18-Grip Shield Glory Days

Chamos, who went into the Fall League playoffs as the number four seed and had to battle to get that, is on top of the mountain again in the 18AAA league, thanks to a workmanlike 9-2 victory over the second seeded Twins. The 18AA title game was another marathon, and another Cuban Blades championship, their second in as many tries. The Blades broke a 9-9 tie with four runs in the top of the FIFTEENTH INNING to defeat the top seeded South Florida Titans 13-9.

For Chamos, the 18AAA championship was their third straight and fifth overall. After finishing a lukewarm 7-6-1 during the regular season, Chamos knocked off the top seeded South Florida Thunder 4-2 in the semifinals, and followed that up by breaking loose from a close ball game with a six run seventh inning, capped by a grand slam by Most Valuable Player Marcos Rodriguez, who also had a double. It was a 1-1 tie going into the seventh inning and took the wind out of the Twins' sails. They added two more in the 8th inning.

Kenny Rua, the second of four Chamos' hurlers pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. He took over from starter Victor Prieto, who went the first four. Wlliam Martinez pitched 1 /2 innings and Gustavo Lopez went the last 1 1/2, starting a 1-6-3 double play to end the game. The loss went to Twins' starter Javier Omar. David Peralta was a hero in a losing cause for the Twins, going 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The 18AA game started out as though the second seeded Blades would rout the number one Titans, building 6-0 and 7-2 leads. The Titans battled back with three runs in the sixth and four more in the 7th to take a 9-7. A two run double by Carlos Jimenez tied it at 9-0 in the 8th and the two teams battled without a run until the fateful top of the 15th when the Blades finally broke through against outstanding reliever Anthony Munson. Working his twelfth inning in relief of starter Jose Pena, Munson finally gave in with a two out bases loaded single by Blades skipper Jordany Martinez, with a third run scoring on an infield error trying to nail a runner at the plate. Martinez, who took second on the throw then scored on an RBI hit by Felix Armas.

It was a bitter ending for Munson, who struck out 13 batters during his 12 inning stint. Carlos Espinosa was even more brilliant. He took over after the Titans had tied the score and threw 8 1/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit to Pena with two outs in the 15th. Espinosa's leadoff single started his team's winning rally. He also a two run double and a single and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The two title games ended one long day of baseball. The AA game lasted 5 hours, 31 minutes, and the AAA game, which had to started on an adjacent field while the Blades and Titans were still battling, lasted 3 hours, 26 minutes.