Swingers Swinging Thru Trenton (7-0)

Swingers over Kane Park 5-0
Swingers over Gifford Gators 5-3
Swingers over Bulldogs 10-0
Swingers over Clifton Yankees 4-1
Swingers over SOM 4-2
Swingers over SOM 6-4 (Playoffs)
Swingers over Team Trenton 11-10 (Championship game)

By Mike Palinczar
August 20, 2003 Trenton, NJ On August 2nd and 3rd the NJWA held it's 13th annual Summer Showdown, one of the longest running Wiffle Ball events in Trenton. Both the Semi-Pro and Pro Divisions were stacked with a total of 44 teams participating.

On Saturday all of the NJWA's 13 fields were in full swing with games starting at 9am and finishing at 12 mid night.

In the Pro Division many of the areas top team were in attendance featuring State of Mind, Trenton Shockers, The Swingers, Hit Squad, Gifford Gators and Trenton Giants. In the end the State of Mind qualified for the Final Four by beating last years champs the Trenton Shockers. The Trenton Giants made the Final Four in a thriller over the Hit Squad, beating them 3-2. On the other side of the brackets, the Swingers cruised through their flight going 4-0 and the Gators went 3-1 to set the stage for Sunday's war on the NJWA's Pat Pone asphalt field.

On Sunday teams picked out of a hat for the match-ups. Game one featured the Gators falling to the Swingers in a pitchers duel. The Giants were played State of Mind falling 5-2 as Cory Pote was masterful on the mound. Game 3 featured the Gators against the Trenton Giants. The home town team had tons of offense eliminating the Gators. In the winners bracket the Swingers battled State of Mind as pitching was key. Cory was again up to his old tricks on the mound however, the Swingers were playing their best game winning 4-2. The Giants had to play State of Mind again, this time each team faced elimination. The Giants led the game 3-1, however Jay Ventresca hit a one run shot in the fourth to close the gap to 3-2. Giants pitcher Mike Palinczar was throwing well until the 5th inning, when the State of Mind loaded the bases with one out. Palinczar let a pop up drop in the infield with the bases loaded and turned a gutsy double play to end the inning, causing a bit of controversy by intentionally letting the ball drop. The Giants increased their lead to 5-2 on a Lou Worthington two run homer in the top of the 6th and eventually won the game.

In the Finals as the wind kicked up it was a hitters dream and a pitchers nightmare. The Swingers had to get beat twice by the Giants, but only needed one game to win it. Finishing off the Trenton Giants 11-10 and winning their first Summer Showdown championship. Congratulations to the Swingers on the fine accomplishment and Summer Showdown Title, winning $800.

NEW JERSEY IS FOR SWINGERS (5-1)

Swingers 2-0 over Hitmen Jerry vs Elvin Cortez
Swingers 2-0 over Mud Ducks Jerry vs Derk Wagner
Swingers 1-0 Over ITB Jerry vs Joe Nord Mariano
SOM 7-5 over Swingers Jerry vs Chris Sarnowski
Swingers 2-0 over Mud Ducks (Playoffs) John vs Tim Benson
Swinger 4-3 over LongShotz (Championship Game) John vs Mark DeMasi & Bill Owens

Tournament Highlights: The Swingers Beat the #1 Ranked Mud Ducks two times giving them their only two losses of the season.

2003 By Fast Plastic
Fresh off their victory at the Summer Showdown in Trenton just two weeks ago, the Swingers proved they are no fluke as they take Fast Plastic's NY/NJ/PA qualifier #4. John Riso, Jerry Riso and Anthony Balacich beat a formidable Longshotz team in the championship game by a score of 4-3. The Longshotz were reunited for the first time since the 2001 season.


John Riso was on the hill for the Swingers in the championship game against the Longshotz.
The Swingers drew first blood in the top half of the first inning as John Riso drew a bases loaded walk from Mark DeMasi who gave up 3 walks and a single in the opening frame.

The Middletown, NJ team wouldn't be allowed to enjoy their lead for very long as the Longshotz answered in the bottom half with 2 runs of their own. After a leadoff strikeout by Bill Owens, Rich Ewald and Demasi both drew walks. Owens second at-bat also drew a free pass to load the bases. After an Ewald, out DeMasi blasted the first pitch he saw to left center for a two-out single to score 2 runs to give the veteran Longshotz squad the lead. Owens struck out to end the inning.

The first inning would be John Riso's worst of the game giving up 2 runs while throwing a total of 27 pitches.

Both teams went 3 up and 3 down in the 2nd.

The top of the 3rd looked as though DeMasi would record his scoreless inning as he recorded 2 outs sandwiched around a John Riso walk. Balacich and John drew back to back walks which set the table for Jerry Riso. With a full count DeMasi threw his famed "3-pitch" which the left-handed Riso quickly deposited against the right field fence. The triple cleared the bases and gave John Riso all the support he would need.

Owens retrieves Jerry Riso's 3rd inning triple.
In the bottom half of the inning Bill Owens gave the Lonshotz their 3rd run of the game when he homered to left of Riso who had been cruising since he escaped the first with the 2 runs.

In the top of the 4th DeMasi was replaced by Bill Owens who mowed down the Swingers giving up just 1 walk in his 3 innings of relief. The Swingers didn't score the rest of the game.

With a 4-3 lead and the championship in sight, Riso turned up the heat on the threesome from Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles. Riso matched Owens pitch for pitch from the 4th inning on also giving up just 1 walk while striking out 5 in the last 3 frames.

The game which saw the pitchers combine for 20 strike outs was not without a little controversy. In the bottom of the 6th, With Ewald reaching first on a leadoff walk, Riso struck out DeMasi on a heavily disputed 3rd strike check swing(two other times DeMasi's check swings weren't called strikes and a warning by us to stop taking huge swings prior to the last one which we called a strike.Lets just say if he hit the ball with this check swing it would have went out of the park. . With the wind out of their sails Riso struck out Owens to end the contest.