Players (in alphabetical order): Steve Behrman, Gina Braconi, Mitch Einstein, Grant Elman, John Gunn, Steve Jesselli, Ken Latawiec, Joe Lopez, captain Danny Meyer, Paul Rosenheim, Victor Williams, John Watts, and Kathy Watts.
The energy and excitement was palpable at the Thomas L. Allen Softball Complex on the morning of June 17 as over 80 players and coaches put on their team colors, laced up their cleats, and took the field to participate in the first ever Monroe Mayor’s Cup Senior Softball Tournament.
The two-day competition featured six teams from around the Township, including Concordia, Stonebridge, Clearbrook, Greenbriar, Regency, and a Falcons squad made up of Monroe seniors who did not reside in active adult communities.
In the first day’s action on Field #1, Concordia lost to Stonebridge 5-4 in a defensive battle that could have gone either way. Stonebridge then faced Regency, and after leading 9-1 in the 5th, lost their lead and the game 14-10.
Regency’s second game was played against Concordia. Despite scoring the game's first run, Regency lost both its mojo and the game 12-1 as the Concordia offense showed up big time. With all 3 teams tied at 1 and 1, Regency was eliminated based on run differential in its two games, allowing Concordia and Stonebridge to advance to the semi-finals the next day.
Over on Field #2, the Falcons were eliminated from contention with a 9-5 loss to Greenbriar and then a second loss to Clearbrook. Meanwhile, Greenbriar qualified for the semi-finals with a 6-2 win over Clearbrook. Despite their loss, Clearbrook lived to play the next day.
The semi-finals saw Stonebridge defeat Greenbriar 12-2 and Concordia eliminate Clearbrook 12-0. It was now time for the two best teams to face each other and put on a show for the Cup.
The championship game saw Concordia prove why they deserved to be the first-ever Mayor’s Cup winner with a convincing 14-7 win over a very game Stonebridge team. Congratulations to Concordia for their impressive performance, and to captain Danny Meyer for putting together such a talented and powerful bunch.
It was an honor for the all the players – most who play in the Monroe Senior Softball League – to participate in this prestigious tournament, and do so with skill, class, and sportsmanship. Now, we look forward to Concordia defending its title in next year’s competition.