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06/30/2022 12:00 AM

Plenty of Teams in Playoff Chase in Deep River Horseshoe League


Westbrook resident Kris Toohey turned in an excellent showing to help the Cardinals earn a 4-2 victory versus the Mets during Week 9 play in the Deep River Horseshoe League. File photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier

The Deep River Horseshoe League is entering the second half of its 2022 season and, based on the way the standings are looking, there is a possibility of as many as 15 teams vying for a spot in the playoffs this year. At the conclusion of

Week 9 play on June 23, the Marlins and Pirates are tied for first place with their records of 32.5-21.5, leading the Giants by one game for the top spot in the league standings.

After starting off the year at 12-0, the Marlins have seen their lead slowly shrink over the past few weeks, but have hung on to first place as several of the teams below them have also taken some losses. In Week 9, the Marlins played the Red Sox to a 3-3 tie. Deep River resident Cody Layton, the top B Division scorer in the league, recorded a 123 series to finish with the second-best score in the division for the week. East Haven resident John O'Brien of the Marlins posted a 96 series to lead all C Division throwers on the week.

The Pirates, who have been nipping at the Marlins heels the past few weeks, moved into a tie for first place after earning a 3.5-2.5 win against the Giants in a matchup between two of the league's top teams. Haddam resident Mike Zanelli, Sr., of the Giants was the third-best A Division scorer for the week with a 138 series.

The Royals made a huge leap in the standings following a 5-1 win over the Rangers. The Royals moved up from

12th place to 6th place with the victory.

The Cardinals notched a 4-2 win versus the Mets, led by a stellar performance from Kris Toohey of Westbrook. Toohey finished the night with 314 points to go along with 77 ringers and 12 doubles. Toohey's teammates, Brady Miller of Deep River and Clinton resident Joe Machado, also turned in season-best scores to help the Cardinals prevail.

Overall, A Division players put forth their best scoring performance of the season during Week 9 play. The A Division players in the league averaged a series of 121 points for the week.

The leading scorer for the A Division on the week was Deep River resident Bob Cifaldi with a 146 series. Higganum resident Mike Zanelli, Jr., was second with a 143, and Mike Zanelli, Sr., finished third with a 138.

For the B Division, Dennis Allen of Westbrook took first place on the week with a series of 124. Layton was right behind in second with a 123, and Hamden resident Butch Carotenuto took third with a 116 series.

O'Brien scored a 96 for the best series in the C Division. Anthony Conkling of Marlborough was second with a 91, while Guilford resident Bob Beckwith placed third with a score of 77.

With the Marlins and Pirates tied for first at 32.5-21.5, the Giants are close behind in third place with their record of 31.5-22.5. The White Sox are in fourth with a record of 30-24, while the Orioles and Royals are in a tie for fifth place with their marks of 28.5-25.5. Here is how the rest of the standings look at the midway point of the season: Rangers (28-26), Cardinals (28-26), Padres (28-26), Tigers (27-27), Yankees (27-27), Dodgers (26.5-27.5), Red Sox (26.5-27.5), Reds (24-30), Braves (23-31), Cubs (23-31), Mets (20.5-33.5), and Angels (20-34).

Information courtesy of

Deep River Horseshoe League

Bob Cifaldi finished with the best score among A Division throwers in the Deep River Horseshoe League with a series of 146 for Week 9 action. File photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Courier