Ball Game

The recently published and first comprehensive English language book on Pétanque bills it as the greatest game you never heard of. Jefry “Jef” Bohn, a local certified public accountant, discovered the sport - pronounced “pay-tonk” - while at his second home in Amelia Island, Fla. He recently competed in the third annual Pétanque America Open Tournament there on Nov. 12-13, 2011, and made it to the quarterfinals. Bohn, 55, is a partner in Smith Elliott Kearns & Co. in Hagerstown, where he has worked since 1978.  “I never heard of this game until 2010.

By MEG H. PARTINGTON / Staff Writer photo: KEVIN G. GILBERT / staff photographer The ballpark has so much more to offer than baseballs, bases and bat-wielding athletes. Stadiums in the area offer all sorts of attractions for the sports fan as well as the person who's just tagging along. Some offer live music, including country, Big Band and rock. Play areas for little kids and adults with youthful spirits also are available, as well as sports art and tons of giveaways.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game," Elderhostel events sponsored by Hagerstown Community College's Center for Continuing Education. Sunday, Aug. 25, through Friday, Aug. 30 Elderhostel events are designed for seniors looking for new avenues for self-enrichment. Participants will explore baseball's cultural roots in America as seen through small town rivalries, its importance to regional development and its place in history. Outings will include games in Harrisburg, Pa., Johnstown, Pa., Hagerstown and Manassas, Va. Lecturers will include Bob Savitt, Calobe Jackson, Ted Knorr, Tom Sullivan, Jan Finkel, Todd Bolton and David Vincent.

By CURT HORNBECKER Staff Correspondent MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - It wasn't the loss that frustrated St. James coach Wayne Ridenour, it was the way his club played. According to Ridenour, the Saints played one of their worst games of the year in absorbing an 81-63 trouncing at the hands of No. 5 Martinsburg in a non-league game Monday night. The Bulldogs (8-1) established the early lead using pressure defense to force nine first-quarter St. James turnovers, and never looked back.

No one can say the Hagerstown Suns don't know how to throw a giveaway weekend. Kids are receiving batting gloves, wristbands and balls for attending games this weekend. Meanwhile, the Delmarva Shorebirds got themselves a free ball game on Saturday. --cont from sports -- The Suns committed five errors - including two critical miscues on one play which led to the winning run in the ninth inning - to hand the Shorebirds a 7-6 South Atlantic League victory. "We truly gave them that ball game.

FAIRPLAY -- Members of the Sharpsburg Little League were among those who gathered Saturday at the Fairplay Post Office to participate in the unveiling of the "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" commemorative stamp. "It's an honor to actually be here and be participating in this," said Alan Williamson, vice president of the Sharpsburg Little League. "When the president contacted me about it, I was actually surprised because I didn't know any post office was doing it. " The Fairplay Post Office was the only post office in the Baltimore district doing the unveiling of the stamp, which was created to honor the 100th anniversary of the well-known baseball song.

By JACK HILL III / Staff Correspondent photo: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer SMITHSBURG - Don't think of Rachel Bachtell as just a volleyball and basketball player. During her sophomore season in 1997, Bachtell was named the Washington County Softball Player of the Year. She had to sit out her junior softball season last spring because she suffered a torn ligament in her knee during basketball season. [cont. from sports page ] And now in her senior season, she's returning to her 1997 form.

Just when it was given up for dead, the North Hagerstown baseball team's heart started beating. The Hubs erased a 4-0 deficit by scoring all of their runs in the last two innings Friday, highlighted by T.J. Hose's game-winning two-run double in the seventh, to pull out a 5-4 victory over Linganore. "It showed a lot of heart that we hung in there and came back to win it at the end," North Hagerstown coach Shawn Reynolds said. "We need to play together as a team for the entire seven innings instead of just the last two innings.

BOONSBORO - Facing a Tuscarora team decimated by injuries, Boonsboro girls basketball coach Bernie Semler took full advantage. He made sure all of his players saw plenty of action. It still proved more than Tuscarora could handle, as Boonsboro pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 55-31 victory Friday night. "They were missing three kids," said Semler. "We knew they were down, and we wanted to get everybody some playing time. " Behind eight first-period points from Alex Baker, the Warriors (2-0)

By CURT HORNBECKER Staff Correspondent SMITHSBURG - Dave Morris isn't saying he can see the light at the end of the tunnel for his winless Smithsburg boys' basketball team, but he has reason to think next season will start out brighter than this year is winding up. Despite absorbing an 84-45 loss to Walkersville in a Monocacy Valley Athletic League game Tuesday night, the Leopards' optimism is based in part on the emergence of freshman...

“I cannot understand why anyone would want to put the new ball stadium in the middle of town. There is no room. There's no place to go now. There's no parking, there is nothing that will attract anyone. Get it out of town, so people can go. I might enjoy a ball game if I could get there and park my car. As it is now, forget it. I don't want to go downtown to see them play ball, and raise the chance of being murdered. People, think, think, think, before you put that ball stadium downtown.

The recently published and first comprehensive English language book on Pétanque bills it as the greatest game you never heard of. Jefry “Jef” Bohn, a local certified public accountant, discovered the sport - pronounced “pay-tonk” - while at his second home in Amelia Island, Fla. He recently competed in the third annual Pétanque America Open Tournament there on Nov. 12-13, 2011, and made it to the quarterfinals. Bohn, 55, is a partner in Smith Elliott Kearns & Co. in Hagerstown, where he has worked since 1978.  “I never heard of this game until 2010.

CLEAR SPRING -- The No. 5 Smithsburg Leopards posted their second shutout in their first four games, defeating the Clear Spring Blazers 47-0 on Friday night in an MVAL Antietam football game. Senior linebacker Alex Akers led the way for the Leopards' defense as he made 13 tackles in the first three quarters. "We have been playing together since we have been in fifth grade," Akers said. "We pretty much know each other. Our defensive line does a great job of keeping the offensive linemen off of our linebackers.

FAIRPLAY -- Members of the Sharpsburg Little League were among those who gathered Saturday at the Fairplay Post Office to participate in the unveiling of the "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" commemorative stamp. "It's an honor to actually be here and be participating in this," said Alan Williamson, vice president of the Sharpsburg Little League. "When the president contacted me about it, I was actually surprised because I didn't know any post office was doing it. " The Fairplay Post Office was the only post office in the Baltimore district doing the unveiling of the stamp, which was created to honor the 100th anniversary of the well-known baseball song.

The crack of the bat. The slap of a hardball into a leather mitt. The roar of the crowd. Baseball season is here again. Baseball season began this week for the big leagues. Minor league action in the region starts tonight. There are seven minor league ballparks within roughly a 100-mile radius of Hagerstown. Four major league teams play close enough for a day trip. (View map) The closest pro baseball team to Hagerstown is, of course, the Hagerstown Suns, the Washington Nationals' Single A affiliate.

If only it was a 38-minute game. Garrett Community College outscored Hagerstown Community College 10-0 in the final two minutes on Wednesday to pull out a come-from-behind 60-55 win in a Maryland JuCo Conference women's basketball game at the HCC athletic complex. "I thought it was a really hard-fought game," HCC coach Marlys Palmer said. "When they switched their defense to man-to-man, we didn't handle the pressure well. We made 27 turnovers tonight. We made quite a bit of turnovers in the final two minutes.

Losing 3-2 to visiting Middletown on Wednesday night only cost No. 1 North Hagerstown the MVAL Piedmont girls soccer title. Much more will be at stake at Mike Callas Stadium on Tuesday, when the Hubs play in the quarterfinals of the Maryland Class 2A West playoffs - possibly against Middletown again. Top-seeded North (13-2, 2-1), which has a first-round bye, will host the winner of Saturday's first-round game between Middletown (7-5-1, 3-0) and Liberty. "It would have been nice to win the conference, but I'll take the game in the playoffs," North coach Rick Aleshire said.

Summer break The first full week of summer break is here and the kids are loving it! There is so much to see and do; don't let the summer pass you by without taking advantage of what our area has to offer. Vacation Bible School to get started Vacation Bible School is screaming down the track at us the end of this month and it sure does sound like a week full of the most imaginative fun. God's Celebration Train will be pulling into the station at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Funkstown on June 25. All aboard for a great adventure the 25th through the 29th!