Firemen's softball
Winfield lost its opening game Saturday in the Carroll County Firemen's Softball League Tournament, but swept its next seven games to win the postseason title.
After exiting the losers' bracket to beat New Windsor, 8-6, Winfield culminated its seven-game streak by shutting out New Windsor, 4-0, in the title game.
After its opening loss, Winfield fell behind Pleasant Valley, 8-2, after three innings, but it narrowed the gap with four runs in the fourth and then scored five in the sixth to win.
Tom Gaigalas singled in the tying run, and Tim Legore knocked in the go-ahead run. Rich Hoff doubled home a run and Archie Muller singled in one in the inning.
Ron Will went 3-for-3, with a two-run single for Winfield; Jerry Little went 3-for-3, scoring three runs.
After winning three more games, Winfield topped Manchester, 9-4, in the losers' bracket final. Winfield cruised to a 9-2 lead after five innings. Jamie Alder's RBI double and Little's RBI single highlighted a three-run fourth-inning rally that gave Winfield a 7-2 lead.
Dean Zepp had a triple in the inning. Marcey Poole's RBI single and Alder's two-run single were the big hits in Winfield's three-run fifth. Alder had three hits and three RBIs in the game.
Having escaped from the losers' bracket, Winfield faced unbeaten New Windsor, having to win twice.
It jumped to an early 3-0 lead, only to see Steve Kreimer tie it with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning. Poole and Zepp each singled home runs in the sixth to put Winfield ahead, 5-3.
But New Windsor tied it in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run single from Kreimer. The game went into extra innings knotted at five. Winfield then scored three times in the top of the ninth to win.
Alder singled home the go-ahead run, and Will capped the rally with a two-run single. New Windsor scored once in the home half on Dale Lowman's single and had the tying runs on base when the game ended.
Winfield right fielder Kirk Paff provided strong defense, making several good catches on fly balls. Steve Koontz went 2-for-2 for New Windsor; Jeff Keefer and Kreimer each went 2-for-3.
The final meeting between the two teams belonged to Winfield.
Winfield pitcher Ron Legore held New Windsor to six hits, and second baseman Alder played strong defense. Legore was also supported with four runs.
Winfield took a 2-0 first-inning lead on Poole's RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Zepp. Muller drove in another run with a third-inning single. Hoff had two hits.
New Windsor had opened the tournament with a three-game winning streak. It pounded out 23 hits to beat Taneytown-Harney, 19-4, in its first game.
Kreimer, who would become the first New Windsor player to win the Firemen's tournament Most Valuable Player award, went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. He batted .667 (10-for-15), with two homers, 11 RBIs and seven runs scored. He hit a three-run homer to highlight New Windsor's 11-run fourth inning.
Lowman also knocked in two runs with a single during the inning.
New Windsor's Tim Colliflower went 3-for-3 during the game, knocking in two runs and scoring two, and Buddy Petry went 3-for-4 and scored twice. Kevin Koontz hit a three-run homer for Taneytown-Harney.
Pitcher Colliflower limited Union Bridge to four hits in the next game, and New Windsor rode a 23-hit attack to an 18-1 victory. Steve Koontz went 3-for-5 and scored three runs for the winners and Doug Smith also scored three runs.
Left fielder Mike Kreimer made several good plays defensively ,, for New Windsor.
New Windsor then beat Manchester, 16-1, in the winners' bracket final. Colliflower went 3-for-3 and scored three runs, Steve Kreimer went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, and Lowman went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Soccer
* 10-and-under boys -- The North Carroll Rowdies prepared for their season in the Carroll County Boys Soccer League by sweeping four games to take the Deer Park Invitational Tournament.
The Rowdies, who outdistanced a seven-team field, allowed only one goal and scored 17.
They trailed Deer Park, 1-0, at halftime in their opening game, but pulled away behind William Bach's two goals. David Cockey and Patrick Maloff also scored for North Carroll. Stopper Russell Portney and sweeper Sergio Loynaz played strong defense for the winners.
North Carroll then defeated Freedom, 6-0. Jameson Marslender had four goals, Scott Rogers and Brad Burden each chipped in a goal, and fullback Tyler Harden played strong defense.
North Carroll then faced a tougher foe in South Carroll. But a defense featuring the play of fullback Corey Becker and stopper Portney helped North Carroll to another shutout, 3-0. Bach scored twice and Marslender once.
The championship matched the Rowdies against Mount Airy, which had won its first two tournament games. But keepers Bradley Carver and Chris Morrison, who
split the goaltending duties during the tournament, helped produced a third shutout, 4-0.
Portney, moving to attack, scored once, as did Marslender, Maloff and Bach. Fullback Kyle Reese played excellent defense for the winners.
Mount Airy opened the tournament by defeating Deer Park No. 2, Justin Kershner scored five goals, and Jeremy Beck, David Rice, Greg Eaton, Ted Weaver and Kevin Weaschler each scored once. Mount Airy fullback David Orban and sweeper Mike Tucci played well on defense.
Mount Airy then managed a 2-0 lead against North Carroll No. 2, but the teams tied, 2-2. Kevin Weaschler and Justin McMahon had the Mount Airy goals. Mount Airy sweeper Josh Weszko and fullback Chad Wheeler were outstanding defensively.
Carroll County softball
* Men's league -- Bachman Valley Inn rallied for six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat EVAPCO, 9-5.
Paul Drew's three-run homer, his second of the game, wiped out a 5-3 EVAPCO lead. Jamie Smith's RBI single gave EVAPCO a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Drew's first homer in the home half tied the game.
Brian Lowman's two-run double capped a three-run inning that gave EVAPCO a 4-1 lead.
But in the next inning Bachman Valley made the game's key defensive play.
EVAPCO's Smith tripled with two out, but Bachman right-center fielder Kreg Keeney retrieved the ball and made a strong throw to second baseman Randy Weidner, who cut down Smith at the plate with a perfect relay throw.
Two innings later and trailing, 5-3, Bachman Valley opened its sixth with six consecutive hits.
Brian Eslinger lined a two-run single to center, tying the game 5-5, and catcher Drew crushed a 3-0 pitch over the left-field fence to put Bachman ahead, 8-5. Doug Nichols' sacrifice fly drove in the sixth run.
L EVAPCO managed only one harmless single in the final inning.
Ski's Laundromat rallied for six runs in the sixth inning and topped Meineke Discount Mufflers (Westminster), 11-6.
Ski's led early, 5-1, but Meineke scored four runs in the fourth inning to tie the game. Stanley Hanson's two-run single was the big hit in the inning.
Mike Wittbecker then put Meineke on top, 6-5, with his fifth-inning RBI single.
Ski's erupted in the sixth with John Welty's two-run triple and Frank Fornoff's RBI double the big hits.
Bruce Parrish, Randy Robinson and Shawn Richards were all 2-for-3 for Ski's, the latter two scoring two runs each.
Erick Schultz and Jimmy Lorditch were each 2-for-3 for Meineke, with Lorditch scoring twice.
The Jets took a 7-1 lead after three innings and cruised to a 13-3 victory over Boston Inn.
Winning pitcher Larry Smith scattered five hits.
The Jets' Ken Whitestone went 2-for-3, including a two-run homer, and scored two runs.
Mike Coppa, Pete Hill and Tim Wagner were also 2-for-3 for the winners.
The Long and Foster Raiders won a 24-13 slugfest from Marada Industries.
The Raiders, leading 16-13 after 5 1/2 innings, scored eight runs in the sixth to pull away.
Gary Wantz, who drove in eight runs, hit his second homer of the game -- a three-run shot -- to key the big sixth. Mark Brungart had a two-run double.
Brungart went 4-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs.
Dave Dodson was also 4-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Jimmy Foster and Dale Kramer were each 3-for-4 for the winners.
Tim and Gary Wantz were each 5-for-5, with Tim scoring five runs and Gary, four.
Marada's Bill Rohrman, George Mercado and Tod Sentz were each 3-for-4, with Rohrman and Mercado each scoring three runs and Mercado driving in four.
Tim Stevenson went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, and Adrian Winsett went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Marada.
Small's General Contracting scored five runs in the second inning to break a 1-1 tie and went on to defeat Smitty's, 13-10.
Kirk Mann (4-for-4) hit a three-run homer in Small's second. John Weir later added another three-run shot for the winners.
Small's Todd Gentry went 4-for-4 with a double and triple and scored two runs. Leadoff hitter Randy Barton went 3-for-4, scoring three times, and Chris Small went 2-for-3.
Smitty's Doug Campbell had a home run and teammate Troy Warehime added a three-run blast.
Rick Hill went 3-for-3 and Steve Papaminas 2-for-3 for Smitty's.