Carolina Men’s Baseball

CMBL Spring Training begins at Myrtle Grove (30 images)

April showers during the days preceding the opening of CMBL's Spring Training did not deter the baseball players of the new Carolina Mens Baseball League this Sunday. Players showed up by the dozens to get ready for the CMBL's Inaugural Season. After stretching under the guidance of co-founder Joe Seme, there were pepper games to help get the feel of playing baseball again. The players then divided up for infield and outfield practice drills. The strong throwing showed that many had been working out on their own to get into baseball shape. Of course, there was live batting practice. Ted Williams once described hitting a baseball as the single hardest skill in all sports. All the players hit the ball well, but no one was able to clear the fence. Yet... Spring Training will continue next Sunday, April 13th, at Myrtle Grove Middle School commencing at 1 P.M. The Carolina Mens Baseball League is still accepting players for the upcoming season. Players 35+ and 50+ are invited to oil up their gloves, dust off their spikes and recapture the joy of playing baseball with other baseball lovers at Myrtle Grove.

Spring Training April 13th @ Myrtle Grove (36 images)

Spring Training Games @ Myrtle Grove April 20th (11 images)

Check out the shots from our Spring Training Practice Games at Myrtle Grove last Sunday.

Work Party @Castle Hayne April 26th (7 images)

The work crew of Lou Howard, Joe Seme, Frank Amoroso, Corey Lewis and Doug Comes tackled the field at Castle Hayne with a vengeance. The end result is a beautiful field for the CMBL to use this Sunday.

Final Pre-season games Sunday April 27th (28 images)

These are photos from the final preseason games at Myrtle Grove. Since the first game was a crossover game Pate Southerland of the Blue Division 50+ Old Salts pitched for the Red Division 35+ Break Time Brewers. When asked how it felt pitching against his teammates, Pate observed, "I got beat by my own team. But we had fun." Although there are no photos from the game at Castle Hayne, ILM Air Traffic Control reported an unidentified vapor trail from a shot launched off the bat of Travis Fortune. After the ball disappeared into the woods, well over the fence, Commissioner Lou Howard advised the players, "Don't go looking in the woods for that ball. It's so far back that you're liable to get bit by a snake."

Opening Day! May 4th the Inaugural Season Begins. (31 images)

This past Sunday, May 4th , marked Opening Day for the Carolina Mens Baseball League. An overnight rain served only to enhance the dirt infield at Mrytle Grove Middle School where the games were played. Commissioner Lou Howard threw out the ceremonial first pitch and Frank Amoroso added a few words of encouragement and thanks for the opportunity to play baseball in this newly-formed wood bat league. The Wilmington Old Salts played the Port City Mudcats in the first game of a tripleheader. Behind the tenacious pitching of Pate Southerland and Steve Goodman, the Old Salts prevailed. The Mudcats threatened repeatedly but failed to get clutch hits that would have broken the game open. The final score was Old Salts 5 Mudcats 2. The second game featured the Hell’s Kitchen Red Sox against the Break Time Brewers. The game was 3-1 in the seventh when the Red Sox broke through with some insurance runs attributable to sloppy fielding by the Brewers. Brian Cardeiro was dominant in shutting down the Brewers' offense and was the winning pitcher for the Red Sox. The game was saved by Rick Parnell in a lockdown effort striking out five of the last six Brewers to seal the victory. Luis Velez was the offensive star with three runs batted in. The last game was a struggle between the Batter Ups and the Seahawks. The Batter Up team had the sharpest uniforms but lost out on the scoreboard 10-7. Chris Natale recorded the victory. Opening Day was filled with excitement for all the participants. After a respite for Mother’s Day, the season will re-commence on May 18th with the Port City Mudcats hosting the Red Sox at the Castle Hayne County Park on Parmele Road at 12:30 P.M. followed by the Break Time Brewers versus Batter Up at 4 P.M. The Old Salts will host the Seahawks at Mrytle Grove Middle School at 12:30 P.M.

CMBL Teams Enjoy Baseball As The Inaugural Season Continues May 18th (27 images)

The Carolina Mens Baseball League, Inc. continued its Inaugural Season with exciting baseball games at Myrtle Grove Middle School Field and the New Hanover County Park in Castle Hayne. Seahawks 13 Old Salts 7 The Seahawks, bolstered by their spiffy new uniforms and the addition of rookie Bob Jernigan, bested the Wilmington Old Salts. The gutty pitching of Alan Paull and Chris Natale kept the Old Salts at bay all day. Seahawk third baseman Bob Bennett said, “Playing baseball on a sunny day is as much fun as having bagels and lox with your mother-in-law on Mother’s Day.” Red Sox 8 Port City Mudcats 5 Up in Castle Hayne, Red Sox Rick Parnell had a day worthy of Babe Ruth. The Red Sox pitcher not only provided the fireworks with two home runs, including a grand slam in the sixth to provide the winning margin in a close game, he also earned the victory over the Port City Mudcats by tossing seven solid innings. Rumor has it that Red Sox owner Brian Cardeiro is considering selling Parnell to the Yankees to finance a Broadway show. The Mudcats were led by Frank Kosh who scored twice and made a great throw from centerfield to nail a runner at home plate. Break Time Brewers 15 Club Batter Up 3 Making his first pitching appearance since Little League, Doug Comes pitched brilliantly to record the first win for the Break Time Brewers. However, the highlight of the day was Club Batter Up relief pitcher Doug Peacock winning a head-to-head battle (and family bragging rights for now) when he whiffed his son-in-law, the Brewers’ Dan Southerland. Dan made the next Club Batter Up pitcher pay when the Brewers’ shortstop launched a long home run into the trees in leftfield to cap the Brewers’ offense.

CMBL Rolls Into June (60 images)

The Inaugural Season shifted into high gear on Sunday, June 1st. In a battle of the undefeateds, the Seahawks prevailed over the Red Sox, 6-1. Alan Paull picked up the win with four innings of work, allowing one earned run and scattering four hits, while walking just one batter. Sean Reese nailed down the final three innings, including five strikeouts, to earn the save. Todd Rehanek and Bob Bennett both posted two-RBI singles to lead the offensive attack. The Blue Division matchup featured the Old Salts versus Club Batter Up. Dave Malkmus of Club Batter Up was the hard luck losing pitcher as his defense continually made costly errors. He finally surrendered the lead in the next to last inning and the bullpen failed to stop the bleeding. The final score was 17-8. Steve Goodman of the Old Salts was the winning pitcher and also led the offense with a 3-3 day. Gerry Paige had two hits including a long triple to right. Joe Seme flashed some fancy leather when he laid out to make a backhand catch on a ball headed deep into the gap. Up in Castle Hayne, the Break Time Brewers battled the Port City Mudcats to a Shootout victory. The Mudcats jumped out to an early lead, but the Brewers kept clawing back to pull within 7-5 late in the game. The Brewers' David Eason crushed a long home run to help pull the Brewers closer. The Mudcats threatened to blow the game open when they loaded the bases with no one out in the seventh inning. Then, the miraculous happened - a TRIPLE PLAY! Kevin Garrett drilled an opposite field linedrive to left, where Scott Keenan snared it and quickly hit cutoff man Dan Southerland. Dan's throw home beat the runner tagging from third. On seeing this, the runner retreated to third and was caught in a rundown and tagged out by Brewer catcher Randy Bills. While this was happening the runner from second tried to advance and was gunned down Randy to Dan. (Check out the photos!) The excitement was not over as the Brewers staged a ninth inning rally to tie the game on Jeremy Firmingham's clutch hit. Mudcats pitcher Steve Vaughan pitched brilliantly all day and extricated himself from the ninth inning jam by initiating a double play by fielding a comebacker and throwing to Eddie McMillan who in turn threw a bullet to nail the runner at first for an inning ending gamesaving double play. The tension rose as the game went into an extra inning Shootout. Each team starts their at bat with a runner at second and a two balls, one strike count on each batter. Lee Shelton, the Brewers' winning pitcher, held the Mudcats scoreless in the tenth and the stage was set as the Brewers sent Doug Comes to second. Doug Ward worked out a walk which included a wild pitch that allowed Comes to advance to third. The next batter was Frank Amoroso who already had two hits on the day. The winning run scored when Steve Vaughan inexplicably balked by faking a throw to first. The final score was 8-7.

CMBL Beats Heat, June 8th (20 images)

Due to an early season heat wave, the Carolina Mens Baseball League adjusted its schedule and proceeded with an exciting slate of baseball games. Up at Castle Hayne the Port City Mudcats broke into the win column with an impressive victory over the Break Time Brewers 11-7. The winning pitcher was Mudcat David Eason who combined with Steve Vaughan and Pat Hanley to shut down the Brewers’ offense. Manager Pat Hanley, Jay Hart and newcomer Tore DeLeo led the potent Mudcats’ offense. Despite a great game by Brewers’ Dan Southerland who hit two bombs out of the park and played stellar defense, the Brewers could not overcome the determined Mudcats. Scott Normandt played flawlessly at shortstop for the ‘Cats and inspired his teammates to their first victory. The late game at Castle Hayne featured Club Batter Up looking for its first win versus the Seahawks who were undefeated. Dave Robinson’s Batter Up team emerged victorious in a thriller. In a weird coincidence with last week’s victory by the Brewers which featured a triple play and Shootout victory, the Club Batter Up followed the same formula to defeat the Sehawks. The drama was set up by a three run homer off the bat of Ed “the Bearded Cat” Fowler of Club Batter Up to tie the game in the 6th inning. Ed declined to disclose the size of his contract with Batter Up. In the last regulation inning with the score tied and runners on first and third with none out, disaster struck the Seahawks. A line drive to pitcher Lee Shelton was the first out, followed by doubling off the runner at third with a throw to Rob Brothers who threw across the diamond to Jay Slaughter at first to nab the runner from first who had taken off at the crack of the bat. A 1-5-3 triple play! In the Shootout, the Seahawks were held scoreless in the top of the inning and the Batter Up came to bat in the 8th. Dave Blasingame got the walk-off winning hit driving in Chad McCullough with a hard single to end the game 6-5 in favor of Club Batter Up. Back at Myrtle Grove, the Red Sox faced off with the Old Salts. The strong pitching of Brian Cardiero and the powerful offense of Mike Burke and Chet Nesley propelled the Red Sox to an early lead. The Old Salts tried valiantly to comeback and closed the gap on the strength of the offense of Terry Peters and the ubiquitous Dan Southerland who helped out the heat-challenged Old Salts. But the comeback fell short and the Red Sox prevailed 13-8. Of note, Jim Moore, the former Tarheel’s hoop star, made his pitching debut for the Old Salts and acquited himself well. Next week, the League will take Father’s Day off and return to action on June 22nd.

June 28th Make-up Game Red Sox vs. Port City Mudcats (20 images)

Red Sox 4 Mudcats 1. In a tightly contested game, the Red Sox prevailed over the 'Cats. The Red Sox broke out in front with two runs in the first inning which the Mudcats quickly answered with one of their own. It remained 2-1 late into the game. In the sixth inning, the Mudcats loaded the bases and threatened but Red Sox pitcher, Brian Cardiero, who was brilliant all afternoon, pitched his way out of the jam without surrendering a run. Sox Pete Gittrich ignited his team by scoring a run in the next inning with his aggressive baserunning culminating in a headfirst slide at home for the third run. Pete also hit a long bomb over the rightfielder's head for a triple later in the game, only to be stranded at third. In the bottom of the seventh, Travis Fortune made the defensive play of the game with a strong throw on a basehit to nail Mudcats' manager, Pat Hanley at the plate and end another Mudcat scoring threat. Red Sox Chet Nesley capped the scoring by going yard over the leftfield fence. Steve Vaughan and David Eason pitched well for the offensively frustrated Mudcats.

CMBL's June Ends With Full Slate (17 images)

The Carolina Mens Baseball League headed into the second half of its Inaugural Season with all six teams in action on Sunday, June 29th. The day kicked off with a thriller between the first place Red Sox and the stalking Break Time Brewers. The fans were treated to an outstanding game that culminated in a Shootout victory for the Brew Crew. Red Sox 6- Break Time Brewers 7. Red Sox Rick Parnell started and pitched well garnering double digit Ks in his 6 innings. The score was 2-1 Sox in the 5th when Red Sox SS Brian Cardiero and Brewer pitcher Doug Comes locked into a 12-pitch at bat which featured numerous foul pops but Brian stayed alive. Brian ultimately prevailed with a basehit and the Sox went on to plate 4 runs and take a 6-1 lead. The Brewers were relentless in clawing back into the game and Red Sox' Rick Parnell re-entered the game to stop the comeback. But the Brewers were not to be denied. Corey "Chief" Lewis, Jeremy Firmingham and Brian Adler sparked the offense while Scott Keenan, Dan Southerland and Evan Kurowski flashed the leather. The game went into a Shootout after the Brewers tied it in the bottom of the 9th. With Brewers' Lee "Shootout" Shelton on the mound, the Red Sox failed to score in the 10th. Then, with Brewers' Doug Comes on third, Dave Eason stepped to the plate. Like Roy Hobbs in the Natural, he broke his bat on the first pitch. He came to the dugout and pulled out a new "Wonderboy" and promptly drilled a basehit down the third baseline to drive in Comes with the winning run. Lee "Shootout" Shelton has been the winning pitcher in every Shootout held this season (3). Club Batter Up 2 - Port City Mudcats 7. In the late game at Castle Hayne, the Mudcats prevailed in a lightning shortened game. 'Cats Frank Kosh did it all in the victory. He pitched a couple of innings and crushed a line drive home run over the leftfield fence. Mudcats Tony Scott and Jay Hart sparked the offense with RBI hits. Old Salts 13 - Seahawks 14. At Myrtle Grove, the Seahawks won a seesaw battle with the Old Salts. There were numerous lead changes in this contest which featured several stoppages due to lightning. The Seahawks won the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. 2B Walter Gajewski was stellar defensively and had several hits. Although their DP combo does not have the ring of "Tinker to Evers to Chance", the Seahawks trio of Bennett to Gajewski to Burns snuffed a few Old Salts rallies. Bob Bennett also smashed a tape measure shot off the utility pole in centerfield.

July 6th Makeup Games @ Myrtle Grove (42 images)

While the rest of the League celebrated Independance Day with a day off, two makeup games were played and they were packed with thrills. In the early game, the Break Time Brewers engaged the Seahawks in a well-played battle. Seahawks 5 Break Time Brewers 7. The Seahawks forged a 4-0 lead scoring four runs in the second inning with a well-balanced attack lead by Bill Bernath and Steve Salerno. Pitcher Chris Natale was in the groove and the Seahawks cruised into the the 6th inning ahead 4-0. The Brewers took advantage of ineffective Seahawk relief pitching to score 7 runs in the top of the sixth. The big blow was a clutch, basesloaded double into the leftfield gap by Brian Adler that drove in the tying and go-ahead runs. With a 7-5 deficit going into the bottom of the last inning, the Seahawks battled back, as Paul Jefferson and Walt Gajewski stroked singles to put the tying runs on. Brewer manager Corey "Chief" Lewis laid out trying to nab Jefferson's shot toward right center and came up bleeding from the nose. After cleaning the blood off his face, he gamely stayed in and was the pivot man in a game ending double play started by SS Dan Southerland. The win propelled the Break Time Brewers into a first place tie in the Red Division with the Red Sox. Old Salts 2 Club Batter Up 3. The late game was a thriller that ended in a Shootout. Batter Up pitcher Dave Malkmus had an outstanding game as he thwarted the Old Salts until the 7th and last inning. Club Batter Up scratched out two single runs, including one plated on a basesloaded walk. In their final regulation at bat, the Old Salts were ignited by a long double off the bat of Fred King, followed by a hit by Steve Goodman and a clutch hit by Jay Harrington. The bases were loaded for Pate Southerland who promptly delivered a game tying double. Batter Up pitcher, Dave Malkmus managed to douse the rally and after the Batter Ups were held in the bottom half of the seventh, the game went into a Shootout. The Old Salts threatened in the eighth, with one out and runners on first and second but could not score because thirdbaseman Rob Brothers deftly started a double play. In the bottom of the eighth, Batter Up Doug Peacock scored the winning run on a basesloaded 3-2 pitch to Fred Thomas that was low and forced in the game-winning run. The race in the Blue Division tightened as both the Old Salts and Club Batter Up moved to within two games of the Division-leading Seahawks.

CMBL Ends July in Exciting Fashion (40 images)

The League schedule for July came to a blood- pumping conclusion with two exciting games up at Castle Hayne. The game at Myrtle Grove between the Old Salts and Club Batter Up featured an outstanding pitching performance by Batter Up's Dave Malkmus who pitched a complete game one hit shutout to win 6-0. Seahawks 10 Mudcats 9. In the early game at Castle Hayne, the Seahawks held on to beat the Port City Mudcats in a well-played game with numerous outstanding performances. Seahawk Chris Natale was the winning pitcher by virtue of a gutty four inning stint. The game featured heroics from both teams. The Seahawks jumped to a 7-3 lead on the strength of timely hitting by Bob Bennett and Todd Rehanek who blasted one out of the Park. However, the Mudcats did not go quietly as they mounted a furious comeback. While trailing 7-3 in the 5th, the Mudcats scored two and then the sky opened up and there was a twenty minute rain delay. The Mudcats came back when play resumed to tie the score at 7. The 'Cats might have gone ahead but for a great catch by Seahawk LF Bill Bernath who made a sliding grab of a sinking liner to prevent several runs from scoring. The Seahawks bounced back in the bottom of the 6th with consecutive RBI bases loaded singles by Barry Estler, Alan Paull and Fulton Burns to go ahead 10-7. There were bases loaded and no outs when the Mudcats pulled off an unbelievable triple play. Mudcat LF Kevin Knowles started it by catching a fly ball and throwing a strike on a fly to C Eddie McMillan to nail the runner tagging from third. Eddie alertly saw the runner from first caught between bases and ran toward him. The runner from third broke for home and Eddie wheeled and threw to P Dave Eason who was covering Home. Dave ran at the runner and threw to third baseman Andy Jackson who tagged the runner to complete the 7-2-1-5 triple play. In the top of the 7th and last inning, the Mudcats rallied scoring two runs on a two out hit by Dave Eason. There were two men in scoring position with the 'Cats down by one. Unfortunately for them, the magic ran out and the Seahawks got the game- ending out on a grounder to Seahawk Bob Bennett at third. Red Sox 11 Break Time Brewers 9. The nightcap at Castle Hayne started out as a laugher for the Red Sox but turned into a nailbiter. The Red Sox powered their way to an eight run lead on the strength of bombs by Chet Nesley, Brian Cardiero and Rick Parnell. However in the ninth inning, the Brewers stormed back tallying 6 runs to pull within two. The tying run was at the plate when WP Brian Cardiero recorded a clutch strikeout to end it. With the victory, the Red Sox clinched first place in the Red Division. Congratulations to Red Sox who will receive a bye in the playoffs and are assured of playing in the Championship game on August 10th. FALL BASEBALL LEAGUE There will be Registration at Castle Hayne and Myrtle Grove fields for the Fall Baseball League at the CMBL playoffs on August 9th and on Championship Sunday, August 10th. The Fall Baseball league will feature night games and Sunday afternoon games. There will again be 35+ and 50+ Divisions and a new 28+ Division depending on interest. Further details will be posted on the CMBL website!

Mudcats and Club Batter Up Advance to Championship Games (13 images)

Mudcats 8, Break Time Brewers 3. With stellar pitching and flawless defense, the Mudcats stifled the usually high-scoring Brewers. Mudcats Andy Jackson pitched 6 strong relief innings to record the victory. He was supported by outstanding team defense. The "Scott Boys", SS Scott Normandt and LF Tony Scott, each made several great defensive plays to squeach potential rallies and contain the Brewers. CF Frank Kosh also contributed by snagging a sure triple on a drive to right center field. The big blow offensively for the Mudcats was a Home Run by 3B Dave Eason. The Mudcats now face the Red Sox to see who will be the Red Division Champions at Castle Hayne at 4 pm Sunday. Club Batter Up 7, Old Salts 5. Once again, it was defense or rather the lack of it, that determined the winner. The Old Salts played sloppy defense and lost. Club Batter Up behind the arms of WP Dave Malkmus and closer Jay Slaughter won the opportunity to battle the Seahawks for the Blue Division Championship at Myrtle Grove at 4 pm Sunday.

CMBL Championship Weekend - Red Sox and Seahawks are Champions! (68 images)

CAROLINA MENS BASEBALL LEAGUE - CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY RED DIVISION - Red Sox 11, Port City Mudcats 3. The Red Sox took advantage of a throwing error in the first inning and took an early two run lead. They added three more in the second inning and forged ahead behind the strong pitching of Red Sox' Brian Cardiero. Whenever the Mudcats threatened, Brian had the answer and kept them at bay. Despite some flashy leather by the "Scott Boys" (Scott Normandt and Tony Scott) the Red Sox offense continued to score until they had a commanding lead. The Red Sox scoring was capped off by a towering Home Run by Rick Parnell who also pitched the final two innings to seal the victory. Congratulations to the Champion Red Sox - Brian Cardiero, mgr., Mike Burke, Mike Dean, Travis Fortune, Pete Gittrich, Mike Houston, Chet Nesley, Adam Ovacz, Rick Parnell, Bob Pavlik, Malcolm Phelps, Chris Stout, Tito Velez, Chris White and Lee Whitehead. BLUE DIVISION - Seahawks 4, Club Batter Up 3. In a tense extra inning game the Seahawks narrowly defeated Club Batter Up. Dave Malkmus who had pitched on Saturday took the ball again for Batter Up and twirled 8 gutsy innings. The Seahawks were finally able to prevail on a clutch single up the middle with a runner in scoring position off the bat of Seahawks' Manager Steve Salerno that drove in the winning run and gave the Seahawks the Championsip. Congratulations to the Champion Seahawks - Phil Anderson, Bob Bennett, Bill Bernath, Barry Estler, Fulton Burns, Walter Gajewski, Tom Grady, Paul Jefferson, Bobby Jernigen, Chris Natale, Alan Paull, Sean Reese,Todd Rehanek, Steve Salerno, mgr., FALL SEASON REGISTRATION - AUGUST 17th & 24th Final sign-ups will be held at Myrtle Grove Middle School from 2-5pm. Teams are filling fast. To assure your roster spot on a team, please bring your completed application and a check made out to the Carolina Mens Baseball League no later than August 24th. When rosters have been filled additional players will be placed on a waiting list. Late applications or late payments will be subject to an additional late fee if accepted.

FALL BALL TRAINING & SIGN-UPS CONTINUE AUGUST 31ST (18 images)

The Carolina Mens Baseball League is holding Fall Ball Training and sign-ups in preparation for its Fall Baseball Season. New and returning players have been limbering up on Sunday afternoons at Myrtle Grove Middle School. This recreational wood bat adult baseball league welcomes players of all skill levels. Many players have not played baseball since their Little League days but are recapturing the fun of playing the game. As the saying goes, "They hit the ball, I catch it. They throw the ball, I hit it." Fall Ball training will continue next Sunday, August 31st at Myrtle Grove Middle School between 2 - 5 pm. The Fall Season will begin on Sunday September 14th with eight teams in two divisions. There will be Sunday games at Myrtle Grove for the Blue Division (50+) and at Castle Hayne County Park for the Red Division (28+) and night games at Godwin Field for all teams. Further information about the League and registration can be found at www.carolinamensbaseball.com or by calling Joe Seme 910.395.1862 or Frank Amoroso at 910.465.0535. See you on the Diamond!

FALL SEASON ROSTERS (11 images)

"Fall Ball Training" ended this past Sunday at Myrtle Grove Middle School and teams have been formed! Check the rosters following this section for your team! Before Carolina Mens Baseball begins the Fall Season, there will be a Family Day on Sunday September 7th for CMBL players and their friends and families to celebrate adult, recreational baseball in the Wilmington area. Featuring a traditional Pig Pickin', music, fun and games, Family Day promises to be a fantastic time. The champions of the Inaugural Season will be feted. One of the highlights will be the Home Run Derby for registered CMBL players. Details and registration forms for Family Day and the Home Run Derby appear on the website. The Fall Season will begin on September 14th and continue through October. Schedules will be posted shortly.

All Set for Opening Day Fall Baseball, September 14th (15 images)

With two completely new teams and two renamed teams, the Carolina Mens Baseball League is set to begin its first Fall Baseball Season. The CMBL welcomes the Wilmington Tides, managed by Rick Parnell, to the Red Division. The Inaugural Season Champion Red Sox have been renamed the Mets but are still under the skillful leadership of manager Brian Cardiero. Also returning are the Break Time Brewers now managed by the triumvirate of Corey "Chief" Lewis, Randy "Let's Play Two" Bills and Dan Southerland. The Port City Mudcats gave manager Pat Hanley a break to recover from elbow surgery and will now be guided by Chris Latham. The Blue Division also experienced growth with the addition of the Miller Lites managed by Rick Mongero. There was a name change for Club Batter Up who are now the Stingrays, managed by Dave Robinson. The Old Salts headed up by CMBL co-founder Joe Seme and returning champion Seahawks managed by Steve Salerno and Todd Rehanek round out the field. Another first for the League will be night games at Godwin Field. The Red Division will play on Tuesday nights and the Blue Division will play on Thursday nights. Please disregard any schedules reflecting different nights. Red= Tuesdays, Blue= Thursdays. We look forward to a great Fall Season and remember "Forever Baseball, Forever Young"

Opening Day for Fall Baseball, September 14th (50 images)

The Carolina Mens Baseball League began its first-ever Fall Baseball Season this past Sunday with both the Red Division (28+) and the Blue Division (50+) playing a full slate. The League now has eight teams split between two divisions and each team plays games every Sunday through October plus night games at Godwin Park. RED DIVISION. The Red Division kicked off the action with a game between the Break Time Brewers and the newly renamed Mets up at Castle Hayne Park. The Brewers prevailed 11-8 over the summer League Champions. Brewers' SS Dan Southerland had a great day exhibiting flawless defense and hitting a long Home Run to propel the offense. Newcomer 2b Scott Burrell contributed to the high-flying offense with several outstanding at bats and excellent baserunning. Co-manager Corey "Chief" Lewis was thrilled with the effort and outcome even though he spent the last few innings with his elbow packed in ice as a result of a contusion caused by an errant fastball. The Port City Mudcats rallied to beat the Wilmington Tides 6-5, by scoring three runs in the ninth inning. Newcomer P Joe Stephenson won the game in relief. The Tides lead by Rick Parnell and P Brian Maready were unable to overcome the determined Mudcats. BLUE DIVISION. Down at Myrtle Grove, the Old Salts played the summer League Champion Seahawks and pulled out a 7-4 victory behind the strong pitching of Pate Southerland and Steve Goodman. The late game at Myrtle Grove marked the debut of the Miller Lites led by Rick Mongero. In a game effort, the 'Lites fell to the newly renamed Stingrays. Stingrays' P Jay Slaughter earned the victory for Dave Robinson's team. All CMBL players are welcome to the state-of-the-art Batter Up Baseball Facility on Carolina Beach Road for Wednesday Night Batting between 6-9pm for unlimited hitting for only $10 per player.

Carolina Mens Baseball at Night (11 images)

The excitement of playing under the lights at Godwin Field was contagious as the Miller Lites battled the Old Salts. 'Mites manager Rick Mongero got an early one run lead and made it stand up as he pitched shutout ball into the 6th. He ended up the hardluck loser as the Old Salts rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. 'Salts manager Joe Seme got the rally going with a bunt single and Terry Peters got a clutch hit to drive in the tying run. Steve Goodman and Phil Kaufman also contributed to the rally. 'Salts rookie pitcher, Jim Moore, pitched exceptionally well on the field that he last played on a long, long time ago. P Frank Amoroso vultured the win in relief.

CMBL Week Two (30 images)

Week two of the Fall Baseball featured numerous comebacks and a rare shutout. RED DIVISION: Mets 10 Wilmington Tides 9. Rookie pitcher Nathan Gergel made an impressive debut pitching 7 strong innings but ended up with a no decision. Brian Cardiero hit a two run bomb as the Mets forged ahead early. But the game came down to late inning heroics as the Tides rallied in the last two innings to score 5 runs off the Mets' bullpen. The score was tied going into the bottom of the 9th when the Mets went ahead to win this thriller. The game-winning RBI came off the bat of Paul Ponte. Break Time Brewers 10 Mudcats 7. The Mudcats rallied late but it wasn’t enough as Doug Comes pitched 2 scoreless innings and Scott Burrell pitched the 7th 8th and 9th closing it out for the Brewers. Dan Southerland and Scott Burrell both went yard back to back. Outstanding plays in the field by Lee Shelton, Dan Southerland and Scott Burrell helped solidify the victory. BLUE DIVISION: Seahawks 2 Miller Lites 0. Seahawks P Chris Natale had an outstanding day, pitching a 4 hit complete game shutout. 'Mites also got an outstanding pitching performance from Billy Cauley who just got no run support. Stingrays 11 Old Salts 3. The Stingrays clicked on all cylinders and they soundly defeated the previously unbeaten Old Salts. Led by the arm of P Dave Malkmus and the bats of Fred Thomas and Ed Fowler who each had two hits for a potent offense, the Stingrays cruised to victory. Photo Gallery contains pictures from 9/14 game between the Tides and Mudcats

Carolina Mens Baseball Week Three (20 images)

BLUE DIVISION: Miller Lites 5 Stingrays 3. The Mites recorded their first ever win by stinging the Rays. The 5 to 3 victory was a product of excellent pitching from Tim Whitehead and the Mites bats finally waking up! Bob Jernigan led the offense with a 4 for 4 day (two doubles and two singles). Gary Lanier went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Rick Mongero added a double, a single and a walk. The Mites defense was shored up with the addition of Tommy Finnelly in the lineup, as he played a flawless game at second base. Seahawks 6 Old Salts 5. Behind the complete game pitching of Chris Natale, the Seahawks defeated the Old Salts. It was a seesaw contest going into the 5th inning with the Old Salts leading 4-2. The Seahawks rallied for 4 runs highlighted by a clutch hit by Fulton Burns. The Old Salts came up short in the 7th, leaving the tying run at 3d. RED DIVISION: Tides 10 Mudcats 0. In a one-sided game, the Tides performed flawlessly to defeat the Mudcats a combined 4 hit shutout by Dan Bourelle, Brian Maready and Shane McCumbee. Tides' Chet Nesley had 3 hits, Jeff Navarro had 2 hits including a Home Run and 3 RBI, Rick Parnell had 2 hits. Break Time Brewers 5 Mets 4. The late game at Castle Hayne was an extra inning nailbiter. Both teams played great defense and had to scratch out runs off the stingy pitching of both sides. Mets' Nathan Gergel threw a complete game in a losing cause. With the score tied 3-3 in regulation, Scott Burrell made a fantastic play to nip Brian Cardiero at first and prevent the winning run from scoring. Lee "Shootout" Shelton continued his streak as the only CMBL pitcher ever to win a shootout (4-0) by pitching into the 10th in relief of Doug Comes who started and pitched 5 innings. After the Brewers scored 2 in the top of the 10th, the Mets scored one and loaded the bases with two out. The game ended on an excellent game-saving catch by Brian Adler in centerfield.

CMBL Night Moves (31 images)

Mets 13 Tides 4. The Mets broke open a close game with a 7 run eighth. The Tides broke at to a 4-0 lead early in the game , but WP Brian Cardiero stabilized and pitched brilliantly for the rest of the game. 3B for the Mets, Mike Burke had a multi-hit game. Mets Paul Ponte racked up 3 RBI and Nick Nucitelli made his debut at catcher. Miller Lites 8 Seahwks 6. In a similar game, the Seahawks broke out to an early 2-0 lead but could not hold it as the Mites scored 7 unanswered runs. The Seahawks staged a furious rally in the last inning, only to fall short. They had the tying run in scoring position but the alert defense of P Billy Cauley and C Bobby Jernigen snuffed out the rally to preserve the win.

10/12 Sunday's games rained out. Tuesday and Thursday highlights (35 images)

Mets 13 Break Time Brewers 3. After extended BP at Batter Up on Monday, the Mets brought their hitting shoes for Tuesday's game against the Brewers. Brian Cardiero led the way pitching a complete game and going 4 for 4 at the plate. Mike Burke went 3 for 4, while Travis Fortune, Luis Velez, Mark Meyler and Nathan Gergel each had 2 hits in a balanced attack. Old Salts 9 Seahawks 5. WP Steve Goodman and SS Terry Peters got big hits in a 5 run rally in the 4th to open a commanding lead. The determined Seahawks loaded the bases in the 6th but their rally was quelled by a great leaping catch by 3B Gerry Paige on a liner that would have cleared the bases. CF Pate Southerland made two nice catches to help preserve the win for the Old Salts. Last week Mudcats 4 Mets 7. WP Michael Murphy with help from Nathan Gergel who got the save, led the way going 2 for 3 with 2 rbi's. Travis Fortune hit a 2 run bomb. Break Time Brewers 5 Tides 4 After trailing all game 4-0, the Brewers staged an exciting comeback to defeat the Tides. Dan Bourelle of the Tideswent deep and Doug Comes did a nice job pitching 5 strong innings for the Brewers.

Wilmington Tides 4 Port City Mudcats 3 (53 images)

In a tense, well played game that featured outstanding pitching and stellar defense, the Tides emerged with the victory. With the game tied at 3 in the 7th, 'Cats Kevin Garrett crushed one to left centerfield, only to see his potential triple die in the outstretched glove of CF Chet Nesley. In the Tides' next at bat, Chet started the game-winning rally with a single. WP Rick Parnell followed with a soft grounder that was played to second where Chet beat the throw. Several strikeouts later, Dan Bourelle drove in the decisive run with an infield hit. Jamie Vangorder and Joe Stephenson pitched brilliantly for the 'Cats in the disappointing loss. Tides' Brian Maready and Rick Parnell also pitched brilliantly in the game that took only 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete.

Schedule Changes for Red Division (1 images)

Due to the rain, tomorrow's games at Castle Hayne (Oct 26th) have been moved back to a noon start for the early game and a 3pm start for the second game. Please note these changes and bring rakes, shovels and brooms to help make field playable. Thanks. As decided at the managers' meeting Wednesday we have adjusted the schedule to make up games that had previously been rained out. The games from Oct.5 have been scheduled for SATURDAY Nov.1. This was originally the first playoff game so that Saturday should have been set aside for baseball. The games from Oct.19 have been rescheduled to be played on Sunday Nov. 2d. The playoffs will begin on Tuesday Nov 4th with 1st place playing 4th place at Godwin at 7pm. The 2d place team will play the 3rd place team on Thursday Nov 6th at Godwin at 7pm. The winners will play on SATURDAY Nov. 8th for the Red Division Championship. (Rain date Nov. 9th). The revisions have been posted on the website.

CMBL FALL SEASON HEADS TO FINISH LINE, Oct. 26th (0 images)

The Carolina Mens Baseball League headed toward the final games of the season with an exciting slate of games this past week. RED DIVISION: The standing tightened up this weekend as the Home Runs balls were flying out of Castle Hayne Park. Mudcats 8 Mets 7. In a tense battle, the Mudcats prevailed behind the strong right arms of Joe Stephenson and Jay Hart. The Mets battled fiercely and got a long Home Run from C Tito Velez to pull the Mets within one run but they could not break through. 'Cats Joe Stephenson also went yard for the 'Cats first bomb of the season. Break Time Brewers 9 Tides 8. The late game at Castle Hayne was a wild affair. The Brewers behind the strong pitching of WP Doug Comes were behind 6-5 to Tides pitcher Brian Maready. However, in the 6th inning the Tides bullpen came in and gave up the lead. Brewer Dave Eason launched a 3 run shot over the fence giving the Brew Crew a 2 run lead. The Tides promptly came back with a last inning 2 run rally to tie the game. In a play reminescent of Jose Canseco's outfield play, the winning run for the Brewers came off the bat of SS Dan Southerland who hit a long fly to the fence that hit off the leftfielder's glove and bounced over the fence for a walk-off Homer. BLUE DIVISION: Miller Lites 5 Old Salts 2. Behind the strong pitching of Tim Whitehead and clutch hitting of Tom Halford and Danny Davis, the Miller Lites defeated the Old Salts and took sole possession of second place. Seahawks 16 Stingrays 11. The Seahawks battled the 'Rays and prevailed in a high scoring contest.