18-Grip Shield Glory Days

The Warriors won their first NABA Palm Beach championship, downing the Indians 9-6 in the morning game at Santaluces on Sunday, but for the first time in the league's 17 year history there will be no upper division champion.

In the 18AAA game which followed the Warriors' win, the Cardinals and Chamos were playing the 10th inning with the score tied at 6-6. The Cardinals disputed a safe call at second base on an attempted sacrifice and when the runner continued on to third base, even though time had been called, a fight broke out at third base and a bench clearing brawl erupted with three players ejected. Law enforcement officials who were called to the scene suggested that the game be terminated and the league agreed to call it a "no contest" with neither team earning the right to be called 18AAA champions.

In the 18AA game, the Warriors rode the pitching of Luis Ramos to a seesaw victory over the Tribe, who were making their first appearance in a title game. Ramos scattered eight hits, struck out five, issued only one walk and hit two batters in going the distance to claim championship game Most Valuable Player honors. At one point, Ramos retired 14 batters in a row until he wilted a bit in the 6th inning, allowing two runs on a two RBI single by Greg Walling for a 4-3 Indians lead, but his teammates responded with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame.

The Warriors had trailed 2-1 and 4-3 until they scored the three runs in the sixth for a lead they would never relinquish. Eddie Lopez and Kevin Martinez started the two out rally with singles. Manager David Lopez walked to load the bases. Moses Pichardo singled sharply to left, scoring Eddie Lopez to tie the game at 4-4, and the bases remained loaded. Martinez scored the go ahead run on a fielder's choice grounder by Josue Molina as the Indians tried for a play at the plate and all hands were safe. Pat Nolan then walked, scoring David Lopez to make it 6-4. The Warriors added one in the seventh on an RBI hit by Alex Vazquez and two more in the 8th on Molina's two run home run.

The Indians posted their final two runs off a tiring Ramos in the 9th inning on a leadoff walk to Greg Walling, a double by Mike Zuppinger, the starting and losing pitcher, a run scoring infield single by Conner Hendrix and a sacrifice fly by Greg Williams. It was the second championship game apperance for the Warriors' franchise. Playing as Los Potros, they lost to the Texas Rangers 10-1 in an 18A league title contest.

The Indians scored two in the top of the first on a two out, two run double by Marty Brown, a ball that left fielder Molina lost in the sun. The Warriors posted singletons in the first three innings for a 3-2 advantage. Alex Vazquez was hit by a pitch and moved to third on two grounder, then scored on a passed ball. In the second, Nolan drove in Pirchardo with a single. Pichard had reached on an error, stole second and went to third on an infield out. The Warriors took their first lead in the third on Ernie Nunez/ leadoff triple and a single by Vazquez.

When play had to be halted in the 18AAA championship game, it ended what would have been a classic finale. The Cardinals rallied from 1-0, 3-1 and 3-2 deficits to take a 4-3 lead after six innings. Chamos went ahead again 6-4 by scoring three runs in the 8th, only to have Ryan McDonald blast a tape measure two run homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to send it into extra innings. Earlier, Ryan Ghianda had smacked a solo home run. The game was marred by five ejections---four of them Cardinals and one Chamo. Danny LaPerna and Rob Wiley were thrown out for arguing balls and strikes, and Charlie Pratt and Jim Romano were thumbed for the 10th inning fight. Also ejected at that time was Ralph Velez of Chamos. Chamos manager David Machado, who was coaching third base, had to be taken to JFK Hospital. He suffered a concussion and broken right thumb.