InTown Playoff History

2001 In town Finals 

Majors: Dan Como & Son (Franey) beats West Essex Bank (Trifari) 9-2 in Finals

Minors:  Joe's Pizza (Grieco) beats Montville Exxon (Piccinich) 1-0 in Finals

2001 Playoffs:

Trifari beats Zajac on "The Call".
Franey beats Otskey

2000 In town Finals 

World Series Franey vs. Meytrott

Well it all came down to the World Series, the two best teams in the league! In the first, with David Mecca pitching for Franey, Greg Havasta led off with a single for Meytrott. Then Donnie Trifari singled, knocking in Greg Havasta. Tommy Saley singled to knock in Donnie Trifari. Ryan Gajdos led the bottom of the first off with a double, David Mecca doubled to knock in Ryan Gajdos. This made the game 2-1 going into the top of the third inning. Nothing much happen through the next innigs, so the two teams went into extra innings in the 7th inning. In the 7th inning Mike Flanery, and Joel Schreck both walked. No runs scored for either team though this inning.  In the 8th inning Taylor Meytrott singled, Mike Todisco doubled, Adam Lewis singled, this made the game 4-2 Final. Franey didn't score in the bottom of the 6th. It was a great game all around though, and GREAT Sportsmanship by both teams at the end of the game...Great Game Meytrott, and Franey! Way to go Meytrott!

-Josh Gajdos

2000 Playoffs: Franey vs. Schmolze 6/20/00 2nd round of the playoffs

On Tuesday night, before the 13 inning game, there was a normal 6 inning
game. It was Franey vs. Schmolze to go to the World Series. David Mecca
started the first inning pitching for Franey. Jason Schwartz led off with a double for Schmolze, followed by singles by Jimmy Moustakis, and Billy
Schmolze, and a double by Jay Cannizzo. At the end of the first half of the
first inning it was 2-0 Schmolze! Jimmy Moustakis started for Schmolze. In
the third inning Josh Gajdos hit a double to score Brian Conklin who had
walked earlier in the inning, he also knocked in Ryan Gajdos who had also
walked in the inning. This tied the score 2-2. In the 4th inning, Timmy Mann, and Billy Schmolze doubled, Jimmy Moustakis hit a single to score Billy Schmolze. This made the game 4-2 Schmolze in the 4th inning. In the 5th inning Franey's team took charge. Brian Conklin led off with a walk,
followed by a single by Ryan Gajdos, a bunt by Ryan Breznavits, and a double by Josh Gajdos, which he advanced to third on an Error. Three runs came in, then David Mecca doubled to bring in another run. Franey's 7th run was scored when Charlie Potenza knocked in David Mecca. Aaron Glick singled for Schmolze in the 6th, but the game ended with the score of 7-4 Franey! Great Job by both teams, and good luck to Franey in the World Series against Meytrott!

-Josh Gajdos

If you weren't at the muni's on Tuesday night, June 20th 2000, you missed one of the best games ever played at the park. Fortunately it was all captured - play by play on my Palm Pilot.  Here's the recap:

     Meytrott's team was up first facing Mike Boggi.  Mike stuck out the first batter on three pitches.  Then Donnie Trifari slapped a single down third and proceeded to steal second on the next pitch.  Taylor Meytrott hit a single up the middle to score the games first run.  Mike Boggi then struck out the next two batters.  Donnie Trifari took the mound for Meytrott and walked the first batter Lee Gross.  Then Tommy DiBenedetto hit a single, Mike Boggi got on with a Fielder's choice and then stole second.  Tom Anabel singled in Tommy and Mike. Anthony then hit a grounder to Adam Lewis at first base who made a spectacular play by scooping the ball and tagging the runner going to second, then stepping on first base to end the first inning.  Boggi was leading 2-1.  Mike Boggi took charge in the top of the second, striking out 2 and handling an easy ground ball off the bat of Joel Schreck for the last out.  Donnie Trifari struck out the first 2 batters in the bottom of the 2nd.   Then Timmy Thompson jumped all over a changeup for a double to left.  Tyler Braden walked but they were both left stranded as Donnie K'ed the number 10 batter.   After 2 the score remained 2-1.  The 3rd inning was action packed.  Boggi sent Tommy DiBenedetto to the mound to replace Mike Boggi after only 2 innings pitched.  Michael Flannery started things off for Meytrott with a beautiful line drive single to right.  The next 2 batters struck out.  With 2 outs Donnie Trifari came through with another single.  This time right up the middle.  Up came Taylor Meytrott.  Tommy DiBenedetto got behind in the count 2-0.  He wished he could have the next pitch back because Taylor blasted it over the center field fence for a 3 run homer.  Tommy struck out the next batter but the damage was done.  Meytrott lead 4-2.  Donnie Trifari got in a mess of trouble pitching in the bottom of the 3rd.  Lee Gross hit an infield single to short.   (remember Lee "the flea" is fast). Then Tommy DiBenedetto was hit by a pitch.   Mike Boggi belted a single to right center and went to second on the throw.   Both runs scored which tied the game. Boggi stole third and then scored the go ahead run on a hard ground ball out to short by Tom Anabel.   Anthony reached base on an error but Meytrott's team ended the inning with another double play.  This time it was Hvasta-Meytrott-Lewis.  At the end of 3rd it was Boggi 5- Meytrott 4.     Tommy Saley walked to start the 4th inning.  Adam flew out to center, Tommy J walked.  Then Joel Schreck hit a liner to first.  Alec Barbez caught it then dropped it but still had the where-with-all to throw out Tommy J at second.  Then some nifty Baserunning by Tommy Saley allowed him to steal 2 bases and score the game tying run.  The next batter struck out, however Meytrott tied the game at 5-5. Adam Lewis then pitched 4 masterful innings for Meytrott's team giving up only 3 singles and  2 walks with 6 strike outs.  However in 3 innings Boggi stranded runners on 3rd and one inning a runner was left on 2nd.  The game went into extra innings.  A key moment in the game came in the bottom of the 7th.  With 2 outs Tommy DiBenedetto walked.  Mike Boggi then blasted one to the fence in center but some quick relays held Tommy at third. Tom Anabel who already had 2 hits and 3 RBI's was up.  With 1st base open Meytrott decided to pitch to Tom and Tom hit a popup deep behind third.  Michael Todisco made a brilliant catch running backwards to save the game.  What happened to Meytrott's team for the last four innings?  Well Alec Barbez came in and just shut them down.  Giving up only one hit in 4 innings with 4 strikeouts.  Nothing happened in the 8th inning as Taylor Meytrott came in to pitch.  It was the first inning in which Boggi did not have a runner in scoring position..   In the 9th Timmy Thompson leadoff with another big hit for Boggi.  He stole a base but Taylor struck out the next two batters.  Up came leadoff batter Lee "the Flea" Gross with a chance to win the game.  Lee ripped a liner up the middle but luckily (for Meytrott) Taylor got a glove on the ball and it rolled behind the mound.   Boggi tried to sneak Timmy Thompson home from second.  Bad Move.  He was out by 5 feet at home.  Oh well,  now it's the top of the 10th and it's about 10:00PM.   The kids don't seem tired.  Lee Gross is now pitching for Boggi.  Things start off pretty well for Meytrott as Michael Flannery starts off the inning with his second hit of the game.  Parta Shah then lays down a terrific bunt but catcher Mike Boggi picks up the ball and throws a strike to second getting out Mike by a half a step.   Greg Hvasta gets on by a Fielders Choice and then steals second.  With 2 outs Donnie Trifari gets up, already having a career day 3-4, with the go ahead run on second, two outs.  Donnie hits a ground ball to short and beats it out for his fourth hit of the game.  However, Coach Meytrott tries to sneak Greg Hvasta home on the throw to first (with Taylor on deck).  But Greg is a dead duck at home as Mike Boggi plants him before he can reach the plate.  To make matters worse Greg got hurt on the play.  He has to come out of the game  with a sore knee.  But you haven't heard the last of Greg.  Meytrott's team has to play the bottom of the 10 without their star second baseman and Boggi has their number 2 batter leading off the inning.  If any of Meytrott's fans had any finger nails left they were certainly gone now.  Tommy DiBenedetto leads off the 10th with a long drive to center.  However Donnie Trifari catches it for the first out.  Then Taylor walks Mike Boggi.   Tommy Anabel grounds out to first, advancing Mike Boggi to third.  The winning run is on Third for the 4th time.  However Anthony flies out to first to end the inning again.  Meytrott's team is still alive.  On to the action packed 11th inning.  After Taylor flies out to center Mike Todisco's bat comes alive.  With two strikes on him Mike singles between short and third.  Tommy Saley hits a liner to right but   Matt "Brother B" Bruno makes a great catch holding Mike at  first with 2 outs. Adam Lewis reaches first on an error.  Then Tommy "J" Jasterbski hits a clutch 2 out single to right center.  Mike Todisco hustles in and just gets under the tag.  Meytrott's team takes the lead.  Not done yet, Joel Schreck get an insurance run in with an infield single up the middle.  The next batter strikes out and Meytrott's team takes a 2 run lead into the bottom of the 11th.   Looks like this game is finally going to be over soon.  Boggi's has the bottom half of the order coming up.  Taylor takes the mound for the fourth time.  Matt Bruno leads off the inning with a hard drive to right center.  Looks like a double.  But Donnie Trifari hustles over and makes a super catch.  Two more outs to go.  But Taylor Meytrott, who hasn't pitched much all season due to a sore shoulder, is pitching his 4th inning and is really starting to tire. He walks the next two batters with 3-2 counts.  Then walks the next batter to load the bases.  Meytrott calls on Tommy "J" to pitch with the bases loaded, one out and a two run lead.  With a 3-2 count Joe walks to score the first run.   Boggi now has the tying run on third, the winning run on second and their leadoff hitter Lee Gross up.  A single here wins it right?  Wrong,  Lee hits a hard ground ball single by the second baseman.  Center fielder Donnie Trifari hustles over and scoops the ball on the run.  He fires a strike to catcher Taylor Meytrott and Tyler Braden is dead at the plate.  However Timmy Thompson scored from third and now the game is tied again. Two out and a runner on second.  Tommy "J" then gets Tommy DeBennetto to fly out to short to end the inning.  It's on to the twelfth inning.  Tied 7-7.  Lee Gross, pitching his fourth inning, strikes out the first two batters in the top of the 12th.  Donnie "career day" Trifari is up again.  Donnie lays down a beautiful bunt towards first.  He easily beats it out for his 5th hit of the game.   Then Donnie steals second.  Lee then walks Taylor Meytrott (not a bad move).  Now Mike Todisco is up with the game on the line.   Mike "my bat's awake now" Todisco hits a nice single to right center and Donnie scores from second.   Tommy Saley flys out to first and Meytrott's team takes a 1 run lead to the bottom of the 12th inning.  Will it be enough?  Greg Hvasta is now back in the game at second for Meytrott.  He is limping but he's tough and he wants to play.  Mike Boggi starts off the inning by smashing a Tommy "J" fastball towards short.  Mike Todisco's there and makes a great play and throws Mike Boggi out at first.  This is Mike Todisco's first game back at short, recovering from elbow soreness.  He was greatly needed on that play.  The next batter, Tom Anabel hits what looks like a sure single up the middle.  Remember Greg Hvasta's sore knee?   Well Greg makes a spectacular play deep in the hole, backhanded, and throws Tom Anabel out at first.  Chuck Knobloc, watch out.  Meytrott is one out away from advancing to the finals.  Anthony "I wish I knew his last name" is up with a 1-2 count.  He fouls one off to stay alive, takes a close pitch for a ball, then connects on a high fly ball to right that hits off the right fielder's glove and he hustles into second.  It's not over yet.  Matt "Brother B" Bruno comes to the plate.  Digs in and smashes a hard grounder between short and third. Looks like it might get through, however 3rd baseman Tommy "golden glove" Saley makes an incredible play in the hole.  Sets, throws and nails Matt at first.  The game is finally over.  Congratulations to everyone who played.  Meytrott wins 8-7 in 12 innings.  The longest game on record at the Muni's.

-Don Trifari

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