MJB Consulting, Prime Time advance in Lexington Senior Softball playoffs

The Lexington Men's Senior Softball League double-elimination playoffs began with five games last week, including three first-round match-ups and two second-round showdowns. MJB Consulting and Prime Time advanced in the winner's bracket, while Battle Green lost once before advancing in the loser's bracket.

The second-seeded MJB Consulting squad got off to a slow start in its first playoff match-up, before a big inning helped this squad surge ahead for good.

Bob DiCicco and Tom Volkert led its hitting attack with three hits each, while Matt Widiger added two huge two-run doubles, and John Devlin, Bill Carr, and Jason Bergeron chipped in two hits apiece, to help MJB Consulting rally back from a three-run deficit by scoring nine runs in the sixth inning, and three more tallies in the seventh frame, to emerge with a 15-8 victory over the seventh-seeded Goodtimers.

Sal Serio and Dan Apstein both had three hits, and Paul George and Gino Mauriello both added two hits for the Goodtimers.

Then in its second game last week John Lentz and Greg Carr both led its offense with three hits each, while Devlin, DiCicco, Widiger, and BIll Carr added two hits each, to help MJB Consulting defeat Foul Play 11-1.

The third-seeded Foul Play club used two big rallies in the middle innings to take a big lead by the late going and never look back in its first game last week.

Paul Brzezenski was its offensive hero with four hits, while Drew Swinger, Rob Santamaria, Mark Weiss, and Corey Goodman added three hits each, and Kevin Moschella, Eric Pearlman, and John Liebeskind chipped in two hits apiece, to help Foul Play score five runs in both the third and sixth innings, and cruise from there to a convincing 15-3 win over sixth-seeded Battle Green.

Mike Monteiga had three hits, and Bruce Greenberg, Brian Mason, and Marc Firenze added two hits each for Battle Green.

Despite that setback, Battle Green won its loser's bracket game to stay alive in the playoffs

Bruce Greenberg and John Mullen both carried its offense with three hits each, while Briam Mason, Harvey Lowell, and Don Koundakjian added two hits each, to help Battle Green beat the Goodtimers 11-8.

Mike Franchella, Gino Mauriello, and Ray Ciccolo had two hits for the Goodtimers, which had its season end with a final record of 1-12.

The fifth-seeded Prime Time team likewise had its hitting shoes on and scored several runs in the early innings, to also take a big lead it would never relinquish.

John Toomey and Jim Hart were its hitting stars with four hits each while Chris Elmore added three hits, and Gregg Armstrong, Rob Walsh, Bill Crowley, Carl Fantasia, and Paul Sacco chipped in two hits apiece, to carry Prime Time to a big 15-4 triumph over fourth-seeded Metro Contracting.

Mike McClary and Eric Steinkrauss both had three hits, and Tom Labretto, Mark Bellino, and Steve Febonio added two hits each for Metro Contracting.

The schedule of playoff games for the upcoming week follows. All games will be played at the Center 2 field.

Thursday, September 9: Metro Contracting vs. Foul Play, 6:30 pm; Battle Green vs. Five-O's or Prime Time, 8:15 pm.

Tuesday, September 14: Prime Time or Five-O's vs. MJB Consulting, 6:30 pm; Battle Green, Prime Time, or Five-O's vs. Metro Contracting or Foul Play 8:15 pm.