Contributed Photos – Members of VFW’s 1981 Medina Women’s Softball League ‘B’ Division playoff championship team included, in front, Gail Murphy, Karen Jones, Elaine Pittard, Captain LuAnn Howe, Bev Ettinger, Brenda Gardner and Lorrie Szatkowski. Standing are Gail Grabowski, Paul Mauragis, Karen Pavloch, Karen Higgs, Brad Nudd, Connie Flynn, Mary Weld and Jim Szatkowski.

VFW was a perfect six for six in capturing the Women Women’s Softball League ‘B’ Division playoff stretch during a memorable stretch from 1981 to 1991.

During that run VFW claimed the ‘B’ Division playoff crown in three two year bursts winning in 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990 and 1991.

In between those title years VFW competed in the ‘A’ Division in 1983 and from 1986 to 1989.

VFW started that title run in dramatic fashion in 1981. After finishing in a tie for fifth place during the regular season at 8-8, VFW upset regular season champion Sacred Heart in two straight games by close contests to claim the crown.

Battling out of the losers bracket VFW nipped Sacred Heart 6-5 in the opening game of the title series. Trailing 2-1 VFW took the lead for good by scoring three times in the third inning highlighted by a two-run single by Elaine Pittard. Singles by Pittard and Bev Ettinger and an error later scored what proved to be the game winner in the fifth inning.

VFW then put a lock on the title by besting Sacred Heart 10-8 in the second and decisive game.  Three runs in the seventh inning on a single by Pittard and three errors locked up the win and the title.

VFW then made a successful title defense by outlasting Thomas Tire 13-12 in eight innings in the 1982 playoff final. Leading by as much as 12-5 at one point, VFW had to score a run in the eighth inning on a single by Ettinger and an RBI sacrifice fly by Brenda Gardner to retain the title.

VFW made a strong return to the ‘B’ Division in 1984 capturing both the regular season and playoff titles. VFW nipped defending champion Thomas Tire 10-9 in the playoff finals.

Leading 9-8, VFW scored the game winner in the seventh on a double by Pittard and singles by Ettinger and Sherrie Albee. Albee, Lorrie Szatkowski, Crystal Luxon and Gail Jones all had home runs in the game.

VFW repeated as both regular season and playoff champions in 1985 but this time needed two games to retain the playoff crown. Bernzomatic defeated VFW 7-3 in the first game of the title round. However, VFW rebounded to down Bernzomatic 18-11 in the second comest to lockup the championship.

Leading 10-8, VFW put a lock on the title by scoring four times in both the fifth and sixth innings. Albee had a two-run homer in the sixth. Mary Weld finished with four hits, Albee three and Pittard, Szatkowski and Pat Eckard two each.

Then after four seasons in the ‘A’ Division, VFW again made a strong return to the ‘B’ Division capturing both the regular season and playoff titles in 1990.

In the playoffs,  VFW rebounded from a 14-8 loss to White Birch in the first game of the finals to post an 18-3 victory in the second and deciding title round contest. A three-run homer by Elaine McPherson upped VFWs lead to 7-0 in the fourth inning. A four tun fifth inning on hits by Bri Gillette, Ettinger, Dottie Barr and Debbie Caleb then upped the advantage to 11-3 and put a lock on the win.

VFW then successfully defended its playoff title in 1991 as a split with F&H in the finals proved to be enough to retain the crown.

Rebounding from a narrow 8-7 eight inning loss to F&H in the opening game of the tile round, VFW posted a 6-2 victory in the second contest to retain the championship. Leading 1-0, VFW pulled away in the clincher by scoring five times in the fourth inning as Szatkowski, Barr and McPherson all had key RBI singles. Hits by Cathy Fox and Gail Jones ignited the uprising which also included a hit by winning pitcher Bri Gillette.

VFW’s 1991 ‘B’ Division playoff championship team included, in front, Debbie Caleb, Terri Strassel, Elaine McPherson, Bri Gillette, Bev Ettinger, Juanita Gardner and Lorrie Szarkowski. Standing are Bob Jones, LuAnn Howe, Gail Jones, Michelle Stanton, Chris Draper, Nikki Gillette, Cathy Fox and Dottie Barr with Sarah Barr.

It has been a busy week of golf at Hickory Ridge with four leagues reporting in and two member tournaments.  It has been hot and humid as every where has been but it hasn’t stopped the golfers.

The Monday Night Bar Guys are reporting information for the first time this season. Leading the pack is the team of Mark Condolucci and Dave Petta who have 59 points.  AJ Gifaldi and Darryl Szklany are in second with 54.5 points.  Chris Smith and Dave Quaranto are in third with 50 points and the team of Rod Finnefrock and Bernie Ruggeri are close behind with 49 points.  Geoff Christian and Paul Gifaldi round out the top five with 47.50 points.  AJ Gifaldi shot low gross with a 40 followed closely by Christian’s 41.

Monday has two leagues and the Monday Night League also reported this week.  In first place in the standings is the team of Ryan Keller and Todd Cappotelli with 117 points.  Gerald Furness and Ron Hering are in second with 102 points followed by Frank Heinlein and Jim Carlson with 92 points.  Don Young and Rod Heinlein are in the number four slot with 86.5 points and Butch Barber and Scott Brooks round out the top five with 85 points.  Young had low gross with 42 and Wayne Schiavone had a 29 for low net.  Young and Brooks both recorded birdies.

Dona Hazen shot a low gross of 38 to lead the Tuesday Night Ladies League.  Marcia Zambito had low net with a 27 followed closely by Carol Lowell and Hazen who each had net 29.  Hazen and Diane Abel both recorded birdies.  Standing this week show Deb Birkins and Patty Pfister  leading 36 points.  Right behind are Judy Schuth and Diane Hennecky with 35 points.  Cheryl Ferguson and Vicki Brawn hold down third with 30 points.

Thursday Night league shows the team of Dresser and Flansburg still leading with 116 points.  Bennett and Budde hold second with 112 points.  Foos and Stedman are in third with 108 points followed closely by Drury and Nagy with 104.  The Millers are tied with Cotter and Knaak for fifth with 102 points each.  Wes Bedford shot low gross with a 41 and Randy Knaak had low net of 30.  Lots of birdies this past week with Gary Marciszewski, Cedrik Soria, Chris Barry, Josh Bennett and Patrick Drury each recording one.

The final league reporting is this year’s newest league, the Friday Night Mixed Couples League.   Dave and Melissa Cotter lead the league with 183 points followed by Jim and Marcia Zambito with 187.  Bill Fitzgerald and Faye McNeil are in third with 193 points with four other teams within four points of third.

There were two member tournaments sponsored by the Hickory Ridge Golf Association in the past week.

The July 4th Flag Tournament, a popular event every year, had Linda Chrzan and Werner Stumpf taking the top prize.

Dodging the rain on Saturday July 11 the Two Man Best Ball Tournament was held.  In the mixed/women’s division the winners were Chrzan and Laurie Freeman with a net 59 besting Dave and Melissa Cotter who recorded a net 62.  Winning the men’s division with a net 61 was the team of Owen Toale and Gary Wood.  They beat the team of Bob (Socks) Butler and Jerry Seaman who recorded a net 63.

Contributed Photo – Co-managers Louie Foreman, left, and Bill Board Jr., right, are shown here with ace pitcher Joe Morien during the Village Green’s big 1961 fast pitch softball season.

In recent decades slo-pitch softball has proved very popular but in the 1950’s and 60’s fast-pitch softball was the name of the game and one of the memorable teams was the 1961 Village Green squad.

Co-managed by Louie Foreman and Bill Board Jr., the Village Green team posted a near perfect 12-1 record while playing an independent schedule against teams from all around Western New York.

Joe Morien, a long time local pitching ace, headlined the Village Green lineup. Inducted into the WNY Softball Hall of Fame in 1970 and the New York State Softball Hall of Fame in 1991, Morien had been a fireballing pitching whiz since the early 1930’s.

Board and Bill Lynch also shared in the pitching duties with either Foreman or John Eppolito behind the plate.

The Village Green lineup also included Bill Smith at first base, Jim Cotter or John Hydock at second, Jim Taylor at third, either George Hotchkiss or Chuck Tuohey at shortstop with Dean Allport, Glenn Stalker, Dick VanAuker, Bob Kiebala and Archie Blake sharing the picket duty in the outfield.

Village Green enjoyed a most successful season opener edging GE of Brockport 5-4 at Vets Park on a two-run fourth inning single by Hotchkiss which followed singles by Board and Cotter. The Green’s other runs came in he first inning on a two-run homer by Taylor and an RBI single by Cotter. Morien went the distance scattering six hits and striking out five.

The season was highlighted by a lengthy 10 game winning streak which was finally ended in a 6-2 loss to Third Ward of Tonawnada. Eleven stranded base runners and five errors proved costly in that setback.

In putting together that long win streak Village Green defeated teams such as Navy-Marine Club of Lockport (16-3), Colonial Inn of Brockport (12-3), Batavia All-Stars (7-1), Getzville (5-1), Wagners of Lockport (8-3), the Batavia Polish Falcons (10-5) and the Tonawanda Pirates Inn (6-5).

In the narrow win over the Pirates Morien had a clutch game winning bunt to cap a three-run sixth inning.

Morien registered a season high 14 strikeouts while giving up only three hits in a win over Niagara Sporting Goods for Village Green’s 10th straight win.

Village Green  bounced back strong from that streak ending loss to Third Ward by downing Niagara Falls Volkswagen 8-6 in the next game on a three-run home by Stalker.

In capping off a very successful inaugural campaign, Village Green bested Lewiston Restaurant 6-3. A two-run fourth inning single by Foreman proved to be the game winner as Allport tacked on a solo home run in the fifth. Morien struck out 11 and allowed only four hits.

Contributed Photos – Now beginning its seventh decade of links competition the Shelridge Country Club’s first nine holes were constructed in 1959. The course opened for competition in 1960. Here workers grade one of the fairways.

Slowed at the start by restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Shelridge County Club’s season is now well underway, a season which marks the start of the club’s seventh decade of links activity.

Planning for the course began in 1958 when a group of local golf enthusiasts formed the Medina Golf Association.

And the list of inaugural club officers, directors and committee chairman reads like a who’s who of local businessman and professionals at the time.

Robert Waters served as the  first club president. The other officers included John Zimmerman (head of the Development Committee), Joe Brundage and Van Hungerford.

The seven Directors included Bernard Hart, Robertson Vosler, John Garlock, R.L. Walters, Barbara Balcerzak, John Lapp Sr. and Paul Parsons.

Committees on membership, bylaws and development included Carl Tuohey, Knud Hansen, Walter Hilger, Henry Pollard, Rolland Birch, Harvey Robbins, John Lapp Jr., Robert Balcerzak, Dr. Fulton Rogers and Fred Benson Jr.

In 1959 the course was named the Shelridge Country Club, one of the names suggested by members, because the course runs through both the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway.

Although it was planned from the start as an 18 hole course only the first nine holes were developed at the start.

During construction, the first nine holes were tested for yardage and hazard placement. Here Stafford Club Pro George Myers tests out the yardage becoming the first player to “play” the new course.

The construction of those first nine holes took place in 1959. During that work tests were done on yardage for the proposed holes and hazard placement. In conducting those yardage tests Stafford Club Pro George Myers had the distinction of playing the first “round” at the site.

The course was officially opened on Sunday June 12, 1960 and Carl Tuohey and Joe Brundage were the first to tee off. However, John Lapp Sr. had the honor of playing the first round on the newly completed course during a Grounds Committee inspection the Friday before. In all some 150 rounds of golf were played that first week.

The inaugural event was a Husband-Wife Scotch Foursome Tournament which saw a tie between Helen and Walter Levanduski and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Broom.

Highlighting that first season was the crowning of Walter Levanduski as the men’s club champion and Mrs. Edward  Slack as the women’s club champion.  Interestingly, Levanduski’s win was a memorable 56 hole marathon victory over Edward Slack which went 20 holes over the then regulation 36 holes.

The organizers dream of having Shelridge become an 18 hole course became a reality in 1985 when the back nine holes were constructed. That work was done by skilled landscaper and course developer Horace Smith.

Another major project was the conversion of the large old barn on the property into a club house and pro shop replacing the small building created the first year by members at the east end of the course near the then Apple Grove Inn.

It has been six decades of steady growth and development for the course which Waters, on the occasion of the course’s 50th anniversary, well stated that “It’s the story of volunteerism at its best, a real community effort. We were playing golf out of town and we really wanted a local course so we decided let’s give it a shot. We just kept putting one foot in front of the other.”