18-Grip Shield Glory Days

LOS TIGRES BECOMES THIRD PALM BEACH TEAM IN AS MANY YEARS TO WIN A NATIONAL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP-Click on headline for full story and Los Tigres' team photo. The Palm Beach League's Los Tigres, managed by Santos Adames, won the 18AAA championship in the 2nd annual NABA Citrus Classic Wood Bat Tournament, defeating the Prince William (VA) Yankees 11-7 in the title game Monday, January 20 at the Lantana Sports Complex. The 18AA title went to the Daytona Beach Rangers for the second year in a row. The Rangers defeated the Tri-State Titans (NJ-PA-DE) 7 to 2. It's the third straight year that a Palm Beach team has won a national NABA title. The Rockets captured the Hall of Fame Wood bat championship at Cooperstown, NY in 2001, and the Palm Beach Indians took the inaugural Citrus Classic in 2002. For Los Tigres, formerly the Caribbean Stars, the Citrus title represents the realization of a dream. They captured pool titles twice in Las Vegas, once losing in the semifinals, then reaching the finals before bowing out in 2002. The Stars also reached the semifinals of the NABA's World Championship Series in Phoenix, Arizona before bowing. Los Tigres scored five times in the first inning of Monday's title game. Antuan Bunkley drove in two runs with a single, and Ibrahim Navarro smacked a two run double, the first of three doubles in the game for him. He also doubled home a run in the third and scored on a double by Dagoberto Perez in the same inning as they built a 7-3 lead for starter Jeremy Dooley, who fanned eleven batters in 6 1/3 innings, but wound up with a no decision when the Yankees tied the game at 7-7 with a four spot in the seventh. Los Tigres, though, came right back with three in the bottom of the frame to take a lead they would never relinquish. Singles by Jose Espino and Bunkley, who had three safeties, two fielder's choices and a pair of Yankee errors accounted for three runs. Ariel Rodriguez provided an insurance in the 8th when he singled and came around to score, darting for third base on an infield out, then tallying on a Prince William throwing error on the play at third. Francisco Reyes got credit for the win in relief, and Jose Espino nailed it down with two scoreless innings. Daytona Beach had too much pitching and hitting for the Tri-State team as three hurlers combined for a four hitter. Starter Justin Holden went the first six for the win, and relievers Tony Von Doltren and Leon Finegold pitched two shutout innings each to wrap it up. Both relievers had four strikeouts each. Leadoff hitter Ryan Troy had three hits and three runs batted in for the Rangers and Tim Ballesteros delivered a two run triple to key a four run fourth inning that decided the Tri-State fate. Manny Lopez smashed a pair of doubles to account for half of the Titans' offense. Two other Palm Beach teams won pool titles as the Indians captured one of the 18AAA pools, and the Palm Beach Giants took one of the two 18AA pool titles. Both, however, were eliminated in Sunday's semifinals. PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT ACTION SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 Los Tigres knocked off the Palm Beach Indians 7-3 at Santaluces on Sunday, while Prince William upended the Susquehanna (PA) Black Sox 5-2 on a three-run homer by Will Somerindyke that broke a 2-2 tie, and a route going performance by Rick Fisher. In the Los Tigres victory, Ariel Rodriguez' homer broke a 2-2 tie and Carlos Gonzalez went the route to carry Los Tigres into the championship game. The Indians, who won the inaugural Citrus Classic in 2002, won the Pool A title with a 3-0 record, while Los Tigres finished second in Pool B after losing their final pool game to the Black Sox 6-2 at Palm Beach Lakes High School. The Indians completed pool play on Sunday by whipping the Tennessee Tribe 13-2. The Post Time Rockets finished with the same 2-1 pool play record as Los Tigres and the Black Sox, but were eliminated on the basis of allowing more runs than the other two in pool play games. The Rockets finished up by routing the New York Thunderdogs 16-4. Prince William's final pool play game was an 11-4 win over the Ft. Lauderdale Superstars. Both remaining Palm Beach League 18AA teams were eliminated in semifinal games on Sunday. The Palm Beach Giants finished up pool play at 2-1 when they were beaten by the Chicago River Bandits 12-9. The loss was acadamic, though, as the Giants had finished as Pool C champions by virtue of wins on Saturday over both the Duffy's Rockhounds and the Daytona Beach Buttleman's. The Giants, though, were beaten by the Tri-State Titans (NJ-PA-DE) in Sunday's semifinals 9-3. The Rockhounds were unceremoniously dumped in the semis by the Pool C winning Daytona Beach Rangers. Earlier, the Hounds completed pool play at 2-1 with a 9 to 8 win over Buttleman's. In their final pool game, the Rangers walloped the Titans 16-2. However, the Titans recovered to knock off the Giants in the semis, setting up the Rangers-Titans rematch on Monday. Sunday's complete results: Palm Beach Cardinals 7 Southcom Mariners 4 Daytona Beach Rangers 16 Tri State Titans 2 Duffy's Rockhounds 9 Daytona Buttleman's 8 Chicago River Bandits 12 Palm Beach Giants 9 Palm Beach Indians 13 Tennessee Tribe 2 Prince William Yankees 11 Ft. Lauderdale Superstars 4 Post Time Rockets 16 New York Thunderdogs Susquehanna Black Sox 6 Los Tigres 2 18AA Semifinals Daytona Beach Rangers 12 Duffy's Rockhounds 2 Tri State Titans 9 Palm Beach Giants 3 18AAA Semifinals Prince William Yankees 5 Susquehanna Black Sox 2 Los Tigres 7 Palm Beach Indians 3 Monday, January 20 At Lantana Sports Complex 18AA Championship Daytona Beach Rangers 7 Tri State Titans 2 18AAA Championship Los Tigres (Palm Beach) 11 Prince William (VA) Yankees 7 FINAL POOL STANDINGS 18AAA-Pool A- Palm Beach Indians 3-0*, Prince William Yankees 2-1, Tennessee Tribe 1-2, Ft. Lauderdale Superstars 0-3 18AAA-Pool B-Susquehanna Black Sox 2-1*, Los Tigres 2-1, Post Time Rockets 2-1, New York Thunderdogs 0-3 18AA-Pool C-Daytona Beach Rangers 3-0*, Tri State Titans 2-1, Palm Beach Cardinals 1-2, Southcom Mariners 0-3 18AA-Pool D-Palm Beach Giants 3-0*, Duffy's Rockhounds 2-1, Chicago River Bandits 1-2, Daytona Buttleman's 1-2. * Denotes pool winner Complete Results-Saturday, January 18 18AAA Palm Beach Indians 8 Prince Wm Yankees 1 Los Tigres 6 Post Time Rockets 4 Tennessee Tribe 6 Ft. Lauderdale Superstars 5 Susquehanna Black Sox 22 NY Thunderdogs 0 Palm Beach Indians 5 Ft.Lauderdale Superstars 1 Los Tigres 10 NY Thunderdogs 0 Post Time Rockets 7 Susquehanna Black Sox 3 Prince William Yankees 11 Tennessee Tribe 2 18AA Palm Beach Giants 3 Duffy's Rockhounds 2 Daytona Beach Rangers 3 Cardinals 1 Tri State Titans 11 Southcom Mariners 0 Daytona Buttleman's 6 Chicago River Bandits 4 Palm Beach Giants 7 Daytona Buttleman's 2 Duffy's Rockhounds 5 Chicago River Bandits 4 Tri State Titans 9 Cardinals 7 Daytona Beach Rangers 7 Southcom Mariners 0