2025 Summer League Results- Week 1

5/1/25- Plugs 4 - Wonders 2

Plugs MGR-

At last Opening Day arrived…It was a beautiful night for baseball as the Wonders hosted the defending champion Plug Uglies at Anniversary Field in Holyoke, in a game that featured solid pitching and strong defense. 2024 Wonders MVP Rick Stacy got the start for the Wonders, and Greg “G-Bomb” Elbaum toed the rubber for the Pluglies.

The Uglies got on the board in the top of the first when Matt Boulanger drove in leadoff hitter Mike Olkin, Jeff Whitehead drove in Jeff Cabana with a sacrifice fly, and Nolan Anaya drove in Boulanger.

In the bottom of the first G-Bomb struck out leadoff batter Shawn Thompson, but he reached on a passed ball, and quickly stole second. Andy Ayers singled, moving Thompson to third. Ayers stole second as well, then Stacy hit into a 6-3 that scored Thompson. After one inning it was Uglies 3, Wonders 1.

Wonder's Stacy settled in for the next three innings, giving up only one hit and striking out a batter. But in the top of the 5th Anaya reached on a single, moved to second when Rob “Ecc” Eccleston walked, and scored on an E-5, making it 4-1 Uglies. G-Bomb pitched five solid innings, then was relieved by Bill Evans in the 6th. He greeted the 1st batter Pat Olearcek with a hit-by-pitch, who eventually came round to score via an error and sacrifice. In the bottom half of the 6th Olearcek took the ball from Stacy and fireballed his way through the next two innings of shutout ball, striking out 4. Jeff Whitehead came in to close in the bottom of the 7th and got the Wonders to go down in order to secure the save. Final score: Plug Uglies 4, Wonders 2

Players of the game: Nolan Anaya (2-2, 1 R, 1 RBI), Rick Stacy (5 IP, 3 ER, 1 K), Greg Elbaum (5 IP, 0 ER, 3K), Pat Olearcek (2 IP, 0 ER, 4 K).

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Wonders MGR-

Opening day for Plug Uglies and Wonders at Anniversary Field in Holyoke, began by both teams lined up along The First & Third base line honoring former QVOTB longtime Tiger catcher, manager and league leader, 52 year old Brian Johnson passed away at age 52 after a year  long struggle with brain cancer. A moment of silence was observed for a guy, who loved the game of baseball.

The champion Plug Uglies got off to a great start in the top of the first by banging out 4 hits with one walk to take an early 3-0 lead. The shorthanded Wonders never recovered and lost 4-2 in seven innings. The game was well pitched by all five hurlers.

Greg Elbaum 4 innings WP

Rick Stacy 5 innings LP

SV Jeff Whitehead

5/1/25- Phillies 6 - Isotopes 2

In the season opener for both teams, the Phil’s Colin Hosley outdueled the Topes Gary Webber by fanning 9 batters and masterfully pitching out of several jams.

The Phils scored in their half of the first when, with 2 outs, Stephen Malachite singled and then Hosley launched a monstrous RBI double to LF, with Malachite barely beating the throw home. The Topes answered in their half of the first when Scott Dunaisky’s bases-loaded RBI fielder’s choice scored David Leslie.

Both teams had traffic in innings 2-5, but only scored 1 run each, as Hosley and Webber consistently put out fires. The Phillies went up 2-1 when Micah Winston reached on an FC, stole 2B and came around on an RBI single by Paul Griswold. However, the Topes knotted it at 2 in the 4th when Dunaisky singled, stole 2B & 3B and scored on rookie Emilio Chaverri’s RBI hit.

The Phillies finally broke through in the 6th. Winston led off with a double and scored on Malachite’s single, and then with 2 outs, clutch hitter Jim Fogarty laced a 2-run single for a 5-2 lead. They added another in the top of the 7th when Paul Kaplan laid down a perfect bunt single between 2 errors, and Winston’s RBI FC plated him.

Hosley allowed 2 baserunners in each of the last 2 innings, but stout defense, in particular by 2B John Wills, who paid the price with a broken finger, kept the Topes off the board.

Players of the game:

Phillies: Winston (1-4, 2R, RBI, 2B, 2 SB), Malachite (2-3, 2R, RBI), Hosley (2-2, RBI, BB), Fogarty (2-3, 2 RBI)

Isotopes: Ed Cauley (3-4, 2B), Chaverri (2-2, RBI, BB), Dunaisky (1-3, RBI, 2 SB)

4/30/25- Grays 8 - Goats 1