Go Mendham Little League 12-Year-Old Girls Softball All Stars!!

Mendham's 12 year old girls softball all star team is playing in the
District 1 championship against Morristown National (AGAIN) tonight (Thursday, July 8th). The game is at 6:00 PM in Morristown at Veteran's Field (Hanover Road and Jane's Way). Please come out and support the team!

Saturday, July 3rd was a day to remember for the Mendham Little League 12-Year-Old Girls Softball All Stars, when they advanced to the District 1 championship with a 3-1 victory against rival Morristown National in the opening round of the double-elimination District 1 tournament.

Nikkey Skuraton, who celebrated her 13th birthday on Saturday, had two hits and scored two runs. Her second hit was an RBI single that snapped a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning, leading to the game-winning, two-run rally. In the field, Skuraton saved the day with a diving snare of a groundball that was headed up the middle for a certain two-run single that would have tied the game. All told, Skuraton made the plays that gave Mendham the triumph over Morristown National, allowing Mendham to move on in the winner's bracket and sending the defending District 1 champs to the loser's bracket.

Skuraton's first run came in the top of the sixth inning, giving the Mendham girls a brief 1-0 lead in what was a consummate pitching duel between Mendham's Irene Margiotta and Morristown National's Morgan Katona, who matched goose eggs for most of the afternoon. With two outs, Skuraton singled, stole second and raced all the way around to score on a throwing error. With the way the two pitchers were posting zeroes, it appeared to be enough to give Mendham the victory over the same team that defeated them three times a year ago, including one epic 16-inning game. However, Morristown National was undaunted and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, sending the contest into extra innings.

Morristown catcher Lauren Champi -- who stopped two runs from scoring with sensational blocks of the plate, nailing two Mendham runners trying to score in the process -- led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and moved to second on a grounder. She got to third on a wild pitch and scored on Meg Donlin's sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1-1 and extending the game for a few more innings.

Mendham hurler Margiotta, a lanky right-hander was superb all day, limiting the defending district champs to just three singles over the eight innings, walking two and striking out 13. "I watch a lot of Major League games and I want to model myself after some of the (players) who remain calm under pressure," Margiotta said. She mentioned Yankee closer Mariano Rivera as a role model, as well as Team USA softball standout Monica Abbott.

The Mendham All-Stars mounted the game-winning rally in the eighth, again doing so with two outs. Sammie DiMaio, the smallest player on the field, laid down a perfect bunt for a hit and then quickly stole second. Up stepped the birthday girl. "I was thinking that I couldn't strike out there," Skuraton said. "I was trying to drive the ball. I put my bat on the ball and it just went." It sure did, sailing to right-center field, scoring DiMaio with the go-ahead run. Skuraton then scored on Emma Corbett's RBI single and Mendham had a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Morristown National made one last attempt of a comeback, getting the tying run to second base with two outs. But Donlin's drive up the middle was snared by a Skuraton dive, who got up, made the throw to first in time and ended the contest. "It was a big-league play," head coach Lori Margiotta said. "She saved the game."

"Nikkey's a great player and I knew she was going to handle it," Irene Margiotta said. "We've been playing together and we've always been close. I knew that she was going to make that play. It's always a challenge with Morristown. By showing we could pull this off showed great determination."

I'm new to Little League and don't have the best understanding of how these things work, but apparently Morristown National would have to beat Mendham twice, while Mendham only needs to beat Morristown once more (tonight) to advance to the state tournament.

Go Mendham All-Stars!!

Music Monday Tribute to the 2010 Mendham Minor League Softball Champion Yankees: "Time of My Life"

This week's Music Monday post is dedicated to the 2010 Mendham Minor League Softball Champion Yankees, who, thanks to our Coach of the Year Michael Surella, came together as a team over the spring softball season. Win or lose, the Yankees had become champions in our eyes, but on Saturday, June 5th, London's Yankee team rallied against the Phillies in the sixth inning to win the official minor league softball championship.

On Sunday night, we all came out to Dante's for the Yankees award ceremony and honored each Golden Glove award winner on the team... including a Rookie of the Year trophy for Maddie, who was "called up from Scranton" whenever the Yankees didn't have enough players.

Thanks, Coach, and thanks, girls... this season, Rex and I had the time of our lives... and we owe it all to you!


Dirty Dancing, The Time Of My Life



Tracey MySpace Video

Boy: Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you

Girl: 'Cause I've had the time of my life
and I owe it all to you

Boy: I've been waiting for so long
Now I've finally found someone
To stand by me

Girl: We saw the writing on the wall
As we felt this magical fantasy

Both: Now with passion in our eyes
There's no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each other's hand
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency

Boy: just remember

Girl: You're the one thing

Boy: I can't get enough of

Girl: So I'll tell you something

Both:This could be love because

(CHORUS)
Both: I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
'Til I found the truth
And I owe it all to you

Girl: With my body and soul
I want you more than you'll ever know

Boy: So we'll just let it go
Don't be afraid to lose control

Girl: Yes I know whats on your mind
When you say:
"Stay with me tonight."

Boy: Just remember
You're the one thing

Girl: I can't get enough of

Boy: So I'll tell you something

Both: This could be love because

(CHORUS)
Both: 'Cause I had the time of my life
No I've never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I found the truth
and I owe it all to you

*Instrumental*

Boy: Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before

(Girl: Never Felt this way)

Boy: Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you

Both: 'Cause I had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I've found the truth
and I owe it all to you

Both: "cause I've had the time of my life
No I've never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you

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Music Monday: Needy Dog Song

Our family had a terrific Saturday of softball games. Maddie started our day at 9am with her instructional league game (Mets vs. Phillies). London was the starting pitcher for the first time ever, she had one RBI, and her team tied, 6-6. On Saturday night, Rex and I rocked with our friends and the Meathooks at the Mendham Little League fundraiser while the girls stayed home with their favorite babysitter.

Then Sunday turned rainy and we headed to Grandmom's house to visit and to Petco to start to prepare for our as-yet-unborn cockapoo puppy, who London and Maddie hope to bring home from the breeder in early July. The girls picked out a pet carrier for our car trip home from the breeder and our frequent trips to the beach in Bay Head, NJ. They're taking their clean-up responsibilities seriously with a purse-styled carrier for "business bags," and selected a few special toys to get started. We've been reading books, watching videos, and doing local research on veterinarians, dog walkers/sitters, and in-home training services for the whole family. I even laughed out loud when I found out that the most recent Dog Whisperer episode is called "Desperate Housedogs."

Our whole family is on board, and London and Maddie show the early signs of being calm, assertive pack leaders who project gentle, positive energy and are working hard to learn what to do and what not to do (we watched "Marley and Me" for some bad role modeling). Since we can't seem to get our minds off puppies, this week's Music Monday post is the Needy Dog Song... Enjoy!

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Cheerio…