Last year they were underdogs, this year they were juggernauts.  The Dizzy Llamas entered the 2009 Summer season with most of their championship team intact and rolled through the Boston West Coed Softball league regular season posting a 11-1 record with their only lost coming in an end-of-season triple header.  Behind the hot bat of Dave Claffey, who hit .837 and lead the team in RBIs with 31.  The team with also buoyed by the surprising play of gray rookie Erin Calamari, who hit .536 and was an ace on the mound in her first full season pitching.

Once again it was defense that was the signature of this years team, giving up double digit runs only once over the course of the year.  Mimi Drozd anchored the stellar infield squad from thrid, with Mike Comtois manning short and Jen Kuzmick second.

Out of more than 30 teams, the Llamas finished second and swept through the playoff bracket.  In each best-of-three series, Gray never dropped a game, and quickly found themselves in the championship game against the Shootahs.

The two teams had faced each other earlier in the year, with the Shootahs holding the Llamas high-powered offense to only eight runs with the help of severe winds and a stingy defense.  Fortunately for the green guys, the bats were a little more potent.  The one-two punch of Shane Knowles and Scott Tarentino gave the Llamas breathing room, and the speed of Tom Boates broke it open.  In two games the defending champs swept the Shootahs, and became the first back-to-back Summer League champions.

2009 kicked off with a bang as nearly fifty Llamas packed the Verona Restaurant in Watertown to celebrate the 2008 Golden Llamas award winners. Thank you for everyone one who made 2008 great, and here is looking to 2009 as a year that will eclipse it.

If you were unable to make the festivities, here is a rundown of the 2008 Golden Llama recipients:
Llama of the Year - Thomas Boates
Dodgeball Player of the Year - Shane Knowles
Softball Player of the Year - Jen Kuzmick
Soccer Player of the Year - Andrea Nykiel
Volleyball Player of the Year - Caitlyn Cassara
Basketball Player of the Year - Patrick Brown
Rookie of the Year - Scott Tarentino
Captain of the Year - Dave Claffey
Most Inspirational - Caitlyn Cassara

Most improved:
Dodgeball - Mike Bizier
Softball - Victoria Catalan
Soccer - Mark Goodman
Volleyball - Thomas Boates
Football - Danielle Sullivan
Ultimate - Erin Calamari
Basketball - Matt Guerra

Two of the best teams in the Boston West Coed Softball league will spend the week nervously checking the league’s website to see if they will be named to the eight-team playoff tournament to close out the Fall season.

Both Dizzy Llamas Softball teams, White and Green, had an outstanding Fall going a combined 14-4 through the regular season.  Unfortunately, last minute scheduling changes by the Boston West Coed Softball league saddled the club with two forfiet loses.  Now both teams are in danger of slipping out of the playoffs.

“More than half our games were blowouts,” said Mike Bizier, White’s stellar infielder.  “We’ve beaten up on everyone we’ve faced.  I’d be very dissapointed if we didn’t make the playoffs because of poor scheduling by the league.”

Despite the controversy, the Softball program has been a huge success this Fall.  After Gray winning the BWCS championship in the summer, the program was condensed into two teams and both have steamrolled through the league.

White’s infield of Kevin McKay, Mike Bizier, Mimi Drozd and Jerry Antone is one of the best in the league, while top-of-the-order hitters Tom Boates and Vincent Duong and given opposing outfielders fits with their aggresive baserunning.  Green has relied on power to fuel their offensive juggernaut.  Led by Scott Tarentino, Mark Sinnamon, Derek Price and Jen Kuzmick, they have bashed their way past opponents while the battery of Paul Costa and Carol Duffy have styfled many a bat.  More importantly, the improvement of Chris DeLuca and Cameron Stewart offensively has turned a slow part of the order into a run-scoring feast.

Fall brought two big challenges for the program.  The colder weather saw pulled muscles and injuries accumulate while the Football program stole players on a weekly basis.  Multi-sport and multi-team athletes played a huge role this season, with September Llama of the Month Danielle Sullivan leading the charge. She manned right field for both teams, and helped guide the clubs top football team to victory week after week.

It has been a trying season, but in true Llama fashion, our athletes stepped up and find themselves on the doorstep of another championship.

It took a three weeks, a lot of wet socks and a healthy dose of patience, but Dizzy Llamas softball kicked off their season in impressive fashion. Both Llama teams doled out mercy killings to their opponents, then Green closed out the night with a typical DL defensive gem.

The Reverse Houdini came face to face with White’s explosive offense in the first game. Mike Bizier and Shane Knowles sent soaring shots onto the outfield pavement, while Pitcher Vicky Catalan held them to a handful or runs before Keith Kantor closed out the game. Derek Price, a stowaway from Green drove in seven RBIs.

Green’s first game came with controversy, as a first inning spat between the Llamas and a Werewolf Bar Mitzvah’s infielder escalated into an ejection later in the game for the Llamas’ opponent. Undaunted, Green crushed them, quickly reaching the mercy quota in the third inning.

The second game played more like a baseball game, as Green and Xtra Crispy scratched and clawed just to plate runs. Ahead 5-3 late in the game, Scott Tarentino and Paul Costa drove in a pair of insurance runs to put the Llamas ahead for good. Green’s defensive prowess held their opponents to five scoreless innings, with infielders Derek Price and Mark Sinnamon playing flawlessly.

Earlier in the day, White got some disappointing news with the loss of Eddie Reynolds. The Llamas first baseman injured his groin during the club’s football game and was unavailable. No word on the extent of the injury or how much time he’ll lose.

Elizabeth Swanson pitched her first inning for the Llamas this Sunday. While she walked a handful of players, she was able to buckle down and end the inning. She is expected to get more time on the mound as the season continues.