Special to the News-Sun
LAKE PLACID - Jodi and Cliff Bluml make their yearly pilgrimage from Minnesota to Lake Placid in time for the Lake Placid senior softball season.
The Blumls run lakecountryvacationrentals.com, an online private cabin rental business.
They rent 16 to 20 homes 150 miles north of the Twin Cities on picturesque lakes Roosevelt, Washburn, and Thunder.
They boast that it is "a great, affordable way for people to have that 'cabin up north' experience."
However, they do prefer the Florida sunshine to ice fishing and cross country skiing during the winter months.
On Monday, Cliff's Yates Insurance team battled Schooni's Restaurant with first place at stake.
Yates managed a hard fought 25-24 win.
Shortstop Paul Brand, playing with reckless abandon, made three diving stops on defense to thwart Schooni rallies, while first baseman Larry Oser flashed leather on two key scoops.
Brand (double), Oser (triple), Bluml (double), rookie Dave Bilyea, and Woody Hoffman had four hits.
Ed Engler (double) and winning pitcher Jeff Stanley (three doubles, HR) had five hits apiece, with Engler's catch near the fence of a Victor Rodriguez towering blast with two out and two on ended the game.
For Schooni's, Rodriguez (two doubles, triple), Richard Rucker (double) and manager Doran Quigg each had four hits.
Seminole Tire, down seven runs entering the last inning, rallied for 12 to upend Central Security 34-31.
Gene Welbaum (two doubles) and Mike Kratt (triple) paced the 'Noles with five hits, while Darrel Richards (double), Norm Grubbs (HR), Gary Pixley (double), Jim Hensley (HR), and winning pitcher Harland Newby had four hits apiece.
For Central Security, Don Ward (HR) and Fred Moore (triple) had five hits, with Dana Hurlbut (two doubles), Chet Johnson, Paul Stephenson (double) and Ray Wilson (grand slam HR) chipping in with four hits apiece.
On Wednesday, Central Security (3-5) and Yates Insurance (5-3) reversed roles as The Securitymen pounded the Insurers 34-21.
Central took no prisoners as they crossed the plate ten times in the last inning to "insure" the victory over Yates.
Central owner and left fielder Dana Hurlbut (two doubles), "Wild Bill" DeStefano (double) and Paul Stephenson (double) led the rout with six hits each.
Hurlbut's running catch off a shot by Dick Cook was the play of the game.
Manager Joe Hedges had five hits, while Chet Johnson and Ray Wilson homered.
Cliff Bluml paced Yates with five hits (three doubles, triple), while Paul Brand (two doubles), Jeff Stanley (double) and Dave Bilyea (triple) contributed four hits apiece.
Schooni's (5-3) disposed of Seminole Tire (3-5) 39-23 to again tie Yates for the league lead.
Leading hitmen for Schooni's were Denis Cuillerier (four doubles) and Richard Rucker (HR) with five hits, while Bill Gallagher had a monster game with two home runs and the cycle among his six hits.
Brian Heaphy and John McCallum (HR) joined The Hit Parade with four apiece.
Cuillerier, Rucker, Heaphy and McCallum are all first year players in Lake Placid.
Leading Seminole Tire were Howard Carney (HR), Norm Grubbs (four doubles), and Bill Card with five hits each.
Darrel Richards (double) and Gary Pixley (double) chipped in with four hits apiece.
In addition to her work on lakecountryvacationrentals.com, Jodi Bluml also uses her computer skills to do lpsoftball.com.
Please visit the site for further league information.
Thursday, January 31, 2013 - www.newssun.com/FRI-2-1-13-LPSeniors