Men's Softball Game of the Week: Bull Trade Finder Digs Deep in Win Over Cee Tree

SOMERS, N.Y. - The C Division in Men’s Softball in Somers has the top four teams within a game of each other, and in the matchup between Cee Tree and Bull Trade Finder, both teams knew a victory meant first place on Monday, July 15. A 5-1 lead for Bull Trade in the bottom of the seventh, the visitors faced a bases loaded, no one out scenario, and on the mound, Gary Casey knew he needed all his muster to prevent a heartbreaking loss.

“Yeah, I’m tired, I’m not going to lie,” he said afterwards, and two fly balls and a ground out made the exhaustion worth the 5-3 victory.

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The game began with pitching and defense too.  After a lead off single by Chuck Fedele, Jeff Carpaneto got a fly ball and two ground balls but had help. Anthony Grandinetti went deep in the shortstop hole for the first out and then manhandled a one hopper to retire the side.

A couple of leadoff singles by John McDermott and RJ Aune carried the momentum, and Casey was on the hook early too.  No problem, two straight fly balls contained the damage to Carpaneto’s infield RBI single.

A little breathing room, Carpaneto was gasping even more in the top half.  Vinny Corcione, Phil Foglia and Chris Frissora all singled and loaded the bases with no one out.

But the pitcher was up to the challenge, and this time the help came at third. Three straight ground balls to McDermott, he cut down two runners down at the plate and stepped on third to retire the side.

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Still 1-0, the next three half innings were more of the same until Bull Trade had Cee Tree seeing red at the fence. A two out single by Tim Cegielski kept the inning alive, and Foglia smacked a two run homer for the lead. “You have to wait back on it,” said the five hitter.

Onto the bottom of the fourth, Casey didn’t let Cee Tree follow the blueprint. Three fly balls, the rush had his team ready to pile on, and the pitcher was in the middle of it.

After Nick Giannotti singled to center, Casey's line drive punch into left field had the pitcher pumping his first. “No one can keep a lid on him,” boasted Giannotti of the team’s energetic elder statesman.

Fedele then followed with an infield single, and the loaded bases looked big. Not as big as Bull Trade hoped, only two runs came across on a single by Lou Rossi and a pair of sacrifice flies by Joe Rossi and Adam Rosnock.

A 4-1 game, Casey dug deep to get the next six consecutive outs. “It takes determination, it takes desire, and the ability when you get older to use your head,” said the pitcher, who has been at this in Somers since the mid 1980s.

At the plate, Casey uses his big brain too. “I always try to move the runner over,” he said, and the top of the seventh was a perfect example.

With Giannotti on first, Casey took an outside pitch to Anthony Giannotti, and the first baseman opted for the force at second. The throw was wide, and Fedele came through with an RBI single to center.

An important insurance run, the tying run was at the plate when Kevin Langtry stepped in with a runner on second.  A ground ball to third, the initial infield directive was pointing to the wrong base. “I was a little nervous because I thought he (Cegielski) was going to step on third, but then he threw to first,” said Casey.

The low ball fielded by Corcione at first, and the old man redirected to his kids. “All credit to the team because they make me look good,” concluded Casey.

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