Announcement
TWINS CAPTURE NABA WORLD SERIES TITLE; CARDINALS FROM ORLANDO MAKE IT A FLORIDA SWEEP
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 at Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter) The Palm Beach Twins rallied from a four run deficit to win the NABA's Florida World Series 25+ championship, edging the Tri State Titans 8-6 in the title game, bringing another national championship to the NABA's Palm Beach league. It was the Twins' first national title. .
The second-seeded Twins, managed by Nestor Sanchez, avenged their only tournament loss, scoring three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to upend the Titans, who represented the NABA's South Jersey-Pennsylvania-Delaware area. The Titans had beaten the Twins 12-7 in pool play. Both teams finished with 4-1 pool records, with the Titans beating the Chattanooga (TN) Phillies 4-1 in their playoff game to earn the top seed, and the Twins trouncing the Tennessee Tri-Stars 13-3 for the number two spot.
Palm Beach trailed 5-1 after only four innings as Tri State had no problems with the Twins-starter Jose Acuna, collecting five runs on eight hits of him in 3-plus innings before he was relieved by Victor Prieto, who went the rest of the way. The Twins scored an unearned run in the third inning on an error by the Titans' shortstop A run scoring double by Geraldo (Junior) Reyes in the fifth inning made it 5-2, and the Twins tied the game with three runs in the seventh to tie it. Run scoring singles by Daniel Blanco, Eddie Vazquez and Melvin Bruno, after a single by Ricky Dominguez and a base on balls by Francis Dinzey, all came with two outs and knotted the contest at 5-5.
Tri State went ahead again 6-5 in their half of the seventh, when Max Rios doubled to left to score the only run Prieto, who plays with Chamos during the regular season, was to allow in his six outstanding innings of outstanding relief work.
The Twins, though, sent eight men to the plate in the eighth inning to take a lead they were not to give up. The key blow was a two-run single by Acuna, scoring Emilio Vargas and Max Johnson, following a successful sacrifice bunt by Edgar Tovar to advance the runners to second and third. Vargas had opened the frame with a single over the second baseman's head and Johnson drew a four pitch walk. Acuna then bounced one between second and third against a drawn in infield to give the Twins their first lead, with Acuna taking to second on the throw to the plate. Acuna's advance was a key move because he later stole third, then scored an insurance run on a wild pitch to give Prieto some breathing room at 8-6.
The Twins lost a ninth run when Dinzey interfered with the throw from third base on a Blanco grounder, forcing an errant rhrow to first base by former Palm Beach League player Tony Flores. Dominguez would have scored on the play, but the run was disallowed because of the interference. Prieto set the Titans down on only one hit, a leadoff single in the ninth, over the next two innings, touching off the Twins' jubilant post game celebration. Prieto, who gave up only one run and four hits, while striking out eight, was the winning pitcher and won the championship game Most Valuable Player awards, a new bat donated by World Bats, Inc, and a $100 gift certificate from Diamond Sports. The Titans' Flores, who handled five chances flawlessly at third base won the Gold Glove award and received a bat bag from Diamond Sports.
The losing pitcher was another former Palm Beach League player, Alvaro Gomez. Twins' players and coaching staff were fitted for World Series rings, while the Titans' players were awarded NABA watches, courtesy of SMI, Inc, the official awards sponsor for the National Adult Baseball Association.
ORLANDO ENTRY MAKES IT A FLORIDA SWEEP The Florida Cardinals, from the Orlando area, made it two Florida based teams to win titles Sunday when they scored four runs in the top of the 9th inning, erasing a 7-4 deficit to nip the favored Virginia Beach (VA) Snipers 8-7 in the 18+ division championship. Third baseman Larry Renevales hit a two run single to left, Rafael Colon singled him in to tie the game, and pinch hitter Carlos Huggins lofted a sacrifice fly to center to break the deadlock and carry the fourth seeded Cardinals to victory over the top seeded Snipers. Virginia Beach had gone 5-0 in pool play, then outslugged the South Florida Beach Bums of the NABA Palm Beach League 11-8 Saturday afternoon in the playoffs. The Cardinals, who went 2-2-1 in pool play and were held to a 7-7 tie by the Beach Bums, won their playoff game over the defending champion New York Mariners 6-5. The Mariners represented the NABA's Hudson Valley, NY league. The Beach Bums also went 2-2-1 in pool play before being ousted by the Virginia team. The Beach Bums were seeded third and the Cardinals fourth. The Cardinals made the last playoff spot when the Montreal (CAN) A's nipped the Southeastern Elite of the NABA's Broward league with a two run rally in the 9th inning 8-7. . Renovales was awarded the championship game MVP award, while Snipers' right fielder Dante Montgomery took Gold Glove honors.
