A slippery success for the schools

Two inches of snow had local softball players slip-sliding into home plate Feb. 9.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN Above: Toni Williams, of Jackson, playing for ACS-QBL, smacks a deep shot during the second annual Sno-Ball Softball Tournament hosted by the Upper Freehold Regional Education Foundation at Allentown High School on Feb. 7. Below: Williams gets ready to tag out Tony Donahue, of West Windsor, during the tournament. Although they hoped to play in the powdery white stuff last year, players in the first-ever Sno-Ball Softball Tournament didn't get a chance due to the unseasonably warm and dry winter. However, this year was a different story, with players slipping as they swung the bat, falling as they tried to run and dropping balls covered in snow during the second annual tourney to raise funds for the Upper Freehold Regional Education Foundation.

Participant Toni Williams, of Jackson, said, "The entire tournament is one to be remembered. Just seeing grown men and a few women running full speed and wiping out, swinging at the plate and falling like in the cartoons, or throwing a ball and having it go nowhere was absolutely hilarious and enjoyed by all."

Fifteen teams, including four from the Upper Freehold Men's Softball League, raised more than $5,000 for the Upper Freehold Regional Education Foundation during the event. The foundation is a nonprofit coalition of the private, business and civic sectors dedicated to promoting quality education by establishing, supporting and enhancing programs of the Upper Freehold School District.

"When our co-ed team ACSQBL found out about this sno-ball tournament we were ecstatic to be given an opportunity to play our first tournament of the year in two inches of snow and support a great cause," Williams said. "Having grown men who would usually be extremely competitive having a great time and playing like children was an awesome sight to see."

Each game, which was played at Allentown High School in the double-elimination format, lasted five innings, where the batters faced one pitch. Home runs, which were limited to five per game, had to be selectively utilized by the teams, which provided an interesting dimension to the games. The championship games were seven innings, and trophies and special commemorative T-shirts were awarded to the top teams in both divisions at the end of game.

This year's first-place winner in the men's division was the South Brunswick Wrecking Crew of Monmouth Junction. The secondplace winner in the men's division was the Long Necks of Upper Freehold.

There was a tie for first place in the co-ed division that went to The Tri-State Bombers of Atlantic City, and Contes Restaurant of Plainsboro.

Upper Freehold Regional Education Foundation President James Derasmo said the event raised $5,300 in support of the foundation's 2009 grants program. He said the tournament was a cooperative effort by a great volunteer workforce.

"For example, staff from the Upper Freehold Regional School District made sure the fields were in excellent playing condition and volunteers operated the concession stand," Derasmo said. "I am truly grateful to everyone who helped out."

The Lakewood BlueClaws, La Preferita Bakery, UPS, Dina Battaglia CPA, The Law Offices of Jeffrey Ferrier, Russell Gutter, and Tracey Accardi, and Upper Freehold Mayor Steve Alexander sponsored the event.

"For those long-range planners, please mark your calendars for the date of Sno-Ball Softball III, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, the weekend after Super Bowl XLIV," Derasmo said. "Hopefully, we will get even more snow than this year!"

For more information about the foundation and its grant programs, visit www.ufref.org.