MARYSVILLE A friendly rivalry resumed June 22 as the Mobacks and the New California Tavern faced off in a doubleheader at M-P High School.
Though the Mobacks won both games, manager Randy Woods said his team has a lot of respect for the New Cal team, as both are perennial competitors in the city of Marysvilles summer softball program.
The Mobacks won the first game 17-5.
The win came in five-and-a-half innings.
The New Cal scored first as Myles Gallagher batted in Steve Parrish.
The lead was short-lived though, as the Mobacks tied it up in the bottom of the first. Mark Palazzo, who led off in the second inning for the Backs, helped expand the lead with the first of five more runs.
The California tried to answer in the third inning as catcher Doug Giles made it home. Norm Trowbridge, who batted well for the California, threatened to score as well until a fly ball ended his teams drive.
Although the Cal was unable to make a comeback, they added to their run tally in the games remaining innings.
The Mobacks sealed their win in the third inning where they went through their entire lineup. Josh Speck was their first and last batter in the seven-run spree, getting his teams seventh run and third out.
A rare walk put the New Cals Russ Parrish on base in the fourth, which he used to his teams advantage, getting their third run. Though Giles and Trowbridge each added a run in the fifth inning, it wasnt enough to force another go, especially after the Mobacks added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
We won the second game. I think we 10-runned them. We play them every year. Theyre a really good team. We played them for the championship last year and they almost beat us. Theyre like our nemesis. Theyre a bunch of older guys, kind of like we are, Woods said. Theyve got a really good attitude. They have a good cheering section, probably bigger than any other team out there.
Unlike the Cal and many other rival softball teams, however, the Mobacks are not affiliated with a single business or employer. Their name, Woods said, was spontaneously derived.
Since Im managing it, I went down to sign us up. I was kind of goofy, so I was like, Were the Mobacks, we come back for mo, Woods explained in his Texas drawl. Its kind of stupid, but I guess it stuck.

At M-P H.S.

New Cal 1 0 1 1 2 5
Mobacks 1 5 7 4 x 17