A conflict kept me from the Neshanock's matches this past weekend, but Mark "Gaslight" Granieri graciously provided not just pictures, but a guest post. Already an accomplished catcher, striker and photographer, not to mention navigator, "Gaslight" clearly has a future in blogging. Thanks to Mark for keeping the Neshanock's vast fan base up to date on the weekend's matches.
“It’s déjà vu all over again.” – Yogi Berra
Photo by Mark Granieri
The Neshanock experienced their own deja vu while playing the Athletic Club of Philadelphia at Dey Farm in Monroe Township this past Saturday. First, their two victories brought the club over the .500 mark which had not been seen since June. Second, these matches marked the return of Bob "Melky" Ritter (2nd match, 9th inning relief) and Gerard "Jacks" D'Angelo (2nd match, first base relief) who both had not seen the field of play due to injuries for far too long. This event now held for several years at Dey Farm (circa 1820) is sponsored by the Monroe Township Historic Preservation Commission.
Photo by Mark Granieri
The first match was a well played contest won by the score of 10-5 behind the hurling of Danny "Batman" Shaw. The Neshanock led 4-1 after the first inning and stayed ahead of the troublesome Athletics who were always within striking distance. Flemington was led by Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner who had a "clear score" with four hits and also tallied four runs. A well-earned break between matches saw Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw recite the exploits of a long ago ballist named Casey to the delight of a sizeable crowd of cranks which included several local politicians. The current ballists (at least this one) were kept happy by a basket of cookies.
Photo by Mark Granieri
The second match was an offensive explosion, resulting in a 27-8 score in which Flemington batted around the order once and sent nine strikers to the line in three other innings. The Neshanock were fueled by Dan "Sledge" Hammer who hurled the match and contributed seven hits in striking for the cycle including a two run homer, two triples and seven scored runs. Other striking worth note was Chris "Lowball" Lowry (four hits, four runs), Joe "Mick" Murray (three hits, three runs), Chris "Sideshow" Nunn (three hits, four runs), Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner (three hits, one run) and Bo "No Nickname" Koltnow (three hits, one run). The match also saw Ken "Tumbles" Mandel's attempted slide into first base result in a divot so large the Preservation Commission is worried that filling the area with fresh dirt may exhaust their remaining funds. A meeting will be held next week to discuss the matter. The Neshanock have two dates left on the calendar this season, including traveling to Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, next weekend to battle the New York Gothams.
Photo by Mark Granieri
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