This end game will take some time
St. John’s senior league will be on lengthy break before regular-season finales
After the Molson St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League gets in two games Sunday at Lions Park, the league will be on a nine-day break before action resumes briefly for the last games on the regular schedule.
The hiatus is because the Galway Hitmen, with a roster of players from the St. John’s circuit, will be representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the Softball Canada national men’s championship, beginning Wednesday in Saskatoon.
While there are only a few regular-season games remaining, there is still much to be decided with regards to the league standings.
The defending champion Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs, currently in second place, still have a shot at finishing in top spot if they beat the Canada Games team Sunday afternoon and then defeat the 3Cheers Pub Bud Light Dodgers in what would be the final regular-season game
for both teams on Sept. 5.
That would leave both the Bulldogs and Dodgers with 16-8 records, but Kelly’s Pub will have prevailed 4-2 in the six-game season series.
As well, the suddenly-hot NTV Hitmen (10-12) have put themselves in contention for a third-place finish and can add to that cause with a win over the team that holds that spot — The Bigs (11-10) — in Sunday’s other game.
That contest will cap off what has been a busy stretch for the Hitmen, who played three games in three consecutive nights earlier this week, coming away with wins each time.
That includes a 6-2 victory over the Canada Games team Thursday when the Hitmen’s Brad Ezekiel became the eighth player in league history to reach the 50 home run mark in his career.
The Hitmen also beat the Games team 2-0 Tuesday and edged the Bulldogs 3-2 on Wednesday.
In the latter game, head coach Mark Dwyer — who will also be coaching the Galway Hitmen at the nationals — was pressed into service because of a player shortage.
Making his first senior league appearance in six years, Dwyer — long known as the Freddy Patek of St. John’s senior softball — scored the game’s opening run, reaching base on a twoout walk and then propelling himself home on a triple by Justin Gill.
According to league statistician Gewrald Gosse, Dwyer’s last action in the St. John’s circuit was in 2011 when he appeared in three games for Imagewear Custom Apparel.