from The Epicurean Group
Temple Israel No. 1 with some young fans
Steve Stein
Contributing Writer
F
or the first time in five years,
there's a new champion in the
Inter-Congregational Men's Club
Summer Softball League.
Temple Israel No. 1 defeated Temple
Shir Shalom 16-15 on Aug. 18 in a thrill-
ing playoff championship game at Keith
Elementary School in West Bloomfield,
ending Shir Shalom's run of four consecu-
tive league titles and winning Temple
Israel's first title.
There were 12 teams in the league
this season, the most since it was
formed in 1996.
Shir Shalom lost twice this summer,
once in the regular season and once in
the playoffs. Both defeats were inflicted
by Temple Israel No. 1. Winning man-
ager Steve Achtman has great respect for
the former champs. "They're the elite
team in our league he said.
Shir Shalom came into the season
with 45 victories in 46 regular-season
games, 11 straight playoff wins and 10
championships, three more than every
other team combined.
Temple Israel No. l's 7-2 win over
Shir Shalom on June 23 ended a regular-
season unbeaten streak that stretched
to 2010, but Shir Shalom still won the
regular-season title with an 11-1 record.
Temple Israel No. 1 was second at 10-2.
Their rematch for the championship was
highly anticipated, and the game lived
up to its billing.
Temple Israel No. 1 scored twice in the
top of the seventh inning to move in front
16-13. Shir Shalom pushed across two
runs to make it 16-15 and had runners
on first and second with two out when
home-run threat David Gach stepped up.
He drove Barry Fishman's pitch deep
to left-centerfield, where Andrew Kaye
made the title-clinching catch just in
front of the fence.
"My heart was pounding; said
Atchman, who already has taken the
championship trophy to be engraved
so it can be on display at Temple Israel
during the High Holidays.
Six Temple Israel No. 1 players had
three hits in the title game including
Ryan Columbus, who belted a grand
slam homer. Brandon and Shawn
Achtman (Steve Achtman's sons), broth-
ers Andrew and Jordan Kaye and Randy
Chudler also had three hits.
Other team members were Jonathan
Fellows, Justin Columbus, Bruce Kaye,
Steve Kraft and Eric Kamen.
Temple Israel had a modest beginning
in the league. Steve Achtman said he
discovered Temple Israel had a softball
team when he became president of the
Brotherhood in 2007.
He said he was disappointed to find
out several players weren't Brotherhood
members, so he made that a require-
ment starting in 2008.
The decision paid dividends. A sec-
ond Temple Israel team was formed
a few years ago and a third team was
added this year.
"We don't have A, B and C teams:'
Achtman said. "We put teams together
based on connections like family and
friends. For example, my two sons
(Brandon and Shawn) and my brother-in-
law (Fellows) were on my team this year."
Other Softball News
Larry Lipnik of Bais Chabad Torah
Center was presented the league's Jeff Fox
sportsmanship award Aug. 11 during a
brunch on the first day of the playoffs.
Each team nominated a player for the
award, named for a Shir Shalom player
who died in 2011, and the winner was
selected at random.
The other nominees were Matt Bassin
(Congregation Shir Tikvah), David
Bedol (Adat Shalom Synagogue No. 2),
Jerry Beigler (Temple Beth El), Justin
Columbus (Temple Israel No. 1), Larry
Dell (Congregation Shaarey Zedek),
Richard Elias (Shir Shalom), David Feld
(Temple Israel No. 3), Jeff Kaplan (Temple
Kol Ami), Howie Lupovitch (Temple Beth
Ahm), Evan Weber (Temple Israel No. 2)
and Sam Yashinsky (Adat Shalom No. 1).
The softball season isn't ending for
several league players. A fall league has
been organized with six teams made
up of players from all teams and a few
B'nai B'rith players. Teams were stocked
through a draft. There will be double-
headers for five weeks and two weeks of
playoffs at Keith and Drake Sports Park
in West Bloomfield.
Bad News Jews, Kosher Ribs, Marble
Rye, Breaking Mad Men, Dances with
Softballs and the Winners are the cre-
ative team names.
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August 29 • 2013
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