Announcement
TIGRES AND GATORS CAPTURE FALL 2012-13 CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Sunday, February 10, 2013)-The second seeded Los Tigres won their ninth league championship, taking the 18AAA title 5-2, over the top seeded Wild West Wranglers behind a 13-strikeout performance by former St. Louis Cardinals' minor leaguer Wilson Ciprian.
In the 18AA championship, the third seeded Gators defeated the top seeded Nationals 12-2. Ronal Diaz went eight strong innings for the win, and Yosvany Garcia hit a two run homer to give the Gators a lead they would never give up.
The Tigres scored all five of their runs in the 7th inning off Wranglers' ace Danny LaPerna, who had fashioned a two hit shutout until the big rally. Richard Paulino had a run scoring single, Luis Mejia a two run base hit and Rob Conver an RBI hit. The fifth run scored on an infield error.
The Wranglers took the early lead in the second inning on a two out double by Rob Wiley, and a single by former major leaguer Mike Wood (Florida Marlins). Cory Johnson singled in the second run in the third inning, but that was the last hit that Ciprian was to allow. He pitched no hit ball for the next 5 1/3 innings, when he notched eight of his 13 strikeouts. Former Marlins' farmhand, Gustavo Lopez, chalked up a save with a scoreless 9th inning.
Wranglers' manager and center fielder Brian Fitzsimmons suffered a calf injury going after a double by Jose Espino and was out for the rest of the game.
In the Gators' victory, they spotted the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the first inning before roaring back. Eddie Lopez doubled and scored a single by Jorge Diaz to give the Nats their only lead of the game.
Garcia's two run blast to left followed a two out error that extended the third inning. They added two more in the sixth and another run in the 7th off starter and loser Anthony Rodriguez. Carlos Jimenez' sacrifice fly and an RBI double by Eduardo Del Toro made it 4-1, and Yordany Martinez' infield grounder scored another unearned run in the next frame. Four of the five runs Rodriguez gave up were unearned as the Nationals' defense committed five errors.
The Gators put the game out of reach with seven runs in the last two innings off Nationals' relievers to capture their first 18AA championship. Most of the same players played on two 18AA championship teams when they were known as Blades Barber Shop and the Cubans Blades. The nucleus of the Nationals' team won a previous league championship as the Warriors.
