WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. Special to WPCNR From Jen Carlo. June 19, 2005: On a beautiful Father’s Day at Hofstra University Stadium, the Juggernaut took the series 3 out of 4 1-run games from the Stratford Brakettes winning game four by 1-0 in the best Juggernaut series since last July’s Texas Thunder and Akron Racer series.  Jodie Cox remains unbeaten on the mound, picking up her season high sixth win of the season and registering the second straight Naut shutout after circlemate Peaches James shutout the Brakettes Saturday night.

Ryan Realmuto, pinch-hitting with 2 dead in the 7th and the winning run on second this afternoon, rifles a single to left to score Kim Ogee with the winning run. WPCNR Photo Capture from New York Juggernaut website.

Cox registered six strikeouts to limit the Brakettes lineup to one hit.  Ryan Realmuto hit the game winning, pinch hit single in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Trena Peel had a great day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a triple.  The Nauts remain 1 game behind the Akron Racers in the NPF standings.

Jodie Cox pitched a no hitter through 4 1/3 innings before allowing the only hit of the day to Callie Piper.  Only three other Stratford players reached base, as Cox had just three walks on the day.  The left hander from California continues to dominate, as opposing hitters are batting only .126 off of Cox.

Brakettes starter Sarah Pauly allowed back to back singles in the fourth inning to Laura Taylor and Jodie Cox, but it was not enough as the Juggernaut could not push a run across the plate.  Peel hit a two out triple off the left centerfield fence in the fifth inning, but Pauly was able to get out of the jam. 

Slim Ogee (Kim), Naut centerfielder singled with one away to start the winning rally. Photo, Courtesy, New York Juggernaut.

The game was scoreless into the bottom of the seventh inning.  Kim Ogee recorded her first hit of the day with a one out single to left field.  Shortstop Chelsea Spencer executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to follow, advancing Ogee to second to set up the winning run in scoring position.  Pinch hitter, Ryan Realmuto, came up clutch with two outs, knocking in her seventh RBI of the season with a single to left field to score Ogee.   

Nauticals — Montville NJ Next Naut Barnstorming Game

The New York Juggernaut head to a neutral site on Thursday, June 23^rd to take on the Chinese National Team.  The game will be played at Montville Municipal Field at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are $10 general admission.  The first 500 kids in attendance will receive a free Juggernaut bracelet courtesy of Gary Hoffman and Delta Brokerage. 

New York then returns home to Hofstra University Softball Stadium to conclude the series on Friday, June 24^th at 7:00 p.m.  For more information or tickets, please call 631-385-1634 or visit the Juggernaut online at www.nynjjuggernaut.com.

 

FINAL SCORE                                  R  H  E

Stratford Brakettes……..000 000 0 – 0   1   1

NY Juggernaut…………000 000 1 – 1   7   0

 

WP-Jodie Cox

LP-Sarah Pauly

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. Special to WPCNR From Shannon Logan (EDITED) June 17, 2005: Before a sellout crowd On Special Olympics Night,  Jodie Cox picked up her league leading fifth win of the season as the Juggernaut came back to win game two of the series 2-1 against the American Softball Association Champions, the Stratford Brakettes in a honey. Carri “Lightning” Leto went 2-for-4 with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 7th Frame  to get the Juggernaut the win. Leah Nelson, the newest Juggernaut, just signed from Stanford University,  and old Hofstra buddy, Alicia Smith went 2-for-3 in the game to lead the Juggernaut offense against the Brakettes. The Nauts move to 8-2 on the season, evening up the 4-game set at a game apiece on a perfect night for fastpitch on the Island.

Carri “Lightning” Leto Stops the Brakettes. Photo, Courtesy NY Juggernaut. 

Stratford jumped out to a lead early in the game. With two outs in the first inning, Jennifer Owens singled to right center. Germaine Fairchild followed with a walk. An error by Juggernaut first baseman Leah Nelson on the next play allowed Owens to score from second base. Jodie Cox retired the next batter to get out of the inning.

The Juggernaut threatened in the bottom of the second inning. A leadoff single by Chelsea Spencer and a perfectly executed hit and run by Leah Nelson put runners at first and second for New York. Ryan Realmuto then placed a sacrifice bunt down to the third baseman to advance runners to second and third. Brakettes starter Sarah Pauly induced the next two batters into groundouts to shut down the Juggernaut offense.

Nauts to the left, Nauts to the right.

New York put some hits together in the fifth inning but were unable to come across the plate. Back to back singles by Alicia Smith and Kim Ogee put two runners on base. An attempted sacrifice by Peel stopped Smith from advancing to third. Carri Leto followed with a deep fly ball, allowing Ogee to tag up and advance to third. Pauly registered a strikeout to end the inning and the threat for New York.

 A big defensive play by Brakettes right fielder Denise Dennis to rob Leah Nelson of an extra base hit in the sixth inning kept the Juggernaut off the board once again.

Come-from-Behinder Trina Ties it Up.

The Juggernaut tied up the score at one in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ryan Realmuto led off the inning with a single up the middle before being lifted for pinch runner Kaleo Eldredge. Alicia Smith followed with a slapping single of her own to put runners on first and second. Ogee sacrificed the runners over to put two in scoring position.

Trena Peel recorded an RBI single to right field to plate Eldredge. The throw by Brakettes rightfielder caught Smith in a run down, while allowing Peel to advance to third. Then, “The Leto of the Pack,” the diminutive Carri “Lightning” Leto hit a walk off single to end the game, 2 to 1, driving Peel in from third base. Photo, Courtesy NY Juggernaut.

Nauticals

Jody Cox fanned 7 throwing 114 pitches in 7 innings for the complete game victory…the complete box score is on the Juggernaut website.

Katonah’s Alicia Smith (# 23) has written an essay on the Naut website about returning to Hofstra to play with the Juggernaut. Read the Lioness’s reminisces on what it takes to play Division 1 Softball at http://ism.infinityprosports.com/Uploads/209/Return%20to%20Hofstra.pdf Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.

 

Leah Smith, 5 foot 10 Stanford Slugger, Newest Naut Collected 2 hits in her professional debut at First Base. Photo, Video Capture from the Stanford University website.

The NY Juggernaut host the Stratford Brakettes for game three of the four game series Saturday, June 18th at 5:00 p.m.

The game will be broadcast by Telecare on Wednesday, June 22nd at 10:00 p.m. for those unable to attend. WRHU, Hofstra’s very own radio station, presents live broadcast of each home game. Tune in to 88.7 FM or at WRHU.org to listen to your Juggernaut on the radio.

 For tickets or more information on the NY Juggernaut, please call 631-385-1634 or visit the Juggernaut online at www.nynjjuggernaut.com. Directions to the ballpark are on the website.

The Stratford Brakettes Play out of Stratford, Connecticut and have for 50 years. To learn more about the Brakettes, their schedule, and their professional organization and topflight clinics that taught my daughter how to field, hit and pitch, go to www.brakettes.com.

FINAL SCORE
Score by Innings…………………………R H E
Stratford Brakettes….. 100 0000 – 1 1 0
NY Juggernaut………      000 0002 – 2 10 1

WP-Jodie Cox (5-0)
LP-Sarah Pauly

The National Pro Fastpitch Standings June 18, 2005

Team	W	L	%     GB
Akron Racers	9	1	.900  ——
Chicago Bandits	8	2	.800     1
New York Juggernaut	8	2	.800    1-1/2
New England Riptide	5	3	.625       3-1/2
Texas Thunder	3	2	.600       6
Arizona Heat	7	5	.583        6

 

Friday Night Action

New York Juggernaut  2, Stratford 1

Arizona 7, Venezuela-5

Chicago 1,China-0

Akron 13, Peoria 1

New England 10 California 1

Texas 11, Russia 0

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny  with reports from Shannon Logan (EDITED) June 16, 2005: The New York Juggernaut, New York’s first place ball team,  overpowered the New England Riptide last Friday and Saturday nights to maintain a tie with the streaking Akron Racers atop the National Pro Fastpitch standings at 7-1. Tonight the Nauts face their stiffest test yet in a series against John Stratton’s fastpitch legends for 50 years, the “Yankees of Fastpitch,” the Stratford Brakettes down  to the island for a 4-game set from Connecticut. Gametime at Hofstra University Softball Stadium in Hempstead is 7 P.M. 

 

 

Jodie Cox fired a 6-2 Juggernaut series closing win against New England in Middletown NY before 550 fans at Turfler Park. A power lefty reminiscent of the Detroit Tigers Mickey Lolich, Cox is 4-0. Finding new life, coming to the Nauts from Sacramento, Cox has assumed the Amanda Scott Dominator role on the Naut staff. Photo,  Courtesy, NY Juggernaut.

 

In Saturday night’s upstate fastpitch ambassador game played to hundreds of fastpitch players in Middletown for the Speed Demons Fastpitch Tournament , the Juggernaut staked Cox to a fast lead in the second inning.

 

 Slim Kim Ogee, the Nauts’ new feared clutch hitter with 5 RBIS with her 4 hits, doubled to drive in catcher Ryan Realmuto for a 1-0 lead. Alicia Smith the Katonah-Hofstra-European League import, singled to right to plate Chelsea Spencer and Trena Peel for a 3-0 Juggernaut lead. Photo, Courtesy, New York Juggernaut.

 

Carri “Lightning” Leto, the “The Leto of the Pack,” singled Ogee to make it 4-0 and the Juggernauts continued their mastery over the Riptide.

 

 

Peaches Swings to the Windmill: Last Friday evening at Hofstra, Peaches James the explosive righthander rescued from the Texas Thunder, notched her third win of the season holding New England off until the Naut bats caught up with Jocelyn Forest, the palomino-maned hardluck Riptide pitcher. Photo, Courtesy, NY Juggernaut.

 

Forest was handcuffing the Nauts 1-0 with two out in the sixth frame, when “The Leto of the Pack” lashed a single to right.  Jackie Pasquerella then laced a double DOWN the right field line. The rightfielder’s throw attempting to nail Leto at the plate was wild, allowing Pasquerella to score and the Nauts had the lead 2-1. Jodie Cox then doubled off The Jocelyn to make it 3-1. Forest deserved a better fate.

 

In the sixth, Ryan Realmuto ( the best catcher playing in any ballpark on Long Island, including Shea Stadium), homered, and the Nauts added 2 unearned runs to card Peaches James third win.

 

Awesome Hitting. Speed. Raw Hustle on Hofstra Turf.

 

After two weeks of play, the new Naut roster put together by General Manager and Coach Julie Smith hits even better than last year’s NPF Champions. They are faster, they hit with more power, and the pitching, dominated last year by Amanda “The Great” Scott now has two dominators just like her: Cox and James who are being mentoretted by Scott as their pitching coach. This is not a good thing for hitters.

 

On the batting side, the ultimate good-hitting pitcher, Jodie Cox is the “Juggernaut Jacker” – putting up Maddy Coon numbers against fastpitch’s best, hitting a wild .476 on 10 for 21, with 3 doubles and 6 runs scored. Laura Taylor is second on the club in hitting at .474 with a team-leading 10 RBIs, Alicia Smith, the fastpitch “Mickey Mantle” in center checks in with a .300 average, 5 for 20 with 6 Ribbies, and Jaclyn Pasquerella, “The Spiderwoman” at third is off to a great start hitting 50 points more than her average last year at .292 at 7 for 24.

 

Ryan Realmuto, replacing Courtney Scott behind the plate, has two homers, is hitting .250, and is a one-woman clinic in how to catch in the big leagues. Manager Smith has a lot of role players of pesky, speedy whackers that she interplays to torture the opposition: Trena Peel, Chelsea Spencer, the shortstop when Natasha Watley is not with the team, Kim Ogee, and of course, the CitizeNetReporter’s crush, Carri Leto who is clipping along at .259 with a .310 OBA. Realmuto leads in OBA with .381.

 

The team is patient working 26 walks in 8 games.

 

Who Needs Enemies When You’re Partners with USA Softball?

 

 Natasha Watley, who was supposed to be the Naut drawing card,  has only played three Naut games, having been stolen from the Nauts by USA Softball, to “try out” for the 2005 National Team. What a joke that is.

 

The worst thing the USA Softball exploiters  could do to the NPF was to steal their name players, and steal them they have. They have invited 9 NPF “name players” that WPCNR has identified to tryout in Chula Vista, California this week, including  Jennie Finch and Gina Oaks (of the Bandits), Jocelyn Forest (Riptide), Lovieanne Jung, Jessica Mendoza of the Heat, Heather Scaglione and Natasha Watley (of the Nauts), Kelly Kretschman (Racers), Kellie Wilkerson (of the Riptide).

 

This does not help the NPF maintain credibility of rosters or sell tickets.

 

Brakettes Roll In Tonight.

 

Tonight, the Old Perfessor of Fastpitch, John Stratton, the supreme evaluator of fastpitch talent, mastermind of the nation’s best softball team, the 2004 ASA National Champions, brings the Stratford Brakettes in to test the Nauts with their talented 1-2 punch of Leslie Malerich and 6 foot 3 Sara Pauly in the circle after a 6-0 roadtrip through Pennsylvania. Kaci Clark, the former Naut is on the Brakette Roster as a pitcher, but WPCNR has been unable to learn if “K.C.” will pitch this weekend.

 

Old Reliable K.C. Clark, member of Champ Nauts last season is back with the Stratford Brakettes this weekend. Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.

 

 

The Brakettes feature a Connecticut high school phenom, Kim Ovittore of Bethel Connecticut, and a hot new shortstop, Lovena Chaput who Stratton says did a great job at shortstop and has blazing speed.

 

The statuesque Stratfords feature the incomparable Germaine Fairchild behind the plate, who is, as Marv Alpert would say, “on fire.” Fairchild was 12 for 22 over the weekend with 11 RBIs. They also feature veteran Brakettes, Donna McLean, Erica Sobel at second, with fresh sprouts of young college talent playing on the Brakettes for the first time, including Ms. Chaput, Heather Wright, Linda Secka, Jioll Cimminello, Amanda Jensen, Kim Ovittore, Jen Owens and Julie Brooks. Every year Stratton is able to put together the right mix of talent to field a team that just wins. The Yankees should hire him.

 

Nauticals:

 

The Nauts have signed Leah Nelson of Stanford University to their roster. She’s a catcher firstbaseman, who according to a Nauts spokesperson, can “hit a ton.”

 

Tonight’s Brakette-Nauts action can be heard on www.wrhu.org, by clicking on sports. Better yet, come on down to the ballpark and see some real ball, where pitchers can throw more than 5 innings, snuff rallies, and the players hustle all the time. For ticket info and how to get to Hofstra, go to www.nynjjuggernaut.com. You can also find complete Juggernaut stats, schedule, and upcoming clinics and events. First pitch is at 7 PM.

 

This weekend features two terrific family events sponsored by the Juggernaut. Friday evening the Special Olympics at Hofstra University will be honored with disabled athletes participating in pregame ceremonies, and on Sunday at 1, the Nauts feature Father Daughter Day against the Brakettes.

 

National Pro Fast Pitch Standings June 16, 2005

                                    W    L     Pct,     GB

Akron Racers               7     1    .875     —

 

New York Juggernaut  7     1  .875    —

 

Chicago Bandits           6     2   .750     1

 

Arizona Heat                6     5    .545     2-1/2

 

New England Riptide   3     3    ,500     2

 

Texas Thunder              2     2    .500      4

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WPCNR THE PLANNING NEWS. June 15, 2005: The Citizens Plan Committee has announced the postponement of their June 21 community meeting to allow citizens to comment on the review of the City Comprehensive Plan. The release sent by e-mail to WPCNR:

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Coach Mark Santa-Donato. June 15, 2005: Monday evening it was announced that the White Plains football coach for the last twelve years, Mark Santa-Donato would be assuming an Assistant Coach’s role this coming season with Skip Stevens taking over the helm. Coach Santa-Donato has written  this WPCNR exclusive on his decision, the future of White Plains football, and his feelings about the program:

A Tiger Legacy: White Plains own Mark Santa-Donato. August, 2004. Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.

Dear John, 

Thanks for the kind words you said about me in your article on Michael “Skip” Stevens becoming the new head football coach at White Plains.  He is an excellent coach, a great friend and a wonderful person and I know he will do a fine job here.  He has been more than just an excellent coach as an assistant.  He has gone the extra mile for our players in so many ways.  I can’t tell you how many times he has taken kids out for dinner, driven them for college visits, and been there for them for just about anything they needed.

For me, It was a tough decision stepping down, but once my daughter Marlee’ decided on college (University of Maryland), I realized I needed to step back and make more time for my family.  I thought about it long and hard over the winter and early spring.  It seems as the girls (Marlee-17, Christa-15, & Brianne-13) are getting big so fast!  It also seems that as they get older they need you around even more.  When they were small it was easier, just bundle them up and take them with you.  Now, they are all involved with so many activities and sports (Their schoolwork – #1, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Softball, Field Hockey) that you have to find time to get to see them.  I read in your article that Mr. Panaro said I may not be able to put 7 days a week into football.  I hope to keep on a 7 day schedule, but just have a little more time to get to see the family. 

 As you know, I am staying on as an assistant.  I will be coaching the offensive and defensive backs (which is what I did as head coach) and also continue to help our players get into college, which is a big job in itself and a passion with me.  Getting our players into college has always been my #1 priority as Head Football Coach.  Hopefully by me staying on and helping Skip with the recruiting it will give him more time to spend on all the other things involved with being a head coach.  I will continue to manage our computerized player data base, our web page, and also continue to help get kids interested in playing football at Highlands MS where I teach.   So basically, I am going to stay pretty busy. 

I want to thank everyone here in the school system and community who have been so supportive over my 13 years as head coach for giving me the opportunity to stay on as an assistant.  I would also like to thank you, John, for all the great coverage and nice things you have always said about our program and our kids.  As I take my leave as Head Coach I guess the thing I am most proud of is that since 1992 close to 90% of our football graduates have gone on to higher education receiving almost $5 million in athletic and academic scholarship, financial aid and grant monies in that time.  To me, that is the most important thing I have ever been a part of as a coach.  Take care and hope to see you soon.

Most sincerely,

 Coach Santa-Donato