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Bingham Pest Control Terminates Tripp

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Bingham Pest Control celebrates the HCRD Men’s “B” Division Softball League Championship at Veterans Memorial Park in Spring Hill. Members of the team include, first row (left to right): Eddie Cozart, Pete Bugge Sr., Charlie Tumbarello and Eddrin Martinez. Back row: Seve Dienes, Pete Bugge Jr., Ryan Lendo, Todd Goetz, Mike Bedwell, Mike Welch and Scott Schuster.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: July 25, 2008

SPRING HILL - The thunderstorm held off. Tripp Trademark Homes couldn't hold off Bingham Pest Control.

The two teams met Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Park to decide the Hernando County Recreation Department "B" Division championship.

Under a menacing sky featuring thunder and lightning, but also a rainbow, the game managed to go the distance with Bingham coming out on top, 15-12.

"Being 7-7 at the end of the regular season, coming together at the right time with these guys, that made it magical," Bingham Manager Charlie Tumbarello said. "Every game was a tight game, we happened to come out on top."

Raining homers

In the first two innings, the only things falling from the sky were home runs by both teams.

Two batters in, Paul Ladouceur of Tripp (10-8) parked one over the fence in center field, also plating Eric Liberty. Later in the inning lefty John McMurdo popped one up that carried for a two-run homer to right.

Bingham (11-7) responded swiftly, as clean-up hitter Eddrin Martinez hit a three-run blast to right-center and Todd Goetz followed with a game-tying solo shot to left-center.

Those two repeated that performance in the next inning, this time Martinez hitting a grand slam to center after Mike Welch singled in the go-ahead run. Goetz added another solo home run to make it 10-4.

"I think it was big," Tumbarello said. "I didn't want to waste them that quickly (league rules limit the amount of home runs a team can hit). That can come back to bite you. It worked out in our favor. We got timely base hits after that."

That included Tumbarello's bloop two-run single into shallow right field in the fourth that increased Bingham's advantage to 13-6.

Down 15-9 heading into the seventh and final inning, Tripp received a leadoff homer from Ladouceur, completing a 4-for-4 night, and a two-run blast off the bat of Eric Andress. McMurdo also went 4-for-4 with four runs batted in.

However, the rally ended there as Tripp failed to force a second game for the championship. Bingham came into the game undefeated in the double-elimination playoffs and had to be beaten twice.

"It's disappointing," Tripp Manager Keith Howell said. "We just didn't hit, as a team anyway. We hit great one game, the next game we didn't. Very inconsistent."

These two clubs had met earlier in the playoffs, with Bingham winning 16-11 last Thursday.

"My whole motto with these guys was stay within yourself and score every inning," Tumbarello said. "A team like this (Tripp), good as they are, they can come back and get you. All I can say is we got them."

BINGHAM PEST CONTROL 15, TRIPP TRADEMARK HOMES 12
                123  456 7     R   H   E
TTH        402  021 3 -- 12  21  0
BPC        461  202 X-- 15  20  2
TTH – Ruiz and Howell, Moon (4), Howell (5).
BPC – Bugge Sr. and Tumbarello.
W – Bugge Sr.  L – Ruiz.
2B – Andress (TTH), Bedwell, Shuster (BPC).
3B – none.
HR – Ladouceur 2, McMurdo, Liberty, Andress (TTH); Martinez 2, Goetz 2 (BPC).
Records – Tripp Trademark Homes (10-8), Bingham Pest Control (11-7).

HCRD MEN'S SOFTBALL
'B' DIVISION PLAYOFFS
at Spring Hill's Veterans Memorial Park

07-02:
Five Guys Burgers 17, Brooksville Regional 10

07-09:
Applebee's 13, WOW Home Theater 8

07-10:
Tripp Trademark Homes 21, Five Guys 9
Bingham Pest Control 17, Legends Pub 16

07-14:
WOW 7, Legends 0
Bingham 21, Applebee's 13

07-15:
Five Guys 30, Legends 11

07-17:
Tripp 16, Bingham 11
Applebee's 14, Brooksville Regional 11

07-21:
Five Guys 10, Applebee's 7
Tripp 21, Five Guys 9

07-22: (Championship)
Bingham 15, Tripp 12

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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