier singled, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt and scored the winner on another Matthes RBI hit. Shunsuke Watanabe started and worked six innings, Pete Andrelczyk was the pitcher of record. The newspaper story on Friday noted that this was the Barnstormers' twenty-fifth win in their last twenty-seven against Bridgeport, a steak dating back to the 2014 season. On Friday night the Somerset Patriots arrived at the ballpark sporting the Atlantic League's best record. Well-known figure skating star Johnny Weir was in attendance, the Stormers gave away a bobblehead figurine modeled after him. He threw out a first pitch before the game and signed autographs during it, they said the waiting line for his autograph stretched around the stadium (but I wouldn't know because I was sitting in Section 25 WATCHING THE GAME). On this night the Barnstormers prevailed by the same final score as Thursday's game. Anderson Feliz's RBI double in the second and a Kent Matthes fielders choice in the third gave the Stormers a two-run lead, a Somerset run in the fourth was offset by a Luke Hughes home run in the bottom half. The Patriots scored again in the fifth but Matthes replied in kind with a solo shot of his own to make it 4-2. Somerset made it close with a run in the eighth but the bullpen closed it out from there, Marcus Walden recorded the save for winning pitcher Bryan Morgado. The series continues through the weekend and wraps around to Monday evening. Take care, thanks for reading.