SHEBOYGAN PRESS STAFF • AUGUST 27, 2009
B.J. Balde smiles as he smacks the winning hit for Countryside Remodeling on Wednesday. (Photo by Gary Klein/The Sheboygan Press)
[Sheyboygan, WI] – B.J. Balde cracked a run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Countryside Remodeling over E.L.F. 6-5 Wednesday night in the championship game of the Hingham Men’s Fastpitch Tournament.
Countryside, the defending champion, placed men on first and second base on walks to Dan Skeris and Jerrod Dulmes before Balde came through with his clutch hit.
The champions had forged leads of 3-0 after two innings and 5-2 through four innings, but E.L.F. responded with one in the fifth inning and two in the seventh for a 5-5 deadlock.
Dulmes, the winning pitcher, allowed five runs on seven hits and had 11 strikeouts and three walks. The losing pitcher was reliever Rod Tidwell, who gave up one run on two hits, struck out three and walked three.
Andy Bossler was the hitting star for the winners, going 2-for-3. For E.L.F., Jack Hammond and Tidwell both were 2-for-4.
The tournament’s offensive most valuable player was Nate Rhode of Adell Co-op. Rhode, who hit .273 in the Hingham Fastpitch Summer League, hit an incredible .867 (13-for-15) in the tournament.
Dulmes was named defensive MVP. He faced 118 batters in 28 innings, gave up nine runs on 21 hits, allowed eight walks, struck out 40 and compiled a 4-0 record for Countryside Remodeling
The tournament, which usually runs two weeks, stretched into a third week because of a number of rainouts.