After struggling all spring, the green team started the summer hot.
Scott Piro hit a leadoff home run as green beat navy blue 11-6 on July 26 at field 2 in Brahan Spring Park. This was the summer season opener in the 55-and-over Rockets league in Huntsville Senior Softball.
“It felt good, it did,” Piro said of his blast over the left field fence. “Just one of those things where everything fell in place.”
This was his fourth homer of the year. He’s more known for line drives and speed than for power.
At 64 the Watertown, South Dakota native has played for the green team about seven and a half years. Piro retired from the Army in 2000 as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service and has been here ever since. The Madison resident works for Radiance Technologies as assistant vice president for space operations.
He said he did something to his back during the spring season but benefited from the time off with rainouts and the playoffs. “Got a chance to get back to normal which helped a lot,” he said.
Piro, who batted leadoff and played right center, went 3-for-4. Green (1-0) scored three runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed.
“It was enjoyable to play because our team came together defensively,” Piro said. “We usually give up a lot of unearned runs.”
Vince Smith went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Billy Cooley, Mike Keyser, Derek Santiago, Tom Fickling and Terry Koelbl added two hits apiece.
“We held them,” Cooley, the shortstop, said as he left the field after navy blue’s final out in the seventh.
Player/coach Jeff Abbott pitched all seven innings for the win.
“The defense was amazing,” Abbott said. “We made the plays we were supposed to make and even some we shouldn’t have and had just enough hitting to pull it out. And Scott Piro led it off with a home run and that set the tone.”
Green went 3-16 in the spring and finished last in the six-team league. Navy blue was 12-6 and won the third-place consolation game in the end-of-season tournament.
Booger Clark had three hits with a home run, a double and four runs scored for navy blue (0-1). David Stumbaugh also had three hits. Rex Reynolds and player/coach Larry Guthrie added two hits apiece. Left-hander Mike Gundersen took the loss.
“It just wasn’t our night,” Guthrie said.
