Softball division titles are decided

Two division champions were determined last week at Riddle Field, as Used Cars and Hennessey’s claimed league titles in the city of Laguna Beach Community Services Dept. summer 16” slow pitch softball postseason playoffs.

Tuesday League

Used Cars 12, Sandpiper 8

Regular-season champion Used Cars gained control of the game in the third inning and went on to win the postseason title.

Ryan Neptune hit a solo home run and Chris Raub delivered a grand slam for Sandpiper, and Michael McKenzie and Kevin Mohan each hit home runs for Used Cars. Nathan Paerels homered during the third inning, as Used Cars went in front, 7-4.

Neptune also hit a solo home run later in the game.

Used Cars won three of the five meetings between the teams during the season, with three of the five outcomes being decided by one run.

Used Cars ended its season with a 10-4 record. Sandpiper finished 9-5-1.

Sandpiper 9, Used Cars 8

The Sandpiper win forced a winner-takes-all second game in the double-elimination tournament, which Used Cars won, 12-8.

In this game, Ryan Neptune’s solo home run in the top of the seventh tied the score at 8 and Jimmy Whalen’s RBI single in the eighth won it for Sandpiper.

Sean Bill had a three-run home run in the first inning and singled, and Neptune singled twice and walked in three other plate appearances.

Sandpiper had built a 7-2 lead but Used Cars rallied with a six-run sixth inning to take an 8-7 lead. The highlight of the inning was a grand slam by Nathan Paerels and a solo homer by pitcher Dave McCollum.

Wednesday League

Hennessey’s 7, Mesa Verde Partners 2

Hennessey’s replaced Mesa Verde Partners as league champion by winning the division final.

Dave McCollum shined on the mound for Hennessey’s, giving up just one hit, a two-run home run to Jeff Greenough in the sixth inning. McCollum faced just three batters over the minimum 21 batters.

Ryan Neptune had a solo home run for Hennessey’s.

Phil McManus managed a five-hitter, but the Mesa Verde Partners defense was guilty of three errors in the fifth inning, which led to five of Hennessey’s runs.

Mesa Verde Partners 12, Hennessey’s 9

In a game prior to the league final, Danny Lane and Matt Kucero hit home runs and Jeff Pich and Bill Toon each had RBIs during a four-run second inning that propelled Mesa Verde Partners to the win.

Lead-off hitter Michael McKenzie had two home runs and a single account for four RBI, Nate Pivaroff hit two singles and Teo Moore had a solo home run and sacrifice fly for Hennessey’s, which out-hit Mesa Verde Partners, 12-10.

Monday League

Bamboo Bar and Grill 12, DUI Fighters 4

A seven-run outburst in the second inning sent Bamboo Bar and Grill toward victory, it’s 10th in a row, on the final day of regular-season play.

Bamboo Bar and Grill will carry a No. 1 seed into the postseason playoffs.

DUI Fighters also has qualified for the postseason.

Jesse Westgaard hit a pair of home runs and Vic Ferreirs, Ryan Neptune and Wyatt Strateman all hit home runs for Bamboo Bar and Grill.

Mica Brown and Mike Jewell each homered for the DUI Fighters.

Forty Majority 9, Rotary 8

Santi Pierini hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift Forty Majority to its third straight win.

Forty Majority had trailed, 8-2, heading into the bottom of the fourth, where they rallied behind an RBI single by Mark Lewis and three-run home run by Taylor Pillsbury. Forty Majority had scored its initial runs in the second inning on a two-run homer by Pillsbury.

Jonathan Cohen doubled and singled and Mark Maurer singled twice and drove in three runs for Rotary.

Forty Majority will be the No. 3 seed in the league’s postseason playoffs and Rotary is the No. 2 seed.

C-Dawgs 9, Hosers 5

Don Behrent smashed a grand slam and also singled, as the C-Dawgs closed out their season by winning for the third time in four games.

C-Dawgs lead-off batter Eric Simmons singled twice.

Nick Pivaroff homered for the Hosers.