Advanced/Tebb's and Western in Community League Showdown

The Independence Day holiday and some of nature’s own fireworks made for a short week in Rome Mens Softball Association play as teams reached the three-quarter pole of the season.  The Sunday Community League was the only league to see any action this week as rain washed out Monday’s slate and Thursday had the week off.  Monday’s rain outs will be made up this coming Monday the 5^th. 

The week’s biggest game, regardless of schedule, was a Sunday showdown between the undefeated
rivals of the Community League, Western Legion and Advanced Auto/Tebb’s.  Both teams are perennial final four teams in the season ending tournament and always match up well. 

The casual observer may have been confused upon looking at the Western lineup as almost half of the starters on Western had previously played for Advanced.  This only added to the tension in this traditional RMSA rivalry.   

Advanced/Tebb’s opened the scoring in the first inning on a Chris Smith home run to deep
left-center field.  Shane Hastings followed with a single and later scored on a single from Eric Sloma. 

Western quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs.  Don Blanchard, who finished a perfect four-for-four on the night, singled to right, scoring Andy Miller and Joe
Koenig to highlight the inning. 

The teams traded runs throughout the rest of the game, entering the seventh inning with Western holding a 9-8 lead.  Advanced/Tebb’s Hastings reached on an error, eventually scoring on a Del Sharron ground out to tie the game. 

Western’s Andy Miller led off their half of the inning with a lined single to set the table.  A Blanchard single advanced Miller to second and after a Josh Powell fly out, Kevin Reiss lined a single to score Miller for the walk-off win. 

The loss dropped Advanced/Tebb’s into a second place tie with Don’s Auto, whom they will face in their next game on July 11 in the 7:15 tilt on field two.  Western’s win gave them sole possession of first place in the always competitive Community League. 

In other Community League action, several close games did little to help clear the logjam in the middle of the standings.  When the dust cleared on week eight, four teams sat within striking distance of a playoff spot with 4-4 records.  Another two teams finished the week with 3-5 records and still a mathematical chance at the automatic tourney bid. 

Taylor Construction beat All Pro Homes in a nail-biter 14-13 to run their record to .500.  All Pro staged a mini-rally in the top of the seventh to pull within one
run but couldn’t complete the task. 

Next week’s games feature premier matchups between some of RMSA’s top teams as Black River Ale
House/D&D Carpets faces Performance Wire on Monday night and the undefeated Mattacola Law Firm faces their Thursday nemesis, and also undefeated Palisades.