2025 Fall League Results- Week 6

10/19/25- Hortons 8 - Spiders 1

The Hortons entered the final game of the season with their future in their own hands: win, and play in the Final, as well as hoping to avenge an earlier loss to the Spiders, who had to win this game and hope for a Meadowlarks loss to advance to the Final. It was a tense and tight 3-1 game, through 6, featuring great pitching from both sides before the Hortons broke it open with 2 in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th.

The visiting Hortons plated a pair in the first off of crafty Ken Sloat. Bill Evans led with a single, came around on a triple by the flaming hot Chad Walker, who then scored when Shawn O’Grady laced a single to RF. However, Sloat stranded 2 runners to stymie further damage. In the 3rd, the Hortons added another run when Bill Welcome led off with a double, followed by a single by Tom Salvini, with Welcome scoring on an infield error, but Sloat again stranded a pair.

The Spiders logged an unearned run back off of Hortons ace Bill Evans who was dealing (3 hits, 4 Ks, 1 BB, 1 HBP and 9 groundouts in 5 innings). Tony Maspo reached on an error, Tim Bombard was plunked and with 2 outs and Maspo on 3rd, Tom Ingram’s grounder was misplayed to bring the run home.

Jeff Whitehead relieved Sloat in the 4th and threw goose eggs for 3 innings, allowing only 3 hits and fanning 2 of the Hortons big guns. Meanwhile, Chris Bernacki relieved Evans in the 6th and allowed only 2 hits and 2 BBs the rest of the way, while fanning 1 batter each inning. He was helped by a key double play turned when RF Salvini raced in to grab a fast-dropping fly ball and then doubled the runner off of first.

In the top of the 7th, the Hortons got a little breathing room with a pair of runs. John Malikowski led off with a single, Micah Winston doubled, and with 2 outs, Matt Witek shot a double into right-center to score them both.

In the top of the 8th, the Hortons put the Spiders on their heels with a key 3-spot. With 2 outs, and Salvini on first with his 3rd hit of the day, Walker and O’Grady blasted consecutive triples to deep CF, with the latter coming home on an overthrow of 3rd.

The Spiders threatened in the 9th, putting 2 runners on with 2 outs, but Bernacki earned the save by inducing an easy force-out to Walker at 2nd to send his team to the Final versus the Sons of Pitches.

Top hitters for the Hortons were Chad Walker (2-4, 2 3Bs, 2R, 3RBI), Shawn O’Grady (2-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI), Bill Welcome (2-3, 2B, R) and Tom Salvini (3-3, R). Mitch Gaslin had a double for the Spiders, Ken Sloat was 1-3 with a BB, and Tim Bombard reached twice on a HBP & BB.

10/19/25- Larks 15 - Sons of Pitches 0