Softballers Split Opening Eight Games.........posted May 12, 2006

The Tikvat Israel softball team has won or tied four of its first eight games in the county synagogue league this spring, leaving the team in the middle of the standings in the Montgomery County synagogue softball circuit.

Most recently, on May 7, TI lost both games of a doubleheader to Ohev Shalom, 22-9 and 16-8. Unfortunately, TI's squad was short one player, forced to play with nine against the opponents' 10.

TI was led by Ed Roth and Bruce Ginsburg, both of whom contributed timely hitting and solid fielding.

Earlier, the TI team split its first two games with B'nai Tzedek, winning 19-11 and losing 26-2. TI captured its second and third wins in rather easy fashion, accepting forfeits in a scheduled doubleheader against Shaare Tefila, which was unable to generate enough players to field an official team. Two other games in April have been washed out by rain.

On April 30, TI went up against Shaare Torah-Silver (the colors indicate the synagogue fields more than one team), one of the better teams in the league. TI lost the first game 30-9, but were trailing only 9-8 when the opponents "hit 'em where they ain't," TI Coach Marc Schneider reported.

In the second game, TI jumped out to a 14-2 lead thanks to timely hitting and fine pitching by Warren Berger. "However, we failed to pad our lead and Shaare Torah eventually loaded the bases with one out in the last inning and trailing by one run," the coach said. "However, a clever play by shortstop Fred Wagner picked the potential winning run off third base and saved the tie."

"We were unable to complete the game as the umpire was unwilling to stay," Schneider said.

So far, TI's hitting stars have included Damon Ehrlich, Neil Kram and Al Sandler, with Kram, Berger and Stuart Lempert handling the pitching duties.

Wagner has made an inspirational comeback from a serious achilles tendon injury suffered last season, and he anchors the defense at shortstop. Mark Waldman is a reliable third baseman and speedy leadoff hitter, while the stellar outfield includes Joel Greenblatt, Bruce Ginsberg and Ed Roth. Barry Buchbinder has assumed the catching burdens (which most players are not willing to do), while Greg Marcus splits time between the infield and outfield. Schneider holds down second base (and occasionally tests the nerves of the rest of the team by playing the outfield), while heading up the team.

The rest of the schedule is as follows (a doubleheader is played every Sunday morning):

May 14, Norbeck Meadows (not a synagogue team), at Mill Creek Park (Shady Grove Road at Mid-County Hwy)
May 21, Temple Emanuel, at Manor Oak-Brookeville (past Route 108)
June 4, Beth Ami, at Mill Creek

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	Tikvat Israel Congregation 2200 Baltimore Road · Rockville, Maryland 20851 Phone: (301) 762-7338 · Fax: (301) 424-4399 · Send us an email!
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