Week four proved to be an exciting one for the Deep River Horseshoe League. As the matches were being completed, an unofficial poll of players said this week was the coldest, easily outdistancing either of the first two weeks – jackets, hoodies, fleeces, and even some gloves adorned players and the desire for a hot drink.

The Yankees lead shrunk to one, remaining in first despite a scoring slump. The Rockies took five from the Reds, and a late ringer prevented the Dodgers’ sweep of the Rangers. The Giants and Royals topped 300 points. Royals’ John Sciacca pulled off a rare feat, and a handicap decided fifteen games.

Late-game heroics by Keith Toohey led to the Yankees splitting their six games with the Mets to remain in first place by one game. The Dodgers missed sweeping the Rangers, as Joe Heery tossed a ringer in the bottom of the 12th in Game No. 2 to gain a tie. The Dodgers won 5-1/2 to 1/2.

Sciacca of the Royals had the season’s first perfect game in his first game of the night. In all 24 of his shoes, he pitched scored points. Sciacca was the second leading scorer for “A” division players with a 131 series, and his teammate John Hutra’s 121 series was the top scorer for “B” division players. The Royals scored 313 points as a team, and it was the second time this season they have scored greater than 300 points. They are currently in second place.

Giants’ Mike Zanelli Sr. was the “A” division leading scorer with a 150 point series — this is his average for the four weeks. For the third week in a row, Giants’ Mike Mercier has continued to set a new personal best. This week he had his best series of 70 points, 14 ringers, and one double. This is the 21 year old’s second year in the league. The Giants are currently in third place, one game behind the Royals. They were the top-scoring team for the night with 315 points.

Other notable scores included Rangers’ Joe Heery from the “A” division with a 123 series. He was the third-leading scorer for that division. “B” division’s Anthony Conkling of the Marlins had a 107 series, which was the second-leading score. Another “B” division player, Damin Roberts from the Mets, had a 97 series for the third-leading score. Reds’ Mike Beckwith of the “C” division was the leading scorer with a 77 series, followed by Pirates’ Deb Scully with a 74 series. In third was Dodgers’ Joe Machado with a 72 series.