Softball: Kirby’s Grill & Bar Rallies for Playoff Win

After the regular season, there's nothing more exciting than the chance to play in the playoffs.

Kirby's Grill & Bar and Southside Inn got that opportunity when they faced off against each other in the opening round of the Yorktown Men's Softball International League Playoffs.

After six innings, Southside seemed like it was going to advance as it led 4-1. However, in its last at bat Kirby's pulled off a come back, rallying for four runs in the top of the seventh for a thrilling 5-4 victory Tuesday evening, July 27, at the Route 202 #2 lighted field in Yorktown.

The win puts Kirby's in the best of three championship series against Tool Academy, with the first game being scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 1 at the Route 202 #1 field.

Helping lead Kirby's to the victory was Ira Levine, who went 2 for 3 with three RBI.

"We were thinking just never let up, just never let up," Levine said. "We can put up five, six, seven runs in an inning. We were due as you can see from the score sheet. We had a lot of guys who usually are hitting well that weren't, but the back end of the order picked us up. It was vice versa in other games, we just found a way to win."

The winning rally started when Lou Salveggi singled and advanced to second on a groundout. A single by Frank Pirrone and a walk from Rich Bacarri loaded the bases.

That's where Levine came up clutch with a two-run double, followed by RBI singles from winning pitcher Mike Hilfman and Todd Cromwell that tied and put Kirby's out in front.

Kirby's sealed the game in the bottom of the seventh with a gem of defensive play. Doing the honors was Salveggi, who made a strong throw from the outfield to gun down a Southside runner who was looking to tie the game and on his end from his catcher position, Pirrone.

"Lou made a superstar, phenomenal throw," Levine said. "And Frank made a great play at the plate. He made the catch, blocked the plate and put the tag on the runner. That's what catapulted us."

Brian Fischer catapulted Southside in the bottom of the second when he led off with a double and scored on a Jason Longobardi single that put his squad up 1-0.

"I usually go up there and prevent myself from swinging at bad pitches late in the count," Fischer said. "I usually swing at the first good pitch I see. It usually doesn't work but it worked at that at-bat."

A Chris Serra base hit later in the inning scored Dean Kringas to put Southside up 2-0.

Levine cut Southside's lead in half when he singled in Kevin Giaccone in the fifth for Kirby's first run.

"The first run, especially in a game like this, is always the hardest to get," Levine said. "I just wanted to move the runners, hit it down and hard. I took my best shot, I hit it hard over the shortstop's head."

Southside extended its lead to two on an RBI groundout by Serra, which knocked in Kringas in its half of the fifth. Fischer put Southside up 4-1 in the sixth with an RBI single that plated Brian Battista.

"I just didn't want to pop out so I just swung on top of it, make sure I didn't pop it up, try to hit it in the infield and they left the middle of the field open and I hit it right through there," Fischer said.