HATBORO A’s DIVISION CHAMPS

The Hatboro Athletics, an Over 55 baseball team in the Tri State Over 55 Baseball League, a division of the national organization, Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL) won the league’s Divisional Championship on Saturday, October 16th, 2011 besting the Hatboro Marlins in a best of three games in the 2nd round of the championship playoff series.

The team was named for the Philadelphia Athletics which has a museum on York Road in Hatboro. Prior to the season, Ernie Montella of the Philadelphia Athletics Society and Museum donated to the Hatboro team commemorative A’s arm patches which the players wear on their jerseys.

Both teams won their first round of playoffs eliminating opponents from Wilmington DE. It took three games to determine the Championship. On Sunday 10/09, the A’s won the first game by a score of 5 to 2. Then on Saturday, 10/16, the Marlins evened the series by beating the A’s 9 to 2 setting up the third decisive game which was played immediately afterwards as a doubleheader.

The A’s sent out their ace in Rick Lee who pitched 5 innings of 3 hit ball and received the win. Every A’s player in the batting order got at least one hit.
Chuck Resnick and Bruce Gilbert opened the bottom half of the first with singles and scored on Lou Sannutti’s double to the right field gap.

The A's scored 3 more runs in the bottom of the 4th when Bill Roth singled. Roth went to 3rd on a single by Sannutti, who stole 2b with Roth scoring on the throw down. Sannutti then moved to 3rd on an infield out. Craig Mellinger walked and stole 2B. Dom Lorusso drove in Sannutti with a ground out and Mellinger went to 3rd on the throw. He scored on a wild pitch.

Pictured:
Kneeling: Joe Merlino, Chuck Resnick, Lou Sannutti, Steve Kane, Dom Lorusso, Mike Wolfe
Standing: Joe Gabel, John Drummond, Rick Lee, Craig Mellinger, Mike Diodati, Bruce Gilbert
Missing: Bill Roth, Joe Polovoy, Ilyse Resnick-Archie, Cindi Lukomski,
Standing: