On May 6, Hometown took on Bait & Tackle in a low-scoring game with excellent defensive plays by both teams. In the bottom of the seventh Hometown led 5-4 but Bait & Tackle led off with a double. A running catch in center turned into a double play which ended up being the difference in the game as Hometown improved to 3-1 while Bait & Tackle dropped to 0-4.
On May 9, the Wobblies relied on excellent defense in a 9-3 victory over B61. Additionally, the Record Shop beat MiniBar 10-6 thanks to a grand slam by star shortstop Andreas Kohl and strong pitching by Lars Fisk and Edan Portnoy who combined to toss five scoreless innings.
On May 13, B61 took on Hometown. JJ from B61 entered the game on a streak of three consecutive games with a home run. While Hometown ended his streak and got a home run and five RBIs from Booth, B61’s offense was excellent with contributions throughout their lineup and B61 won the game 14-7.
There were two outstanding close games on May 16. The Record Shop jumped out to a 6-0 lead on the Wobblies but the Wobblies strung together singles and came through with some clutch hits. They took a 9-6 lead in the top of the sixth and led 9-8 going to the bottom of the seventh. A single and a walk set the stage for Bene Coopersmith who ripped a line drive into the gap in left-center. Two runs scored lifting the Record Shop to a 10-9 win. Coopersmith almost had a walkoff homer but he stumbled and did a celebratory summersault rounding third. The win kept the Record Shop in first place and ahead of the Wobblies.
Meanwhile, on Dovey Diamond, a pair of home runs for Bait & Tackle helped them jump out to a seven-run lead against MiniBar. However, MiniBar caught fire in the bottom of the sixth and rallied for eight runs to take the lead. There was some controversy over how many runs scored in the inning but ultimately it was determined that it was eight. Down to their last out, Michael Buscemi delivered a two-run double to give Bait a 17-16 lead. However, in the bottom of the seventh, MiniBar scored two runs on a ground out to second with some aggressive base running with the second runner scoring on a very close play at the plate. The 18-17 win gave MiniBar their first win in the Red Hook Softball League and moved them ahead of Bait in the standings.
On May 20, Home Town took on MiniBar, fresh off their first victory in the RHSL. Hometown hit two triples and a home run in the top of the first to take a 5-0 lead. They never looked back. MiniBar had a pair of solo home runs but Hometown played well defensively, prevented any big rallies, and won the game 10-3.
On May 23, Bait & Tackle got revenge on the Wobblies with a 7-6 victory on Dovey Diamond. The Wobblies had last licks but Bait was able to hold on for the victory. The Wobblies had beaten Bait by one run in their season opener.
Also on May 23, the Record Shop beat B61 in a pitcher’s duel that ended in a 4-3 victory for the Record Shop. Lars Fisk got the win in relief and Matty McDermott got the Save. Shawn Andrew, the 2023 RSHL Cy Young winner, pitched all seven innings for B61. Gypsy Davey hit a three-run homer in the fifth for the Record Shop and they also played excellent defense, turning two double plays. B61 also made some great defensive plays in the loss.
In the first game of June, Hometown took on the Wobblies. Hometown scored one in the top of the first. However, with the bases loaded, a fly ball to left turned into a double play thanks to a perfect throw home which cut down a runner trying to tag up. The Wobblies tied it up with a run in the Botton of the first. The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth when the Wobblies got four runs including back-to-back homers by Tsanos and Brown. The Wobblies turned their second double play of the game in the seventh inning and won the game 5-1. The victory ties them in the standings with Hometown as both teams are 4-3.
Standings:
Record Shop Rec-Kids: 5-1
B61 Bus Stops: 4-2
Red Hook Wobblies: 4-3
Hometown Fried Chickens: 4-3
MiniBar Strippers: 1-5 :
Bait & Tackle Soft Balls: 1-5
