By Paul Gotham
MUMFORD, NY – Rain forecasted for the afternoon held off until after the game. The Victory Baseball club provided a downpour during the contest.
Nate “Stitches” Shapiro and Nick “Leprechaun” Dobbertin sparked a decisive outburst as Victory defeated Flower City, 15-8 to claim the 2014 Mayor’s Cup at Genesee Country Museum.
“Stitches” Shapiro and “Leprechaun” Dobbertin rapped back-to-back stingers to start the third inning, and Victory went on to tally seven aces in the frame. Ryan “Cash” Payment, Dan “Soggy Bottoms” Ball, Darin “Dead Eye” Brooks, Don “Gator” Harczyinski and Jim “Jockey” Sears tallied as Victory sent a dozen strikers to the dish and took a 9-2 lead after three.
Shapiro and Dobbertin led the way as Victory pasted four more aces on the Silver Base Ball Park scoreboard in the fourth.
Shapiro made his first with a blooper to center field. Dobbertin took advantage of the rules of 1866 when his tapper in front of the dish started fair but landed foul allowing him to make his first with a fair-foul hit. One hand down later, “Soggy Bottom” Ball loaded the sacks with a Daisy Cutter up the middle. Brooks delivered with a hit to left as Shapiro and Dobbertin tallied. Troy “Slack Jaw” Seamen followed with a blooper. Ball and Brooks tallied on the play.
Victory led 13-2.
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The lead swelled to 13 in the fifth. With one hand down, Scott “Handyman” Hand made his first on an infield muff and tallied on Shapiro’s stinger to right center. Dobbertin made his first with a hit to center, and Shapiro tallied to give Victory a 15-2 lead.
Flower City rallied in the seventh. Mike “Old School” Gruschow capped a four-ace inning when he made his first. Dave “Two Scoops” Mantegna and Andy “House” Cardot tallied on the play.
Flower City loaded the sacks to start the stanza. Ryan “Doc” Brecker, Scott “Constable” Peters and Todd “Dangerous” Draper all made their first. Cardot sent a stinger to center field. It looked like Flower City was ready for a big inning until Dobbertin showed a little ginger in the field. The Victory centerfielder chased down Cardot’s hit and hurled a strike to “Cash” Payment infield. The Victory first basetender made the relay throw to Sears at the plate for the hand down.
Victory showed a little ginger in the field throughout the game. In the fourth, Hand made a catch in right field and caught Jose “All Day” Pagan wandering off first for the double play. Ball made several plays at shortstop including an over-the-shoulder grab in center field in the eighth.
Flower City added a run in the ninth.
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Shapiro tallied four aces on the afternoon.
The game capped the 14th season of Vintage Base Ball at Genesee Country Museum.
Flower City defeated Rochester to win the 2013 Mayor’s Cup.
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