Week 4

If Sunday’s wildest game of the week has told us anything, it’s that there is more parity in the Sun-Sentinel employee softball league than there’s been in several seasons.

Jaded was down to its final out, but rallied to score twice and edge winless Chico’s Bail Bonds 14-13. But “winless” is a misleading term; this team has been within a hair of having a winning record.

“Always just one or two plays,’ lamented Bail Bonds coach Sean Piccoli.

On Sunday, silent, sullen star Chris Mihal broke a 12-12 tie with an impressive opposite field drive over the fence with two outs in the sixth. But Jaded answered with a two out rally of its own, capped by another silent, sullen star.

Jean-Louis Monzon (2 for 2, two walks) revived Jaded, as he drove one to right-center just out of the reach of the outfielder. Monzon turned on the jets and beat the relay home, tying the score. After Sean D’Oliveira (four runs) singled, a debate ensured as to whether to pitch to Joe Sachitano. After Piccoli correctly eschewed an intentional walk, which would have put the winning run at second, Sachitano doubled for his third hit, sending D’Oliveira to third.

That brought up Dave Cody, who in his 16 years in the league is reputed to have spoken on occasion. But Cody used his bat to respond to the cries of some Bail Bondsmen to walk Sachitano. He drove a shot to left-center for the walk-off hit.

“Grrrmmmpphhggrr,” Cody said.

“He said he was looking for a good pitch to hit and just wanted to drive it,” translated son Kyle Cody.

“OK, no more questions. Thank you,” said his oldest son, Harrison.

Ryan McNeill, fresh off a wedding and honeymoon, made a successful debut as he was 3 for 3 for Jaded. Eddy Yanez performed admirably in place of absent Tom Fleming on the mound, and the venerable George Wilson was 2 for 2 with a walk, and started the prettiest 4-6 force play you’ll ever see, diving full-length to his right to knock down a liner ticketed for center field, causing the ball to trickle to shortstop Sachitano for the putout.

The game might not have been as close as it was were it not for Bonds third baseman Gustavo Ferretti, who deftly handled rockets all day.

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