3 Cheers Pub Dodgers have first place locked up in the St. John’s Molson Senior Men’s Softball League, but bragging rights will be on the line tonight as the circuit clews up its regular season at Lions Park.
The Dodgers (14-9) are first followed by the Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs (12-11). Those teams meet 8:15 tonight. The third- and fourth-place teams, NTV Hitmen (11-11) and The Bigs (8-14), clash at 6 p.m.
Depending on the outcome of the Bulldogs and Hitmen games, second and third place could change, though those teams will still meet in the playoffs, with first playing fourth.
The post season is set to open Tuesday night.
Kelly’s are the defending league champs, having beaten 3Cheers in a seven-game league final last fall.
The Bulldogs owned the senior circuit for a five-year stretch between 2013 and 2017, racking up five straight championships.
The streak was interrupted in 2018 when the Dodgers ousted the Bulldogs from the semifinals.
Tuesday night, the Dodgers clinched first place with a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs. Starter Jason Hill (6IP, 2R, 5H, 6BB, 7K) got the win, and Colin Walsh (1IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 0K) came on for the save. Kelly’s ace Sean Cleary (7IP, 3R, 7H, 3BB, 10K) suffered the loss.
Tony Meade and Walsh each had a pair of hits for the winners, and Kyle Ezekiel clubbed a two-run home run.
Cleary and Patrick O’Leary each had two hits in a losing cause. O’Leary homered.
In the other game, Ryan Boland went three-for-three with a solo home run and two RBI as the Hitmen beat The Bigs 5-1.
Brad Ezekiel had two hits for NTV and Chris Murphy had a two-run triple.
The game ended early when The Bigs had a player ejected with two out in the top of the fifth inning. With no substitutions, the game was called.
Robbie Greene (4.2IP, 1R, 2H, 1B, 5K) won over Mark Power (4IP, 5R, 8H, 1BB, 7K).