This week will see the final regular season games plus the "play-in" game between the Galil Twisters and Ziontours.
By MICAH WINSTONsoftball 298.88(photo credit: Jay L. Abramoff)
Dimona shut out Ziontours 4-0, Penticon defeated the Tigers 19-8, the Galil Twisters downed ReMax Ra'anana 15-10, who in turn smacked the Dawgs 20-5 in Israel Softball Association action last week.
This week will see the final regular season games plus the "play-in" game between the top B Pool team, the Galil Twisters and the fourth place A Pool team, Ziontours on Thursday evening at the Baptist Village in Petah Tikva.
The winner will earn the right to play Penticon in the semi-finals. The other semi-final matchup pits Dimona against the Tigers.
Dimona Judeans 4, Ziontours 0
On Monday, Elyaheed Ben Israel was magnificent, stifling the powerful Ziontours offense while striking out 10 and allowing only one hit.
Micha Avgar pitched well for the Jerusalemites but Dimona capitalized on "small ball" in the first inning scoring three runs. Strangely enough, Ziontours had only three baserunners the whole game, and it was Mike Doktovsky each time. The defensive play of the game was made by Ziontours second baseman, Eitan Frankel, who dove to his left to snare a hard-hit line drive, and then flipped to second for a double play.
Penticon 19 Tigers 8
On Sunday, the Tigers drew first blood on a double by Guy Bender but then succumbed to defensive mistakes. Penticon pitcher Ami Baran was solid as usual, leaving the game with a 16-2 lead.
Leading the way for Penticon in the hits department were Howie Hirsch with a double and a pair of triples, and Ron Solomon who smashed a towering home run.
Rise-Hi wins fifth softball title
Rise-Hi won it's fifth amateur softball in Israel championship in seven years by defeating a recently-resurgent Optica International 15-8 on Sunday, June 15, at Kibbutz Gezer.
After Rise-Hi (the No. 3 seed entering the playoffs) eliminated Beit Shemesh (2) in the semifinals, it dominated OI for the first five innings and then made sure a late comeback fell short.
Rise-Hi, which was knocked out by Table2Table in the semifinals in 2007, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Ethan Harow led off with a single and advanced to third on Aryeh Bauman's double. Dani Harow drove in the first run with a single and Dani's brother, Amiad Harow, singled to drive in the second run. Zvi Harow doubled home another run and Beryl Thomas drove in the fourth run of the inning.
Rise-Hi added three runs in the third inning when Bauman reached on an error and Dani Harow doubled him home. Amiad Harow singled and Zvi Harow drove in Dani and Amiad with a single.
In the fourth inning, Aaron Harow singled, Josh Harow singled and then Aaron scored. Ethan Harow singled home one run, Earl Harow singled and Amiad Harow's double brought Earl home.
In the fifth inning, Aaron singled and scored on a hit by Sammy Tover, who scored on Ethan's triple. Yoni Schwartz singled to drive in a run, Bauman singled, and Dani doubled home another run for a 15-1 lead. Optica International's lone run up until that point came from a Chaim Baldasare triple.
OI held Rise-Hi scoreless in the sixth as it attempted a last-ditch effort to make the score respectable, including a two-run homer by left fielder Aaron Katsman.
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