South Jersey Softball:
West Berlin Wins Firefighters Softball Championship

Friday, July 23, 1999

By Gary Steiner
SJSports Staff Writer

West Berlin led Laurel Springs 2 games to none coming into the third game of this best of five championship series. Both games so far have gone down to the wire, with scores of 8-7 and 19-18. And both teams would not disappoint, as this one would also go down to the wire, with West Berlin coming out ahead 10-9 and sweeping the Camden County Firefighters Softball League championship.

Laurel Springs was unable to score in the 1st inning, with their only hit a single from Peters. In this game it would be West Berlin that would jump out with the early lead. Cudeyro led off with a single, followed by walks from Jackson and Bastian. Siderio singled home Cudeyro, and the runners advanced a base on a throwing error, with Jackson scoring. Then Lydic hit a 2 RBI single. Amos later got on with a single, Peeler walked, Corbett singled home Lydic, and Pinto finished out the scoring by getting a bases loaded walk. The team would bat around plus one, to go up 6-0.

In the second inning, Laurel Springs scored a run when Kennerup and Williams walked, then Depetris singled to drive home Kennerup. West Berlin would add three more runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 9-1. First Jackson singled, then Bastian reached base on an error. Siderio singled home Jackson, then Lydic hit another 2 RBI single.

Both teams were scoreless in the third. Laurel Springs got some runs going in the fourth with some help from West Berlin. Martin led off with a walk. Scott reached on an error by the left fielder, which also enabled Martin to score. Then Kennerup reached first on an infield error, and WIlliams stepped up and hit a 2 RBI double. Depetris reached first on an infield error, then Reese hit into a fielder's choice that scored Williams. The 5th run was scored when Richards hit into an infield error that scored Depetris. The lead was cut to 9-6. West Berlin opened up their half of the inning when Jackson singled and Bastian walked, but Siderio hit into a 4-6-3 double play and Lydic flied out to right to end the inning.

Laurel Springs would tie it in the sixth. Depetris led off with a single, Harper came in to pinch hit with a double, and Williams walked. Then Larson came in to pinch hit and flied to right center, which was enough to score Depetris. Hornois flied to right, which sent Harper home. Peters hit an RBI single to make it 9-9. West Berlin could feel this one slipping away, but the home crowd let them know what they had to do. Pinto singled, but Cudeyro hit into a 4-5 fielder's choice. Then Jackson singled to put Cudeyro in scoring position. Bastian followed with a grounder between second and first which was boggled by the second baseman, and Cudeyro scampered home to put them up 10-9.

As West Berlin took a one run lead into the seventh, you could feel the tension in the air, as the fans cheered on their respective teams. The pressure was on. First Martin hit a deep fly to right, but Lydic was there for out one. Then Scott singled to put the tying run on base. Kennerup hit a deep fly to right, but it went right to Bastian for out number two. Then Williams hit a grounder to Schaffer at third, who threw it to Siderio at first for the final out. West Berlin was the Camden County Firefighters Softball League champions!

Photos by Boog Williams

** Video Clip 1 **