Softball: Penticon are ISA champs again

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Last week, Penticon edged the Galil Twisters 7-6 in a thrilling Final of the Israel Softball Association's Babe Gillett Memorial Fall Tournament for their third straight title. The defending champs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first against the first-time finalists from the North. Dan Marcus (4-4, 2 RBI's) singled in Brian Aron for the first run and RBI triples from Mark Mayerfeld and Natanel Levenson, sandwiched around an RBI single by Ron Solomon (2-4, 2 RBI's), put the Twisters in a deep hole. Penticon hurler Ami Baran, who was aided by outstanding defense from second baseman David Aron, who participated in two double plays and made a diving stop in the first three innings, allowed only a solo inside-the-park home run to Micah Winston in the third. Penticon answered with an unearned run on Solomon's RBI groundout in their half of the third for a 5-1 lead. The Twisters mounted a comeback, however, plating three in the fifth. Louie Miller singled and scored on Winston's RBI single, Alex Crane, who had walked, stole home on a double steal, and Don Weintraub singled in Winston. Penticon responded with two in their half, once again taking advantage of poor Twister defense. Marcus doubled in Howie Hirsch, who had reached on an error, and then scored when Crane threw away Solomon's bunt single. Penticon might have had more but for Winston's diving catch in centerfield. Up 7-4, Penticon threatened again in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs, but Arscott got out of the jam without any damage thanks to two fine plays by third baseman Crane. In the top of the seventh, the Twisters rallied against a tiring Baran. With one out, Crane tripled but was thrown out at home. However, Winston (3-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI's) doubled, Weintraub (2-4, 2 RBI's) singled him in and Yaniv Rosenfeld doubled in Weintraub to cut the deficit to one. Baran bore down and got the Twisters clean-up hitter, Tomer Molovinsky to line to center where Sam Goldberg made a sliding catch on his knees for the final out.