Date: Fri 20-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

George-Deli-Champs-A

Full Text:

Catering By George's Wins A Division Crown - 1996

B Y T.W YATT

It could have been a pay-per-view event when Catering By George and Newtown

Exxon slugged it out for the championship of the Newtown Slo-Pitch Softball

'A' Division on Sunday, September 15.

George's - a former two-time winner of the 'B' Division and twice a top

contender in the 'A' league - was challenging for its first belt. Exxon - 'A'

Division runner-up last season - was vying for its second title in three

years. Both of the heavyweights exchanged powerful punches for nine tough

rounds, neither going to the canvas, and when the final bell sounded it was

George's going to the center of the ring to have its hand raised as champion.

George's, led by the three-homer efforts of Bob Kick and Doug Rose, blasted a

total of eleven home runs and needed nearly every one of them in its 33-21

triumph. The 54 runs was the most ever scored in a Newtown league

championship, as was the two-team total of 18 home runs hit.

" This one tops them all, " said George's captain, Scott Terrill, who won

three 'A' Division titles with Gervais Bros before joining the team in 1994. "

My brother and my father built this team and it has come a long way. We've had

some good years and its nice to finally get to the top with these guys. "

In each of the last two seasons, its first two in the 'A' Division, George's

entered the playoffs as one of the top seeds only to be eliminated while

watching its opponents tee off with long home runs. This year, George's

employed the long ball itself.

After hitting a total of 18 home runs through its 16-game regular season,

George's awesome lineup shelled out 17 home runs through its three-game

playoff run including eleven in the league final, Sunday.

That barrage was led by the team's perennial RBI leader, Bob Kick. Kick pasted

a grand slam in the third inning that put his team on top 13-11 and fueled a

ten-run inning. Kick then tacked on a three-run blast in the next inning and a

solo shot in the seventh to finish with eight RBI.

Following Kick in the lineup was the team's newest player, Doug Rose, last

year's batting champion, who threw up three home runs of his own - two of the

inside-the-park variety. Rose finished with five hits and five RBI.

Despite being one of only four players in the order to go homerless, George's

veteran Tom Egan led all hitters on the day with a 6-for-7 effort that left

him only a hit shy of tying a league record in that department.

Jim D'Angelo, who led the team in batting this season, added a 5-for-6 day

which included his fourth home run.

But perennial league power Newtown Exxon had plenty of firepower of its own on

the day.

Gary Andrews belted three home runs and Dave Green a pair, combining for

eleven RBI, as Exxon got off to an 11-5 lead through two-and-a-half innings

before George's threw up ten runs in the third, six in the fourth, and eight

in the fifth. Chris Kachur, Green, Andrews, and Jim Pope all lashed out four

hits in the losing cause.

Long Time Coming

Winning the 'A' Division championship marked the culmination of an impressive

five-year climb for the George's Deli boys.

George's team was formed in 1992 as a 'B' Division team who rose instantly to

the top and won championships at the level for two-straight years, going

undefeated in 1993.

The team entered the 'A' Division in 1994, making the playoffs in each of its

first two years only to be rubbed out by league giants Gervais and Exxon.

This season George's did all the rubbing.

After starting the season at 8-0, George's - who placed first during the

regular season last year - relinquished its first-place throne to Newtown

Exxon as it played to a 2-5 record in the second half of the season to finish

10-5 while Exxon concluded with nine-straight wins to end up 12-4.

George's then defeated defending-champion Gervais Bros 12-10 in the first

round of the playoffs, snapped Exxon's ten-game winning streak with a 15-12

second-round victory, and then exploded for 33 runs in the league final.

There was little doubt this year that George's Deli was the class of the

league.