Annual East Hampton softball game a tight contest

Something unusual happened at the annual artists and writers softball game in East Hampton Saturday - the teams played great softball.

Powered by Alec Baldwin's two early hits, the artists took an early lead and were ahead 4-2 by the end of the second inning. The score seesawed, and by the bottom of the fifth, the writers led 9-7. The final score: artists 15, writers 14 in 10 innings.

But enough about softball. The game attracted the usual collection of actors and writers and ringers, including Lori Singer, famous for her role in the movie "Footloose," and best-selling authors Ken Auletta and Jay McInerney. The writers team found a good hitter in Rod Gilbert, who played 18 years for the Rangers and qualifies as an author because he wrote two books about hockey.

One longtime player, former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, sat out the game in a lawn chair, sounding wistful. "Those guys look so old," said Bradlee, who is 89.

This year's game was different in another way: It is the subject of a documentary being filmed by a crew working for one of the stalwart artist team members, screenwriter Bill Collage.

Collage, who lives in Sag Harbor and was a writer for the 2008 movie "Get Smart" and the upcoming "Marco Polo," traced his own involvement in the charity softball game to an invitation from the late writer George Plimpton. Collage recalled being thrilled at the chance to play with authors Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut.

"The documentary is an opportunity to capture a lot of great stories," Collage said.

Stories abounded during the hot, breezy afternoon. McInerney said many years ago Plimpton had recruited him, too. "I stayed away for a few years because it was hard to play after George died" in 2003, he said.

Ticket sales, concessions and a silent auction held before the game benefit three local charities: East Hampton Day Care, East End Hospice, and Phoenix House of Long Island. Volunteers who ran the game said last night they were optimistic the total amount raised would rise higher than last year's recession-battered total of $76,000, down from $90,000 the year before.

"Sometimes, the players care more about winning than about my charities," said Deb McEneaney, one of the organizers, "but I'm trying to train them."