RED SOX OR ATHLETICS

When a pitcher delivers a ball that winds up halfway between third place and home plate, it’s time to call it quits. That’s exactly what happened in the bottom of the fifth inning of the 18AAA All Star game at the Lantana Sports Complex Thursday, June 23. With the score tied at 2-2, the National Division All Star team had the go ahead run on third base with no outs and Will Ford of the Boynton Red Sox at the plate when Ryan Chastain (Redbirds) lost his grip on the baseball and it squirted out at a right angle toward his own team’s dugout on the third base side. At that point, home plate umpire Jim Lief and base umpire Bernie Ginsburg, who tried hard to at least finish off the inning so it could be an official game, decided it was simply raining too hard to continue. Billy Brescia of the Arrigo Dodgers had opened the fifth with a double to left field off Chastain and went to third on the bizarre wild pitch. Ford, who had tripled in his team’s first run in the second inning, was at the plate with a chance to put his team ahead but the rains, which had plagued the game from the third inning on, refused to let up and caused the cancellation. Pitching dominated the early going. Wilson Ciprian (Los Tigres) started for the American Division (Los Tigres, Mets, Redbirds, Glory Days) against Jose Acuna (Estilo Twins) who got the nod for the Nationals (Twins, Arrigo Dodgers, Cardinals, Boynton Red Sox). It was fairly dry the first two innings and the pitchers were sharp, until the rains made gripping the ball tough. Ciprian went threee innings and fanned eight batters, including what should should have been the third out in the second inning. Brescia reached base on a third strike that wound up as a wild pitch. He scored on Ford’s triple to deep right field. That was the only hit given up by Ciprian, who was released only this spring by the St.Louis Cardinals’ organization. Acuna also dominated in the first two innings, whiffing six. The only run the American Division got came in the third when Acuna should have been out of the inning. Juan Veras ((Los Tigres) reached first base on a third strike wild pitch by Acuna. After recording the second out of the inning, Acuna was touched for a single by Ariel Rodriguea (Los Tigres), a walk to Marlon Hernandez (RJ Electric Mets) and a bases loaded single by Jose Espino (Los Tigres) to score Veras. The Americans took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Ryan McDonald (Mets) drew a walk, moved to second on a groundout by Nick Adames (Los Tigres) and scored on a two out single by the Mets’ Joe Young. That run came off Carlos Dominguez (Arrigo Dodgers), who struck out the side in the fifth inning. The Nationals came back to tie it against Chastain in the bottom of the fourth. Emilio Vargas (Twins) drew a walk, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a single by the Twins’ Ricky Dominguez. Ford was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player for his RBI triple and for making an outstanding catch on a foul fly ball down the right field line in the third inning. He received an NABA All Star MVP plaque. All participants received NABA All Star Commemorative shirts. 18AAA All Star Game—June 23, 2005 at Lantana Sports Complex American All Stars (2) AB R H BI BB SO National All Stars (2) AB R H BI BB SO Ariel Rodriguez (Los Tigres) 3 0 1 0 0 2 Melvin Bruno (Twins) 1 0 0 0 1 0 Marlon Hernandez (Mets) 1 0 1 0 1 0 Emilio Vargas (Twins) 1 1 0 0 1 1 Jose Espino (Los Tigres) 2 0 2 1 0 0 Ricky Dominguez (Twins) 2 0 1 1 0 1 Marcos Rodriguez (Glory Days) 2 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Acuna (Twins) 2 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan McDonald (Mets) 1 1 0 0 1 1 Alberto Lambis (Twins) 1 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Adames (Los Tigres) 2 0 0 0 0 1 Nestor Sanjurjo (Arr.Dodgers) 2 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Chastain (Redbirds) 2 0 0 0 0 2 Billy Brescia (Arrigo Dodgers) 2 1 1 0 0 1 Joe Young (Mets) 2 0 1 1 0 0 Will Ford (Boynton Red Sox) 1 0 1 1 0 0 Max Johnson (Redbirds) 2 0 0 0 0 1 Craig Bautz (Cardinals) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Juan Veras (Los Tigres) 2 1 0 0 0 2 Dave Machado (Arrigo Dodgers) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Gustavo Lopez (Los Tigres) 2 0 0 0 0 1 Carlos Dominguez (Arr.Dodgers) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wilson Ciprian (Los Tigres) 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pete Fuster (Twins) 1 0 0 0 0 1 TOTALS 21 2 5 2 2 10 TOTALS 16 3 3 2 2 8 Game called, bottom of 5th inning, no outs, runner at third base SCORE BY INNINGS 1 2 3 4 5 R H E Americans 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 0 Nationals 0 1 0 1 x 2 3 0 LOB-Americans 3, Nationals 4 E-None DP-None 2B-Brescia 3B-Ford HR-None SB-None HBP-Lambis (by Chastain) WP-Ciprian, Acuna, Chastain PB-Adames AMERICANS PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO 18A PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO Wilson Ciprian (Los Tigres) 3 1 1 1 1 8 Jose Acuna (Twins) 3 4 1 1 1 6 Ryan Chastain (Redbirds) 1+ 2 1 0 1 0 Carlos Dominguez (Dodgers) 2 1 1 1 1 4 TOTALS 4 3 2 1 2 8 TOTALS 5 5 2 2 2 10 Managers-Americans-Santos Adames (Los Rigres) Nationals-Nelson Sanchez (Twins) Umpires-Hector Cruz (P), Bernie Ginsburg (B) Time of Game: 1:21 MVP-Will Ford (Boynton Red Sox)