May 27-31

Monday was the Memorial Day holiday aka The First Day Of Summer, the softball league at Garrett Park marked the occasion by taking the day off. On Tuesday night in Willow Street Peach Bottom beat Riverside in the early game, the Silver Bullets won over Drifters in the nightcap. Had lunch with the ladies on Wednesday in Quarryville, in late afternoon a quick-hitting storm blew through the area and caused postponement of the evening activity at Garrett Park. The league played a rare scheduled Thursday (largely because there had been nothing on Monday), Kelly's played both ends of the doubleheader and swept it with wins over Memorial and Drifters. On Friday evening the Stormers returned home from a weeklong road trip to open a series with the Charleston Dirty Birds. Charleston (like each club in the Southern Division) plays just one series in Lancaster during the regular season, we've already seen Lexington and Gastonia with High Point and Southern Maryland yet to appear. On this night the Dirty Birds took a 1-0 lead in the second, the Stormers equaled it in the third on base hits by Justin Farmer and Nick Lucky. Charleston went back up 2-1 in the fifth, in the bottom half the Stormers took the lead on Farmer's RBI double and a sac fly by Lucky. In the sixth the Birds again retook the lead but the Stormers put together a six-run uprising in the seventh. Farmer started it with a walk, after one out Lucky doubled putting runners at second and third. Back-to-back singles by Trace Loehr and Cristian Santana gave the Stormers a 5-4 lead, Chris Proctor followed with a two-run double to right-center making it 7-4. After the second out Shawon Dunston singled to score Proctor, Dunston would score on a wild pitch to put the Stormers up by five. Charleston scored a cosmetic run in the ninth as the Stormers won it 9-5, Justin Kelly was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Jack Labosky. The series continues through the weekend. Take care, thanks for reading. 

May 22-26

Wednesday lunch as usual with Jenny and her mother, in the evening we were back at the ballpark for game #2 with the Gastonia "Gastronauts/Galactic Dinos/Bolognia" or whatever they may end up being called. On this night you could call them winners for the second straight game as they took the measure of the Stormers 7-4. The North Carolinians (maybe THAT'S an idea) went up 1-0 in the first, the Stormers tied it in the second when Chris Proctor walked and scored on Shawon Dunston's RBI double. Gastonia went ahead 4-1 in the third but the Stormers climbed back into it on a Proctor RBI single in their half of the inning, Trace Loehr's two-run home run over the picnic pavilion in the fifth tied it 4-4. In the eighth we saw a virtual replay of Tuesday night as Gastonia scored three runs against the bullpen which provided the margin of victory. Noah Bremer started and went five innings, Nolan Long took the loss in relief. The series concluded with an 11:00 school day game on Thursday, Gastonia won to complete the three-game sweep. The Stormers hit the road for the next week, they come home on Friday the 31st. Friday signaled the start of the holiday weekend, with little going on anywhere, temperatures in the 80s and the threat of thunderstorms just about every day there was little reason to be out and about. Take care, thanks for reading.

May 20-21

Monday night softball at Garrett Park, Drifters won over Riverside and Peach Bottom defeated the Silver Bullets. On Tuesday evening at the ballpark the Stormers opened a series with what would technically be the Atlantic League's newest franchise. The Gastonia Honey Hunters entered the league in 2021 and were very successful on the field, off the field was another story. The operation was dissolved during the offseason and immediately replaced with a new franchise under new ownership, the current club is known (at least for now) as the Gastonia Baseball Club. Some potential nicknames for 2025 are already being tried out, they recently played a series at home as the Gastonia "Gastronauts" and also on the drawing board are the "Galactic Dinos" (!!!!) and the "Bolognia" (REALLY?). On this night the game was scoreless into the last of the fourth, Shawon Dunston drew a walk and would score on a Chad Sedio single putting the Stormers up 1-0. Solo home runs by Cristian Santana and Dunston upped the advantage to 3-0 in the fifth, Gastonia scored twice in the seventh to close to within two. The Stormers got those two runs back in the bottom half, Dunston and Justin Farmer both walked and scored on Jack Conley's two-run single making it 5-2 Stormers. In the eighth the game turned in stunning fashion, Gastonia plated six runs and won it 8-5. Nile Ball started for the Stormers and pitched six innings of one-hit ball with eleven strikeouts, he left with one out in the seventh and from there Gastonia touched five Stormer relievers for seven runs (the first was charged to Ball's record). Newcomer Justin Kelly was the second of three pitchers used in the eighth inning and took the decision, the series continues on Wednesday night. Take care, thanks for reading. 

May 18-19

Saturday began with weather conditions we've become all too familiar with, it was raining while I was with Jenny and her mother for lunch. By mid-afternoon it began to clear up, with the presence of the new turf at the ballpark the ballgame went off on schedule. After four wins by the Revolution in the season series the Stormers finally broke through in a big way on this night with a little-doubt-about-it 13-2 win. All of the runs in this game except one were scored in the first four innings. the Revs' runs coming on a Trey Martin solo home run in the fourth and Kobe Kato's ninth-inning sacrifice fly. The Stormers scored twice in each of the first two innings, put six on the board in the third and topped it of with three more in the fourth. Nick Lucky had the big night with three hits including a double and a home run, four runs scored and three RBI, Chris Proctor had three hits, scored once and three runs batted in. Joseph Carpenter added three hits and three RBI, Trace Loehr had three hits, an RBI and scored three runs. Chad Sedio had two hits, scored twice and had one RBI, Justin Farmer added two hits and a run scored. Cristian Santana had an RBI double and scored a run, Jack Conley rounded out the book with a single and a run scored. On the mound Augie Sylk went seven innings for the win, Zach Neff started for the Revs and didn't survive the third inning. The series concluded on Sunday afternoon in my absence with a win for the Revolution giving them a 5-1 lead in the eighteen-game War Of The Roses, the clubs have twelve meetings left including three in July when the Revs return. On Sunday morning we were in Rothsville for the first time since April 28, after two straight weeks of rainouts we finally got some hockey played at Lions Park. I had put the word out on Saturday that we were going to play if at all possible, there was a leftover puddle in the one corner which needed to be cleared out but once that was accomplished the games went on without issue. This was the original Week Six, the matchups were the same as the last time we were there. Warwick avenged an earlier loss with a win over Hillside, Ephrata made it two straight over Township. No games on the 26th because of the holiday weekend, we're back with rematches from Week One on June 2nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

May 17

Friday afternoon/evening on North Prince Street, the Stormers were back home from a seven-day road swing, For a second straight home series the guys from West Of The Susquehanna were the opponents, when last we saw the Revs in Lancaster they were up 5-0 in the fourth inning on May 9 when play was suspended by persistent rainfall. On this day the game resumed at 4:00, in the bottom of the fourth the Stormers got on the board on a Chad Sedio solo home run. The Revolution replied with two in the fifth on Rudy Martin's run-scoring single and an RBI double by Paul Mondesi, one final run crossed the plate in the seventh on a Matt McDermott RBI double. Neither starting pitcher returned for the resumption, Jon Olsen was the winning pitcher in relief of Ethen Lindow with Augie Sylk taking the loss in relief of Brady Tedesco. The game was finished around 5:45 or so, the scheduled game began on time an hour later. Once again the Revs went ahead early on Colton Welker's second-inning solo home run, in the bottom of the third the Stormers fought back to take the lead. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with none out, after Nick Lucky was hit by the pitch to force home the tying run Cristian Santana's RBI groundout put the Stormers ahead 2-1. The unphased Revs promptly tied it in the fourth on a Donovan Casey single and Jacob Rhinesmith's RBI double, in the home fifth the Stormers retook the lead on back-to-back doubles by Shawon Dunston and Nick Lucky. The one-upmanship continued in the top of the seventh, a single by Casey was followed by a Trey Martin RBI triple and a Rhinesmith single putting the Revs back up 4-3. Two more were added in the ninth on a David Washington solo shot and a Casey RBI single as the Revolution took it 6-3. The starting pitchers were of record, Chris Vallimont for the Revs and Noah Bremer for the Stormers. The series continues on Saturday and Sunday but OF COURSE there is rain in the forecast (it's a weekend, Why Not?). Take care, thanks for reading. 

May 13-16

A new week began with an evening trip to Garrett Park in Willow Street. In 2022 the State Class C Championship softball tournament was held there, I worked the PA that weekend and it brought back a lot of memories and rekindled a long-dormant interest. The Southern End League season started about two weeks earlier, there are seven teams (up from six in 2023) playing an eighteen-game schedule. Games are on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Thursdays open for makeups. On this night Memorial played a doubleheader, winning the opener over Drifters and the nightcap over Akatsuki. Rain moved back into the region overnight into Tuesday wiping out both that night and Wednesday's softball schedule. Jenny had an appointment at the health clinic in Quarryville on Wednesday, the rain was finally clearing up by afternoon but the damage was done in Willow Street. On Thursday we finally had a dry day, in the evening there were two makeups at Garrett Park. Kelly's defeated Akatsuki in the opener, Peach Bottom beat Drifters in the late game. Take care, thanks for reading.

May 9-12

Thursday was another of those rainy iffy-type days, in late afternoon it was announced that the Revs-Stormers game at the ballpark was still on as scheduled. At 6:45 gametime there was a light mist falling which varied in intensity throughout the evening, unlike the previous Saturday I was in attendance largely because the temperatures were in fact ten degrees warmer (although I was also in fact five days older). The Revolution was looking for a sweep after winning on Wednesday, they took a 1-0 lead in the second on Jacob Rhinesmith's leadoff triple and Jamari Baylor's RBI single. In the third David Washington walked and Trey Martin singled, Baylor followed with a three-run shot to right putting the Revs up 4-0. In the top of the fourth the visitors added a run and had two men on base with two out when time was called, thirty minutes later the game was suspended. The new turf surface was probably the only reason the game ever started but it's obviously not foolproof, by the fourth inning a noticeable puddle was forming between the mound and the plate. The makeup date was not immediately determined but it will likely be at some point when the Revs return from May 17-19. The early part of the weekend was more of the same, with the Stormers on the road there was little reason to be outside. The rain disappeared for a time on Saturday but came back overnight into Sunday, with it expected to continue into the afternoon the games in Rothsville were postponed for the second straight week. We got the first three weeks played without issue, I imagine we're paying for that good fortune right now. Take care, thanks for reading.

May 8

Wednesday evening at McCaskey for the final game of high school baseball season, the Red Tornado hosted Lancaster Catholic. It was Senior Night, before the 6:30 start we honored Cristian Cancel, Jhanel Perez, Rey Ortiz, Tobe Kuntz and Janpaul Rodriguez as members of the Class Of '24. We don't play many home games under the lights but they always bring a larger crowd than a 4:15 game and this night was no exception. The game began under circumstances all too familiar, the visitors from the neighborhood of Rossmere jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead. JPM got back into it in the second when Adrian Rodriguez drew a walk, Niko Bergeron was hit by the pitch and Jhanel Perez reached on a infield hit to load the bases. Rey Ortiz lived on an error allowing Adrian to score, Elliott Fluck's sac fly plated Niko to make it 3-2. In the third an Eli Morales base hit, an RBI double by Adrian R. and Janpaul Rodriguez's run-scoring single put JPM ahead 4-3. In the fourth Ortiz walked and Fluck reached on a error putting runners on second and third. Andrew Carlisle hit a slow roller back to the mound, as he was being retired at first Ortiz came home, Fluck just kept running right behind him and scored as well to extend the lead to 6-3. LCHS got one back in the fifth, in the top of the seventh it was Deja Vu All Over Again. Much like Monday against Township (and even Tuesday at the ballpark) the visiting team put together a seventh-inning uprising, on this night it was LCHS rallying for three runs to go ahead 7-6. In the bottom half JPM got the tying run to third with two out but the game ended right there, Elliott Fluck took the loss in relief of starter Janpaul Rodriguez. The club finishes 2-18 with both wins (one each home and away with the home win coming in my absence) against non-divisional competition. There is talk that the division schedule in 2025 will feature just two games against each opponent allowing for ten non-league games instead of the current five but we'll see what happens. For me it's the finish of my eighth year of baseball at JPM, it's not the pros but it's BASEBALL in an environment where it's fun and what I do is appreciated. Believe me when I tell you it's isn't always automatically that way everywhere (been there, done that, never going back). Take care, thanks for reading

May 7

Tuesday night: back at the ballpark (as opposed to the ballFIELD), the Stormers continued their homestand with a visit from our friends West Of The River. The Stormers began in 2005, the York Revolution started two years later and there has always been a strong rivalry born from the fact that the cities themselves are portrayed as such (War Of The Roses and all that stuff). Although I'm a Lancastrian born-and-raised I've never personally viewed the Revs as The Enemy, I have friends there and I get to games in York on occasion whenever circumstances allow. On this night the guys from the White Rose City took a quick lead in the first when Matt McDermott reached on an error and Kobe Kato drew a walk, consecutive sacrifice flies from Donovan Casey and Jacob Rhinesmith put the Revs up 2-0. The Stormers got on the board in the second, Chris Proctor singled and scored on a Kyle Hess groundout. The Revolution added a run in the sixth on a David Washington sacrifice fly, in the seventh they broke the game open with six two-out runs. An RBI hit by Washington, a two-run single from Trey Martin and a Jamari Baylor three-run missile over the wall in right-center brought the final score to 9-1. The starting pitchers were of record, Zach Neff for the Revs and Caleb Baragar for the Stormers. The series continues on Wednesday (I'm out for the game at McCaskey) and Thursday (should be OK if it isn't raining). Take care, thanks for reading.

May 4-6

Rainy conditions moved into the area on Saturday morning and continued for most of the day, I made the rare decision to stay home from the ballpark in the evening. I hate to be absent when I would otherwise be able to attend but it was a raw and unpleasant night, I may have considered it had the temperatures been about ten degrees warmer or my age about ten years younger. I'm to the point where my mind might say "I can do this" and my body says "Oh yeah, you wanna bet?". The bad thing is that Lexington visits just this one time, we won't see them again unless it's for the league championship in September. The game went on as scheduled despite the rain and it was called as soon as it became official, the Stormers won 12-2. Sunday was more of the same, I was awakened around 6:30 by the rainfall and the games in Rothsville were immediately postponed. It was supposed to clear off in the afternoon, I thought about going over to the ballpark but it was still raining lightly at 3:00 gametime and I didn't leave the house. That game went on as well, Lexington won to avoid the series sweep. The new turf at the ballpark was probably the only reason the games weren't postponed, in that regard it's a good thing but from a fan standpoint it can be less than ideal. The rain finally moved out overnight into Monday, in the afternoon we were back at McCaskey as Manheim Township visited for the second time. The first time was on April 12 (I was absent for hockey in Reading), Township won via the mercy rule. I figured this day had the potential to be either very long or very short, it proved to be the former. MT went up 1-0 in the first, in the home second Jhanel Perez's two-run triple gave the Red Tornado a 2-1 lead. After Township tied it in the third JPM took the lead back on a Josh Reyes RBI single. MT put a five-spot in the board in the fourth but The Good Guys fought back, in the bottom half Reyes came through again with a two-run single bringing the club to within 7-5, Township scored a single run in the sixth to go up 8-5, in the seventh they tore the game open with a fourteen-batter nine-run explosion. The final was 17-5, Andrew Carlisle started on the hill with Adrian Rodriguez, Janpaul Rodriguez and Eli Morales in relief. It in fact WAS a long day, we started at 4:15 and I got into my car shortly before 7:00. The season concludes with Senior Night on Wednesday the 8th. Take care, thanks for reading

May 3

Had an e-mail earlier in the week from Jon Mitchell at McCaskey, the girls softball team was having its Senior Day on Friday and he asked if I'd be available. The varsity softball field is behind the main school building, it's neatly tucked in between the gym and the football stadium (when I was in school the field hockey and JV baseball fields occupied that area, the current gym didn't exist back then). There is no permanent PA system at the softball field, a portable was set up similar to the soccer and field hockey Senior Nights we did in the fall. Several of the seniors' parents recognized me, one said this must have been a big deal since I was there. I wasn't expected to work the game itself, the PA was set up solely for the pregame and everybody seemed to be satisfied when the ceremonies were finished. After supper I was at the ballpark for the opener of a weekend series, the Lexington Legends from the league's Southern Division visited for the lone time in 2024. The ballclub in Lexington was known as the Legends from its days in affiliated baseball, after rebranding in 2023 to an identity that proved unpopular they have "Turned Back The Clock" to the traditional name and look. On this night the Stormers took a 1-0 lead in the second when Gaige Howard singled and scored on a base hit by local product Kyle Hess (from Donegal HS in Mount Joy). Trace Loehr's solo home run over the picnic deck in right made it 2-0 in the fifth but the Kentuckians fought back to tie and force extra innings. In the tenth the Legends scored three runs without the ball ever leaving the infield, in the bottom half the Stormers put together a rally as crazy as that or anything else you may ever see. Loehr started the inning on second base as the automatic runner (or as some refer to it: the "Manfred Man"), a walk to Shawon Dunston and an Isan Diaz single loaded the bases with nobody out. Cristian Santana lined a single into right field scoring Loehr and Dunston to make it 5-4 with Diaz advancing to third. Howard batted next and hit an infield grounder that was misplayed for an error allowing Diaz to trot home with the tying run. Joseph Carpenter followed with a line-drive single to center, pinch-runner Nick Lucky (in for Santana at second base) beat the throw to home plate as the Stormers walked it off 6-5. Jackson Rees was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Brady Tedesco with Noah Bremer, Max Green and ex-MLBer James Hoyt also working an inning each. The series continues through Sunday weather-permitting, the forecast is not encouraging. Take care, thanks for reading.

May 1-2

The fifth month of the year began with a busy Wednesday, for a second consecutive Wednesday Jenny was in town for a medical appointment. As is usually the norm she and her mother rode in on the access van and I took them home with lunch along the way. In the afternoon we were back at the ballfield at McCaskey, Warwick visited for the second time. The ballclub has just two victories, the result on this day perhaps distilled the entire season's struggle into a single game. Warwick scored three runs through the first four batters of the game, they never scored again but they didn't have to. In two separate innings the Red Tornado had the bases loaded with one out and failed to score, in three others the first batter reached base and advanced no further. JPM finally got on the board in the seventh, with one out Jhanel Perez and Rey Ortiz reached on back-to-back singles. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third as Elliott Fluck flied out to right for the second out, on the catch Perez tried to score and was caught dead-to-rights in a rundown between third and home. Jhanel caught a big break as one of the Warwick fielders threw the ball away for an error allowing him to score, the next batter was retired ending the game. Starting pitcher Adrian Rodriguez went six innings and took the 3-1 loss, Janpaul Rodriguez worked the last inning. The boys have three games left, the next at home is on Monday the 6th. Over on North Prince Street the Stormers continued their series with Hagerstown and finished the sweep with wins on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. In recognition of the franchise's twentieth year the club recently announced its twenty-man All-Time Team, the roster features (in no particular order) pitchers Ross Peeples, Denny Harriger, Pete Andrelczyk, Dwayne Pollack, Scott Patterson and Jason Urquidez, catcher Lance Burkhart, infielders Melvin Mercedes, Andretty Cordero, Travis Hake, K.C.Hobson, Jeremy Todd and Lloyd Turner plus outfielders Blake Gailen, Trayvon Robinson, Caleb Gindl, Quincy Foster, Aaron Herr, Ryan Harvey and Tommy Everidge. The Stormers stay home for the weekend to host the Lexington Legends. Take care, thanks for reading.