Senior men’s softball league makes history with all-female umpiring crew

There was some history made at Lions Park Tuesday night, when an all-female umpiring crew called a pair of St. John’s Senior Men’s Softball League games.

Karlene Caines and Kearney O’Keefe were dressed in blue Tuesday, with each woman taking their turn calling the plate and working the bases.

It marked the first time in the league’s 62-year history that two female umpires worked a game.

Caines and O’Keefe had a thrilling finish to their second game of the night, a 2-1 3 Cheers Pub Bud Light Dodgers win over NTV Hitmen in nine innings.

In the top of the ninth, Murray Preston was placed on second base to start the inning under the International Softball Federation’s tie-breaking rule system. Preston advanced to third base on a Ryan Maher sacrifice. With one out, Preston was caught in a run-down when an interference/obstruction call was made, awarding Preston home for the game-winning run.

Colin Walsh (5IP, 0R, 1H, 2BB, 10K) got the win in relief of starter Jason Hill (4IP, 1R, 4H, 0BB, 8K). Robbie Greene (8.1IP, 2R, 5H, 1HBP, 3BB, 13K) went the distance in taking the loss.

Maher had two hits for the winners, including a solo home run, the first of his senior league career. Ryan Boland was two-for-four in a losing cause.

In the first game of the night, Blair Ezekiel struck out 16 hitters and slugged a pair of home runs — a solo shot and two-run blast — as Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs downed The Bigs 5-2.

Ezekiel allowed seven hits, and gave up one walk. Mark Power (7IP, 5R, 6H, 2BB, 11K) was tagged wth the loss.

Stephen Strapp was three-for-four for the winners, and Felix Squires had a couple of hits in a losing cause, and Shane Kelly cracked a two-run home run.