WSJ three-peats as media softball champs

TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

The Wall Street Journal softball team defended its 2009 and 2010 championships in the New York media league, defeating High Times 11-3 in a game played Saturday afternoon on a Central Park softball field.

The Journal had beaten DC Comics in the semifinals, by a 17-3 score. The Journal is the first team in the media league to win the title three years in a row.

The Journal led both games from start to finish

In the first game with DC Comics, WSJ scored 10 runs in the first inning, with hits from senior editor Mike Siconolfi, reporter Aaron Lucchetti, news assistant Will Smith, New York corporate deputy bureau chief Spencer Ante, sports writer Darren Everson, media reporter Russell Adams, pitcher and videographer Chris Morino, and reporter Serena Ng.

In the finals, the Journal scored seven runs in the first inning and four in the second, and never looked back. First baseman Chris Rhoads, a reporter in the New York corporate bureau, caught every ball that came his way, including many one-hoppers.

Pitcher/reporter Adams pitched all seven innings of the finals.

Others that played included health and science writer Ron Winslow, Heard on the Street writer Rolfe Winkler, Randy Price and Kris Areche of WSJ graphics, and Deal Journal blogger Shira Ovide.

High Times had finished the regular season with a 9-1 record, with its only loss coming to WNYC. The Journal had finished the regular season with a 7-3 record, having lost to High Times twice during the season, 6-5 in 11 innings on Sept. 1 and 12-10 on July 9.

The Journal beat High Times 8-6 to win the 2010 championship.

Forbes fielded a team for 2010, but it went 3-7.