Yates Insurance Sneaks Around Lake Placid Marine

Fred Cooper, Ray Heissenberg and Dusty Hensley each had home runs as the Michelle Yates Insurance team pulled off a 14-13 victory over Lake Placid Marine in Lake Placid Senior Softball league play on Wednesday at the Lake June ball fields.

Paul Brand and Frank Hedges were 3-for-3 for the Insurers, while Larry Lane led the Mariners at the plate by going 4-for-4 with a home run. Don Ward also had a homer in the losing effort.

Play on the other field also saw a close game with Seminole Tire coming from four runs down in the last two innings to post an 18-17 win over Schooni's Family Restuarant.

Fifty-eight year-old Cliff Bluml led the winning effort, both in the field and at the plate.

The lanky and trim basketball player, Vietnam War veteran and retired Chief of Detectives for the Bloomington, MN police department with 27 years of service, used his 6-foot-5 inch frame to snag well-hit balls to right field where the wind was blowing out, snuffing out several Schoonis scoring efforts.

If that wasn't enough, Bluml was 5-for-5 at bat driving in the winning run. Fred Moore was also outstanding in the field and along with Max Henh, Harley Smith and Jeff Stanley, who were 3-for-4 at bat, while Glenn Minick was 3-for-5 for the winners.

The Schooni's bats were also alive with Paul Stephenson going 4-for-4, Don Cunningham 4-for-5 and Howard Carney and Rod Palmer going 3-for -4 in the losing effort.

On a Monday of doubleheaders, Schooni's and Central Security split, with Schooni's winning the first game by a score of 20-12 and Central Security winning the second 14-4.

Dana Hurlbut, a 60-year-old native of Illinois and team sponsor had a strong day at the plate with two home runs a double and a single.

Jim Hensley blasted a grand slam, Charlie Quinn had a home run, Lary Oser added a three-bagger and John Miller had two doubles in the second game to lead the Security men to victory. The Schooni's victory was produced by a balanced attack, with eight players having two hits each, Bob Sheets driving the ball up the middle to the fence for a three-run home run and Mike Jurmu and Rod Palmer adding three hits each.

Play on the other field saw some wild scoring affairs, as league-leading Lake Placid Marine split with Seminole Tire.

Lake Placid Marine won the first game 20-18 and the Seminole Tire team, after blowing a 10-run lead in the top of the last inning, scored the winning run with two out in the bottom of the inning for a 16-15 victory in the second.

Glen Minnick who was 7-for-7 for the day, was intentionally walked with two out to load the bases to get to Ed Engler.

The left-handed Engler mcrossed the Mariners up by delivering a hit to left to score the winning run.

Cliff Bluml, Ed Engler, Glen Minnick and Gary Van had unstoppable days at the plate for the Tiremen: Bluml was 7-for-8 with a home run, a triple and pair of doubles, Engler was 7-for-8 with a home run and two doubles and Van went 6-for-8. Lake Placid Marine was led at the plate by skipper Glenn Wearsch, who four hits including a triple. Tom Giownik with added hits and Hugh Grimaldi, Victor Rodriquez and Moe Pier all had triples among their hits.

The league got even tighter this week, with Lake Placid Marine and Seminole Tire tied for the lead with records of 7-6, followed by Central Security at 6-6 and Yates and Schoonis at 6-7.

With seven games left for all teams but Central Securtiy (which has 8), it looks like the championship of the league will go down to the wire.

HIGHLANDS SENIOR SOFTBALL

SEBRING - True Reflections kept a hold on their lead in the Highlands Senior Softball League 50+ with an 18-17 victory over Anderson Animal Clinic on Tuesday. Lake Wales, however, topped Reflections on Thursday and Anderson after Anderson knocked off Lake Wales earlier that day.

True Reflections leads the league with an 8-4 record, followed by Anderson at 7-5 and Lake Wales at 2-8