It's been said that the ladder of success cannot be climbed with your hands in your pockets. On May 22nd drive, determination and commitment overcame years of frustration, last minute collapses, and heart wrenching defeats as the Columbus Lodge #2143 Golden Lions (CL) were crowned champions of the 10th Annual Business Cares for Kids Sports Festival softball tournament, after their 16-5 victory over the team from LISD, Inc.

Nothing can take the place of persistence and for the Golden Lions the road to this championship began seven years ago, down the avenue of hard work. Yet despite all the roadblocks they faced along the way it was the team's fortitude that gave them the resolve to continue the journey. Tough times never last only tough people do, so after injuries claimed three players, just days before this year's event, the Lions had another obstacle to overcome.

The Golden Lions began with a disappointing opening round loss to LISD, 13-8, but regrouped and overwhelmed their second round opponent from FALA Direct Marketing, 21-5. As the bright afternoon skies and 80-degree temperatures descended over Cantaigue Park, the Lions continued to overwhelm their prey, starting with a 20-4 victory over the Robert Plan Group and then followed by a semi-final 25-4 win over BWD. For the second year in a row the never-say-die Golden Lions headed to the finals.

In the championship game, the Columbus Lodge drew first blood when Dave Saviano opened the game with a base hit and scored on Anthony Curran's double for an early 1-0 lead; it was the first of 4-hits that Saviano would collect in the game. Long Island System Distributors (LISD), winner of the 2002 Sports Festival, came right back, scoring a pair of runs but leaving the bases loaded.

Trailing 2-1 in the third inning, CL's Ron Gandolfo tripled in Julie Janus and Dave Saviano for a 3-2 lead that the Lions would never relinquish. LISD tried to mount an attack in the bottom of the third but with two runners on base, a sliding scoop snatch by first baseman Ed Bochynski, followed by a double play orchestrated by pitcher Rob Igneri, who threw to shortstop Joe Percella for the second out and then watched Percella hurl a perfect strike to his waiting first baseman, ended the inning with no damage.

In the Columbus Lodge forth, lefty Rob 'the Big Hurt' Igneri thumped an opposite field 2-run homerun that allowed for some breathing room. Ahead 5-2 in the fifth, the Lions roared for 6-runs on 6-hits, including a 3-run blast by Anthony 'the Big Sausage' Curran and, as they had done in the semi-finals, back-to-back solo homeruns by Dennis Tranchina and Joe Percella to expand the lead by a count of 11-2.

Then in the sixth inning, Ed Bochynski's double to right-centerfield ignited a 5-run outburst that put the game out of reach. Julie Janus, the youngest member of the Golden Lions, followed with her third hit of the game. Despite sustaining an injury to her back earlier in the week, the 22-year old caught all five Sports Festival games and handled the pressure of playing in her first Sports Festival like a seasoned pro.

The icing on the cake came when CL's Jeff Steinberg, who had already driven home 13-runs in the tournament, collected three more RBIs when he capped the scoring with a mammoth 3-run homerun over the left-centerfield fence. "He's got enough power to hit homeruns in any park, including Yellowstone," said CL third base coach Pete Gisonda. It was Jeff's team leading fourth homerun in the tournament.

Long Island System Distributors scored three insignificant runs in the final inning before the ball skipped off an LISD player's bat, sailed into foul territory, and ambled into third baseman Gisa Hellemeier's glove ending the game. It was the moment CL's Dave Saviano had envisioned since the team first entered the tournament in 1998. Gisa, a last minute replacement for the injured Lisa Hynoski, squeezed the ball tight and the celebration began.

Seeing the Golden Lions celebrating with hugs, high-fives, and unabashed delight, many would agree with Bill Meyer, who once said, "This moment may be temporary but the memory will last forever." As disappointed as they must have been, the players from LISD were gracious in defeat as players lined up for the ceremonial hand shake after the game, to offer their congratulations. "They are very deserving of the win - great job," LISD manager Lisa Dini stated.

In the end, it came down to a team that liked to compete, that wanted to win, and that had great self-belief. Sometimes you have teams that are talented but don't reach their maximum potential, but sometimes you're lucky to have players that are selfless in their approach to the game. At a time when players often think of themselves first, the Golden Lions found a common bond - each other.

During the five-round event the Golden Lions averaged 18-run/game and out slugged their opponents 90-31 on 101 hits; including 42-extra base hits. CL batting leaders were Joe Percella, Dave Saviano, and Dennis Tranchina, who batted .688, .684, and .667, respectively. Jeff Steinberg drove in CL high 16-runs and infielder Kathy Mondi, who stepped in for veteran Rita DiSalvo, led all Lionesses with a batting average of .583 and an on-base-percentage of .615.

Columbus Lodge #2143 Golden Lions are a team dedicated to community service through softball fund-raising events. Since the team's inception, their participation in such events has helped various Long Island charities raise over six-hundred thousand dollars, while posting a .735 winning percentage. To become a member of the lodge, one may contact Steve LaScala at (516) 735-2535.