Announcement
FALL 09--CHAMOS WINS THIRD LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP; UNDERDOG SUGAR KINGS WIN THEIR SECOND IN FALL FINALES
18AAA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMOS 9 ROYALS 5---MVP GUSTAVO LOPEZ (CHAMOS)
Championship teams capitalize on mistakes. Top seeded Chamos won their third championship by posting six unearned runs in the fifth to overcame a 4-1 deficit as the sixth-seeded Royals had an inning that nightmares are made of. The Royals, who had upset both the second and third seeds en route to their first title appearance, made five errors in that inning to open the floodgates and the clock struck midnight for this year’s Cinderella team.
The Royals came out swinging, scoring three in the first inning and an additional run in the second, after Chamos got a run in the bottom of the first. Jimmy Efre and Nate Palmer singled back to back off starter Jonathan Martinez. Max Johnson drew a walk and Royals’ pitcher Manny Olivera grounded to second base with Efre scoring the fist run. With two outs, Royals’ manager Jesse McGregor ripped a two run single to left to make it 3-0. Chamos countered with a run in the bottom half. Santos Adames smacked a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Olivera attempted to pick off a runner from first base.
The Royals added a fourth run on a walk to Shane Johnson and Danny Rivera’s long double to left, but after another walk to Jamie Priester and a sharp single to right by Efre, Gustavo Lopez got out of the bases loaded, no out jam, striking out Palmer and inducing Max Johnson to hit into a double play. Lopez went on to pitch five more innings, striking out nine and yielding only a run on three hits, and earning MVP honors.
The turnaround came in the fifth. Marcos Rodriguez reached second on a pair of errors. Willie Martinez reached first on another error, and Geraldo Vazquez was safe on a sacrifice bunt which resulted in the Royals’ fourth error of the frame. Rodriguez scored on a passed ball, then Marcel Castaneda clubbed a two run double to right, followed by a pinch hit double to center by Ralph Velez. Prieto doubled in another run, advancing on an outfield throwing error. Courtesy runner David Machado stole home for run number six in the frame, and Chamos led the rest of the way The Royals made it 7-5 with a run in the 6th. Max Johnson singled, stole second and scored on Eric Sabido single. Chamos got two more when Velez singled, moved to third on Adames’ second double, and scored on a passed ball. Prieto then singled in Adames. Prieto and Willie Martinez each hurled a hitless inning, with two strikeouts each, making CHAMOS the CHAMPS again.
18AA CHAMPIONSHIP
SUGAR KINGS 4 RANGERS 2--MVP--JUNIOR GASQUEZ (SUGAR KINGS)
The fifth seeded Sugar Kings, who stormed from behind in both of their playoff games, led all the way in thiis one, and rode the lefthanded pitching arm of veteran Junior Gasquez to upset the second seeded Rangers for their second 18AA league title. The first came in the Fall 2007 season.
Gasquez was at the top of his game, firing a three hitter with seven strikeouts to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the title game. He formerly pitched with the now defunct Dobson Roofing Hurricanes, who won three league championships before dissolving in 2007.
The Sugar Kings put a run on the board in the top of the first. Ramon Serpa led off with a single, moved to second on an infield grounder, and scored on a sharp single to left by Nestor Sanjurjo, the first of his three singles. They made it 2-0 on fourth inning leadoff double by Luis Santana Jr. He moved to third on Sanjurjo’s single to right. After Sanjurjo was caught stealing second, Santana scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Joe Perez. Rangers’ starter and losing pitcher Jesus Ferrer yielded singles to Albert Bosch and Darien Viera, but no further damage was done.
The Rangers cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Emilio Vargas singled and moved to third on a single by Jose Jimenez. Vargas stole home, as courtesy runner Vazquez stole second on a double steal. Two unearned runs in the fifth inning made it 4-1. Yandi Cabrera walked and scored all the way from first when Harold Dominguez laid down a sacrifice bunt and Ferrer threw wildly to first base, at which point he was relieved by Angel Garcia who went the rest of the way. Luis Santana Jr’s fielder’s choice grounder scored Dominguez. A walk and two errors produced the final Rangers’ run in the sixth inning.
After that, Gasquez pitched scoreless ball and caught the final out of the game on a line drive to the mound hit by Ferrer. Garcia tripled in the second but was nailed at the plate when he tried to steal home. Jimenez and Vargas had the only hits off Gasquez, both singles. The Sugar Kings had ten hits, led by Sanjurjo’s three. Viera and Serpa both had two and Santana Jr., Albert Bosch and Dominguez had one hit each. Dominguez’ hit was a double.
